# 2023–24 USHL season

The 2023–24 USHL season was the 45th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season ran from September 20, 2023, to April 13, 2024, with a 62-game schedule for each team. The Western Conference champions Fargo Force were awarded the Anderson Cup for the second consecutive year and went on to win the Clark Cup Championship.

## Season highlights

Total fan attendance at regular season games was calculated at 1,122,616, compared to 1,116,004 in 2022–23. The Sioux Falls Stampede set a South Dakota state attendance record for a hockey game with 11,025 attending its 11 February match against the Sioux City Musketeers. The league also reported a 37 percent increase in streaming viewership.
49 players with ties to the USHL, including 43 who played at least one game during the 2023–24 USHL season, were selected in the 2024 NHL entry draft. Those included Macklin Celebrini, former Chicago Steel forward, and Artyom Levshunov, former Green Bay Gamblers defenseman, who were selected first and second overall, respectively.

## Regular season

The standings at the end of the regular season were as follows:
Note: x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched conference title; z = clinched regular season title

### Eastern Conference

| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| y – Dubuque Fighting Saints | 62 | 41 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 90 | 271 | 195 |
| x – Muskegon Lumberjacks | 62 | 38 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 78 | 254 | 224 |
| x – Green Bay Gamblers | 62 | 34 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 78 | 233 | 214 |
| x – Youngstown Phantoms | 62 | 33 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 76 | 230 | 206 |
| x – Madison Capitols | 62 | 33 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 72 | 218 | 192 |
| x – Chicago Steel | 62 | 27 | 28 | 3 | 4 | 61 | 209 | 256 |
| Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | 62 | 25 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 57 | 179 | 230 |
| Team USA | 62 | 22 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 49 | 229 | 278 |

### Western Conference

| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
| z – Fargo Force | 62 | 50 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 272 | 143 |
| x – Sioux City Musketeers | 62 | 34 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 74 | 229 | 207 |
| x – Waterloo Black Hawks | 62 | 35 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 224 | 205 |
| x – Tri-City Storm | 62 | 28 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 67 | 232 | 218 |
| x – Sioux Falls Stampede | 62 | 28 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 62 | 219 | 250 |
| x – Lincoln Stars | 62 | 27 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 59 | 169 | 216 |
| Des Moines Buccaneers | 62 | 25 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 57 | 185 | 209 |
| Omaha Lancers | 62 | 16 | 43 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 160 | 270 |

## Statistics
### Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in regular season points at the completion of games played on April 13, 2024.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Matvei Gridin | Muskegon Lumberjacks | 60 | 38 | 45 | 83 | 51 |
| Trevor Connelly | Tri-City Storm | 52 | 31 | 47 | 78 | 88 |
| Mac Swanson | Fargo Force | 55 | 26 | 51 | 77 | 6 |
| Michael Hage | Chicago Steel | 54 | 33 | 42 | 75 | 53 |
| Noah Powell | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 61 | 43 | 31 | 74 | 57 |
| Erik Påhlsson | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 57 | 28 | 44 | 72 | 16 |
| Austin Burnevik | Madison Capitols | 61 | 40 | 31 | 71 | 24 |
| Zam Plante | Fargo Force | 57 | 26 | 45 | 71 | 4 |
| Charlie Major | Chicago Steel | 59 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 22 |
| Jake Sondreal | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 60 | 27 | 42 | 69 | 34 |

### Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage
| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | OTL | SOL | SO | GAA | SV% |
| Hampton Slukynsky | Fargo Force | 33 | 1938 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1.86 | 0.923 |
| Aiden Wright | Youngstown Phantoms | 22 | 1322 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.59 | 0.902 |
| Anton Castro | Fargo Force | 31 | 1800 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2.63 | 0.886 |
| Carsen Musser | Madison Capitols | 32 | 1907 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.74 | 0.905 |
| Calvin Vachon | Waterloo Black Hawks | 38 | 2094 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.81 | 0.902 |

## Clark Cup playoffs

| First Round (Best-of-3) | First Round (Best-of-3) | First Round (Best-of-3) | Conference Semifinals (Best-of-5) | Conference Semifinals (Best-of-5) | Conference Semifinals (Best-of-5) | Conference Finals (Best-of-5) | Conference Finals (Best-of-5) | Conference Finals (Best-of-5) | Clark Cup Championship (Best-of-5) | Clark Cup Championship (Best-of-5) | Clark Cup Championship (Best-of-5) |
| | | | E1 | Dubuque | 3 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Youngstown | 2 | E4 | Youngstown | 1 | | | | | | |
| E5 | Madison | 1 | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Dubuque | 3 | | | |
| | | | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | Muskegon | 0 | | | |
| | | | E2 | Muskegon | 3 | | | | | | |
| E3 | Green Bay | 2 | E3 | Green Bay | 2 | | | | | | |
| E6 | Chicago | 1 | | | | | | | W1 | Fargo | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | E1 | Dubuque | 1 |
| | | | W1 | Fargo | 3 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Tri-City | 2 | W4 | Tri-City | 0 | | | | | | |
| W5 | Sioux Falls | 1 | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Fargo | 3 | | | |
| | | | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W2 | Sioux City | 2 | | | |
| | | | W2 | Sioux City | 3 | | | | | | |
| W3 | Waterloo | 0 | W6 | Lincoln | 0 | | | | | | |
| W6 | Lincoln | 2 | | | | | | | | | |

## First Round
### Eastern Conference
#### (E4) Youngstown Phantoms vs. (E5) Madison Capitols

* Youngstown wins series 2 – 1

#### (E3) Green Bay Gamblers vs. (E6) Chicago Steel

* Green Bay wins series 2 – 1

### Western Conference
#### (W4) Tri-City Storm vs. (W5) Sioux Falls Stampede

* Tri-City wins series 2 – 1

#### (W3) Waterloo Black Hawks vs. (W6) Lincoln Stars

* Lincoln wins series 2 – 0

## Conference Semifinals
### Eastern Conference
#### (E1) Dubuque Fighting Saints vs. (E4) Youngstown Phantoms

* Dubuque wins series 3 – 1

#### (E2) Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. (E3) Green Bay Gamblers

* Muskegon wins series 3 – 2

### Western Conference
#### (W1) Fargo Force vs. (W4) Tri-City Storm

* Fargo wins series 3 – 0

#### (W2) Sioux City Musketeers vs. (W6) Lincoln Stars

* Sioux City wins series 3 – 0

## Conference Finals
### Eastern Conference
#### (E1) Dubuque Fighting Saints vs. (E2) Muskegon Lumberjacks

* Dubuque wins series 3 – 0

### Western Conference
#### (W1) Fargo Force vs. (W2) Sioux City Musketeers

* Fargo wins series 3 – 2

## Clark Cup Finals
### (W1) Fargo Force vs. (E1) Dubuque Fighting Saints

* Fargo wins series 3 – 1

## Playoff scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Mac Swanson | Fargo Force | 12 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 0 |
| Juraj Pekarčík | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 11 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| Zam Plante | Fargo Force | 12 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0 |
| Michael La Starza | Fargo Force | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 21 |
| Leo Gruba | Fargo Force | 12 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| August Falloon | Tri-City Storm | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| Reid Daavettila | Fargo Force | 12 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| Michael Quinn | Fargo Force | 12 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| Kaden Shahan | Sioux City Musketeers | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Beckett Hendrickson | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |

## Playoff leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals Allowed; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage
| Player | Team | GP | MIN | W | L | SO | GA | GAA | SV% |
| Hampton Slukynsky | Fargo Force | 12 | 712 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 1.69 | 0.931 |
| Kevin Reidler | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 11 | 673 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 1.69 | 0.934 |
| Yan Shostak | Lincoln Stars | 5 | 298 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 2.01 | 0.939 |
| Louka Cloutier | Chicago Steel | 2 | 136 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2.20 | 0.935 |
| Samuel Urban | Sioux City Musketeers | 8 | 468 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2.44 | 0.917 |

## Postseason awards
### USHL awards

| Award | Name | Team |
| Player of the Year | Mac Swanson | Fargo Force |
| Forward of the Year | Mac Swanson | Fargo Force |
| Defenseman of the Year | Leo Gruba | Fargo Force |
| Rookie of the Year | John Mustard | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| Goaltender of the Year | Hampton Slukynsky | Fargo Force |
| Coach of the Year | Brett Skinner | Fargo Force |
| Scholar-Athlete of the Year | James Reeder | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Curt Hammer Award | Ryan Botterill | Youngstown Phantoms |
| General Manager of the Year | Cary Eades | Fargo Force |

### All-USHL First Team

| Position | Name | Team |
| Goalie | Hampton Slukynsky | Fargo Force |
| Defenceman | Leo Gruba | Fargo Force |
| Defenceman | Joona Vaisanen | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Forward | Mac Swanson | Fargo Force |
| Forward | Michael Hage | Chicago Steel |
| Forward | Matvei Gridin | Muskegon Lumberjacks |
Source

### All-USHL Second Team

| Position | Name | Team |
| Goalie | Kevin Reidler | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Defenceman | Ty Hanson | Sioux City Musketeers |
| Defenceman | Vladislav Lukashevich | Tri-City Storm |
| Forward | Trevor Connelly | Tri-City Storm |
| Forward | Zam Plante | Fargo Force |
| Forward | Noah Powell | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
Source

### All-USHL Third Team

| Position | Name | Team |
| Goalie | Carsen Musser | Madison Capitols |
| Defenceman | Michael Hagens | Chicago Steel |
| Defenceman | Brasen Boser | Fargo Force |
| Forward | Austin Burnevik | Madison Capitols |
| Forward | Jake Sondreal | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Forward | Sacha Boisvert | Muskegon Lumberjacks |
Source

### USHL All-Rookie Team

| Position | Name | Team |
| Goalie | Louka Cloutier | Chicago Steel |
| Defenceman | Xavier Veilleux | Muskegon Lumberjacks |
| Defenceman | Sascha Boumedienne | Youngstown Phantoms |
| Forward | John Mustard | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| Forward | Ben Kevan | Des Moines Buccaneers |
| Forward | Ilya Protas | Des Moines Buccaneers |
Source

### All-Rookie Second Team

| Position | Name | Team |
| Goalie | Mikhail Yegorov | Omaha Lancers |
| Defenceman | Elliott Groenewold | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders |
| Defenceman | Alex Bales | Tri-City Storm |
| Forward | John McNelis | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| Forward | Lev Katzin | Green Bay Gamblers |
| Forward | Michael Barron | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
Source