DUBUQUE, IA – Just like last season, four of the six Eastern Conference teams are locked in a tight race for Clark Cup Playoff seeding, and once again, the Muskegon Lumberjacks are right in the middle of it.
The USHL regular season wraps up this week as the Lumberjacks head to ImOn Arena to face the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Both teams enter the weekend looking to secure crucial points and improve their playoff positioning.
Week 27 Preview: Finish Strong, Start Right
Just two games remain for each team in the 2025–26 USHL regular season. For some, it marks the end of the road until next fall, but for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Dubuque Fighting Saints, it's a chance to build momentum heading into the Clark Cup Playoffs.
For Dubuque, the weekend presents an opportunity to secure a first-round bye and an automatic berth in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. On the other side, the Lumberjacks need a perfect weekend, along with help from the Madison Capitols—to earn home ice in the opening round.
Sitting at 74 points, Muskegon trails the fourth-place Green Bay Gamblers by four points. The Lumberjacks hold both USHL tiebreakers, so a pair of wins in Dubuque combined with two regulation losses by Green Bay against Madison would bring first-round playoff hockey to Trinity Health Arena.
So how do the Lumberjacks make it happen? It starts with
Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN), the team's leader in both goals and points. The 2005-born forward is nearing the end of his junior career and is set to join Dartmouth (ECAC) next season, but first, he'll look to lead Muskegon on one final postseason push.
Next is the group of NHL Draft picks in the lineup.
Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD – Pittsburgh),
Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE – Buffalo),
Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE – Nashville), and
Carter Amico (Westbrook, ME – Philadelphia) all carry the added expectation of performing under pressure. With NHL organizations watching closely, this weekend provides a key opportunity to show they can deliver in high-stakes moments.
Finally, goaltending will be critical. Dubuque boasts the top-scoring offense in the USHL, presenting a major challenge for Muskegon's netminders. Whether it's
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) getting the start or support from
Will Keane (West Bloomfield, MI) and
Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz (Montreal, QC, CAN), the Lumberjacks will need a strong performance between the pipes to contain the Fighting Saints' firepower.
Over the Airwaves
FloHockey is the official live stream partner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Follow along all season long on FloHockey, or with a free internet radio feed available on Mixlr and the Lumberjacks Hockey Network, with Voice of the Jacks,
Ezra Gennello.
Thirty minutes to puck drop every game day, tune into the Pregame Show on Facebook Live. New for this season, the whole pregame show will be available on FloHockey before all Lumberjacks home games.
Upcoming Games
Fri. April 3 | 8:05 am EDT | at Dubuque
Sat. April 4 | 7:05 pm EDT | at Dubuque
Follow the Jacks
Be sure to follow the Muskegon Lumberjacks on social media!
Facebook - Muskegon Lumberjacks
Twitter - @MuskegonJacks
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TikTok – @muskegonlumberjacks
About the Muskegon Lumberjacks
The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The club's goal is to create an environment where student-athletes develop into successful young men, both on and off the ice, including playing the game the right way, maintaining their academic focus in the classroom, and staying actively involved in the West Michigan community. The organization is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and top-notch family entertainment while serving as positive role models for the youth and local community.
