Regional tourneys highlight of USHL pre-season

The USHL is the highest ranked junior outfit in this country and it also enjoys the longest season thanks to an elongated pre-season.

The teams may have started pre-season encounters a few days later than other junior squads, but the Chicago Steel was already underway in August, playing at the Club World Cup in Russia. The teams have all been underway for at least a week or two now but they don’t face off for real until late September.

Among the preparation is five Regional pre-season Showcase events that will have teams playing against their closest rivals in a loose tournament format.

Subway Shootout

The first event will be the ‘Subway Shootout,’ a seven team event that takes place at the Brown County Arena in Green Bay. Action kicks off Friday with the host Gamblers obviously involved along with the Bloomington Thunder, Cedar Rapids Roughriders, Madison Capitols, Muskegon Lumberjacks and both the U-17 and U-18 US National Development teams.

The event will begin with an all-Wisconsin match up on Friday night as the Madison Capitols take on the host Gamblers in a 7 p.m. start.

On Saturday, the Thunder will begin with a game against the U-18 Selects at 1 p.m; followed by the Lumberjacks against the U-17 squad and finally, the Gamblers will be back on the ice against the Roughriders at 7 p.m.

The final day will get an early start as the U-18 Selects play the Lumberjacks at 10 a.m. followed at 1 p.m. by the Roughriders and Bloomington and wrapping up the tournament will be the Capitols against the U-17 squad at 4 p.m.

The following weekend will four events as the Iowa Classic will bring together at Des Moines Sept. 17-19 while four others will take part in an event at Pittsburgh Sept. 18-19 and the ‘Battle in Lincoln’ will involve another five squads. On Sept. 19-20, the Bob Suter Memorial Tournament will be held near Madison, WI.

Iowa Classic

The Classic will get a Thursday night start as the host Waterloo Blackhawks play host to the Des Moines Buccaneers with a 7:05 p.m. faceoff.

The following night will see the Roughriders taking on the Sioux City Musketeers in a 3:05 p.m. game followed at 7:05 p.m. by the Buccaneers against the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

On the final day, the Musketeers will play the Fighting Saints in an early 11:05 a.m. game followed at 3:05 by the Blackhawks and Roughriders.

Pittsburgh Showcase

Both of the US National Development Teams will be involved in this one along with the Youngstown Phantoms and Muskegon Lumberjacks at the new UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township. No specific schedule was available at press time, but with four teams involved, perhaps we can assume there will be semi-finals one day followed by a Consolation and Championship game the following day.

‘Battle in Lincoln’

This event will bring together the host Lincoln Stars, Fargo Force, Tri-City Storm, Sioux Falls Stampede and also the HC Red Bull Salzburg juniors from Austria.

Action will begin on Sept. 17 with the Lancers against the Stars in a 7:05 start. The following day will see the Force taking on the Storm in a 1 p.m. game while the host Stars playing their Austrian guests at 7:05 p.m.

The final day will have the Stampede playing the Storm at 1 p.m. with a 7 p.m. game between the Stars and Force.

Bob Suter Memorial Tournament

Wrapping up the pre-season showcase type events will be a four team tournament in honor of USA hockey legend Bob Suter, a member of the USA’s Miracle on Ice team and father of NHL defenseman, Ryan Suter who passed away last year.

Ryan Suter is one of the team owners of the Madison Capitols and this tournament, involving the Capitols, Green Bay Gamblers, Chicago Steel and Bloomington Thunder will be played at the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, a rink built and owned by Suter until his passing.

On Sept. 19, the Gamblers will play the Thunder in a 3 p.m .start followed at 7 p.m by the Capitols and Steel.

The following day will see the Thunder against the Capitols in a 10 a.m. game while the Steel and Gamblers will wrap it all up at 2 p.m.