USHL Final Four Set As Conference Finals Open This Weekend

Ajay White Anchoring Fargo Force's Crease As USHL Playoffs Loom

Ajay White Anchoring Fargo Force's Crease As USHL Playoffs Loom Ajay White joins me to discuss his first season in Fargo, the upcoming USHL playoffs and his commitment to the University of St. Thomas.

Muskegon Lumberjacks

The Lumberjacks hit their stride at the right time, pulling off wins as the lower seed in their first two rounds. The Lumberjacks swept the fourth-seeded Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in round one before taking down the second-place Dubuque Fighting Saints three games to two in round two.

Lumberjacks goaltender Carl Axelsson has heated up over these playoffs, posting a record of 5-2-0-0, a 2.17 GAA and a 0.904 SV%. During the series against the Fighting Saints, Axelsson held the highest-scoring offense during the regular season to under three goals in four of the five games. The 19-year-old is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for next year's campaign.

The Lumberjacks are being powered by both forward Viktor Nörringer and defenseman Adam Belusko. Nörringer was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL draft by the Nashville Predators and leads the team with eight points through seven playoff games.

Belusko has recorded seven points through the team's seven playoff games, notching two in the Lumberjacks’ Game 5 win, including the game-winning goal at 5:59 of the second period. Belusko has represented his home country of Slovakia at the 2026 World Junior Championships and is committed to Lake Superior State University for next season.

Adam Beluško Putting Together Strong First Season In Muskegon

Adam Beluško Putting Together Strong First Season In Muskegon The Slovakian born defensemen sits down to discuss his first season with the Lumberjacks, his World Junior experience and his upcoming commitment to Lake Superior State University.

Madison Capitols

After being the final team to clinch a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, the Capitols have found themselves on quite a run. The Capitols opened the playoffs by sweeping the Green Bay Gamblers, winning both games 2-1, including Game 2’s overtime victory.

Awaiting in round two was the Anderson Cup Champions, for the best record in the USHL, the Youngstown Phantoms. The Phantoms finished with 91 points and allowed the fewest goals in the entire USHL.

The Capitols responded by taking the opening two games in Youngstown by scores of 2-1 and 1-0. After losing Game 3, the Capitols took the fourth game 2-1, once again defeating the Phantoms in a low-scoring affair.

The story of the Capitols’ playoffs has been their goaltending. Led by Tampa Bay Lightning’s seventh-round pick from a year ago, Caleb Heil, the Capitols have kept opposing teams off the board. Through six playoff starts, Heil is 5-1-0-0 with a 1.11 GAA and 0.966 SV%.

Heil is tied with Axelsson in wins during these playoffs and leads in both GAA and SV% by a wide margin. Heil competed at the 2026 World Juniors with Team USA and will be heading to the University of North Dakota, beginning next season.

Defenseman Nolen Geerdes has been a driving force offensively for the Capitols, recording six points across the six games, including two game-winning tallies. Through 61 games this season, Geerdes recorded six goals and 23 assists, tying him for the team lead in assists, while also leading all Capitols defenseman with 29 points. The 19-year-old is committed to Western Michigan University for the start of next year.