USHL Playoffs Begin: The Road to the Coveted Clark Cup Heats Up!

The 12 teams that will compete for the Clark Cup in the USHL are now known. See who made it

The 2025 Clark Cup Playoffs field is set with the final postseason spots clinched Friday night. Twelve of the league’s 16 teams have reached the postseason with one week remaining in the league’s schedule. The regular season ends on April 12.

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USHL Standings

While we know who is in, we don’t know the order of the seeds. In the Eastern Conference, four teams have a chance to earn the top seed as we reach the end of the regular-season. Out west, the Lincoln Stars are on the cusp of winning the Anderson Cup as regular-season champions as they are six points clear of the next closest teams.

Here’s a quick look at which teams will be playing for the Clark Cup later this spring.

What Teams Made The USHL Playoffs This Year?

Eastern Conference

Madison Capitols
Muskegon Lumberjacks
Dubuque Fighting Saints
Youngstown Phantoms
Green Bay Gamblers
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Western Conference

Lincoln Stars
Sioux Falls Stampede
Waterloo Black Hawks
Sioux City Musketeers
Fargo Force
Tri-City Storm

When Do The USHL Clark Cup Playoffs Begin?

The 2025 Clark Cup Playoffs are slated to start April 14, two days after the end of the regular season.

The expectation, depending on scheduling, is that the Clark Cup will be awarded no later than May 21.

What is the USHL Playoff Format This Year?

The Clark Cup Playoffs format has changed slightly from years past. Twelve teams qualify for the playoffs, with the top two teams in each conference earning a bye into the conference semifinals.

The first round will feature a best-of-three series between the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds, and the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in each conference. The higher-seeded teams host those series.

The winners of each series will advance to the conference semifinals, which will be a best-of-five series. The winners of the No. 3-6 series will play the No. 2 overall seed from the conference, while the winners of the No. 4-5 series will play the top seed in their conference. Those series will have Games 1 and 2 at the top seeds home arena, while Games 3 and 4 will be at the lower-seeded teams building. Game 5, if necessary, shifts back to the top seed’s home ice.

The winning teams from those series will play in a best-of-five conference final, following the same format.

The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference finals will meet for the Clark Cup in a best-of-five series.

How To Watch The Clark Cup Playoffs

FloHockey is the exclusive global streaming home of the United States Hockey League and the Clark Cup Playoffs. Every game from every round until the Clark Cup is awarded will be carried on FloHockey. Subscribe today and never miss a moment of the chase for the Clark Cup!

Recent Clark Cup Champions

2024: Fargo Force
2023: Youngstown Phantoms
2022: Sioux City Musketeers
2021: Chicago Steel
2019: Sioux Falls Stampede
2018: Fargo Force
2017: Chicago Steel
2016: Tri-City Storm
2015: Sioux Falls Stampede
2014: Indiana Ice

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