Week #26 Preview: Playoff Hockey Starts Now
USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Week #26 Preview: Playoff Hockey Starts Now

Published on March 18, 2026 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI - The end of the 2024-25 USHL regular season delivered one of the tightest finishes in recent memory, with the top four teams in the Eastern Conference all vying for the No. 1 seed in the Clark Cup Playoffs. This season is shaping up much the same. As the league enters a pivotal Week 25, seeds two through five are still in the hunt for a coveted first-round bye.

Currently sitting in fourth place, the Muskegon Lumberjacks return home to host the Madison Capitols for a two-game set Friday and Saturday. Muskegon will look to keep pace in the crowded standings, while Madison battles to stay ahead of Chicago in the race for the final playoff spot.

Week 25 Preview: Every Point Matters

This time of year, it's easy for teams to look back and point to games that slipped away. For the Muskegon Lumberjacks, weekend sweeps at Tri-City and Cedar Rapids come to mind. Even so, the Jacks remain in the driver's seat for home-ice advantage, with every point carrying added weight as the regular season winds down.

The Madison Capitols find themselves in a similar spot. Losers of six of their last ten, they hold a narrow lead over Chicago for the final playoff position. Both the Jacks and Caps are in dire need of points, while this weekend marks the third and fourth meetings of the season between the two teams, following a long gap since their first match-ups in November at Bob Suter's Legacy20 Arena in Middleton, Wisconsin.

Muskegon took the opener, 3-2 in a shootout. Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) and Jack Christ (Chaska, MN) each scored in regulation, while Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT) netted the lone goal in the shootout to seal the win. The following night, Madison responded with a 4-2 victory. Drew Stewart (Minnetonka, MN) and Niles Benson (Tampa, FL) scored for the Jacks, but a three-goal surge from the Capitols proved to be the difference.

Both teams are anchored by top-tier goal tending. Muskegon's Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) is coming off his league-leading fifth Goalie of the Week honor after a two-win weekend against Chicago. Madison counters with Caleb Heil, a 2025 NHL Draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Offensively, the edge leans toward Muskegon. Stewart, Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE), and Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) are all producing at better than a point-per-game pace. For Madison, Tyden Bergeson, fresh off a Minnesota State Class AA High School Championship, leads the way, averaging over a point per game with 19 points in 18 appearances.

Lumberjacks Affiliates at USA Hockey National Championships

The Muskegon Lumberjacks will be well represented at the 2026 USA Hockey National Championships later this month. Six players are set to compete for a 16U AAA national title, while another will chase a 15O championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Ty Raap and Peyton Schneider will make the trip across Lake Michigan with Honeybaked after capturing the MAHA State Championship. Dasean Willmarth, a former Honeybaked player, joins the field with the Woodbridge Wolfpack, a rising program that claimed the New Jersey state title. Cameron Anderson will also compete at the 16U level after winning the Illinois state championship with the Reapers Hockey Club.

Connor DeBoer represents perennial powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary's out of Minnesota, while Jeshan Hayer and Sioux Falls Power bring representation from South Dakota.

At the 15O level, Lumberjacks tender Zaac Charbonneau and Mount St. Charles enter the national tournament as Rhode Island state champions.

Congratulations to all the Lumberjacks on their state titles, and best of luck as they compete for a USA Hockey national championship.

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. March 20 | 7:00 pm EDT | vs Madison Capitols

Sat. March 21 | 6:00 pm EDT | vs Madison Capitols

Mon. March 23 | 7:00 pm EDT | at USNTDP Under-18 Team

Fri. March 27 | 7:00 am EDT | vs USNTDP Under-18 Team

Sat. March 28 | 7:05 pm EDT | at USNTDP Under-18 Team

Check out the Muskegon Lumberjacks Statistics

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United States Hockey League Stories from March 18, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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