General | 6/4/2025 11:00:00 AM


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The United States Hockey League (USHL) will have a significant presence in the Stanley Cup Final as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meet for Game 1 on Wednesday, June 4. This season will mark the 20th consecutive year a former USHL player will hoist the Stanley Cup.

Edmonton Oilers

Trent Frederic, NTDP (2014-16)

Ty Emberson, NTDP (2016-18)

Max Jones, NTDP (2014-15)**

Phil Kemp, NTDP (2015-17)*

Staff

Kalle Larsson – Sr. Director of Player Development (Dubuque Fighting Saints, Director of Player Personnel/General Manager/President of Hockey Ops, 2015-24 // Sioux City Musketeers Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting, 2013-15)

Mark Stuart – Assistant Coach (Rochester Mustangs 1999-00, NTDP 2001-02)

John Hill – Amateur Scout (Dubuque Fighting Saints, General Manager/Head Coach, 1989-91)

Florida Panthers

Mackie Samoskevich, Chicago Steel (2019-21)

Nico Sturm, Tri-City Storm (2015-16)

Nate Schmidt, Fargo Force (2009-10)

Jaycub Megna, Muskegon Lumberjacks (2010-11)*

Matthew Tkachuk, NTDP (2013-15)**

Seth Jones, NTDP (2010-12)**

Staff

Sean Backman, Pro Scout (Green Bay Gamblers, 2005-06)

Oleg Yevenko, Director of European Scouting (Fargo Force, 2009-11)

*Has not played in the postseason

**Also played in another development league

Samoskevich and Tkachuk seek back-to-back Stanley Cups with Florida. If the Panthers win, the duo would become the first USHL alums to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since Blake Coleman (Indiana Ice) did it with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Samoskevich and Tkachuk would also become the eighth and ninth USHL alums to win a pair of Stanley Cups in their careers. Samoskevich won a Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel in 2021, and Sturm won a Clark Cup with the Tri-City Storm in 2016. 

About the USHL
 
The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the world’s leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.
 
Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league’s player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.