Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1545462
It didn't take long for Renkowski to turn things around. Buoyed with a new-found c o n f i d e n c e brought on by playing with familiar faces, Renkowski was named the captain of the Stampede and scored 43 goals in the regular season and eight more in the playoffs. "Confidence is a huge thing. It's something that my dad has preached to me for years now," said Renkowski, who is committed to play at the University of Vermont this fall. "Being from New York, you are kind of born with a little bit of that built-in swagger, I guess you could call it. Coach Cruthers calls it having that dog mentality. Being from New York, we show that mentality a lot." It was Renkowski who recommend- ed Joey Macrina to his coaches. It was Macrina whose goal in double overtime lifted the Stampede to its fourth Clark Cup title and it's first since 2019. Macrina, a native of Collegeville, Pa., pre- viously helped the Long Island Gulls win the 2023 USA Hockey Youth Tier I 16U National Championship. Despite the slower pace of life than many of them were used to, players have fallen in love with Sioux Falls and have been warmly embraced by this passionate hockey com- munity. "Your players are your top recruiters," Cruthers said. "My guys from New York and Connecticut speak highly about their experience in Sioux Falls; that attracts their friends to want to be there. It's defi- nitely not an accident." P VIDEO: 2026 Clark Cup Final Highlights WHE T HER YO U 'RE IN SIO UX FAL L S , South Dakota, or Green Bay, Wisconsin, the weather in many USHL cities can be as harsh and unforgiving as skating the puck through these local team's defenses. Thanks to a collaboration between the NHL, USA Hockey and USHL stakeholders, there may be brighter days on the horizon. Brighter as in road trips to warm weather cities in Arizona, California and Nevada, whenever league expansion comes in the not-too-distant future. According to a joint press release between the USHL and USA Ho ckey, infor mation about member club principal s, markets, and timelines will be announced on June 24. The cur rent makeup of the only Tier-I junior hockey league in the United States consists of 16 member clubs across Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nor th Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. For Ryan Cruthers, the head coach of the Clark Cup champion Sioux Falls Stampede, adding new competition in warmer climes will be a welcome respite from the harsh conditions in many USHL cities during the heart of the season. " I t 'l l b e b e t t e r d e s t i n at i o n s f o r r o a d trips in the middle of the winter. Going to Arizona and California will be a nice change o f s ce n e r y f r o m t h e co ld w e at h e r t h at we experience," said Cruthers, a native of Farmingdale, New York. Mo r e than jus t hav in g war m we ath e r de s tinations , Cr uther s is excited for the additional oppor tunities that expansion will bring. "There are so many great players in the U.S., and all over, so the more teams and the more roster spots there are, the better. Those markets that they're looking to go into have had success, whether it's at the minor league pro level or they're growing through their NHL teams," Cruthers said. "We're excited for it. We think the great additions should bring a lot more notoriety to the lea gue. It jus t give s a lot of great players more opportunities." – Harry Thompson USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 7 + Brighter Days USHL Expansion Aimed At Creating More Opportunities For Players To Develop At The Highest Level Read more on the USHL expansion