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// OCTOBER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM
T
HE WINDY CITY hosted hockey
at every level in September.
At the Blackhawks Ice Center
on the city's near west side, the
Chicago Black hawks prepared for the
upcoming NHL season. Down the hall, the
USHL kicked off its season with the Fall
Classic, a chance for every USHL team to
get in two games in front of NHL and col-
lege scouts.
Meanwhile, at seven different ice rinks
around Chicago's suburbs, the USHL's Fall
Classic's youth tournaments brought in
more than 100 teams.
These tournaments come with an extra
perk: Many of the youth players aspire to
play in the USHL, but their busy schedules
make it hard to actually get to a USHL
game. Therefore, the league brought play-
ers to the Fall Classic so they can see the
next level of hockey in person and perhaps
envision a path to one day play in the USHL
themselves.
"A lot of youth players nowadays aspire
to play in the USHL, but have never seen a
Photos Courtesy USHL
by Maggie Hendricks
A Look into
the Future
DIGITAL BONUS CONTENT
MORE THAN 100 TEAMS PARTICIPATED IN
YOUTH TOURNAMENTS DURING THE USHL
FALL CLASSIC
AMERICAN JUNIOR HOCKEY SPOTLIGHT
