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USHL Fall Classic: Five for fighting

By Peter Odney , 09/26/21, 12:30AM CDT

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Five notes from the USHL Fall Classic in Pittsburgh, including updates on participating Minnesota-based teams.

A League of Their Own 

In a snapshot of just how laden with quality players the top junior league in the United States has become, there were 32 players committed to Division I programs on the ice when the Chicago Steel took on the Fargo Force. 

Sure, the Steel and Force are two of the USHL’s model organizations, but to have nearly 75% of the players on the ice committed to some of the top college programs in the country is impressive. 

One of those commits is Adam Fantilli, one of the top prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft, who centered the top line for the Steel on Saturday night. An Ontario native, Fantilli was selected 18th overall by the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. The OHL is widely considered the best pipeline from junior hockey to the professional ranks, but Fantilli opted to sign with Chicago instead. 

For his faith, Fantilli won the Clark Cup last season with the Steel alongside his brother Luca. The pair are both slated to attend the University of Michigan. 

Could the stateside success Fantilli has found lead to more Canadian prospects to explore their American options? 

Obviously, many factors could affect Canadian prospects (COVID-19 restrictions, familial ties, etc.). Still, if a team has a proven track record of preparing players for the next level, it may not matter where the team is located. 


Adam Fantilli, Chicago Steel

14U and 15U champions crowned 

Pittsburgh Penguins Elite took home top honors during Saturday’s 14U playoff rounds, edging the Rhode Island Saint M’s 3-2 in the semifinals and then blanking Mid-Fairfield 5-0 in the finale. 

Rhode Island wouldn’t leave the Steel City empty-handed, however. 

The Saint M’s 15U squad started fast and finished the job in a 5-2 win over Detroit Little Caesars in the 15U title game. 

Starting the knockout rounds as the No. 4 seed due to an overtime win counting as a single point instead of a whole point, the Saint M’s slipped past No. 1 overall seed Philadelphia Jr. Flyers in the semifinal on Saturday morning before the win over Little Caesars. 


The Rhode Island Saint M's emerged victorious in Saturday's 15U championship with a 5-2 win over Detroit Little Caesars.

State of Hockey update 

A visit to the Keystone State wasn’t kind to the 14U Team Minnesota squad, as the boys in blue and white dropped their first three games, falling to eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (7-3), CarShield (4-2), and the Buffalo Regals (7-3) on Friday night. Team Minnesota finished its run with an 8-2 win over the Omaha Mastery on Saturday morning. 

The 15U Team Minnesota group went the opposite direction, trouncing the Sioux Falls Power 6-0 in its opening game and then coming up short in three straight. Team Minnesota took losses against the BK Selects 6-3, eventual champ Rhode Island Saint M’s 6-1, and finally to the Rochester Coalition 3-2 on Saturday.

Blue Army 15U falls somewhere in the middle, rebounding after an opening loss to Pittsburgh Penguins Elite with a 3-0 win over Detroit Honeybaked. Blue Army would go on to lose in overtime to Cleveland Barons Elite 5-4 and then again to Detroit Compuware 5-2 in the consolation round. 


Grady Magner, Team Minnesota 15U

Act Two of the Fall Classic kicks off

The 16U and 18U Divisions are officially underway, with three more Minnesota-based teams beginning play. 

The 16U Blizzard opened play with a 5-3 loss to the BK Selects but can bounce back with wins over the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. 

Blue Army’s lousy luck in extra-session games continued in the 16U age group, as Blue Army fell to the Buffalo Jr. Sabres 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday night. Up next for Blue Army are battles with the Florida Alliance and Colorado Thunderbirds. 

Finally, the Blue Army 18U team topped the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 5-3 to start, and will look to continue its winning ways against the Buffalo Regals and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite on Sunday. 


Oliver Duininck, Minnesota Blizzard 16U

Late Night Whispers 

While standing along the glass waiting for an overtime game to finish, an 18U team’s conversation turned to the National Team Development Program 18-Under team’s 4-2 win over Sioux City earlier in the day. 

After a few obligatory comments about NTDP star forward Logan Cooley (No. 2 overall 2022 NHL Draft prospect according to TSN’s Craig Button), two players who spent their youth days with Minnesota programs drew heavy praise. 

“Yeah, they have that Chesley kid. He’s unreal,” said one player. 

“Howard’s good too,” said another. 

The players in question are Ryan Chesley and Isaac Howard, ranked sixteenth and twenty-ninth, respectively, in Button’s first iteration of draft ratings. 

Howard registered two assists in Saturday’s win over the Musketeers, while Chesley tallied an assist and was plus-three for the game. Another area player, Grand Forks native Cole Spicer, also scored in the victory.  


Minnesota native Ryan Chesley recorded an assist in the NTDP U18's 4-2 win over Sioux City on Saturday.

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