USHL 2023-24 Preview: Dubuque Fighting Saints
Can Dubuque make some noise in the Eastern Conference in 2023-24?
DUBUQUE — A look back at the 2022-23 season and Dubuque Fighting Saints head coach Kirk MacDonald will be the first to say that his squad likely overachieved ahead of where most had them pegged at the start of the season.
The Saints finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, collecting wins in six of their final ten regular-season games, and were sandwiched one point back of Green Bay and one point ahead of Cedar Rapids.
Dubuque dropped Game 1 in their first-round playoff matchup against the Gamblers but roared back to take the next two and the series on the road. Going up against the top-seeded Chicago in Round Two, the Saints gave the Steel a hard-fought series but were swept in two games.
“We were in both games in Chicago, and both nights, they made one more play than we did, but I loved how we played, and I think it gave a lot of confidence for the guys coming back this year,” said MacDonald, who will be entering his second season as bench boss for Dubuque in 2023-24.
The Fighting Saints saw Ryan St. Louis return to the USHL to further his development. The former NTDP forward led all Dubuque skaters with 72 points (30 goals, 42 assists) in 58 games played and was a key contributor at both even-strength and on the power play.
Added, Max Burkholder’s 51 points were tied for the most among defensemen in the USHL.
The Saints will look to replace both players this season. But considering the general roster turnover in junior hockey, Dubuque appears well-positioned for others to step in and contribute immediately.
Key Departures
Max Burkholder, D
Ryan St. Louis, F
Marcus Brännman, G
Mikey Burchill, F
Oliver Moberg, F
Riley Stuart, F
Key Returners
Jake Sondreal, F
Gavin Cornforth, F
James Reeder, F
Caelum Dick, D
Lucas St. Louis, D
Noah Powell, F
Key Acquisitions
Seamus Powell, D (from Boston College)
Thatcher Bernstein, G (2022 USHL Phase I Draft)
Joona Väisänen, D (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Tender Signings
Liam Kilfoil, F (will play in the QMJHL in 2023-24)
Three Keys To 2023-24
Replacing Brännman
Building from the net out is never a simple task. Marcus Brännman provided stability and leadership in net, playing in 42 games and posting a .904 save percentage, 2.97 goals-against average, four shutouts, and the fourth-most wins (24) in the USHL last season.
Even with trading Paxton Geisel to Muskegon over the summer, depth in net still appears to be a strength for Dubuque, who will be breaking in Thatcher Bernstein and Kevin Reidler.
The former comes over from the affiliate list after being taken in the 2022 USHL Phase I Draft. Bernstein played in 27 games for Noble and Greenough School (USHS) last season and, most recently, backstopped Team USA in a secondary role at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
Reidler comes into the organization with incredible size, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 201 pounds. Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round, 151st overall, in 2022, the almost 19-year-old will look to carve out a similar path as Brännman, coming over from his native Sweden. Reidler posted a 2.89 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 32 games with the AIK J20 squad last year.
On paper, there is plenty of reason for optimism in net.
“I think our goaltending is going to be great for us,” MacDonald said. “We have a lot of confidence in both guys, and I think we are really excited about where we are with that position. Obviously, Marcus (Brännman) was great for us, but it is the nature of the beast, and he has moved on to bigger and better things. It’s just an opportunity for another guy to step in and have success.”
Powell Returns To USHL
Dubuque will look to catch lightning in a bottle twice in two seasons with returning collegiate players. Like St. Louis, defenseman Seamus Powell hopes another season in the USHL betters his development so that he is well-positioned to take another run at the NCAA next year.
The 19-year-old blueliner skated in a limited role for Boston College in 2022-23, scoring just one point in 21 games played.
Powell is expected to play expanded minutes on a loaded D corps with the Fighting Saints. He played for the NTDP for two seasons, and his experience in the league should aid in his transition.
With Caelum Dick and Lucas St. Louis already in the fold for another year with Dubuque, now adding Powell, Dubuque’s backend has the potential to be one of the best in the league.
“This is an opportunity for (Powell) to play a ton of minutes with us and have a leadership role as an older guy. He has a lot of experience that our guys want to have,” MacDonald said.
“From talking to him, I know he is really excited to be here and have a big presence in the locker room and on the ice. We expect him to have a big impact on both sides of the puck, offensively and defensively.”
Dubuque will also welcome in Finnish blueliner Joona Väisänen, who scored 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) in 44 games for the Kiekko-Espoo U20 squad last year and could represent Team Finland in the 2024 World Juniors.
Veteran Leadership
Included in the roster turnover, Dubuque will look for three new players to wear letters in 2023-24 after losing Riley Stuart (C), St. Louis (A), and Burkholder (A) to the NCAA.
But the Saints likely will not have to look for too long, especially with both the quality and quantity of returning players. Of course, losing three of your top four point producers is not a small undertaking to replace.
However, forwards Jake Sondreal and James Reeder both had 30-plus point seasons last year. Jayden Jubenvill and Lucas St. Louis each had at least 24 points on the back end.
With older players like Seamus Powell being added to the roster and having that experience in the USHL, combined with younger players like Gavin Cornforth, who skated half of the 2022-23 season as a 15-year-old, expected to take a developmental leap forward, Dubuque should have no shortage of players worthy of wearing a letter in the fall.
“I think that’s a reason we had success last year because we were a team that consistently played pretty hard, and they did a really good job of showing the younger guys who, this year, will be ‘the guys.’ Whether it’s Sondy (Sondreal), Fisher Scott, Lucas (St. Louis), (James) Reeder, Corny (Cornforth), Noah (Powell), Jayden Jubenvill — it could be any of those guys,” MacDonald said.
“To me, your best teams are the ones that have the most leaders on it, and I think all those guys bring different things to the table with that respect. Whether it is their work ethic, things they say, how they carry themselves, I think the one thing they all have in common is that they are all really good people.”