USHL 2023-24 Preview: Sioux City Musketeers
Sioux City looks well-positioned to be playoff contenders once again in 2023-24
SIOUX CITY — Following up on the organization’s fourth Clark Cup championship in 2022 and the first since 2002, the Sioux City Musketeers saw a ton of turnover both on the ice and in the front office.
The Muskies were a streaky bunch in 2022-23, riding extended winning streaks followed by prolonged losing streaks. Sioux City finished with a 29-28-2-3 record, securing the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and an even 200 goals scored and 200 goals allowed.
However, the Musketeers had a short postseason run after being eliminated by the Tri-City Storm in the first round of the Clark Cup Playoffs.
Last year saw forward Ryan Conmy emerge as one of the top scoring threats in the USHL. The University of New Hampshire commit was one of three rookie skaters to score 30-plus goals and his 62 points (33 goals, 29 assists) were the second-most among first-year players.
His production was good enough to attract the attention of NHL scouts, with Conmy being taken in the sixth round, 182nd overall, by the LA Kings in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Turning the page on last season, Sioux City is losing invaluable leadership with forwards Grant Slukynsky, Samuel Deckhut, and Ben Doran moving on. But the Muskies have a strong returning group that should make them, once again, in the hunt for a playoff spot in 2023-24.
“We were very fortunate to have an outstanding leadership group of guys that had been here when the team won the championship and were returning players,” said Jason Kersner, who will be entering his second season as head coach for Sioux City in 2023-24. “Even though our team wasn't as successful, we didn't win as many games and didn't go on a deep playoff run, we had some really amazing character and a resilient group of guys.
“I thought we played two good games, but Tri-City, those guys were just a little bit better than us when it mattered, and we just came up a little bit short,” Kersner continued. “It was a really good first year and good experience, and I loved the group of guys that we had. I think we had a lot of guys get better, so that was that year, and now we are looking forward to year two.”
Key Departures
Axel Mangbo, G
Ryan Conmy, F
Grant Slukynsky, F
Tyler Hotson, F
Samuel Deckhut, F
Ben Poitras, F (traded to Green Bay)
Ben Doran, F
Easton Zueger, D
Key Returners
Samuel Urban, G
Croix Kochendorfer, G
Dylan Godbout, F
Kaden Shahan, F
Ty Hanson, D
Finn Loftus, D
Max Strand, F
Colin Kessler, F
Cole Longacre, D
Key Acquisitions
Jonah Aegerter, F (acquired from Madison)
Hagen Burrows, F (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Makaio Van Tassel, F (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Jakub Krbeck, G (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Tender Signings
None
Three Keys To 2023-24
1-2 Punch In Net
While most teams at this time of the year are breaking in a new netminder, Sioux City is returning two experienced goaltenders who will be the backbone going into 2023-24.
Axel Mangbo is moving on, but the Muskies will welcome back both Samuel Urban and Croix Kochendorfer.
The former lacks the same experience as Kochendorfer, but Urban got his feet wet in the USHL last season after coming over from his native Slovakia. As a 17-year-old, Urban posted good numbers in four games, recording a 2.80 goals-against average and .918 save percentage, offering plenty of optimism for expanded minutes in 2023-24.
As for Kochendorfer, he primarily served in a secondary role to Mangbo last year, but he saw increased time in net in the second half of the season. The 19-year-old netminder posted a 3.01 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage, and two shutouts in 30 games for Sioux City.
Along with those two, the Musketeers will add another goaltender into the mix in Jakub Krbeck, who was selected in the tenth round, 143rd overall, in the 2023 USHL Phase II Draft.
“We have three goalies on our roster, three coming to camp, and that position, we have some depth there, and there will be a good, healthy competition as we figure out who is going to be with us for the rest of the year and who is going to play the game this year,” said Kersner.
Strong Returning Group
With last year’s leadership group moving onto the NCAA, Sioux City will rely on several returning and some first-year players to step into a leadership role in 2023-24.
“There's a lot of new guys and first-year players that will be coming in and we will be counting on them. Ryan Conmy had a good year is his first year in the league, so it certainly can be done as a first-year player to come in and have success, and we'll be looking for that,” said Kersner. “That leadership group, that was such an important part of our team last year, and we will be looking during training camp for those guys to emerge.”
At first glance, forwards Dylan Godbout and Kaden Shahan appear to be strong candidates to fit that mold. The former was Sioux City’s fourth-highest point-producer last year, potting 14 goals and 33 assists for 47 points. Shahan was no slouch either, scoring 20 goals and 31 points in 55 games.
On the back end, the Musketeers return defensemen Finn Loftus and Ty Hanson, who each recorded 20-plus point seasons in 2022-23.
And while the likes of Colin Kessler and Cole Longacre did not produce the same number of points as the aforementioned players, they now have a year of experience in this league under their belt. So, there is certainly some expectation that those two will take on more leadership qualities while also seeing expanded ice time.
“Second-year players that have been around and have the experience of watching Grant Slukynsky, Samuel Deckhut, and Ben Doran and these guys that have won championships in this league to learn from them about how to carry yourself as a professional and what it takes to be successful in the USHL, so obviously second-year players have a bit of a leg-up in that category,” added Kersner.
Sioux City acquired speedy forward Jonah Aegerter from the Madison Capitols over the summer, which should assist in replacing some of the lost leadership from last year. Aegerter had nine goals and 25 points in 61 games for Madison in 2022-23.
The Muskies will also look to break in the highly-touted Hagen Burrows this season. A University of Denver commit, the 17-year-old forward was selected in the first round of the 2023 USHL Phase II Draft. He spent last season with Minnetonka High School, scoring 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 31 games.
Right now, the plan is for Burrows to begin the year in Sioux City, but he could potentially return to high school to defend Minnetonka’s state title. The Muskies would like to convince him otherwise.
Maintaining Power-Play Success
Sioux City was one of the USHL’s best teams on the power play in 2022-23, and the Muskies will look to continue that success coming into this year.
Certainly, roster turnover presents a challenge of finding the right personnel to achieve similar numbers, but the organization also underwent several staff changes this offseason.
Conmy led all Sioux City skaters with nine power-play goals in 2022-23, with Deckhut, Doran, Slukynsky, and Tyler Hotson also being significant contributors on the man advantage. The latter was a December acquisition from Muskegon, finishing with six goals and 16 assists for 22 points on the power play with the Muskies.
“Special teams was definitely a catalyst for our group last year, and a lot of those players will not be back,” said Kersner. “I think, no different for us than anyone else, we do have returning players, but there is a ton of turnover from year-to-year on the roster as it’s meant to be. This is the highest level of junior hockey in the US, and we are meant to be a stepping stone.
“I think we are no different than a school teacher. We are starting from scratch every year, and we start all over from step one. Troy (Ward) and Sean Clark and these guys did a really good job of getting the right people onto the bus for us, and now, as coaches, it is our job to get them into the right seats,” Kersner continued.
As a returning player, Godbout figures to be a significant piece to Sioux City’s power play after scoring 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) on the man advantage, contributing to the team’s 25.1% conversion rate.
Shahan, who had eight points on the power play in 2022-23, also figures to see an increased role in that area this year.
Sioux City will look to find the right personnel in training camp and the early stages of the season, with many players stepping into that role for the first time in this league.