By @StefanKubus –
The USHL Fall Classic brings together both the junior league’s 17 clubs and also top youth teams from across the country.
The league announced Thursday that the event will take place from Sept. 27-30 in Pittsburgh this year. All 17 USHL clubs will play two regular-season games, including USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
“The USHL Fall Classic continues to provide the ideal scouting opportunity for the management and scouts of the 31 NHL teams to view the top USHL talent available for the NHL Draft,” Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said in a release. “This event provides a unique opportunity to view all 17 USHL teams in one location and for the first time, will mark the start of the USHL regular season with all games counting in the standings. The Fall Classic serves as an important evaluation benchmark for players eligible in the 2019 NHL Draft, and we are pleased that this successful event is part of a growing partnership between the USHL, NHL and Pittsburgh Penguins.”
Also, for the third straight year, the USHL Fall Classic will include invitational youth tournaments, featuring some of the best 16U and 14U teams in the nation. New this year, tournaments at the 18U and 15U levels have been added to the mix, increasing the number of participating youth teams from 32 to 64.
“The USHL Fall Classic has become the premier scouting event in the United States,” said Doug Christiansen, USHL Director of Player Development & Recruitment. “In 2017, over 350 scouts watched players from the USHL, 16U and 14U levels. We expect the addition of 15U and 18U divisions to make it an even better event. The Fall Classic is an excellent opportunity for our teams to scout the new crop of USHL talent. We are looking forward to selecting another outstanding field.”