Initial USHL power rankings

USA Hockey Magazine is sponsoring regular power rankings for the United States Hockey League this season. The rankings are accumlated via vote of 11 media members, including The Gazette's Jeff Johnson.

With the regular season beginning Friday, the initial power rankings have been released. The Omaha Lancers check in at number one, followed by the Waterloo Black Hawks, Sioux City Musketeers and Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Omaha, which had a 39-14-7 record last regular season, received two first-place votes, as did Waterloo, Sioux City and Dubuque. The Black Hawks had 2013-14's top regular-season mark of 44-11-5.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are ninth in the rankings. The Riders (35-21-4) open the regular season Saturday night with a home game against Dubuque.

Here are the entire power rankings, with last season's record and first-place votes in parentheses:

1. Omaha Lancers (39-14-7) (2)

2. Waterloo Black Hawks (44-11-5) (2)

3. Sioux City Musketeers (38-19-3) (2)

4. Dubuque Fighting Saints (33-23-4) (2)

5. Muskegon Lumberjacks (30-25-5) (1)

6. Youngstown Phantoms (17-37-6) (1)

7. USA NTDP (30-25-5) (1)

8. Tri-City Storm (21-35-4)

9. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (35-21-4)

10. Green Bay Gamblers (30-24-6)

11. Sioux Falls Stampede (34-19-7)

12. Chicago Steel (29-27-4)

13. Lincoln Stars (24-28-8)

14. Fargo Force (14-39-7)

15. Bloomington Thunder (Expansion team)

16. Madison Capitols (Expansion team)

17. Des Moines Buccaneers (20-32-8)