BACK WHERE IT ENDED
The Capitols hit the road this weekend to Muskegon for the team's first road series of the 2026-27 season. The trip also marks the first trip to Muskegon since the team fell in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. Madison led the Eastern Conference Final 2-1 with a chance to clinch at home. Muskegon grabbed Game 4 on the road. In Game 5, the Capitols jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, but the Lumberjacks were able to score six unanswered to win the game and series. Muskegon went on to the Clark Cup Final to fall in four games to Sioux Falls. Last season's meetup was the second time in five seasons that the two teams met in the Conference Final. Madison took down Muskegon in five games in 2022.

CAPITOLS ACQUIRE FINKENKELLER
Although Madison did not play any games last weekend, the team was active trading Stephen Cover to Youngstown in exchange for Wyatt Finkenkeller, affiliated forward CJ Sawyer, three picks, and future considerations. Cover had one goal in nine shots through Madison's first two games of the season. Finkenkeller joins the Capitols after signing his Standard Player Development Agreement with Youngstown in September. Last season, he led the Chicago Reapers 16U AAA squad with 88 points in 60 games. Finkenkeller will wear number 13 with the Capitols.

HALONEN STARTS HOT
Michigan Tech commit Daniel Halonen leads all Capitols in points through two games with three. Halonen made his USHL debut in the Fall Classic against Sioux Falls and was able to score Madison's first goal of the season. He went on to grab a goal and an assist in the team's second Fall Classic game against Omaha. Last season, Halonen  played with Delano HS in Minnesota before finishing the season with Watertown in the NAHL. Friday's game gives him the opportunity to score in each of his first three USHL games.

SEARCHING FOR NUMBER ONE
The Capitols went winless at the Fall Classic for the first time since 2022-23 falling to the reigning champs, Sioux Falls, 3-2 in the season opener and 5-3 to Omaha the next day. Madison showed strong stretches in both games but has not put together a complete 60 minutes. Against Sioux Falls, the Capitols fell behind 3-0 in the first period and then outscored the Stampede 2-0 the rest of the way. Against Omaha, Madison jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a strong first period, then allowed three second-period goals. The team also enters the weekend in search of their first power play goal of the season starting 0/8 to start the year.

GEERDES LETTING IT FLY
Without a goal this season, defenseman Nolen Geerdes leads the Capitols in shots on goal with seven so far this season. Geerdes has picked up a point in each of Madison's two games, which puts him tied with Gustavs Griva for the most helpers on the team this season. The Western Michigan commit led Madison defensemen in points last season with 29 and the entire team in playoff points with ten. Geerdes recently was an invite to Boston Bruins Rookie Camp prior to the start of the 2026-27 season.

FROM THE BLUE LINE
The top pairing of Geerdes and Lutner have led the Capitols from the back end this season. Both players are willing to activate offensively to join the rush. Lutner collected his first point with Madison against Omaha on Stephen Cover's goal. Geerdes has two assists through two games. The duo is set to be a huge piece of the Capitols power play as well that is still looking for its first goal of the season. In the Fall Classic, each defenseman was lined up as the quarterback of a power play unit. Lutner was the first round selection in the Phase II draft for the Capitols in May after spending two seasons at the U.S. National Team Development Program. He is commited to play college hockey at Minnesota Duluth.

FIRST EASTERN CONFERENCE TEST
Friday night's game marks the first conference game for the Capitols of the 2026-27 season. After the Eastern Conference went 102-48-6-6 against the Western Conference as a whole last season, the West has the early edge of the East this season. Through 17 games between the two conferences, the Western Conference holds a 9-7-0-1 record against the East in 2026-27. Madison went 21-17-0-3 against the Eastern Conference last season. It will be three straight conference games against the East for Madison before a stretch of three of four games against Waterloo later in October.

FIRST TRUE ROAD SERIES
This weekend's games mark the first traditional road games and the first two-game series of the season. With the first two-game series, it marks the first time in the Eigner Era of Capitols hockey that the team will have the opportunity to adjust overnight against the same opponent. After having the best home record in the USHL in 2024-25, the Capitols were slightly better on the road during the 2025-26 season than they were at home. In Muskegon, Madison won the first game during the regular season last season splitting the two-game road trip. Overall, the Capitols were 2-1-0-1 against the Lumberjacks during the regular season. LAST TIME OUT Madison fell to the Omaha Lancers their last time out on September 20. The Capitols led 1-0 after a strong first period with the lone goal belonging to Bode McConnell. The Lancers had the answer for Madison in the second period scoring three times to take a 3-2 lead. They were able to net the first two of the third period as well before Daniel Halonen's late extra-attacker goal brought the final score to a 5-3 loss for the Caps. Bryce Wiitala tallied his first career USHL point with an assist on the McConnell goal. Omaha finished the game with a 35-28 shot advantage.

FAMILIAR FOE
Including playoffs, the only team that Madison faced more during the 2025-26 season than Muskegon was Green Bay who the Capitols played 11 times. During the regular season, the Caps were 2-1-0-1 against the Lumberjacks splitting the two-game series at each location. Then, in the playoffs, Madison won Games 1 and 3 to hold 1-0 and 2-1 leads on Muskegon.  Between all nine games, the Lumberjacks outscored the Capitols 27-21 with Madison winning all but one of their four wins by one or two goals. 2026 marked the second time in five seasons that Muskegon and Madison met in the Conference Final. Madison won the 2022 Eastern Conference Final in Game 5 on the road.

CHARBONNEAU STARTS FAST
Muskegon tender Zaac Charbonneau leads the Lumberjacks in points with six through the team's first four games this season. After not registering a point in his USHL debut, Chabonneau scored the game winning goal in the Lumberjacks second game of the Fall Classic against Waterloo. The 2010-born forward is a high-end prospect for the 2028 NHL Draft and is already producing despite being one of the Lumberjacks youngest players.

LUMBERJACKS AT 2-2-0-0
Madison faces off against Muskegon who hosted the USNTDP U18 squad last weekend. In both of their first two weekends, the Lumberjacks have come away with a win and a regulation loss. In game one against the NTDP, Muskegon  held three separate one-goal leads before the U18s were able to skate away with a 5-3 victory with the final three goals of the game. The next night, Muskegon scored two in all three periods while only allowing a third period goal to win 6-1 in game two. The NTDP's only goal on Saturday was scored on the power play.

COMING UP NEXT FOR MADISON
The Caps hit the road next weekend to face off against a pair of teams in Iowa for the final games of the four-game road trip, six if you count the Fall Classic. Friday, October 9th, Madison will face off against Cedar Rapids. The RoughRiders are off to a hot start at 4-0-0-0 and sit atop the Eastern Conference through the first two weeks of action. The following night, October 10th, the Caps are on the road for the first of three meetings with Waterloo in October. Waterloo, has collected points in each of their first four games with a 3-0-1-0 record, their lone loss came to Muskegon. Puck drop on Friday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with Saturday's puck drop in Waterloo a half hour earlier at 6:35 p.m. Friday.