Dubuque, IA – The Dubuque Fighting Saints and the United States Hockey League announced the schedule for the 2026-27 season on Tuesday.
In 2026-27, the Fighting Saints will play 62 games with 30 at home, 30 on the road and two at the USHL Fall Classic. The regular season will begin in mid-September at the USHL Fall Classic in Chicago, IL and runs through the first weekend in April. The schedule for the Fall Classic is still to be announced.
Dubuque's home-opener will come on Oct. 3 at ImOn Arena in Dubuque when the Fighting Saints host the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
The Saints will play 36 of their non-Fall Classic games against Eastern Conference opponents, four fewer than last season. Dubuque will play 24 games against Western Conference foes in the 2026-27 season, aside from any potential matchups at the Fall Classic. The Fighting Saints' most common opponent will be the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders with eight games scheduled against their in-state rival. Following the Riders, the Saints will skate six times against Youngstown, hosting two of three series against the Phantoms.
Against the remaining five Eastern Conference teams, the Saints will play Madison and USA (3 vs U17 / 2 vs U18) five times each and skate against Chicago, Green Bay and Muskegon four times apiece.
The Saints will take on Western Conference rivals Waterloo and Des Moines five times each, continuing play in Cowbell Cup competition. The Saints take on two other Western teams three times each. The Saints host the defending champion Sioux Falls Stampede on March 6 before visiting the Stampede for two games the following weekend. Dubuque visits Tri-City for three games in November. The Saints have not traveled to Sioux Falls or Tri-City since the 2024-25 season. The Saints will play each of the remaining four Western teams (Fargo, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City) twice each. In those matchups, the Saints will host Fargo, Lincoln and Sioux City, while visiting Omaha.
Key home dates on the schedule include Opening Night on Oct. 3 against Cedar Rapids, an early series against Youngstown on Oct. 9-10, a Sunday-evening matchup with Waterloo on Nov. 1, a visit from Muskegon on Nov. 6-7, Thanksgiving weekend against Youngstown, New Year's Eve against Des Moines and a March 6 matchup against Sioux Falls.
The Fighting Saints' longest homestand of the season will come in the final stages of the regular season, playing six-straight at home from March 17 through April 2.
The Saints will not need to play more than three-consecutive games on the road in the 2026-27 season.
Dubuque visits two new venues in the USHL this season, with Chicago and Madison moving into new arenas for the 2026-27 campaign. Dubuque's first visit to Chicago's USG Arena will come in the preseason for a Sept. 4 matchup before the Saints' first regular-season games at the Steel's new home two weeks later for the Fall Classic. Dubuque visits Chicago for regular-season matchups with the Steel on Jan. 23 and Feb. 27. The Saints will visit the LEGACY20 Arena at DeForest Yards for the first time on Dec. 6 for a matchup with the Capitols. Dubuque visits Madison again on January 1 and April 3 to finish the regular season.
The full Fighting Saints schedule can be found below:
Italic - Preseason
Bold - Home
Bold Italic - Chicago, IL (USHL Dick's Sporting Goods Fall Classic)
Fighting Saints Home Game times at 7:05 p.m. CT unless otherwise noted.
Preseason
Sept. 3 - vs Chicago (Preseason)
Sept. 4 - at Chicago (Preseason)
Sept. 11 - at Cedar Rapids (Preseason)
Sept. 12 - vs Cedar Rapids (Preseason)
Regular Season
TBD - Fall Classic
TBD - Fall Classic
Sept. 26 - at Cedar Rapids
Oct. 2 - at Waterloo
Oct. 3 - vs Cedar Rapids
Oct. 9 - vs Youngstown
Oct. 10 - vs Youngstown
Oct. 16 - at USA NTDP U18
Oct. 17 - at USA NTDP U18
Oct. 18 - at USA NTDP U17
Oct. 23 - vs Sioux City
Oct. 24 - vs Sioux City
Oct. 31 - at Waterloo
Nov. 1 - vs Waterloo (5:05 p.m. CT)
Nov. 6 - vs Muskegon
Nov. 7 - vs Muskegon
Nov. 13 - at Des Moines
Nov. 14 - vs Des Moines
Nov. 19 - at Tri-City
Nov. 20 - at Tri-City
Nov. 21 - at Tri-City
Nov. 27 - vs Youngstown
Nov. 28 - vs Youngstown
Dec. 4 - vs Green Bay
Dec. 5 - vs Des Moines
Dec. 6 - at Madison
Dec. 11 - at Youngstown
Dec. 12 - at Youngstown
Dec. 18 - vs Cedar Rapids
Dec. 19 - at Cedar Rapids
Dec. 31 - vs Des Moines (6:05 p.m. CT)
Jan. 1 - at Madison
Jan. 2 - vs Madison
Jan. 8 - vs Waterloo
Jan. 9 - at Cedar Rapids
Jan. 15 - at Muskegon
Jan. 16 - at Muskegon
Jan. 22 - vs Chicago
Jan. 23 - at Chicago
Jan. 29 - vs Lincoln
Jan. 30 - vs Lincoln
Feb. 5 - at Omaha
Feb. 6 - at Omaha
Feb. 9 - at Waterloo
Feb. 12 - vs Cedar Rapids
Feb. 13 - at Des Moines
Feb. 17 - vs Madison
Feb. 19 - at Green Bay
Feb. 20 - at Green Bay
Feb. 26 - vs Cedar Rapids
Feb. 27 - at Chicago
Mar. 5 - at Cedar Rapids
Mar. 6 - vs Sioux Falls
Mar. 12 - at Sioux Falls
Mar. 13 - at Sioux Falls
Mar. 17 - vs Green Bay
Mar. 19 - vs USA NTDP U17
Mar. 20 - vs USA NTDP U17 (6:05 p.m. CT)
Mar. 26 - vs Fargo
Mar. 27 - vs Fargo
Apr. 2 - vs Chicago
Apr. 3 - at Madison
Season tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased by calling the Fighting Saints office at 563-583-6880 or by visiting the office from Monday - Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Information on single-game tickets will be available at a later date.
