Dubuque, IA – The Dubuque Fighting Saints open a four-game exhibition schedule when they host the Chicago Steel on Thursday night at ImOn Arena.
Here are five things to know ahead of the matchup:
1. New Year, New Leaders
Prior to the preseason, the Fighting Saints named Melvin Ekman the 16th captain in team history for the 2026-27 season. Ekman has skated in 106 regular-season games for the Fighting Saints and set a career high with 23 goals and 48 points last season.
Kris Richards returns for his second season in Dubuque as an assistant captain for the team. Richards played a key role in Dubuque's defensive efforts last season, including the team's fifth-ranked penalty kill.
2. Returners Ready
Ekman and Richards are part of a group of 10 returning players for Dubuque. Last season, Dubuque entered the season with no defensemen with previous USHL experience. This season, Richards, Lincoln Krizizke, Luke Brierley and Hudson Lohse return with a full season of experience on the blue line.
Offensively, the Saints will look to Ekman, Caden Dabrowski, Trevor Theuer, Kane Johnson, Joseph Covelluzzi and Gavin Lock to help recreate an offense that led the USHL in scoring last season with 4.39 goals per game.
3. Dubuque Details
Last season, Dubuque won all four preseason games it played as well as the first eight games of the regular season. The team scored 21 goals over four preseason games a year ago.
Overall, the Saints (40-18-4-0) finished second in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26 after a third-straight 40-win season.
4. Scrimmage Season
The Saints will finish the opening weekend of the preseason on Friday with a road matchup against Chicago. It will be Dubuque's first trip to Chicago's new USG Arena, and their only visit before the season-opening Fall Classic later this month.
Next weekend, the Saints will finish the preseason schedule with a pair of matchups against Cowbell Cup rival Cedar Rapids.
5. Steel Stamps
The Steel finished last season with a 27-27-6-2 record, missing out on the playoffs by just five points. Scott Gomez returns this season for Chicago in his second season as head coach for the Steel.
Chicago will sport a new look this season, releasing a new set of logos and jerseys to accompany the team's move into downtown Chicago and a new arena.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT at ImOn Arena and tickets can be purchased here. The game can also be found on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
