In predicted order of finish:

Cedar Rapids

Dubuque

Youngstown

Chicago

Madison

Muskegon

Green Bay

USNDTP

The Eastern Conference seems as competitive as ever, where the difference between second and seventh may not be decided until late in the season.

But if all goes according to script, it will be Cedar Rapids taking home the division crown.

Amine Hajibi leads the way as the leading scorer among all East clubs, tallying 46 points last year. But it’s the depth and team grit of the Roughriders that should propel the team to the division title. They were unstoppable in the preseason, going 5-0 with relative ease.

Dubuque is always competitive in the Eastern Conference, and this year is no exception. Michael Barron stands just 5’5”, but he lets his play do the talking. With 40 points last year, Barron is one of the league’s top returning forwards and will lead another solid group of forwards for the Saints.

With 14 returners combining for 202 points last season, Youngstown trails only Dubuque in points returning (thanks to Layla Lamborn for the statistics!). Look for the Phantoms to stay in contention all season once again.

Chicago enters the season under the radar, picked by many observers to miss the playoffs. Yet if all goes well, Chicago could contend for the division title. Tender Adam Valentini put up an astounding 134 points in 57 games for the Toronto Marlboros U16 team in the GTHL last year, a league that has produced many of the NHL’s superstars, including Connor McDavid, who played for the same Marlboros club. Valentini, a Michigan commit, could be one of the league’s marquee players from day one.

Madison’s typical blueprint of hard work and depth should be good enough to make the playoffs once again. North Dakota Caleb Heil should have a big impact between the pipes for the Capitols.

Muskegon never falls too far off the pace, although they lost a lot of firepower from last season and do not have a home game for the first month or so because of arena renovations. David Klee posted 40 points last season and will be looked at to be a key player this season.

Green Bay returns just 10 players from last season, the third lowest total in the league. Yet the Gamblers always find a way to be competitive, and should stay in the mix all season.

The US NDTP is always a mystery, as the under 17 squad plays about two-thirds of the games while the under 18s play the other third. The result is a very unbalanced schedule, and their success often depends on which squad is playing for which games. Once again, they are unlikely to make the playoffs for that reason.