The Green Bay Gamblers will play their home opener on Friday, September 30 against the Fargo Force. On Saturday, they’ll head to Chicago to play the Steel. These will be the first matchups of the year against each team. It’s the lone matchup of the year against Fargo. The last time Green Bay faced the Force was February 1, 2020, in a 5-2 win at the Resch Center. The Gamblers went 4-6 against Chicago last year.
The Gamblers start the year with a 1-1 record and are currently sixth in the USHL Eastern Conference with 2 points. Some players to watch for include James Duerr and Barrett Hall.
Duerr played hero for the Gamblers in Pittsburgh last weekend at the Fall Classic. With the game tied at two and under five minutes left, the Maine commit bagged two goals in his USHL debut. With the hot hand coming out of the first weekend of play, the Chicago native could see his momentum carry over to the Resch Center on Thursday.
Hall comes into the season looking to give the Gamblers a top offensive option. He was the third overall pick by Green Bay in the 2022 USHL Entry Draft and for good reason. The Seattle Kraken draftee spent time as captain of Gentry Academy in Minnesota last season, bagging 55 points in just 25 games. He also spent time in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Minnesota Wilderness, scoring 20 points in 19 games. The St. Cloud State commit has the potential to be a top scorer for the Gamblers this season.
The Force also have a 1-1 record to start the year. They are currently fourth in the USHL Western Conference with 2 points. Some players to watch for include Cole Knuble and Leo Gruba.
Knuble is entering his second year in the USHL after an impressive rookie campaign. He was named to the All-Rookie team while scoring 49 points for Fargo, second-best for them. Last weekend, the forward started this season with more goal-scoring. The Notre Dame commit scored two goals and added an assist in Pittsburgh, showing no signs of slowing down from last year.
Gruba also scored a goal for the Force this weekend. He was Fargo’s first pick in the 2022 USHL Entry Draft. As captain for Hill-Murray high school in Minnesota, he finished third on the team with 33 points. He would join the St. Cloud Norsemen in the NAHL later in the year as well, helping them to the Robertson Cup. Puck drop is at 7:05 PM on Friday. It’s also a Bud Night. All Bud and Bud Light Draughts are just $2. You can get your tickets at www.gamblershockey.com.
