United States Hockey League Explained

United States Hockey League
Last Season:2023–24 USHL season
Pixels:150px
Sport:Ice hockey
Teams:16
Country:United States
Champion:Fargo Force (2nd title)
Most Champs:(Clark Cup era) Omaha Lancers (7)
(overall) Waterloo Black Hawks (9)
Commissioner:Glenn Hefferan[1]

The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly amateur, allowing former players to compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college hockey.

The Fargo Force won the Anderson Cup as the 2023–24 regular season champions, as well as the 2024 Clark Cup playoff championship, their second in franchise history.

Operations

The USHL is the country's top sanctioned junior hockey league, classified as Tier I. Like comparable entities such as the Canadian Hockey League's (CHL) three member leagues, the USHL offers a schedule of high-level, competitive games for top players aged 16 to 20. Unlike the CHL, it does not pay a stipend to its players, who thus retain amateur status and are eligible to play in the NCAA.[2]

Teams are subject to strict roster rules. In 2017–18 they may have no more than four overage skaters (players who have turned 20 in the first year of the season) and are limited to a maximum of five import players, three international players and two Canadian skaters. Starting in 2018–19, non-American goaltenders will count as two import players in a move designed to give more development time to American goalies, who are also exempt from the overage rule.

USHL teams, typically located in mid-sized cities, pay for all uniforms and equipment. Players live with local families, who receive a small stipend for food expenses, and either continue school or work part-time jobs. Due to their schedules, more than 90% of games are on weekends, which many NHL and college scouts attend. Average attendance at regular season games for the 2014–15 season was 2,715 with 1,384,820 fans attending games during the season.[3]

Kyle Woodlief of Red Line Report stated in 2007 that the USHL's first line players are as good as their counterparts in the CHL - historically an important producer of NHL players - but that the Canadian-based league has better third and fourth lines. In 2006, Trevor Lewis, the 17th pick in the NHL Entry Draft, was the first USHL player to sign an NHL contract immediately after playing in the league..

At the conclusion of the 2014–15 regular season, the USHL has tallied 251 Alumni that have played in the NHL and has 347 current players with NCAA College Commitments.[4] According to the league, approximately 95 percent of its players will eventually land a Division I college scholarship.[5]

On March 18, 2020, the USHL cancelled the rest of 2019–20 season and playoffs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] [7] The start of the following season was delayed to November 2020 and some teams had to suspend operations for the 2020–21 season.[8]

Draft

The USHL Draft is an annual event conducted in two "phases" during the second week of May.[9] The first phase is an eight-round draft of U-17 players for the upcoming season. The second phase of the draft is open to all players eligible to play junior hockey who are not already protected by a USHL team. The number of players drafted varies, as each team will draft until they have filled the 45 spots available on their roster. Undrafted players are open to try out for any team as a try-out player. Each team must reduce their roster to 23 players for the start of the season, but may carry 18 additional players on an affiliate list.[10]

Teams

Current teams

Eastern Conference
Team Founded Arena Capacity City
1998 4,000 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
2000 Fox Valley Ice Arena2,800 Geneva, Illinois
2010 3,079 Dubuque, Iowa
1994 8,709 Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
2014 Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena 2,611 Middleton, Wisconsin[11]
2010 5,100 Muskegon, Michigan
USA Hockey National Team Development Program1996 3,504 Plymouth, Michigan
2003 5,717 Youngstown, Ohio
Western Conference
Team Founded Arena Capacity City
1980 4,161 Urbandale, Iowa
2008 4,000 Fargo, North Dakota
1996 4,212 Lincoln, Nebraska
1986 4,000 Ralston, Nebraska
1972 9,500 Sioux City, Iowa
1999 10,678 Sioux Falls, South Dakota
2000 4,047 Kearney, Nebraska
1962 3,500 Waterloo, Iowa

Defunct professional teams

Team City Years
1978–1979
1977–1979
1977–1979
1972–1973
1974–1976
Chicago, Illinois 1972–1975
1974–1976
Calumet, Michigan 1973–1974
1968–1969
1968 (Duluth dropped out of league on December 30, 1968)[12] |- style="background:#eee;"| Fox Valley Astros || Dundee, Illinois[13] || 1965–1966|-| Grand Rapids Blades || Grand Rapids, Michigan || 1976–1977|- style="background:#eee;"| Grand Rapids Bruins || Grand Rapids, Minnesota || 1968–1969|-| Green Bay Bobcats || Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin || 1961–1979|- style="background:#eee;"| Madison Blues || Madison, Wisconsin || 1973–1974 (transferred to CnHL)|-| Marquette Iron Rangers || Marquette, Michigan || 1964–1976|- style="background:#eee;"| Milwaukee Admirals || Milwaukee, Wisconsin || 1973–1977 (transferred to IHL)|-| Milwaukee Metros || Milwaukee, Wisconsin || 1961–1962 (Milwaukee folded Jan 16, 1962, due to financial trouble)[14] |- style="background:#eee;"| Minneapolis Rebels || Minneapolis, Minnesota || 1961–1962|-| Minnesota Nationals || Saint Paul, Minnesota || 1967–1968 (U.S. 1968 Olympic team[15])|- style="background:#eee;"| Rochester Mustangs || Rochester, Minnesota || 1961–1970|-| Sault Ste. Marie Canadians || Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario || 1968–1972|- style="background:#eee;"| Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds || Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario || 1972–1973|-| Sioux City Musketeers || Sioux City, Iowa || 1972–1979|- style="background:#eee;"| St. Paul Steers || Saint Paul, Minnesota || 1962–1966|- style="background:#eee;"| Thunder Bay Flyers || Thunder Bay, Ontario || 1984–2000|-|- style="background:#eee;"| Thunder Bay Twins || Thunder Bay, Ontario || 1970–1975 (transferred to OHA)|-| Traverse City Bays || Traverse City, Michigan || 1975–1977|- style="background:#eee;"| U.S. Nationals || Saint Paul, Minnesota || 1966–1967|-| Waterloo Black Hawks || Waterloo, Iowa || 1962–1969, 1970–1979|}

Junior league timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyyImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:01/01/1979 till:12/31/2021TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:10 left:5 bottom:50 top:5Colors = id:line value:black

id:Now value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # current member id:Past value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.7) # former member id:Future value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.7) # future member

PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:Past from:07/01/1979 till:05/01/1985 shift:0 text: Austin Mavericks (1979–1985) bar:1 color:Past from:07/01/1985 till:05/01/2002 shift:50 text: Rochester Mustangs (1985–2002) bar:2 color:Past from:07/01/1979 till:05/01/1985 text: Bloomington Junior Stars / Minneapolis Stars (1979–1985) bar:3 color:Past from:07/01/1979 till:05/01/1981 text: Green Bay Bobcats (1979–1981) bar:4 color:Past from:07/01/1979 till:05/01/1980 text: Hennepin Nordiques (1979–1980) bar:4 color:Now from:07/01/1980 till:end shift:200 text: Waterloo Black Hawks (1980–present) bar:5 color:Now from:07/01/1979 till:end text: Sioux City Musketeers (1979–present) bar:6 color:Past from:07/01/1979 till:05/01/2000 text: St. Paul/Twin City Vulcans (1979–2000) bar:6 color:Now from:07/01/2000 till:end text: Tri-City Storm (2000–present) bar:7 color:Past from:07/01/1979 till:05/01/1980 text: Waterloo Black Hawks (1979–1980) bar:7 color:Past from:07/01/1980 till:05/01/2001 shift:200 text: Dubuque Fighting Saints (1979–2001) bar:7 color:Past from:07/01/2001 till:05/01/2002 text: Tulsa Crude (2001–2002) bar:8 color:Now from:07/01/1980 till:end text: Des Moines Buccaneers (1980–present) bar:9 color:Past from:07/01/1983 till:05/01/1999 text: North Iowa Huskies (1983–1999) bar:9 color:Now from:07/01/1999 till:end text: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (1999–present) bar:10 color:Past from:07/01/1984 till:05/01/2000 text: Thunder Bay Flyers (1984–2000) bar:11 color:Past from:07/01/1984 till:05/01/1995 text: Madison/Wisconsin Capitols (1984–1995) bar:12 color:Now from:07/01/1986 till:end text: Omaha/River City Lancers (1986–present) bar:13 color:Now from:07/01/1994 till:end text: Green Bay Gamblers (1994–present) bar:14 color:Past from:07/01/1995 till:05/01/1996 text: Fargo-Moorhead Bears (1995–1996) bar:15 color:Past from:07/01/1996 till:05/01/2000 shift:-100 text: Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks (1996–2000) bar:15 color:Now from:07/01/2000 till:end shift:50 text: Chicago Steel (2000–present) bar:16 color:Now from:07/01/1996 till:end text: Lincoln Stars (1996–present) bar:17 color:Now from:07/01/1997 till:05/01/2002 text: USA Hockey National Team Development Program (1997–2002; 2009–present) bar:17 color:Now from:07/01/2009 till:end text: bar:18 color:Now from:07/01/1999 till:end text: Sioux Falls Stampede (1999–present) bar:19 color:Past from:07/01/2001 till:05/01/2003 shift:-100 text: Topeka ScareCrows (2001–2003) bar:19 color:Past from:07/01/2003 till:05/01/2004 shift:25 text: St. Louis Heartland Eagles (2003–2004) bar:20 color:Past from:07/01/2003 till:05/01/2004 shift:-125 text: Danville Wings (2003–2004) bar:20 color:Past from:07/01/2004 till:05/01/2014 text: Indiana Ice (2004–2014) bar:21 color:Past from:07/01/2006 till:05/01/2008 text: Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (2006–2008) bar:22 color:Now from:07/01/2008 till:end text: Fargo Force (2008–present) bar:23 color:Now from:07/01/2009 till:end text: Youngstown Phantoms (2009–present) bar:24 color:Now from:07/01/2010 till:end text: Muskegon Lumberjacks (2010–present) bar:25 color:Now from:07/01/2010 till:end text: Dubuque Fighting Saints (2010–present) bar:26 color:Past from:07/01/2014 till:05/01/2019 shift:-200 text: Bloomington Thunder / Central Illinois Flying Aces (2014–2019) bar:27 color:Now from:07/01/2014 till:end text: Madison Capitols (2014–present)ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1979

History

Precursors to this league were:

  • American Amateur Hockey League (1947–52)
  • Central Hockey League (1952–53)
  • Minnesota Hockey League (1953–55)
  • United States Central Hockey League (1955–61)

American Amateur Hockey League

The United States Hockey League was established as the American Amateur Hockey League in 1947 and began play for the 1947–48 season. When the league began operations it had five teams in and around the Twin Cities arena along with a team in Rochester. The league was made up three clubs from St. Paul which were 7-Up, Koppy's and Tally's, and two from Minneapolis, Jersey's and Bermans, along with a team from Rochester called the Rochester Mustangs. After the 1947–48 season the St. Paul Tally's dropped out of the league and left the five remaining members to make up the league for the 1948–49 and 1949–50 seasons. For the 1950–51 season the St. Paul 7-Up and St. Paul Koppy's merged and became St. Paul 7-Up/Koppy's. The Minneapolis Bermans dropped out of the league and new team called the Twin City Fords were added to give the American Amateur Hockey League four teams for 1950–51 season. The Rochester Mustangs were the only club to return for the fifth and final season of the American Amateur Hockey League in 1951–52. Gone were the St. Paul 7-Up/Koppy's, Twin City Fords and the Minneapolis Jerseys, replaced by the St. Paul Saints, Hibbing Flyers, Minneapolis Millers, Eveleth Rangers and the first club based outside of the state of Minnesota, the Sioux City Iowa Sunhawks, which gave the league six clubs for 1951–52, its final season as the American Amateur Hockey League.

Central Hockey League

The American Amateur Hockey League was renamed the Central Hockey League for the 1952 - 53 season. Only five of the clubs who had made up the American Amateur Hockey League for 1951 - 52 season returned. Those clubs were the Rochester Mustangs, St. Paul Saints, Minneapolis Millers, Hibbing Flyers and the now called Eveleth-Virginia Rangers. Gone were the Sioux City Sunhawks.

Minnesota Hockey League

After a year as the Central Hockey League the league was renamed the Minnesota Hockey League and would be called this for the 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons. Only two teams who had made up the Central Hockey League returned to make up the Minnesota Hockey League for the 1953–54 season. Those teams were the Rochester Mustangs and the Hibbing Flyers. Gone were the St. Paul Saints, Minneapolis Millers and the Eveleth-Virginia Rangers. The Grand Forks Red Wings were added and this gave the league three teams for 1953–54 season. The Rochester Mustangs were the only team to return for the second and final season of the Minnesota Hockey League. Gone were Hibbing and Grand Forks. The league added two teams in Minneapolis called the Culbersons and Bungalows and a new team in St. Paul, again called the Saints, to give the league four teams for 1954–55.

United States Central Hockey League

After two seasons as the Minnesota Hockey League the league became the United States Central Hockey League and would be called this for five years, 1956 to 1960. Only three of the four teams who had made up the Minnesota Hockey League for the 1954–55 season returned. Those teams were the Rochester Mustangs along with both Minneapolis clubs, the Culbersons and the Bungalows. Gone were the St. Paul Saints who replaced by a team called the St. Paul Peters. These four clubs would make up the USCHL for the 1955–56 and 1956–57 seasons. For the 1957–58 season the St Paul Peters were replaced by a team called St. Paul K.S.T.P. The Rochester Mustangs were the only team to return for the 1958–59 season. Gone were St. Paul K.S.T.P. along with both Minneapolis clubs (the Culbersons and the Bungalows). The league returned to four teams when it replaced these clubs with the St. Paul Capitols, Minneapolis Millers and the Des Moines Ice Hawks, marking the league's return to Iowa. For the fifth and final season of the USCHL the St Paul Capitols dropped out and the league expanded to five teams and into new territory with a team in Michigan with the addition of the Marquette Sentinels and into Wisconsin with the addition of the Green Bay Bobcats.

1961–79

The United States Hockey League (USHL) operated as a senior ice hockey league 1961 to 1979.[16]

The USHL welcomed the first female professional hockey player in 1969–70, when the Marquette Iron Rangers signed Karen Koch.[17]

By the late 1970s, the USHL had fallen on hard times. In the summer of 1977, clubs from the recently folded Midwest Junior Hockey League contacted the USHL. A unique merger was formed, with the three junior teams (Bloomington Junior Stars, Austin Mavericks, St. Paul Vulcans) and three remaining pro teams (Sioux City Musketeers, Waterloo Black Hawks, Green Bay Bobcats) gathered under the USHL banner. League governors decided on a two-division format, with the junior-aged teams in the Midwest Division and the professionals in the U.S. Division. The teams played an interlocking schedule that was, predictably, dominated by the professionals. The USHL's split existence would last just two seasons. The minor-pro wing of the league folded following the 1978–79 season, providing junior hockey operators with the opportunity to redefine the circuit. The 1979–80 season was the league's first as an entirely junior arrangement.

The league's last season as a senior hockey league was 1978–79. During this final season the league comprised seven teams in two conferences. The U.S. Conference (with the Green Bay Bobcats, the Sioux City Musketeers and the Waterloo Black Hawks); while the Midwest Conference (with the Anoka Nordiques, the Austin Mavericks, the Bloomington Junior Stars and the St. Paul Vulcans). All seven teams were made up with players categorized as "Senior Amateur".[18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] Following the 1978–79 season the senior league teams in the U.S. Conference folded and the USHL became an all-junior league the following season.[25]

Awards

See main article: List of USHL award winners.

Semi-Pro Champions

Championships from the semi-pro era of the USHL.

Year Team
1961–62 Rochester Mustangs
1962–63 Green Bay Bobcats
1963–64 Waterloo Black Hawks
1964–65 Waterloo Black Hawks
1965–66 Waterloo Black Hawks
1966–67 Waterloo Black Hawks
1967–68 Waterloo Black Hawks
1968–69 Marquette Iron Rangers
1969–70 Marquette Iron Rangers
1970–71 Marquette Iron Rangers
1971–72 Green Bay Bobcats
1972–73 Thunder Bay Twins
1973–74 Thunder Bay Twins
1974–75 Waterloo Black Hawks
1975–76 Milwaukee Admirals
1976–77 Grand Rapids Blades
1977–78 Waterloo Black Hawks
1978–79 Waterloo Black Hawks

Anderson Cup Champions

Regular season champions from junior era of the USHL.

Year Team
1979–80 Hennepin Nordiques
1980–81 Dubuque Fighting Saints
1981–82 Sioux City Musketeers
1982–83 Dubuque Fighting Saints
1983–84 St. Paul Vulcans
1984–85 Austin Mavericks
1985–86 Sioux City Musketeers
1986–87 Rochester Mustangs
1987–88 Thunder Bay Flyers
1988–89 Thunder Bay Flyers
1989–90 Omaha Lancers
1990–91 Thunder Bay Flyers
1991–92 Thunder Bay Flyers
1992–93 Omaha Lancers
1993–94 Des Moines Buccaneers
1994–95 Des Moines Buccaneers
1995–96 Green Bay Gamblers
1996–97 Green Bay Gamblers
1997–98 Des Moines Buccaneers
1998–99 Des Moines Buccaneers
1999-00 Lincoln Stars
2000–01 Lincoln Stars
2001–02 Omaha Lancers
Lincoln Stars
Tri-City Storm
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
and Omaha Lancers (tie)
Sioux Falls Stampede
Waterloo Black Hawks
Omaha Lancers
Green Bay Gamblers
Green Bay Gamblers
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Green Bay Gamblers
Dubuque Fighting Saints
Waterloo Black Hawks
Youngstown Phantoms
Cedar Rapids Roughriders
Sioux City Musketeers
Waterloo Black Hawks
Tri-City Storm
Chicago Steel[26]
Chicago Steel[27]
Tri-City Storm
Fargo Force
Fargo Force

Clark Cup Champions

Playoff champions from the junior era of the USHL.

Year Team
1979–80 Hennepin Nordiques
1980–81 Dubuque Fighting Saints
1981–82 Sioux City Musketeers
1982–83 Dubuque Fighting Saints
1983–84 St. Paul Vulcans
1984–85 Dubuque Fighting Saints
1985–86 Sioux City Musketeers
1986–87 Rochester Mustangs
1987–88 Thunder Bay Flyers
1988–89 Thunder Bay Flyers
1989–90 Omaha Lancers
1990–91 Omaha Lancers
1991–92 Des Moines Buccaneers
1992–93 Omaha Lancers
1993–94 Omaha Lancers
1994–95 Des Moines Buccaneers
1995–96 Green Bay Gamblers
1996–97 Lincoln Stars
1997–98 Omaha Lancers
1998–99 Des Moines Buccaneers
1999-00 Green Bay Gamblers
2000–01 Omaha Lancers
2001–02 Sioux City Musketeers
2002–03 Lincoln Stars
2003–04 Waterloo Black Hawks
2004–05 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
2005–06 Des Moines Buccaneers
2006–07 Sioux Falls Stampede
2007–08 Omaha Lancers
2008–09 Indiana Ice
2009–10 Green Bay Gamblers
2010–11 Dubuque Fighting Saints
2011-12 Green Bay Gamblers
2012–13 Dubuque Fighting Saints
2013–14 Indiana Ice
2014–15 Sioux Falls Stampede
2015–16 Tri-City Storm
2016–17 Chicago Steel
2017–18 Fargo Force
2018–19 Sioux Falls Stampede
2019–20 Clark Cup not awarded
2020–21 Chicago Steel
2021–22 Sioux City Musketeers
2022–23 Youngstown Phantoms
2023–24 Fargo Force

Alumni

League records

Team

Individual

  • Most points in a season – 135 by Tim Ferguson of Sioux City Musketeers in 1985–86 season.
  • Most goals in a season – 67 by Rod Taylor of Sioux City Musketeers in 1986–87 season.
  • Most assists in a season – 79 by Tim Ferguson of Sioux City Musketeers in 1985–86 season.
  • Most PIMs in a season – 316 by Chad Stauffacher of Green Bay Gamblers in 1996–97 season.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Glenn Hefferan Named as new USHL Commissioner . USHL.com . June 15, 2023.
  2. News: Youngsters hoping to realize hockey dreams . USA Today . February 6, 2007 . March 24, 2012 . Allen, Kevin.
  3. Web site: Psuedo Ajax .
  4. http://www.ushl.com/page/show/1209183-alumni-in-the-nhl | date=April 11, 2015 | Access Date=April 12, 2015
  5. Web site: The drive to be the best . . Alex Lantz . January 25, 2015 . March 3, 2016.
  6. News: Green Bay Gamblers season suspended due to COVID-19. Rose. Joshua. 12 March 202. WFRV-TV. 12 March 2020.
  7. Web site: Remainder of USHL season canceled . Nebraska TV . March 18, 2020.
  8. Web site: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Madison Capitols Will Not Participate in 2020-21 USHL Season . OurSports Central . September 18, 2020.
  9. Web site: USHL Draft. USHL.
  10. Web site: Home. USHL.
  11. Web site: Capitol's Move to Hartmeyer nixed; Capitol Ice Arena named as new home . Wisconsin State Journal . September 11, 2017.
  12. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ushl19621969.html 1968–69 United States Hockey League [USHL] standings at]. Hockeydb.com. HockeyDB. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  13. Santa's Village by Phillip L. Wenz, Published by Arcadia Publishing, 2007,
  14. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ushl19621962.html 1961–62 United States Hockey League [USHL] standings at]. Hockeydb.com (January 16, 1962). Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  15. Web site: Murray Williamson . November 3, 2008 . October 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081013020406/http://www.murraywilliamson.org/Pages/1968.aspx . dead .
  16. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/250.html United States Hockey League [USHL] seasons at]. Hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  17. http://www.marquetteironrangers.com/kar.htm www.marquetteironrangers.com
  18. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/sioux-city-musketeers-8023.html Sioux City Musketeers hockey team of the USHL at
  19. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/green-bay-bobcats-5917.html Green Bay Bobcats hockey team of the USHL at
  20. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/anoka-nordiques-4651.html Anoka Nordiques hockey team of the USHL at
  21. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/waterloo-black-hawks-8879.html Waterloo Black Hawks hockey team of the USHL at
  22. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/austin-mavericks-4712.html Austin Mavericks hockey team of the USHL at
  23. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/bloomington-junior-stars-4900.html Bloomington Junior Stars hockey team of the USHL at
  24. http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/st.-paul-vulcans-8234.html St. Paul Vulcans hockey team of the USHL at
  25. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ushl19621979.html 1978–79 United States Hockey League [USHL] standings at]. Hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  26. Web site: Steel Named 2019-2020 Anderson Cup Champions . OurSports Central . April 1, 2020.
  27. Web site: Chicago Steel Named Anderson Cup Champions for Second-Straight Season . OurSports Central . April 18, 2021.