List of USHL seasons

Last updated

This is a list of seasons of the United States Hockey League since its transition to a junior hockey league in 1979.

Contents

Junior league

Starting in 1979–80, the USHL changed to an all-junior league and would operate as an American competitor to the Canadian Hockey League. While the CHL is the major junior program for most professional hockey prospects, its players are forbidden by NCAA regulations to play hockey for Division I or III programs, making the USHL a favorite preparatory league for players seeking to play collegiate hockey in America.

No.SeasonNo. of
teams		Reg. season
games		Start
(reg. season)		Finish
(incl. USHL playoffs)		Anderson Cup ChampionClark Cup Champion
1 1979–80 7 [lower-alpha 1] 48 Hennepin Nordiques (30–18–0)Hennepin Nordiques
2 1980–81 8 [lower-alpha 2] 48 Dubuque Fighting Saints (38–9–1)Dubuque Fighting Saints
3 1981–82 7 [lower-alpha 3] 48 Sioux City Musketeers (29–16–3)Sioux City Musketeers
4 1982–83 748Dubuque Fighting Saints (39–8–1)Dubuque Fighting Saints
5 1983–84 8 [lower-alpha 4] 48 St. Paul Vulcans (37–8–0–3)St. Paul Vulcans
6 1984–85 10 [lower-alpha 5] 48 Austin Mavericks (39–8–1–0)Dubuque Fighting Saints
7 1985–86 9 [lower-alpha 6] 48Sioux City Musketeers (42–6–0–0)Sioux City Musketeers
8 1986–87 10 [lower-alpha 7] 48 Rochester Mustangs (37–9–0–2)Rochester Mustangs
9 1987–88 1048 Thunder Bay Flyers (40–7–1-0)Thunder Bay Flyers
10 1988–89 1048Thunder Bay Flyers (40–6–2–0)Thunder Bay Flyers
11 1989–90 1048September 30 Omaha Lancers (36–11–0–1)Omaha Lancers
12 1990–91 1048Thunder Bay Flyers (36–10–2–0)Omaha Lancers
13 1991–92 10 [lower-alpha 8] 48Thunder Bay Flyers (36–11–1) Des Moines Buccaneers
14 1992–93 1048Omaha Lancers (35–9–0–4)Omaha Lancers
15 1993–94 1048–54 [lower-alpha 9] Des Moines Buccaneers (36–12–0–0)Omaha Lancers
16 1994–95 11 [lower-alpha 10] 48Des Moines Buccaneers (38–5–5–0)Des Moines Buccaneers
17 1995–96 11 [lower-alpha 11] 46 Green Bay Gamblers (32–11–3–0)Green Bay Gamblers
18 1996–97 12 [lower-alpha 12] 54April 22Green Bay Gamblers (41–11–0–2) Lincoln Stars
19 1997–98 13 [lower-alpha 13] 24, 56April 21Des Moines Buccaneers (40–14–2)Omaha Lancers
20 1998–99 13 [lower-alpha 14] 56April 23Des Moines Buccaneers (48–7–0–1)Des Moines Buccaneers
21 1999–2000 14 [lower-alpha 15] 58September 17April 27Lincoln Stars (41–16–1)Green Bay Gamblers
22 2000–01 13 [lower-alpha 16] 24, 58April 28Lincoln Stars (43–7–0–6)Omaha Lancers
23 2001–02 14 [lower-alpha 17] 13, 61May 12Omaha Lancers (46–12-0–3)Sioux City Musketeers
24 2002–03 11 [lower-alpha 18] 60September 27April 29 Waterloo Black Hawks (37–14–3–6)Lincoln Stars
25 2003–04 12 [lower-alpha 19] 60September 26May 5 Tri-City Storm (43–12–1–4)Waterloo Black Hawks
26 2004–05 11 [lower-alpha 20] 60September 24May 9 Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (42–13–1–4)Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
27 2005–06 11 [lower-alpha 21] 60September 23May 1 Sioux Falls Stampede (43–13–1–3)Des Moines Buccaneers
28 2006–07 12 [lower-alpha 22] 60October 5May 15Waterloo Black Hawks (39–17–4)Sioux Falls Stampede
29 2007–08 1260October 5May 10Omaha Lancers (43–12–5)Omaha Lancers
30 2008–09 12 [lower-alpha 23] 60October 3May 8Green Bay Gamblers (38–17–4) Indiana Ice
31 2009–10 14 [lower-alpha 24] 60October 2May 12Green Bay Gamblers (45–10–5)Green Bay Gamblers
32 2010–11 16 [lower-alpha 25] 60October 1May 21Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (42–13–6) Dubuque Fighting Saints
33 2011–12 1660September 30May 23Green Bay Gamblers (47–9–4)Green Bay Gamblers
34 2012–13 1664September 28May 17Dubuque Fighting Saints (45–11–8)Dubuque Fighting Saints
35 2013–14 1660September 20May 20Waterloo Black Hawks (44–11–5)Indiana Ice
36 2014–15 17 [lower-alpha 26] 60September 26May 15 Youngstown Phantoms (40–14–6)Sioux Falls Stampede
37 2015–16 1760September 25May 20Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (40–15–3–2)Tri-City Storm
38 2016–17 1760September 23May 24Sioux City Musketeers (40–13–5–2)Chicago Steel
39 2017–18 17 [lower-alpha 27] 60October 6May 19Waterloo Black Hawks (38–14–6–2) Fargo Force
40 2018–19 1762September 27May 17Tri-City Storm (45–12–3–2)Sioux Falls Stampede
41 2019–20 [lower-alpha 28] 16 [lower-alpha 29] 47–50September 26March 11 Chicago Steel (41–7–1–0)Not awarded
42 2020–21 14 [lower-alpha 30] 49–54November 6April 24Chicago Steel (38–11–3–2)Chicago Steel
43 2021–22 16 [lower-alpha 31] 62September 23May 21Tri-City Storm (47–11–3–1)Sioux City Musketeers
44 2022–23 1662September 22May 19Fargo Force (40–14–4–4)Youngstown Phantoms
45 2023–24 1662September 20May 22Fargo Force (50–10–2–0)Fargo Force

Notes

  1. ↑ The USHL began its first all-junior season in 1979 with six teams continuing from the semi-professional USHL the year before and one expansion franchise (Hennepin Nordiques).
  2. ↑ Waterloo Black Hawks relocated to Dubuque, Iowa, as the Fighting Saints; Hennepin Nordiques relocated to Waterloo, Iowa, as the Black Hawks; Des Moines Buccaneers added as an expansion team.
  3. ↑ Green Bay Bobcats ceased operations.
  4. ↑ North Iowa Huskies added as an expansion team.
  5. ↑ Thunder Bay Flyers and Madison Capitols are added as expansion teams. Bloomington Junior Stars change their name to Minnesota Stars.
  6. ↑ Minnesota Stars ceased operations. Austin Mavericks relocated to Rochester, Minnesota, as the Mustangs.
  7. ↑ Omaha Lancers added as an expansion team.
  8. ↑ Madison Capitols changed their name to Wisconsin Capitols.
  9. ↑ For the 1993–94 season, some teams played a normal 48-game schedule, while others played slightly more with the North Iowa Huskies playing the most at 54 games.
  10. ↑ Green Bay Gamblers added as an expansion team.
  11. ↑ Fargo-Moorhead Bears added as an expansion team. Wisconsin Capitols ceased operations. St. Paul Vulcans changed their name to Twin City Vulcans.
  12. ↑ Fargo-Moorhead Bears ceased operations. Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks and Lincoln Stars added as expansion teams.
  13. ↑ US National Team Development Program played a partial, 24-game schedule.
  14. ↑ US National Team Development Program added as a full-time member.
  15. ↑ Sioux Falls Stampede added as an expansion team. North Iowa Huskies relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
  16. ↑ Thunder Bay Flyers ceased operations; Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks relocated to Chicago, Illinois, as the Steel; Twin Cities Vulcans relocated to Kearney, Nebraska, as the Tri-City Storm. The US National Team Development Program returns to a partial, 24-game schedule.
  17. ↑ Dubuque Fighting Saints relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the Crude. Topeka ScareCrows added as an expansion team after the organization's franchise was removed the professional CHL. The US National Team Development Program played once against each team.
  18. ↑ Rochester Mustangs and Tulsa Crude ceased operations. Omaha Lancers relocated to Council Bluffs, Iowa, as the name River City Lancers. US National Team Development Program stops playing USHL games.
  19. ↑ Danville Wings transferred from the NAHL. Topeka ScareCrows relocated to Chesterfield, Missouri, as the Heartland Eagles.
  20. ↑ Danville Wings relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, as the Indiana Ice. The St. Louis Heartland Eagles ceased operations.
  21. ↑ River City Lancers changed their name back to Omaha Lancers.
  22. ↑ Ohio Junior Blue Jackets added as an expansion team.
  23. ↑ Ohio Junior Blue Jackets ceased operations; Fargo Force added as an expansion team.
  24. ↑ Youngstown Phantoms and US National Team Development Program transferred from the NAHL.
  25. ↑ Dubuque Fighting Saints resurrected and Muskegon Lumberjacks added as an expansion team.
  26. ↑ Bloomington Thunder and Madison Capitols added as expansion teams; Indiana Ice granted "dormancy status".
  27. ↑ Bloomington Thunder changed their name to Central Illinois Flying Aces.
  28. ↑ Remainder of season canceled on March 18, 2020, and did not resume play due to COVID-19 pandemic. All teams suspended play a week prior to cancellation.
  29. ↑ Central Illinois Flying Aces ceased operations.
  30. ↑ Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Madison Capitols went on hiatus.
  31. ↑ Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Madison Capitols returned from hiatus.

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References

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