List of USHL seasons
This is a list of seasons of the United States Hockey League since its transition to a junior hockey league in 1979.
Junior league
[edit]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. | Season | No. of teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. USHL playoffs) |
Anderson Cup Champion | Clark Cup Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979–80 | 7[a] | 48 | Hennepin Nordiques (30–18–0) | Hennepin Nordiques | ||
| 2 | 1980–81 | 8[b] | 48 | Dubuque Fighting Saints (38–9–1) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 3 | 1981–82 | 7[c] | 48 | Sioux City Musketeers (29–16–3) | Sioux City Musketeers | ||
| 4 | 1982–83 | 7 | 48 | Dubuque Fighting Saints (39–8–1) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 5 | 1983–84 | 8[d] | 48 | St. Paul Vulcans (37–8–0–3) | St. Paul Vulcans | ||
| 6 | 1984–85 | 10[e] | 48 | Austin Mavericks (39–8–1–0) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 7 | 1985–86 | 9[f] | 48 | Sioux City Musketeers (42–6–0–0) | Sioux City Musketeers | ||
| 8 | 1986–87 | 10[g] | 48 | Rochester Mustangs (37–9–0–2) | Rochester Mustangs | ||
| 9 | 1987–88 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (40–7–1-0) | Thunder Bay Flyers | ||
| 10 | 1988–89 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (40–6–2–0) | Thunder Bay Flyers | ||
| 11 | 1989–90 | 10 | 48 | September 30 | Omaha Lancers (36–11–0–1) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 12 | 1990–91 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (36–10–2–0) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 13 | 1991–92 | 10[h] | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (36–11–1) | Des Moines Buccaneers | ||
| 14 | 1992–93 | 10 | 48 | Omaha Lancers (35–9–0–4) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 15 | 1993–94 | 10 | 48–54[i] | Des Moines Buccaneers (36–12–0–0) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 16 | 1994–95 | 11[j] | 48 | Des Moines Buccaneers (38–5–5–0) | Des Moines Buccaneers | ||
| 17 | 1995–96 | 11[k] | 46 | Green Bay Gamblers (32–11–3–0) | Green Bay Gamblers | ||
| 18 | 1996–97 | 12[l] | 54 | April 22 | Green Bay Gamblers (41–11–0–2) | Lincoln Stars | |
| 19 | 1997–98 | 13[m] | 24, 56 | April 21 | Des Moines Buccaneers (40–14–2) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 20 | 1998–99 | 13[n] | 56 | April 23 | Des Moines Buccaneers (48–7–0–1) | Des Moines Buccaneers | |
| 21 | 1999–2000 | 14[o] | 58 | September 17 | April 27 | Lincoln Stars (41–16–1) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 22 | 2000–01 | 13[p] | 24, 58 | April 28 | Lincoln Stars (43–7–0–6) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 23 | 2001–02 | 14[q] | 13, 61 | May 12 | Omaha Lancers (46–12-0–3) | Sioux City Musketeers | |
| 24 | 2002–03 | 11[r] | 60 | September 27 | April 29 | Waterloo Black Hawks (37–14–3–6) | Lincoln Stars |
| 25 | 2003–04 | 12[s] | 60 | September 26 | May 5 | Tri-City Storm (43–12–1–4) | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| 26 | 2004–05 | 11[t] | 60 | September 24 | May 9 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (42–13–1–4) | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders |
| 27 | 2005–06 | 11[u] | 60 | September 23 | May 1 | Sioux Falls Stampede (43–13–1–3) | Des Moines Buccaneers |
| 28 | 2006–07 | 12[v] | 60 | October 5 | May 15 | Waterloo Black Hawks (39–17–4) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 29 | 2007–08 | 12 | 60 | October 5 | May 10 | Omaha Lancers (43–12–5) | Omaha Lancers |
| 30 | 2008–09 | 12[w] | 60 | October 3 | May 8 | Green Bay Gamblers (38–17–4) | Indiana Ice |
| 31 | 2009–10 | 14[x] | 60 | October 2 | May 12 | Green Bay Gamblers (45–10–5) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 32 | 2010–11 | 16[y] | 60 | October 1 | May 21 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (42–13–6) | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| 33 | 2011–12 | 16 | 60 | September 30 | May 23 | Green Bay Gamblers (47–9–4) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 34 | 2012–13 | 16 | 64 | September 28 | May 17 | Dubuque Fighting Saints (45–11–8) | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| 35 | 2013–14 | 16 | 60 | September 20 | May 20 | Waterloo Black Hawks (44–11–5) | Indiana Ice |
| 36 | 2014–15 | 17[z] | 60 | September 26 | May 15 | Youngstown Phantoms (40–14–6) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 37 | 2015–16 | 17 | 60 | September 25 | May 20 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (40–15–3–2) | Tri-City Storm |
| 38 | 2016–17 | 17 | 60 | September 23 | May 24 | Sioux City Musketeers (40–13–5–2) | Chicago Steel |
| 39 | 2017–18 | 17[aa] | 60 | October 6 | May 19 | Waterloo Black Hawks (38–14–6–2) | Fargo Force |
| 40 | 2018–19 | 17 | 62 | September 27 | May 17 | Tri-City Storm (45–12–3–2) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 41 | 2019–20[ab] | 16[ac] | 47–50 | September 26 | March 11 | Chicago Steel (41–7–1–0) | Not awarded |
| 42 | 2020–21 | 14[ad] | 49–54 | November 6 | April 24 | Chicago Steel (38–11–3–2) | Chicago Steel |
| 43 | 2021–22 | 16[ae] | 62 | September 23 | May 21 | Tri-City Storm (47–11–3–1) | Sioux City Musketeers |
| 44 | 2022–23 | 16 | 62 | September 22 | May 19 | Fargo Force (40–14–4–4) | Youngstown Phantoms |
| 45 | 2023–24 | 16 | 62 | September 20 | May 22 | Fargo Force (50–10–2–0) | Fargo Force |
Notes
[edit]- ^ 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).
- ^ 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.
- ^ Green Bay Bobcats ceased operations.
- ^ North Iowa Huskies added as an expansion team.
- ^ Thunder Bay Flyers and Madison Capitols are added as expansion teams. Bloomington Junior Stars change their name to Minnesota Stars.
- ^ Minnesota Stars ceased operations. Austin Mavericks relocated to Rochester, Minnesota, as the Mustangs.
- ^ Omaha Lancers added as an expansion team.
- ^ Madison Capitols changed their name to Wisconsin Capitols.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Green Bay Gamblers added as an expansion team.
- ^ Fargo-Moorhead Bears added as an expansion team. Wisconsin Capitols ceased operations. St. Paul Vulcans changed their name to Twin City Vulcans.
- ^ Fargo-Moorhead Bears ceased operations. Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks and Lincoln Stars added as expansion teams.
- ^ US National Team Development Program played a partial, 24-game schedule.
- ^ US National Team Development Program added as a full-time member.
- ^ Sioux Falls Stampede added as an expansion team. North Iowa Huskies relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Danville Wings transferred from the NAHL. Topeka ScareCrows relocated to Chesterfield, Missouri, as the Heartland Eagles.
- ^ Danville Wings relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, as the Indiana Ice. The St. Louis Heartland Eagles ceased operations.
- ^ River City Lancers changed their name back to Omaha Lancers.
- ^ Ohio Junior Blue Jackets added as an expansion team.
- ^ Ohio Junior Blue Jackets ceased operations; Fargo Force added as an expansion team.
- ^ Youngstown Phantoms and US National Team Development Program transferred from the NAHL.
- ^ Dubuque Fighting Saints resurrected and Muskegon Lumberjacks added as an expansion team.
- ^ Bloomington Thunder and Madison Capitols added as expansion teams; Indiana Ice granted "dormancy status".
- ^ Bloomington Thunder changed their name to Central Illinois Flying Aces.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Central Illinois Flying Aces ceased operations.
- ^ Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Madison Capitols went on hiatus.
- ^ Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Madison Capitols returned from hiatus.