USHL Franchise Timeline

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United States Hockey League
Founded	1961-1962
Head Office	Grand Forks, North Dakota
Official Web site	U.S.H.L.
President	Gino Gasparini
Hockey Operations	Scott Brand
Communications	Jon Garver
Scouting	Bob Turow
Finance	Jackie Cleveland
Technology	John Elftmann

1979-1980
The USHL becomes an all-junior league with seven teams in two divisions.
North Division: Hennepin Nordiques, Bloomington Jr. Stars, Green Bay Bobcats, and St. Paul Vulcans.
South Division: Austin Mavericks, Sioux City Musketeers, and Waterloo Black Hawks.
1980-1981
Des Moines Buccaneers enter the league.
Waterloo Black Hawks move to Dubuque and become the Fighting Saints.
Hennepin Nordiques move to Waterloo and become the Black Hawks.
North Division: Austin, Bloomington, Green Bay, and St. Paul.
South Division: Des Moines, Dubuque, Sioux City, and Waterloo.
1981-1982
Green Bay folds. The remaining seven teams merge into one division.
1982-1983
No changes.
1983-1984
North Iowa Huskies enter league.
1984-1985
Madison Capitols and Thunder Bay Flyers enter league.
Bloomington changes name to Minneapolis Stars.
1985-1986
Minneapolis folds.
Austin relocates to Rochester and renamed Mustangs.
1986-1987
Omaha Lancers enter league.
1987-1991
No changes.
1991-1992
Madison changes name to Wisconsin Capitols.
1992-1994
No changes.
1994-1995
Green Bay Gamblers enter league.
1995-1996
Wisconsin folds.
Fargo-Moorhead Bears enter league.
St. Paul changes name to Twin Cities Vulcans.
1996-1997
Fargo-Moorhead Bears disband.
Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks enter league.
Lincoln Stars enter league.
League returns to divisional play.
North Division: Fargo-Moorhead, Green Bay, North Iowa, Rochester, Thunder Bay, Twin Cities.
South Division: Des Moines, Dubuque, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Waterloo.
1997-1998
USA Hockey National Team Development Program plays 24-game schedule in the USHL.
1998-1999
USHL agrees to play full-season schedule with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program as part of a two-year agreement.
League moves to three-division format.
East Division: Dubuque, Green Bay, Team USA, and Waterloo.
Central Division: Des Moines, North Iowa, Rochester, Thunder Bay, and Twin Cities.
West Division: Fargo-Moorhead, Lincoln, Omaha, and Sioux City.
1999-2000
Sioux Falls Stampede enters league.
North Iowa relocates to Cedar Rapids and renamed the RoughRiders.
League moves to two-division format.
West Division: Des Moines, Fargo-Moorhead, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Twin Cities.
East Division: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Green Bay, Rochester, Thunder Bay, USA Development, Waterloo.
2000-2001
Thunder Bay ceases operations.
Fargo-Moorhead moves to Bensenville, IL and becomes the Chicago Steel.
Twin Cities relocates to Kearney, NE and is renamed the Tri-City Storm.
Team USA plays 34-game league schedule.
2001-2002
Dubuque Fighting Saints relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma and become the Tulsa Crude.
Topeka, KS gains an expansion team called the Topeka ScareCrows.
2002-2003
Rochester ceases operations.
Tulsa ceases operations.
Omaha relocates to Council Bluffs, Ia., and changes its name to the River City Lancers.
2003-2004
Danville Wings enter the league.
Topeka moves to St. Louis and becomes the Heartland Eagles.
2004-2005
Danville moves to Indianapolis and becomes the Indiana Ice.
St. Louis granted one-year suspension of operations.
2005-2006
River City Lancers change name back to Omaha Lancers.
2006-2007
Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets join the league after purchasing the membership of the former Thunder Bay Flyers.