List of USHL seasons
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, it's 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 | Playoffs | No. of teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. USHL playoffs) |
Anderson Cup Champion | Clark Cup Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979–80 | 1980 | 7[1] | 48 | Hennepin Nordiques(30–18–0) | Hennepin Nordiques | ||
| 2 | 1980–81 | 1981 | 8[2] | 48 | Dubuque Fighting Saints(38–9–1) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 3 | 1981–82 | 1982 | 7[3] | 48 | Sioux City Musketeers(29–16–3) | Sioux City Musketeers | ||
| 4 | 1982–83 | 1983 | 7 | 48 | Dubuque Fighting Saints(39–8–1) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 5 | 1983–84 | 1984 | 8[4] | 48 | St. Paul Vulcans(37–8–0-3) | St. Paul Vulcans | ||
| 6 | 1984–85 | 1985 | 10[5] | 48 | Austin Mavericks(39–8–1-0) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 7 | 1985–86 | 1986 | 9[6] | 48 | Sioux City Musketeers(42–6–0-0) | Sioux City Musketeers | ||
| 8 | 1986–87 | 1987 | 10[7] | 48 | Rochester Mustangs(37–9–0-2) | Rochester Mustangs | ||
| 9 | 1987–88 | 1988 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers(40–7–1-0) | Thunder Bay Flyers | ||
| 10 | 1988–89 | 1989 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers(40–6–2-0) | Thunder Bay Flyers | ||
| 11 | 1989–90 | 1990 | 10 | 48 | September 30 | Omaha Lancers(36–11–0-1) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 12 | 1990–91 | 1991 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers(36–10–2-0) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 13 | 1991–92 | 1992 | 10[8] | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers(36–11–1) | Des Moines Buccaneers | ||
| 14 | 1992–93 | 1993 | 10 | 48 | Omaha Lancers(35–9–0-4) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 15 | 1993–94 | 1994 | 10 | 48-54[9] | Des Moines Buccaneers(36–12–0-0) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 16 | 1994–95 | 1995 | 11[10] | 48 | Des Moines Buccaneers(38–5–5-0) | Des Moines Buccaneers | ||
| 17 | 1995–96 | 1996 | 11[11] | 46 | Green Bay Gamblers(32–11–3-0) | Green Bay Gamblers | ||
| 18 | 1996–97 | 1997 | 12[12] | 54 | April 22 | Green Bay Gamblers(41–11–0-2) | Lincoln Stars | |
| 19 | 1997–98 | 1998 | 13[13] | 24, 56 | April 21 | Des Moines Buccaneers(40–14–2) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 20 | 1998–99 | 1999 | 13[14] | 56 | April 23 | Des Moines Buccaneers(48–7–0-1) | Des Moines Buccaneers | |
| 21 | 1999–00 | 2000 | 14[15] | 58 | September 17 | April 27 | Lincoln Stars(41–16–1) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 22 | 2000–01 | 2001 | 13[16] | 24, 58 | April 28 | Lincoln Stars(43–7–0-6) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 23 | 2001–02 | 2002 | 14[17] | 13, 61 | May 12 | Omaha Lancers(46–12-0–3) | Sioux City Musketeers | |
| 24 | 2002–03 | 2003 | 11[18] | 60 | September 27 | April 29 | Waterloo Black Hawks(37–14–3-6) | Lincoln Stars |
| 25 | 2003–04 | 2004 | 12[19] | 60 | September 26 | May 5 | Tri-City Storm(43–12–1-4) | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| 26 | 2004–05 | 2005 | 11[20] | 60 | September 24 | May 9 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders(42–13–1-4) | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders |
| 27 | 2005–06 | 2006 | 11[21] | 60 | September 23 | May 1 | Sioux Falls Stampede(43–13–1-3) | Des Moines Buccaneers |
| 28 | 2006–07 | 2007 | 12[22] | 60 | October 5 | May 15 | Waterloo Black Hawks(39–17–4) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 29 | 2007–08 | 2008 | 12 | 60 | October 5 | May 10 | Omaha Lancers(43–12–5) | Omaha Lancers |
| 30 | 2008–09 | 2009 | 12[23] | 60 | October 3 | May 8 | Green Bay Gamblers(38–17–4) | Indiana Ice |
| 31 | 2009–10 | 2010 | 14[24] | 60 | October 2 | May 12 | Green Bay Gamblers(45–10–5) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 32 | 2010–11 | 2011 | 16[25] | 60 | October 1 | May 21 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders(42–13–6) | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| 33 | 2011–12 | 2012 | 16 | 60 | September 30 | May 23 | Green Bay Gamblers(47–9–4) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 34 | 2012–13 | 2013 | 16 | 64 | September 28 | May 17 | Dubuque Fighting Saints(45–11–8) | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| 35 | 2013–14 | 2014 | 16 | 60 | September 20 | May 20 | Waterloo Black Hawks(44–11–5) | Indiana Ice |
| ^ 1. | The USHL began its first all-junior season in 1979 with 6 teams continuing from the semi-pro USHL the year before and 1 expansion franchise (Hennepin Nordiques) |
| ^ 2. | The Waterloo Black Hawks relocated to Dubuque, Iowa, becoming the Fighting Saints, the Hennepin Nordiques relocated to Waterloo, Iowa and assumed the name 'Black Hawks' and the Des Moines Buccaneers were founded as an expansion team. |
| ^ 3. | The Green Bay Bobcats cease to operate. |
| ^ 4. | The North Iowa Huskies are added as an expansion franchise. |
| ^ 5. | The Thunder Bay Flyers and Madison Capitols are added as expansion franchises. The Bloomington Junior Stars change their name to 'Minnesota Stars'. |
| ^ 6. | The Minnesota Stars cease to operate. The Austin Mavericks relocated to Rochester, Minnesota, becoming the Mustangs. |
| ^ 7. | The Omaha Lancers are added as an expansion franchise. |
| ^ 8. | The Madison Capitols change 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. | The Green Bay Gamblers are added as an expansion franchise. |
| ^ 11. | The Fargo-Moorhead Bears are added as an expansion franchise. The Wisconsin Capitols cease to operate. The St. Paul Vulcans change their name to 'Twin City Vulcans'. |
| ^ 12. | The Fargo-Moorhead Bears cease to operate. The Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks and Lincoln Stars are added as expansion franchises. |
| ^ 13. | The US National Team Development Program played a partial, 24-game schedule. |
| ^ 14. | The US National Team Development Program is added as a full-time member. |
| ^ 15. | The Sioux Falls Stampede are added as an expansion franchise. The North Iowa Huskies relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, becoming the RoughRiders. |
| ^ 16. | The Thunder Bay Flyers cease to operate. The Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks relocated to Chicago, Illinois, becoming the Steel, the Twin Cities Vulcans relocated to Kearney, Nebraska, becoming the Storm. The US National Team Development Program returns to a partial, 24-game schedule. |
| ^ 17. | The Dubuque Fighting Saints relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, becoming the Crude. The Topeka ScareCrows transferred from the CHL. The USHL plays a 60-game schedule between its full-time teams with the US National Team Development Program playing once against each team. |
| ^ 18. | The Rochester Mustangs and Tulsa Crude cease to operate. The Omaha Lancers relocated to Council Bluffs, Iowa, but retain the name Lancers. The US National Team Development Program stops playing USHL games. |
| ^ 19. | The Danville Wings transferred from the NAHL. The Topeka ScareCrows relocated to Chesterfield, Missouri, becoming the Heartland Eagles. |
| ^ 20. | The Danville Wings relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, becoming the Ice. The St. Louis Heartland Eagles cease to operate. |
| ^ 21. | The River City Lancers change their name back to 'Omaha Lancers'. |
| ^ 22. | The Ohio Junior Blue Jackets were added as an expansion team. |
| ^ 23. | The Ohio Junior Blue Jackets ceased operation while the Fargo Force were added as an expansion team. |
| ^ 24. | The Youngstown Phantoms and US National Team Development Program transferred from the North American Hockey League. |
| ^ 25. | The Dubuque Fighting Saints were resurrescted and the Muskegon Lumberjacks were added as an expansion team. |