The USHL was established in 1961. It was Semi-professional league until 1979, when it became fully amateur.
Many USHL players have gone on to compete in professional and college hockey. In 2003-04, the National Hockey League had 38 players with USHL experience.
The Sioux_Falls_Stampede won the 2006-07 USHL championship in an expanded, 12-team playoff format. The league has recently announced that it will revert to an 8-team divisional playoff format for the 2007-08 season.
Timeline
1979-80 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.
1980-81 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.
1981-82 Green Bay folds. The remaining seven teams merge into one division.
1983-84 North Iowa Huskies enter league.
1984-85 Madison Capitols and Thunder Bay Flyers enter league. Bloomington changes name to Minneapolis Stars.
1985-86 Minneapolis folds. Austin relocates to Rochester and renamed Mustangs.
1986-87 Omaha Lancers enter league.
1991-92 Madison changes name to Wisconsin Capitols.
1994-95 Green Bay Gamblers enter league.
1995-96 Wisconsin folds. Fargo-Moorhead Bears enter league. St. Paul changes name to Twin Cities Vulcans.
1996-97 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.
1997-98 USA Hockey National Team Development Program plays 24-game schedule in the USHL.
1998-99 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.
1999-00 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.
2000-01 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.
2001-02 Dubuque Fighting Saints relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma and become the Tulsa Crude. Topeka, KS gains an expansion team called the Topeka ScareCrows.
2002-03 Rochester ceases operations. Tulsa ceases operations. Omaha relocates to Council Bluffs, Ia., and changes its name to the River City Lancers.
2003-04 Danville Wings enter the league. Topeka moves to St. Louis and becomes the Heartland Eagles.
2004-05 Danville moves to Indianapolis and becomes the Indiana Ice. St. Louis granted one-year suspension of operations.
2005-06 River City Lancers change name back to Omaha Lancers.
2006-07 Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets join the league after purchasing the membership of the former Thunder Bay Flyers.
