USHL releases 2019-20 regular season schedule

By Jim den Hollander

Midwesthockey.info editor 

During the off season, we have different things that help us weather the storm until hockey returns.

One of the more exciting days, is when the new schedule is released for your favorite team, or league.

Plans can be put in motion for fans of America’s top junior league as the Tier 1 United States Hockey League (USHL) released its 2019-20 regular season schedule today (July 15, 2019).

The Madison Capitols and Youngstown Phantoms will get the spotlight with a big of a preview to the season as the Capitols travel to the Ohio/Pennsylvania border-town to open the season Sept. 28 at the Covelli Center

Most of the remaining teams entering the regular season the following weekend – Oct. 4-5.

Included in that group will be the defending Clark Cup champion Sioux Falls Stampede who will open on home ice, taking on the Lincoln Stars on Oct. 5.

One change this season sees the elimination of the Central Illinois Flying Aces (formerly Bloomington Thunder) leaving the league with 16 -teams – eight in the East. (Cedar Rapids Roughriders, Chicago Steel, Dubuque Fighting Saints, Green Bay Gamblers, Capitols, Muskegon Lumberjacks, USA National Development Team and the Phantoms) and eight more in the West (Des Moines Buccaneers, Fargo Force, Stars, Omaha Lancers, Sioux City Musketeers, Stampede, Tri-City Storm and Waterloo Black Hawks).

The regular season will run from that late September opening until April 18 and this season will see a few more teams in the playoff fray.

Perhaps the toughest league in terms of making the playoffs, the USHL had just four teams from each division qualifying previously which was less than half of the nine teams in the Eastern group. This season, the league will advance a dozen teams to the post season with the top two in each conference earning a first round bye while the other eight teams engage in a new Best-of-Three opening round. Division semis, finals and the Clark Cup championship will continue to be Best-of-Five sets.