USHL 2020-2021 Thread

[JMCx4]

Anyone know why Ian Moore hasn’t been playing for Chicago?

Purely a hunch, but you might wanna see if the Ducks' 2nd draft pick for 2020 Sam Colangelo plays in Northeastern University's season opener on Friday (assuming the game actually occurs). If Sam is missing from the lineup, it could indicate that Anaheim is protecting its top draftees while the NHL's near-future is in limbo. Their #1 pick Jacob Perreault is on the OHL's Sarnia Sting roster, but that league isn't scheduled to resume play until early February 2021.

 

[JMCx4]

Aaaaaaand ... another postponement ...

 

[JMCx4]

In their defense (and offense), the USHL did manage to check off a total of 10 games this past holiday week & weekend. It does seem ironic, though, that the League's preferred hashtag during this cancellation-plagued season is ... #WhosNext ...

 

[JMCx4]

With the 14 USHL teams having played from 4 to 9 games so far, I figured this would be a good time to offer some positive news after my negative tone so far in this thread. Bear with me - I'm new at this ...

• In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Steel have picked up where they were rudely interrupted last spring. CHI is 6-2-0-0 and on 4-game win streak while leading the League in Goals For (43). The Green Bay Gamblers are in 2nd place with a 4-1-0-1 record.
• The Western Confetence so far is all about two teams, Fargo & Omaha. The Force lead with a 7-1-1-0 record including wins in their last 4 games to pull away from the pack, even while leading the League in PIM (179). Not far back in 2nd place, the Lancers are 5-2-0-0 and tied with Chicago for the largest GF/GA ratio (+10 goals).
• The displaced Des Moines Buccaneers lead the USHL in PP%, followed closely by the Steel. The Tri-City Storm & Waterloo Black Hawks are 1-2 in PK%.

League play resumes on Tuesday night, with the Sioux Falls Stampede scheduled to play Des Moines @ Wells Fargo Arena. Nice (if temporary) digs for a junior team - I hope they don't get spoiled.

 

[JMCx4]

 

[JMCx4]

A look at the USHL's top teams, as Santa loads up the old sleigh ...

• Chicago Steel: Leading the Eastern Conference with 21 points (10-2-1-0). The Steel hold the League lead in Goals For with 69 on the strength of the top 3 USHL scorers, all forwards: Matt Coronato (29 pts.) & Sean Farrell (22 pts.) - both Harvard commits - and Eric Middendorf. The team is 2nd in Power Play efficiency (30.6%), just behind the West's Des Moines Buccaneers (30.8%).
• Green Bay Gamblers: Tight grip on the 2nd spot in the East with 17 points (8-2-0-1). GB's offense has been led by D-man Mason Lohrei (Ohio State commit), with 5G + 10A = 15 points. The Gamblers' weak spot so far has been penalties, logging 197 PIM (just 4 minutes behind the West's Fargo) and not surprisingly allowing a League-high 14 goals when shorthanded (PK Efficiency = 71.4%, putting them in the League's bottom 3 in that stats category).
• Fargo Force: Holding a 6-point lead in the Western Conference with 20 points (9-1-2-0). As indicated above, they lead the League in shorthanded time (201 PIM); but their PK Efficiency = 84.4% is 4th best & has given their offense a chance to keep up. G Brennan Boynton also has helped the cause, ranking 3rd in the League on a 1.99 GAA & a 0.923 SV% with a League-leading 2 shutouts. The Force have two forwards ranked in the League's top 15 point-getters: Tristan Broz (Minnesota Golden Gophers commit) & Mason Salquist (St. Cloud State).
• Omaha Lancers: Clinging to the 2nd spot in the West with 14 points (7-4-0-0), just 2 points ahead of Des Moines & Tri-City. The Lancers are in the middle of the pack in man-advantage play (22.7%), but 3rd in the League in man-down situations (84.6%). Their leading scorers - both forwards - each have 14 points on the season: Ryan Lautenbach (UMass-Amherst commit) & Jack Jensen.

Sioux City is scheduled to play at Sioux Falls tonight (Sioux-squared?), with other play resuming on Dec. 26th. Let's hope their Christmas celebrations are safe as well as enjoyable. They should certainly be memorable.

 

[JMCx4]

The COVID Dance continues, as the band plays on ...

 

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The USHL is taking an increasingly rare scheduled pause for New Year's Day, but they're back to the ice on Jan 2nd to start the calendar year. The League has partnered with HockeyTV this season to carry their webcasts.

 

[JMCx4]

Beauty of a goal on Saturday night by Fargo Force forward Aaron Huglen, in his first game since April 2019 after suffering a back injury during weight training & undergoing spinal surgery in May 2020. Stick taps to this young man for working through the tough times & coming back to the game he loves.

 

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USHL weekly awards pop-in to begin 2021 ...

 

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USHL Leader Boards for Top Scorers & Top Goalies as of the week-of 18 January 2021 ...

 

[JMCx4]

ICYMI (like I did) ...

Garrity to Step Down as USHL President and Commissioner in 2021

01/22/2021, 1:00PM CST
BY USHL

CHICAGO, ILL – USHL President and Commissioner Tom Garrity has informed the USHL Board of Directors that he has made the decision to transition out of the role in 2021. Garrity will stay on as President and Commissioner until June 30, 2021 and will help lead the transition process and selection of his successor.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” said Garrity. “I have greatly enjoyed my time with the USHL and believe this league is on a path to continued success. ..."

Garrity was the President and CEO of the Sioux Falls Stampede when he agreed to become interim Commissioner in November 2017 before accepting the full-time role in May 2018.

Under Garrity’s leadership, the USHL has expanded its partnerships with USA Hockey and the National Hockey League to allow the USHL to emerge as a clear leader in junior hockey in North America. Over 50 players with USHL ties have been selected in the NHL Draft during each year of Garrity’s tenure, including a record 57 at the 2018 NHL Draft. ...

The USHL will immediately begin a search for its next President and Commissioner. Brendan Bruss, President of PMI Entertainment Group which operates the Green Bay Gamblers, will lead the search on behalf of the USHL and in collaboration with Garrity. ...

Read more at: Garrity to Step Down as USHL President and Commissioner in 2021

 

[JMCx4]

I hadn't paid attention to this trivia item since early in the season, but it appears that 7 of the 14 active USHL teams have been hosting fans-in-seats for at least the last 2 weekends of play: Des Moines, Lincoln, Muskegon, Omaha, Tri-City, Youngstown, and Team USA in Plymouth. So at least somebody has been able to watch hockey in-person this season.

 

[JMCx4]

A look at the top teams in the USHL, as January play has wrapped up. The regular season is scheduled to end on April 24th, so there’s plenty of time left for these leaders to become followers or to pull away from the pack – subject to the nuances of COVID Life …

• Chicago Steel: Moved ahead of Muskegon (see below) on Sunday for the #1 spot in the Eastern Conference, now with a 17-6-2-0 record for 36 pts. The Steel are second in League scoring (123 goals), with 4 forwards & a D-man in the Top 10 led by the Top 3: Sean Farrell (Mass. native, Harvard commit) with 16G + 30A = 46 pts; Matt Coronato (NY native and also a Harvard commit) with 19G + 24A = 43 pts.; and Eric Middendorf (Arizona native, Michigan State commit) with 19G + 21A = 40 pts. The team is 2nd in the Eastern Conference for Power Play efficiency (28.3%) behind the Green Bay Gamblers (31.1%), and also 2nd in PK% behind GB.

• Muskegon Lumberjacks: 2nd in the East behind Chicago at 34 points, with a record of 16-8-1-1. They lead the League in goal scoring (127 GF), but are also a close second in GA (112) behind Team USA (113). The Lumberjacks have two forwards among the Top 5 scorers, uncommitted 3rd-year player Danil Gushchin from Russia (17G + 20A = 37 pts.) and 4th-year USHL-er Cameron Berg from Minnesota (a UNO commit with 17G + 19A = 36 pts.). Unsurprisingly, Muskegon’s #1 goaltender Jan Skorpik from the Czech Republic (uncommitted) is near the bottom of the League stats (3.97 GAA, 0.845 SV%).

• Honorable Mention in the East = Green Bay Gamblers: Six points behind the Lumberjacks with the fewest games played in the Eastern Conference (early postponements slowed them down), but their 13-5-0-2 record gives them a higher Win % (0.700) than Muskegon (0.654).

• Fargo Force: Holding a 5-point lead in the Western Conference with 34 points (16-9-2-0), they have lost 6 of their last 10 games. The Force lead the West in Goals For (85), but are tied for third in GA (75). They’ve allowed 20 PP goals & 5 shorties so far, which have not helped their cause. They do have the #10 scorer in the League, forward Jeremy Davidson from Michigan (uncommitted), who has 8G + 16A = 24 pts. Forward Tristan Broz (Minnesota native, committed to University of Minnesota) is ranked 12th in the League, 8G + 15A = 23 pts. They also have the #4 goaltender in the League, Brennan Boynton (uncommitted from Minnesota – 12-5-1-0 record, 2.41 GAA, 0.905 SV%).

• Tri-City Storm: Their 14-8-0-1 record after a Sunday night blowout of Omaha sustains their 2nd place lead in the Western Conference. Nothing remarkable about their offense this season, but their team defense is stingy @ 49 GA which leads the League. Uncommitted Minnesotan goaltender Todd Scott is #1 in the USHL with a 1.93 GAA, supported by his 0.918 SV% to go with an 11-4-0-1 record.

• Honorable Mention in the West = Des Moines Buccaneers & Omaha Lancers: These two teams have winning records, and are 2 & 3 points respectively behind the Storm.

 

[Whalers Fan]

I hadn't paid attention to this trivia item since early in the season, but it appears that 7 of the 14 active USHL teams have been hosting fans-in-seats for at least the last 2 weekends of play: Des Moines, Lincoln, Muskegon, Omaha, Tri-City, Youngstown, and Team USA in Plymouth. So at least somebody has been able to watch hockey in-person this season.

The NTDP started up right at the beginning of the new year, which surprised us since so much else has been completely shutdown here in Michigan -- including restaurants (just re-opened on February 1st).. There have been about 8 games played with fans so far, beginning on January 2nd. Attendance is being limited to 300 fans, and there are no concessions being sold. I have been to all of the games so far.

 

[JMCx4]

 

[JMCx4]

Another end-of-month look at the top teams in the USHL.

Eastern Conference

• The 1st place Chicago Steel have stretched their lead over Muskegon (see below) in the last month, now 6 points up (24-8-3-0 = 51 pts.). The Steel have cranked up their scoring to take over the League lead (177 goals), and now boast the top 4 scorers (all forwards) in the USHL: Sean Farrell with 20G + 47A = 67 pts; Matt Coronato with 31G + 28A = 59 pts.; Eric Middendorf with 24G + 26A = 50 pts.; and Josh Doan (ASU commit, son of former NHL-er Shane Doan) with 21G + 27A = 48 pts.. They also lead the League in Power Play efficiency (30.1%).

• The Muskegon Lumberjacks are 2nd in the East (21-11-1-2 = 45 pts.), and are on a 5-0-0-0 streak. They are second behind Chicago in goal scoring (153 GF), and have two forwards among the Top 10 scorers: Cameron Berg (19G + 21A = 41 pts.), and Danil Gushchin (17G + 22A = 39 pts.). Muskegon’s goaltending has improved with Nate Reid racking up a 9-4-0-0 record, but his GAA and SV% numbers need improvement (with the help of his team’s defense) for the Lumberjacks to continue their chase of Chicago.

Western Conference

• The Fargo Force continue to lead the West (22-12-2-0 = 46 pts.), but now that lead is over surging Des Moines (see next bullet). The Force are 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 games, and they lead the West in Goals For (117). FGO have two forwards in the Top 15 of the League stats: Tristan Broz (14G + 20A = 34 pts.), and Jeremy Davidson (10G + 20 A = 30 pts.). Goaltender Brennan Boynton remains in the Top 5 with a 18-7-1-0 record, 2.46 GAA, and 0.903 SV%.

• The Des Moines Buccaners (18-11-4-0) have bumped the Omaha Lancers & the Tri-City Storm to take over 2nd place. They are 7-2-1-0 in their last ten games, and tied with Sioux Falls for 2nd in GF in the Conference. Three Bucs forwards have climbed into the Top 20 scorers list, each with 28 points so far: Zach Urdahl (transfer from the Lincoln Stars) = 17G + 11A; 3rd-year player Alex Laferriere = 15G + 13A; and Lucas Mercuri = 12G + 16A. The DSM goaltending duties are shared by former CR RoughRider Derek Mullahy (10-5-0-2, 2.46 GAA, 0.891 CV%) and first-year Remington Keopple (6-6-0-0, 3.04 GAA, 0.889 SV%)

 

[JMCx4]

Missed this good news in all the pandemic turmoil ...

BioSteel All-American Game Returns to USA Hockey Arena

02/25/2021, 2:15PM CST
BY USHL

USHL PLAYERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN NHL NETWORK TELEVISED GAME FULL OF 2021 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS

The United States Hockey League (USHL), in conjunction with USA Hockey and the NHL, announced Thursday the 2021 BioSteel All-American Game, which will be held April 7 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. and broadcast on NHL Network. ...

For the second season in a row, the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-18 team, which is one of the USHL’s Member Clubs and plays a full schedule in the USHL, will square off against the top 2021 NHL Draft-eligible players from the USHL. As the lone Tier I junior league in the United States, the USHL has continued to produce top talent for the NHL Draft, with 50-or-more players selected in each of the last three NHL Drafts. The event aims to be a showcase of the best NHL Draft-eligible players currently playing in the United States ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft. ...

Final rosters, coaches, and on-ice officials for the BioSteel All-American Game will be named at a later date. For more information about the game, click HERE.

Tickets for the BioSteel All-American Game will be announced at a later date.

Read more at: BioSteel All-American Game Returns to USA Hockey Arena

 

[Whalers Fan]

Missed this good news in all the pandemic turmoil ...

Hopefully this event will be able to be played. Both NTDP squads are currently on hiatus due to COVID. The U17 team had their home game last Saturday cancelled. The U18s played on Sunday, but Wednesday's home game was cancelled, as were their two games scheduled in Muskegon for this weekend.

The event is still a few weeks away, so there is still hope. However, if anyone is planning on traveling to attend the event, I would make sure you can easily cancel if necessary.

I attended the event the last time it was here, but cannot make it this time.

 

[JMCx4]

From: USHL.com > Top Story

2021 BioSteel All-American Game Team USHL Roster Announced
03/18/2021, 2:45pm CDT
By USHL

22-Man Roster Features a Trio of NHL Central Scouting A-Rated Skaters

The United States Hockey League (USHL), in conjunction with USA Hockey, announced Thursday the USHL roster for the 2021 BioSteel All-American Game scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on April 7 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.

The USHL roster features 22 players representing 10 of the USHL’s Member Clubs. For the second-straight year, the roster will go head-to-head with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-18 Team, which is one of the USHL’s 16 Member Clubs. The game, which will be broadcast live on NHL Network, is a showcase of the best 2021 NHL Draft-eligible players currently playing in the United States. The team will be coached by Green Bay Gamblers Head Coach Pat Mikesch, Fargo Force Head Coach Pierre-Paul Lamoureux and Chicago Steel Associate Head Coach Mike Garman.

This season’s USHL roster features three players who were named an A-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting’s most recent rankings, including Chicago Steel forwards Matthew Coronato and Mackie Samoskevich, as well as Sioux Falls Stampede forward Cole Sillinger. Coronato is currently second in USHL scoring with 66 points (36-30-66) in 39 games, trailing only his teammate Sean Farrell who was selected in the 4th Round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens after playing in the 2020 BioSteel All-American Game. Samoskevich currently has 29 points (11-18-29) in 25 games for the Steel while Sillinger is second in scoring on the Stampede with 34 points (17-17-34) in 21 games this season.

Coronato and Samoskevich make up two of the five roster spots for Chicago Steel skaters (Ryan Ufko, Josh Doan, Jack Harvey), which leads the way for the USHL teams, while the Sioux City Musketeers (Shai Buium, Daniel Laatsch, Bennett Schimek) and Tri-City Storm (Matthew Knies, Carter Mazur, Hunter Strand) each have three players selected.

Among the 22 players on the USHL roster, 14 were rated by NHL Central Scouting on the service’s latest rankings ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft. While three were given “A” ratings, six earned “B” ratings including Ufko, Buium, Knies and Strand as well as Fargo Force defenseman Jack Peart and Force forward Tristan Broz. Another five players had a “C” rating, including Doan, Laatsch and Schimek, as well as Muskegon Lumberjacks forward Cameron Berg and Dubuque Fighting Saints forward Connor Kurth. ...


Read more at: 2021 BioSteel All-American Game Team USHL Roster Announced

 

[JMCx4]

Just about a month away from the end of the USHL 2020-21 ir-regular season, which is scheduled to end on Saturday, April 24th. Here's a snapshot of the conference/division/whatever standings with team-level stats ...

 

[JMCx4]

USHL's leading scorers & backstoppers, as March 2021 play winds down ...