# 2008–09 USHL season

The 2008–09 USHL season is the 30th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season began on October 3, 2008, and concluded on April 5, 2009, with the regular season champion winning the Anderson Cup. The 2008–09 season was the first for the expansion Fargo Force, replacing the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets who folded after only two seasons in existence.
The Clark Cup playoffs featured the top four teams from each division competing for the league title.

## Regular season

Final Standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched league title

### East Division

| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| zGreen Bay Gamblers | 60 | 39 | 17 | 4 | 82 | 237 | 165 |
| xCedar Rapids RoughRiders | 60 | 38 | 17 | 5 | 81 | 219 | 147 |
| xIndiana Ice | 60 | 39 | 19 | 2 | 80 | 221 | 177 |
| xWaterloo Black Hawks | 60 | 37 | 20 | 3 | 77 | 246 | 198 |
| Chicago Steel | 60 | 31 | 27 | 2 | 64 | 194 | 213 |
| Des Moines Buccaneers | 60 | 12 | 43 | 5 | 29 | 167 | 283 |

### West Division

| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| yLincoln Stars | 60 | 37 | 17 | 6 | 80 | 191 | 155 |
| xOmaha Lancers | 60 | 32 | 21 | 7 | 71 | 218 | 192 |
| xFargo Force | 60 | 32 | 23 | 5 | 69 | 191 | 166 |
| xSioux Falls Stampede | 60 | 28 | 28 | 4 | 60 | 182 | 199 |
| Sioux City Musketeers | 60 | 24 | 30 | 6 | 54 | 194 | 210 |
| Tri-City Storm | 60 | 11 | 48 | 1 | 23 | 140 | 295 |

## Clark Cup Playoffs

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Clark Cup Championship | Clark Cup Championship | Clark Cup Championship | Clark Cup Championship | Clark Cup Championship | Clark Cup Championship | Clark Cup Championship |
| 1 | Green Bay | 4 | 4 | 8 | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Waterloo | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Waterloo | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | 1 | Green Bay | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | – | | | | | | | |
| East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | 1 | Green Bay | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | – | | | | | | | |
| East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | 3 | Indiana | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | – | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Indiana | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | – | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Indiana | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Indiana | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | | | | | | | | E | Indiana | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | – |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | W | Fargo | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1 | Lincoln | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | W | Fargo | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 4 | Sioux Falls | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Sioux Falls | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | 1 | Lincoln | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | 1 | Lincoln | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | 3 | Fargo | 4 | 7 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Omaha | 2 | 2 | 3 | – | – | 3 | Fargo | 4 | 7 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Fargo | 6 | 4 | 4 | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Quarterfinals
### Eastern Division
#### (1) Green Bay Gamblers vs. (4) Waterloo Black Hawks

* Green Bay wins series 3 – 0

#### (2) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders vs. (3) Indiana Ice

* Cedar Rapids wins series 3 – 2

### Western Division
#### (1) Lincoln Stars vs. (4) Sioux Falls Stampede

* Lincoln wins series 3 – 1

#### (2) Omaha Lancers vs. (3) Fargo Force

* Fargo wins series 3 – 0

## Players
### Scoring Leaders

| | Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 1 | Andrew Miller | Chicago Steel | 58 | 33 | 50 | 82 | +7 | 76 |
| 2 | Mike Cichy | Indiana Ice | 56 | 34 | 42 | 76 | -15 | 23 |
| | Craig Smith | Waterloo Black Hawks | 54 | 28 | 48 | 76 | +32 | 108 |
| 4 | Mike Seidel | Cedar Rapids Roughriders | 59 | 28 | 48 | 73 | +14 | 36 |
| 5 | Stephane Da Costa | Sioux City Musketeers | 48 | 31 | 36 | 67 | -3 | 23 |
| 6 | Kirt Hill | Lincoln Stars | 56 | 24 | 42 | 66 | +10 | 112 |
| 7 | Stanislav Galiev | Indiana Ice | 60 | 29 | 35 | 64 | +11 | 46 |
| 8 | Brandon Richardson | Indiana Ice | 55 | 21 | 42 | 63 | +12 | 145 |
| 9 | Michael Forney | Green Bay Gamblers | 59 | 26 | 34 | 60 | +33 | 40 |
| 10 | Andy Taranto | Fargo Force | 60 | 34 | 25 | 59 | +33 | 53 |

### Leading Goaltenders

| | Player | Team | GP | MIN | W | L | OTL | SO | GA | GAA | SV | SV% |
| 1 | Kevin Murdock | Lincoln Stars | 35 | 2005 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 75 | 2.24 | 860 | .920 |
| 2 | Troy Grosenick | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | 24 | 1363 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 2.33 | 533 | .910 |
| 3 | Steve Summerhays | Green Bay Gamblers | 23 | 1327 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 2.35 | 522 | .909 |
| 4 | Mike Johnson | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | 39 | 2263 | 25 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 90 | 2.39 | 903 | .909 |
| 5 | Mike Lee | Fargo Force | 48 | 2745 | 26 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 110 | 2.40 | 1235 | .918 |

## Awards

* Coach of the Year: Dean Blais Fargo Force
* Curt Hammer Award: Mike Walsh Chicago Steel
* Defenseman of the Year: John Moore Chicago Steel
* Executive of the Year: Jim Pflug Lincoln Stars
* Forward of the Year: Andrew Miller Chicago Steel
* General Manager of the Year: Jon Cooper Green Bay Gamblers
* Goaltender of the Year: Mike Lee Fargo Force
* Organization of the Year: Fargo Force
* Player of the Year: Andrew Miller Chicago Steel
* Rookie of the Year: Louis Leblanc Omaha Lancers
* Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jeff Teglia Omaha Lancers

### First Team All-Stars

* Brett Bennett (Goalie) Indiana Ice
* John Moore (Defense) Chicago Steel
* Matt Donovan (Defense) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
* Andrew Miller (Forward) Chicago Steel
* Craig Smith (Forward) Waterloo Black Hawks

### Second Team All-Stars

* Kevin Murdock (Goalie) Lincoln Stars
* Jake Newton (Defense) Lincoln Stars
* David Makowski (Defense) Green Bay Gamblers
* Stephane Da Costa (Forward) Sioux City Musketeers
* Mike Seidel (Forward) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
* Anthony Taranto (Forward) Fargo Force