# 2007–08 USHL season

The 2007–08 USHL season is the 29th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season began on October 5, 2007, and concluded on April 5, 2008 with the regular season champion winning the Anderson Cup. This was the final season of operation for the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets after failing to find a suitable relocation arrangement.
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 |
| yIndiana Ice | 60 | 39 | 15 | 6 | 84 | 223 | 193 |
| xWaterloo Black Hawks | 60 | 38 | 17 | 5 | 81 | 183 | 151 |
| xCedar Rapids RoughRiders | 60 | 33 | 22 | 5 | 71 | 200 | 156 |
| xChicago Steel | 60 | 32 | 22 | 6 | 70 | 218 | 199 |
| Ohio Junior Blue Jackets | 60 | 26 | 28 | 6 | 58 | 182 | 215 |
| Green Bay Gamblers | 60 | 13 | 41 | 6 | 32 | 130 | 224 |

### West Division

| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA |
| zOmaha Lancers | 60 | 43 | 12 | 5 | 91 | 224 | 139 |
| xSioux Falls Stampede | 60 | 35 | 19 | 6 | 76 | 199 | 175 |
| xLincoln Stars | 60 | 31 | 22 | 7 | 69 | 186 | 163 |
| xSioux City Musketeers | 60 | 32 | 25 | 4 | 67 | 194 | 185 |
| Tri-City Storm | 60 | 24 | 34 | 2 | 50 | 153 | 213 |
| Des Moines Buccaneers | 60 | 14 | 40 | 6 | 34 | 134 | 213 |

## 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 | Indiana | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Chicago Steel | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Chicago Steel | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | – | 4 | Chicago | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | 4 | Chicago | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | East Division | 2 | Waterloo | 4 | 5 | 3 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Waterloo | 4 | 3 | 5 | – | – | 2 | Waterloo | 4 | 5 | 3 | – | – | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids | 3 | 0 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Cedar Rapids | 3 | 0 | 2 | – | – | | | | | | | | E | Waterloo | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | W | Omaha | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 1 | Omaha | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | W | Omaha | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Sioux City | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Sioux City | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | 1 | Omaha | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | |
| West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | 1 | Omaha | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | |
| West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | West Division | 3 | Lincoln | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Sioux Falls | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | – | 3 | Lincoln | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Lincoln | 3 | 5 | 7 | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Players
### Scoring Leaders

| | Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 1 | Jack Connolly | Sioux Falls Stampede | 58 | 26 | 46 | 72 | +18 | 30 |
| | John Kemp | Indiana Ice | 58 | 13 | 59 | 72 | 0 | 20 |
| 3 | Gregory Squires | Indiana Ice | 58 | 24 | 46 | 70 | +13 | 50 |
| 4 | Jason Gregoire | Lincoln Stars | 54 | 37 | 32 | 69 | +18 | 41 |
| 5 | Paul Carey | Indiana Ice | 60 | 34 | 32 | 66 | +2 | 32 |
| 6 | Brian O'Neill | Chicago Steel | 60 | 23 | 38 | 61 | +29 | 40 |
| 7 | Barry Almeida | Omaha Lancers | 56 | 22 | 38 | 60 | +11 | 22 |
| 8 | Billy Maday | Waterloo Black Hawks | 60 | 24 | 35 | 59 | +5 | 72 |
| 9 | Jake Hansen | Sioux Falls Stampede | 60 | 31 | 27 | 58 | +16 | 57 |
| | Ryan Kretzer | Lincoln Stars | 60 | 22 | 36 | 58 | 0 | 47 |

### Leading Goaltenders

| | Player | Team | GP | MIN | W | L | OTL | SO | GA | GAA | SV | SV% |
| 1 | David Reekie | Lincoln Stars | 38 | 2235 | 23 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 75 | 2.01 | 1086 | .935 |
| 2 | Drew Palmisano | Omaha Lancers | 45 | 2579 | 32 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 87 | 2.02 | 1035 | .922 |
| 3 | Joe Howe | Waterloo Black Hawks | 22 | 1215 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 2.12 | 462 | .915 |
| 4 | Matthew DiGirolamo | Waterloo Black Hawks | 42 | 2437 | 25 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 98 | 2.41 | 879 | .900 |
| 5 | Brady Hjelle | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders | 41 | 2380 | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 99 | 2.50 | 1158 | .921 |

## Awards

* Coach of the Year: Steve Poapst Chicago Steel
* Curt Hammer Award: Joey Miller Sioux City Musketeers
* Defenseman of the Year: Blake Kessel Waterloo Black Hawks
* Executive of the Year: Jim Kronschnabel Sioux City Musketeers
* Forward of the Year: Jason Gregoire Lincoln Stars
* General Manager of the Year: Mike Hastings Omaha Lancers
* Goaltender of the Year: David Reekie Lincoln Stars
* Organization of the Year: Indiana Ice
* Player of the Year: Jason Gregoire Lincoln Stars
* Rookie of the Year: Jack Connolly Sioux Falls Stampede
* Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Matt Farris Sioux Falls Stampede

### First Team All-Stars

* David Reekie (Goalie) Lincoln Stars
* Blake Kessel (Defense) Waterloo Black Hawks
* Matt Bartkowski (Defense) Lincoln Stars
* Jack Connolly (Forward) Sioux Falls Stampede
* Jason Gregoire (Forward) Lincoln Stars
* Barry Almeida (Forward) Omaha Lancers

### Second Team All-Stars

* Drew Palmisano (Goalie) Omaha Lancers
* John Carlson (Defense) Indiana Ice
* Paul Carey (Defense) Indiana Ice
* John Kemp (Forward) Indiana Ice
* Eric Springer (Forward) Sioux Falls Stampede
* Jake Hansen (Forward) Sioux Falls Stampede