United States Hockey League " For the defunct leagues of the same name , please see United States Hockey League ( 1945 – 1951 ) and United States Hockey League ( 1961 - 1979 ) . " The United States Hockey League ( USHL ) is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States . The USHL has 14 member teams located in the midwestern United States , consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger . The USHL is strictly amateur , allowing former USHL players to compete in NCAA college hockey . The league is based out of Chicago , IL The Sioux Falls Stampede won the 2006 - 07 USHL championship in an expanded , 12 - team playoff format . The league reverted to an 8 - team divisional playoff format for the 2007 - 08 season . The Indiana Ice won the 2008 - 09 Clark Cup championship , defeating the Fargo Force 3 games to 1 in the finals . The Ice defeated the Anderson Cup champion Green Bay Gamblers in the semi - finals . The Green Bay Gamblers won the 2009 - 10 Clark Cup championship , defeating the Fargo Force 3 games to 2 in the finals . The Gamblers also won the Anderson Cup that season . The league announced the addition of an expansion team based in Bloomington , IL , to be called the Bloomigton Thunder for the league ' s 2014 - 15 season . This team will probably replace the city ' s Southern Professional Hockey League team which has had difficulties in its one season in the league . The league had previously awarded and expansion team to Madison , Wisconsin to be called the Madison Capitols . The President / Commissioner of the league , Bob Fallon stated in an interview with " The Pipeline Show " that the league was looking at the Indiana Ice returning for the 2016 - 17 season and the look was looking at the possibility of expanding by two teams for the 2017 - 18 season . He stated that the expansion would not be outside of the current footprint of the league . Putting an end to speculation that the league was looking to expand further east than Youngstown , Ohio . Specifically stating that Youngstown is the furthest eastern team within the league , and travel beyond that is not likely to happen . The league is reported to be interested in placing a team in a new facility that is scheduled to begin construction in Coralville , Iowa late in 2016 . The facility , with a working name of Iowa Sports Arena Project is planned to be completed in mid - 2019 . The facility is planned to also be the home of the Iowa Hawkeyes men ' s ice hockey program which is believed to be elevating to varsity status upon completion of the arena . Another city on the league radar is Racine , Wisconsin . The Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association are working on trying to find a location for their minor league affiliate and a proposal for a 3 , 800 seat arena in Racine has been mentioned . The owner of the Minnesota Wild , Craig Leipold has stated he would help bring a USHL team to Racine if the facility is built . Operations . The USHL is the country ' s top junior hockey league , classified as Tier I . Like comparable entities such as the Canadian Hockey League ( CHL ) ' s three member leagues , the USHL offers a schedule of high - level , competitive games for top players aged 16 to 20 . Unlike the CHL , it does not pay a stipend to its players , who thus retain amateur status and are eligible to play in the NCAA . USHL teams , which are typically located in mid - sized cities ( see map of team locations ) , pay for all uniforms and equipment . Players live with local families , who receive a small stipend for food expenses , and either continue school or work part - time jobs . Due to their schedules , more than 90 % of games are on weekends , which many NHL and college scouts attend . Average attendance at regular season games for the 2014 - 15 season was 2 , 715 with 1 , 384 , 820 fans attending games during the season . One hockey analyst stated that the USHL ' s first line players are as good as their counterparts in the CHL — historically an important producer of NHL players — but that the Canadian league has better third and fourth lines . In 2006 , Trevor Lewis , the 17th pick in the NHL Entry Draft , was the first USHL player to sign an NHL contract immediately after playing in the league . At the conclusion of the 2014 - 15 regular season , the USHL has tallied 251 Alumni that have played in the NHL and has 347 current players with NCAA College Commitments . Draft . The USHL Draft is an annual event conducted in two “ phases ” during the second week of May . The first phase is an eight round draft of U - 17 players for the upcoming season . The second phase of the draft is open to all players eligible to play junior hockey who are not already protected by a USHL team . The number of players drafted varies , as each team will draft until they have filled the 45 spots available on their roster . Undrafted players are open to try out for any team as a try - out player . Each team must reduce their roster to 23 players for the start of the season , but may carry 18 additional players on an affiliate list . United States Hockey League ( 1961 - 1979 ) . The United States Hockey League ( USHL ) operated as a senior ice hockey league 1961 to 1979 . The USHL welcomed the first female professional hockey player in 1969 - 70 , when the Marquette Iron Rangers signed Karen Koch . By the late 1970s , the USHL had fallen on hard times . In the summer of 1977 , clubs from the recently folded Midwest Junior Hockey League contacted the USHL . A unique merger was formed , with the three junior teams ( Bloomington Junior Stars , Austin Mavericks , St . Paul Vulcans ) and three remaining pro teams ( Sioux City Musketeers , Waterloo Black Hawks , Green Bay Bobcats ) gathered under the USHL banner . League governors decided on a two - division format , with the junior - aged teams in the Midwest Division and the professionals in the U . S . Division . The teams played an interlocking schedule that was , predictably , dominated by the professionals . The USHL ' s split existence would last just two seasons . The minor - pro wing of the league folded following the 1978 - 79 season , providing junior hockey operators with the opportunity to redefine the circuit . The 1979 - 80 season was the league ' s first as an entirely junior arrangement . The league ' s last season as a senior hockey league was 1978 - 79 . During this final season the league comprised seven teams in two conferences . The U . S . Conference ( with the Green Bay Bobcats , the Sioux City Musketeers and the Waterloo Black Hawks ) ; while the Midwest Conference ( with the Anoka Nordiques , the Austin Mavericks , the Bloomington Junior Stars , and the St . Paul Vulcans . All seven teams were made up with players categorized as " Senior Amateur " . Following the 1978 - 79 season the senior league teams in the U . S . Conference folded and the USHL became an all - junior league the following season . See Also . List of American Junior Seasons