2015-16 WSHL season

This is the 2015-16 Western States Hockey League season. This is the league's 22nd season and the league's 5th under the sponsorship of the Amateur Athletic Union's United Hockey Union. The league was elevated to "Tier-II" Status by the AAU; however no explanation has been issued to explain the distinction between this and its previous status within the AAU.
==Membership changes==
The league grew to 29 teams for the 2015-16 season.
*On April 21, 2015 the Lake Tahoe Blue announced they were changing their name to the Tahoe Icemen.
*The San Diego Gulls announced they were changing their name to the San Diego Sabers to allow for the new American Hockey League team in town to take the San Diego Gulls moniker.
*On June 1, 2015 the league announced the addition of an expansion team to begin play for the 2015-16 season based in Vancouver, Washington. The team has some of the same ownership as the Lake Tahoe Icemen The later announced it would be called the Vancouver Rangers. According to the release the league is hoping to add a couple more teams in the northwest region for the 2016-17 season.
*The Arizona RedHawks shortened their name to the Arizona Hawks.
== Teams ==
Division 	Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined
Midwest 	 	 	 	
Midwest 	Dallas Snipers 	Euless, Texas 	Dr. Pepper StarCenter 	2011
Midwest 	El Paso Rhinos 	El Paso, Texas 	Sierra Providence Event Center	2006
Midwest 	Oklahoma City Blazers 	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 	Blazers Ice Centre 	2014
Midwest 	Springfield Express 	Springfield, Missouri 	Mediacom Ice Park 	2005
Midwest 	Tulsa Jr. Oilers 	Tulsa, Oklahoma 	Oilers Ice Center 	2012
Midwest 	Wichita Jr. Thunder 	Wichita, Kansas 	Wichita Ice Center 	2012
Mountain 	Casper Coyotes 	Casper, Wyoming 	Casper Ice Arena 	2014
Mountain 	Cheyenne Stampede 	Cheyenne, Wyoming 	Cheyenne Ice and Events Center	2004
Mountain 	Colorado Evolution 	Denver, Colorado 	Big Bear Ice Arena 	2014
Mountain 	Colorado Jr. Eagles 	Fort Collins, Colorado 	NoCo Ice Center 	2013
Mountain 	Ogden Mustangs 	Ogden, Utah 	The Ice Sheet 	2002
Mountain 	Salt Lake City Moose 	Salt Lake City, Utah 	Accord Ice Rink 	2011
Mountain 	Superior Roughriders 	Superior, Colorado 	Bouler Valley Ice at Superior 	2007
Western 	Arizona Hawks 	Peoria, Arizona 	AZ Ice Peoria 	2009
Western 	Fresno Monsters 	Fresno, California 	Gateway Ice Center 	2009
Western 	Las Vegas Storm 	Las Vegas, Nevada 	Las Vegas Ice Center 	2014
Western 	Long Beach Bombers 	Lakewood, California 	Glacial Garden Skating Arena 	1994
Western 	Ontario Avalanche 	Ontario, California 	The Center Ice Arena 	2012
Western 	Phoenix Knights 	Gilbert, Arizona 	AZ Ice Gilbert 	1999
Western 	San Diego Sabers 	Escondido, California 	Iceoplex Escondido 	2001
Western 	Valencia Flyers 	Valencia, California 	Ice Station Valencia 	2001
Northwest	Butte Cobras 	Butte, Montana 	Butte Community Ice Center 	2014
Northwest	Idaho Jr. Steelheads 	McCall, Idaho 	Manchester Ice & Event Centre 	2009
Northwest	Missoula Maulers 	Missoula, Montana 	Glacier Ice Rink 	2013
Northwest	Seattle Totems 	Mountlake Terrace, Washington	Olympic View Arena 	2012
Northwest	Southern Oregon Spartans	Medford, Oregon 	The RRRink 	2012
Northwest	Tahoe Icemen 	South Lake Tahoe, California 	South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena 	2012
Northwest	Vancouver Rangers 	Vancouver, Washington 	Mountain View Ice Arena 	2015
Northwest	Whitefish Wolverines 	Whitefish, Montana 	Stumptown Ice Den 	2014
==Standings==
Plains Conference
Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Oklahoma City Blazers 	52 	42 	9 	- 	2 	- 	274 	147 	1293 	86
Springfield Express 	52 	27 	17 	- 	8 	- 	237 	208 	805 	62
Wichita Jr. Thunder 	52 	30 	21 	- 	1 	- 	230 	206 	915 	61
El Paso Rhinos 	52 	27 	23 	- 	2 	- 	208 	192 	1012 	56
Tulsa Jr. Oilers 	52 	19 	27 	- 	6 	- 	188 	230 	1094 	44
Dallas Snipers 	52 	19 	29 	- 	4 	- 	182 	257 	890 	42
Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division 	Mountain Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Colorado Jr. Eagles 	52 	43 	7 	- 	2 	- 	325 	126 	1082 	88
Ogden Mustangs 	52 	38 	12 	- 	2 	- 	263 	130 	1054 	78
Casper Coyotes 	52 	37 	12 	- 	3 	- 	284 	153 	962 	77
Superior Roughriders 	52 	26 	23 	- 	3 	- 	172 	159 	616 	55
Salt Lake City Moose 	52 	25 	27 	- 	0 	- 	158 	167 	772 	50
Cheyenne Stampede 	52 	22 	28 	- 	2 	- 	209 	222 	1065 	46
Colorado Evolution 	52 	4 	43 	- 	5 	- 	120 	417 	997 	13
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division	
Pacific Conference
Western Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Valencia Flyers 	52 	45 	7 	- 	0 	- 	257 	94 	742 	90
Long Beach Bombers 	52 	39 	10 	- 	3 	- 	247 	135 	1333 	81
Fresno Monsters 	52 	36 	12 	- 	4 	- 	267 	147 	1214 	76
Ontario Avalanche 	52 	28 	23 	- 	1 	- 	175 	166 	877 	57
Phoenix Knights 	52 	22 	27 	- 	3 	- 	198 	221 	1208 	47
Arizona RedHawks 	52 	16 	32 	- 	4 	- 	142 	225 	1452 	36
Las Vegas Storm 	52 	10 	34 	- 	8 	- 	142 	279 	892 	28
San Diego Sabers 	52 	9 	40 	- 	3 	- 	110 	275 	1015 	21
Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division 	Northwest Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Idaho Jr. Steelheads 	52 	44 	7 	- 	1 	- 	335 	78 	818 	89
Missoula Maulers 	52 	38 	12 	- 	2 	- 	257 	143 	710 	78
Southern Oregon Spartans	52 	33 	18 	- 	1 	- 	227 	184 	1390 	67
Vancouver Rangers 	52 	30 	18 	- 	4 	- 	278 	242 	1331 	64
Whitefish Wolverines 	52 	20 	31 	- 	1 	- 	190 	267 	1107 	41
Seattle Totems 	52 	13 	31 	- 	8 	- 	160 	270 	1188 	34
Butte Cobras 	52 	11 	35 	- 	6 	- 	142 	300 	1055 	28
Lake Tahoe Icemen 	52 	2 	50 	- 	0 	- 	83 	412 	947 	4
Western Premier League 	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League	Western Premier League
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Casper Coyotes T3 	21 	18 	3 	- 	0 	- 	146 	36 	234 	36
El Paso Rhinos T3 	23 	11 	12 	- 	0 	- 	78 	108 	201 	22
Ogden Mustangs T3 	22 	10 	11 	- 	1 	- 	88 	99 	269 	21
Cheyenne Stampede T3 	23 	6 	15 	- 	2 	- 	53 	123 	24 	14
Utah Golden Eagles 	3 	1 	1 	- 	1 	- 	12 	11 	20 	3
Ontario Avalance T3 	0 	0 	0 	- 	0 	- 	0 	0 	0 	0
UTEP Miners 	0 	0 	0 	- 	0 	- 	0 	0 	0 	0
==2016 Thorne Cup Playoffs==
===Format===
*Top 6 teams in each division qualify
*All series hosted by higher qualifying team except final which uses 2-3 format with team with better record having choice of which games to host
*Division quarterfinals-Top 2 seed get first round bye, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5 (best-of-three)
*Dvision semifinals-#1 vs lower seeded first round winner and #2 vs higher seeded first round winners (best-of-three)
*Division final-semifinal winners (best-of-three)
*Conference finals (best-of-three)
*Thorne Cup Final-Semifinal winners (best-of-five) dates TBA
===Midwest Division Quarterfinals===
*Wichita defeated Dallas 2 games to none (5-1, 2-0)
*El Paso defeated Tulsa 2 games to none 5-3, 4-3)
===Mountain Division Quarterfinals===
*Casper defeated Cheyenne 2 games to none (4-3, 4-0)
*Superior defeated Salt Lake City 2 games to 1 (1-4, 6-1, 3-0)
===Western Division Quarterfinals===
*Fresno defeated Arizona 2 games to none (6-0, 13-0)
*Ontario defeated Phoenix 2 games to 1 (4-3 (ot), 2-3 (ot), 6-1)
===Northwest Division Quarterfinals===
*Southern Oregon defeated Seattle 2 games to none (4-2, 2-1)
*Whitefish defeated Vancouver 2 games to none (6-1, 6-5 (ot))
===Midwest Division Semifinals===
*Oklahoma City defeated El Paso 2 games to none (10-2, 3-2 (2ot))
*Springfield defeated Wichita 2 games to none (5-3, 3-1)
===Mountain Division Semifinals===
*Colorado Jr. Eagles defeated Superior 2 games to none (8-1, 5-2)
*Ogden Mustangs defeated Casper 2 games to none (5-3, 4-2)
===Western Division Semifinals===
*Valencia defeated Ontario 2 games to none (2-1, 3-1)
*Long Beach defeated Fresno 2 games to none (6-2, 7-0)
===Northwest Division Semifinals===
*Idaho defeated Whitefish 2 games to none (7-0, 15-1)
*Missoula defeated Southern Oregon 2 games to none (5-4, 6-5)
===Midwest Division Final===
*Oklahoma City defeated Springfield 2 games to 1 (4-1, 2-3, 7-5)
===Mountain Division Final===
*Colorado defeated Ogden 2 games to 1 (5-4, 4-5, 5-3)
===Western Division Final===
*Valencia vs Long Beach defeated Valencia 2 games to none (2-0, 4-3)
===Northwest Division Final===
*Idaho defeated Missoula 2 games to none (2-1, 5-4)
===Conference Finals===
*Idaho defeated Long Beach 2 games to none (2-0, 3-2 (ot)
*Colorado defeated Oklahoma City 2 games to 1 (6-3, 5-7, 4-3)
===League Final===
*Idaho Jr. Steelheads defeated Colorado Jr. Eagles 3 games to none (3-2, 3-2, 5-4)
Category:2016 in hockey
Category:Western States Hockey League
Category:WSHL seasons
Category:AAU Hockey