2016-17 USPHL-Elite Season

This is the 2016-17 USPHL Elite Division season.  This is the league's fourth season
==Membership changes==
*The league added a team from China called Team Beijing.  The team is based out of East Meadow, New York
*The league added the Stamford, Connecticut based Connecticut Jr Rangers and the Brooklyn based New York Jr. Aviators who had previous teams at other levels of the USPHL
*The East Coast Eagles were renamed the Carolina Eagles
*The Rochester Jr. Americans were replaced by the Rochester Monarchs
*After withdrawing after one game for 2015-16; the Roswell Bulldogs do not return
*The Portland Jr. Pirates and the Providence Capitals both withdraw from the junior level to focus on the youth level
*The Illiana Blackbirds announced that they would withdraw for the 2016-17 season when owner and head coach Reid Simpson was named an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL and there was insuffient time to get a new head coach in place in time to properly prepare for the season.  Simpson announced the intention for the team to return for the 2017-18 season.
*The SCV Magicians announced they were relocating on July 28, 2016 to River Falls, Wisconsin and would be renamed the River Falls Renegades.
*The Connecticut Jr Rangers withdrew on September 1, 2016 apparently due to a lack of players
==Teams==
The USPHL-Elite Division has 29 organizations located along the East Coast spanning from Massachusetts to Florida, the upper Midwestern United States, plus one foreign entry from China
Northern Division 	Northern Division 	Northern Division
Team 	Location 	Arena
Bay State Breakers 	Kingston, Massachusetts 	Bog Arena
Boston Jr. Bruins 	Marlborough, Massachusetts 	New England Sports Center
Islanders Hockey Club 	Tyngsborough, Massachusetts 	Skate 3
Jersey Hitmen 	Wayne, New Jersey 	Capital One Bank Ice Vault Arena
New York Jr. Aviators 	Brooklyn, New York 	Aviator Sports and Events Center
P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 	Hauppauge, New York 	The Rinx-Hidden Pond Park
Rochester Monarchs 	Rochester, New York 	Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex
South Shore Kings 	Foxboro, Massachusetts 	Foxboro Sports Center
Syracuse Stars 	Cicero, New York 	Cicero Twin Ice Arena
Team Beijing 	East Meadow, New York 	Northwell Health Ice Center
Southern Division 	Southern Division 	Southern Division
Team 	Location 	Arena
Atlanta Jr. Knights 	Marietta, Georgia 	Marrietta Ice Center
Carolina Eagles 	Wake Forest, North Carolina 	Polar Ice House
Charlotte Rush 	Indian Trail, North Carolina 	Extreme Ice Center
Florida Eels 	Fort Myers, Florida 	Fort Myers Skatium
Hampton Roads Whalers 	Chesapeake, Virginia 	Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex
Palm Beach Hawks 	Lake Worth, Florida 	Palm Beach Skate Zone
Potomac Patriots 	Woodbridge, Virginia 	Prince William Ice Center
Richmond Generals 	Richmond, Virginia 	SkateNation Plus & Richmond Ice Zone
Tampa Bay Juniors 	Ellenton, Florida 	Ellenton Ice
Midwestern Division 	Midwestern Division 	Midwestern Division
Team 	Location 	Arena(s)
Blaine Energy 	Blaine, MN 	Fogerty Arena
Chicago Cougars 	West Dundee, Illinois 	Leafs Ice Centre and Sears Centre
Dells Ducks 	Lake Delton, Wisconsin 	Poppy Waterman Ice Arena
Detroit Fighting Irish 	Brownstown Township, Michigan	Ice Box Sports Center
Forest Lake Lakers 	Forest Lake, Minnesota 	
Forest Lake Sports Center (Lichtscheidl Arena)
River Falls Renegades 	River Falls, Wisconsin 	River Falls Youth Hockey Rink
Steele County Blades 	Owatonna, MN 	Four Seasons Arena
Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings	Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin 	South Wood County Rec Center
==Outdoor Game==
The USPHL announced that the Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings would play the Chicago Cougars in the USPHL's 2nd Heritage Classic on February 6, 2017.  The game will be held at MB Financial Park at Rosemont in Rosemont, Illinois.  All proceeds from the game will benefit former Cougars defenseman Matt Olson who was seriously injured during a game during the 2015-16 season.
==Standings==
===Northern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Islanders Hockey Club	44	40	3 	1 	234	72 	81
South Shore Kings 	44	34	5 	5 	218	89 	73
Syracuse Stars 	44	30	12	2 	198	99 	62
Rochester Monarchs 	44	28	12	4 	178	115	60
Jr. Bruins 	44	24	17	3 	161	130	51
Jersey Hitmen 	44	22	20	2 	169	134	46
P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 	44	21	20	3 	158	171	45
New York Jr. Aviators	43	13	30	0 	144	222	26
Bay State Breakers 	44	4 	38	2 	67 	251	10
Team Beijing 	43	1 	42	0 	54 	391	2
===Southern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Charlotte Rush 	44	38	5 	1 	248	95 	77
Hampton Roads Whalers	44	37	4 	3 	264	84 	77
Carolina Eagles 	44	28	13	3 	175	133	59
Florida Eels 	44	26	17	1 	194	140	53
Tampa Bay Juniors 	44	23	19	2 	184	151	48
Richmond Generals 	44	22	19	3 	154	154	47
Atlanta Jr. Knights 	44	21	21	2 	183	154	44
Palm Beach Hawks 	44	6 	32	6 	121	245	18
Potomac Patriots 	44	6 	37	1 	99 	314	13
===Midwestern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings	44	37	4 	3 	241	76 	77
Dells Ducks 	44	33	8 	3 	171	80 	69
Steele County Blades 	44	30	12	2 	202	122	62
Forest Lake Lakers 	44	23	16	5 	145	135	51
Chicago Cougars 	44	23	17	4 	167	125	50
River Falls Renegades 	44	15	29	0 	145	178	30
Blaine Energy 	44	5 	37	2 	67 	319	12
Detroit Fighting Irish 	44	3 	38	3 	78 	240	9
==Playoffs==
===Northern Division===
====Format====
The top nine teams qualify with the lowest two teams paired off in single elimination play.  The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are best of three
====First Round====
*New York Jr. Aviators defeated Bay State Breakers 5-1
====Quarterfinals====
*Islanders Hockey Club defeated New York Jr. Aviators  2 games to none
*South Shore Kings defeated P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 2 games to none
*Syracuse Stars defeated Jersey Hitmen 2 games to none
*Jr. Bruins defeated Rochester Monarchs 2 games to none
====Semifinals====
*Syracuse Stars defeated South Shore Kings 2 games to none
*Jr. Bruins defeated Islanders Hockey Club  2 games to 1
===Southern Division===
====Format====
The top eight teams qualify with both rounds being best of three
====Quarterfinals====
*Charlotte Rush defeated Palm Beach Hawks 2 games to none
*Hampton Roads Whalers defeated Atlanta Jr. Knights 2 games to 1
*Richmond Generals defeated Carolina Eagles 2 games to  1
*Florida Eels defeated Tampa Bay Juniors 2 games to none
===Semifinals===
*Charlotte Rush defeated Richmond Generals 2 games to none
*Hampton Roads Whalers defeated Florida Eels 2 games to none
===Midwestern Division===
====Format====
All  eight teams qualify with both rounds being best of three
====Quarterfinals====
*Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings defeated Detroit Fighting Irish 2 games to none
*Dells Ducks defeated Blaine Energy 2 games to none (both games were forfeited)
*Steele County Blades defeated River Falls Renegades 2 games to none
*Chicago Cougars defeated Forest Lake Lakers 2 games to 1
====Semifinals====
*Dells Ducks defeated Steele County Blades 2 games to none
*Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings defeated Chicago Cougars 2 games to none
===Championship Round Robin===
The teams are paired off in two pools of three with  placement being based on season win percentage, the top two placed teams from the round robin advance to a single game semifinal round with the first place team from one bracket playing the second place team in the other bracket.  The semifinal winners meet in a best of three league championship final.
====Round Robin Results====
*Hampton Roads Whalers defeated Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 4-2
*Dells Ducks defeated Jr. Bruins 2-0
*Charlotte Rush defeated Syracuse Stars 7-1
*Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings defeated Jr. Bruins 5-2
*Hampton Roads Whalers defeated Syracuse Stars 4-2
*Charlotte Rush defeated Dells Ducks 2-1
*Charlotte Rush defeated Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 6-1
*Hampton Roads Whalers defeated Dells Ducks 6-4
*Syracuse Stars defeated Jr. Bruins 8-5
====Semifinals====
*Charlotte Rush defeated Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 6-3
*Hampton Roads Whalers defeated Dells Ducks 5-0
====Final====
*Charlotte Rush defeated Hampton Roads Whalers 2 games to 1
Category:2017 in hockey
Category:USPHL Seasons