USHL Timeline

1979-1980:

• The USHL becomes an all-junior league with seven teams in two divisions.
• North Division: Hennepin Nordiques, Bloomington Jr. Stars, Green Bay Bobcats, and St. Paul Vulcans.
• South Division: Austin Mavericks, Sioux City Musketeers, and Waterloo Black Hawks.

1980-1981:

• Des Moines Buccaneers enter the league.
• Waterloo Black Hawks relocate to Dubuque, Iowa and become the Fighting Saints.
• Hennepin relocates to Waterloo and becomes the Waterloo Black Hawks
• Rick Zombo, taken in the 8th round by Detroit, becomes the first former USHL player ever taken in the NHL Entry Draft
• North Division: Austin, Bloomington, Green Bay and St. Paul
• South Division: Des Moines, Dubuque, Sioux City and Waterloo

1981-1982:

• Green Bay folds.
• Remaining seven teams merge into one division
• St. Paul's Phil Housley becomes the first former USHL player ever chosen in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft

1982-1983:

• No changes.

1983-1984:

• North Iowa Huskies, based out of Mason City, Iowa enter the league

1984-1985:

• Madison Capitols, based out of Madison, Wisc., enter the league
• Thunder Bay Flyers, based out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, enter the league
• Bloomington changes name to Minneapolis Stars

1985-1986:

• Minneapolis folds
• Austin relocates to Rochester, Minn. and becomes the Rochester Mustangs

1986-1987:

• Omaha Lancers, based out of Omaha, Neb., enter the league

1987-1991:

• No changes.

1991-1992:

• Madison changes name to Wisconsin Capitols

1992-1994:

• No changes.

1994-1995:

• Green Bay Gamblers, based out of Green Bay, Wisc., enter the league

1995-1996:

• Gino Gasparini named USHL Commissioner
• Wisconsin folds
• Fargo-Moorhead Bears, based out of Moorhead, Minn., enter the league
• St. Paul changes name to Twin Cities Vulcans

1996-1997:

• Fargo-Moorhead folds
• Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks, based out of Fargo, N.D., enter the league
• Lincoln Stars, based out of Lincoln, Neb., enter the league
• League returns to divisional play
• North Division: Fargo-Moorhead, Green Bay, North Iowa, Rochester and Thunder Bay, Twin Cities
• South Division: Des Moines, Dubuque, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City and Waterloo

1997-1996:

• USA Hockey National Team Development Program plays a 24-game USHL Schedule

1998-1999:

• USHL agrees to play a full-season schedule with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program as part of a two-year agreement
• League moves to three-division format
• East Division: Dubuque, Green Bay, Team USA and Waterloo
• Central Division: Des Moines, North Iowa, Rochester, Thunder Bay and Twin Cities
• West Division: Fargo-Moorhead, Lincoln, Omaha and Sioux City

1999-2000:

• Sioux Falls Stampede, based out of Sioux Falls, S.D., enters the league
• North Iowa relocates to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and becomes the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
• League returns to two-division format
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Green Bay, Rochester, Thunder Bay, Team USA, Twin Cities and Waterloo
• West Division: Fargo-Moorhead, Lincoln, Omaha and Sioux City

2000-2001:

• Thunder Bay folds
• Fargo-Moorhead relocates to Bensenville, Ill. and becomes the Chicago Steel
• Twin Cities relocates to Kearney, Neb. and becomes the Tri-City Storm
• USA Hockey National Team Development Program plays a 24-game USHL schedule
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Dubuque, Green Bay, Rochester and Waterloo
• West Division: Des Moines, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Tri-City

2001-2002:

• Dubuque relocates to Tulsa, Okla. and becomes the Tulsa Crude
• Topeka ScareCrows, based out of Topeka, Kans. enter the league
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Des Moines, Green Bay, Rochester and Waterloo
• West Division: Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Topeka, Tri-City and Tulsa

2002-2003:

• Rochester folds
• Tulsa folds
• Omaha relocates to Council Bluffs, Iowa and becomes the River City Lancers
• USHL given Tier I status by USA Hockey, making them the only Tier I league in America
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Des Moines, Green Bay and Waterloo
• West Division: Lincoln, River City, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Topeka and Tri-City

2003-2004:

• Danville Wings, based out of Danville, Ill., enter the league
• Topeka relocates to St. Louis, Mo. and becomes the St. Louis Heartland Eagles
• USHL adopts new playoff format, going to top four teams in each division qualifying and first two rounds being divisional
• For the first time ever, more USHL players ranked in the final rankings submitted by NHL Central Scouting than one of Canada's major junior leagues, the QMJHL
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Danville, Green Bay, St. Louis and Waterloo
• West Division: Des Moines, Lincoln, River City, Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Tri-City

2004-2005:

• Danville relocates to Indianapolis, Ind. and becomes the Indiana Ice
• St. Louis ceases operations
• River City changes its name back to Omaha Lancers
• Indiana Ice set record for number of people attending a junior hockey game played in the United States, as 14,892 attend game between the Ice and Sioux City on February 12, 2005
• USHL sets all-time high with 25 players taken in NHL Entry Draft
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Des Moines, Green Bay, Indiana and Waterloo
• West Division: Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Tri-City

2005-2006:

• No changes.

2006-2007:

• Ohio Junior Blue Jackets, based out of Columbus, Ohio, enter the league
• Fargo-Moorhead announced as USHL expansion team for 2008-09 season
• USHL adopts new playoff format with every team qualifying for round one and playing a best-of-seven series within their division, the three remaining teams meeting in a round robin in round two and the top two teams from each division advancing to the USHL Final Four
• USHL sets all-time high with 172 players committing to Division I universities
• USHL sets all-time high with four players chosen in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft
• East Division: Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Green Bay, Indiana, Ohio and Waterloo
• West Division: Des Moines, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Tri-City

2007-2008:

• USHL adopts new playoff format, going to top four teams in each division qualifying and first two rounds being divisional
• Two USHL teams, Omaha and Indiana, schedule to play exhibition games against Quebec and Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League