General | 4/1/2025 10:00:00 AM

The Green Bay Gamblers have signed Oliver McKinney to a United States Hockey League (USHL) tender agreement for the 2025-26 season.

McKinney is a product of the Chicago Mission where the 5’9,” 154-pound forward had 30 goals and 57 assists in 53 games playing at 15O. The Chicago, Ill. native has played the last three seasons with the Mission.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Oliver McKinney and his family to the Green Bay Gamblers organization,” Gamblers Head Coach and General Manager Kirk Luedeke said. “Oliver is a cerebral forward who makes the players around him better.  The combination of his playmaking ability along with his scoring touch make him a special player. When meeting with Oliver, it became evident to our staff that he was the type of person with a high character level that we want to build our future with. We look forward to the start of his journey with us next fall.”

The USHL tender process allows teams to sign up to two 2009 birth year players in exchange for their first and second-round picks in the 2025 USHL Phase I Draft. As a result of their tender signing of Gunnar Conboy and McKinney this year, the Gamblers forfeit their first and second-round picks in Phase I of the USHL Draft. Each tendered player will join their respective team’s roster the next season and play at least 55% of the team’s regular-season games.
 
About the USHL

The United States Hockey League and its 16 member clubs are committed to being the leading 16–20-year-old junior hockey league in the world. More than half of Division I men’s hockey roster spots are held by USHL alumni and more than 195 alumni were listed on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Cole Caufield (NTDP), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede). More.