General | 4/28/2025 2:00:00 PM

Forward Ryker Lee of the Madison Capitols was named United States Hockey League (USHL) Rookie of the Year, the league announced Monday. He is the first USHL Rookie of the Year in team history.

Rookies in the USHL are first-year NHL Draft eligible players (born after September 15, 2006) or younger who have not played more than 10 USHL games in any previous season. All end-of-season league awards were nominated and voted upon by team general managers.
 
In his first full USHL season, Lee led USHL rookies with 68 points on 31 goals, most among rookies, and 37 assists to lead Madison to a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference. The Michigan State commit finished fourth in overall league scoring, racking up 23 points on the power play and contributing at even strength with a +9 rating. His five game-winning goals were second among first-year players. The Wilmette, Illinois native had multiple points in 21 of his 58 games this season. He ranked 28^th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.
 
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.