Men's Ice Hockey | 7/1/2026 2:00:00 PM

The Green Bay Gamblers have been named United States Hockey League (USHL) Organization of the Year for the 2025-26 season, as determined by a vote of the league’s Board of Directors.
This season marks the third time the Gamblers have won the award, previously winning in the 1995-96 season, and once during the Tier-I era, in 2011-12.

On the ice, Head Coach and General Manager Pat McCadden led the Gamblers to a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference with a 38-18-4-2 record. The team’s 38 wins marked the most since the 2011-12 season.  Drawing an average of 3,840 fans to the Resch Center during the regular season, Green Bay tied for having the League’s best home winning percentage at .726.

Some of the Gamblers’ most well-attended nights included Wiener Dog Races, where they had more than 8,000 fans in the arena, the Teddy Bear Toss, where the team collected 7,880 bears for charity, and the Dash for Cash, which won a 2026 Clarky Award for Ticketing Initiative of the Year and featured a rare goalie goal from 2026 Boston Bruins draft pick Leo Henriquez.

The team set records in ticketing, merchandise, and concession sales, surpassing its budgeted profit by more than 60% while also donating more than $100,000 to local youth sports, charities and other organizations in the Green Bay community that focus on the family, as well as $150,000 to the fourth rink project at the local Cornerstone Community Center, home of the 2026 USHL Combines.

Three players from Green Bay’s 2025-26 team were selected in the 2026 NHL Draft: Zach Wooten (WPG), Landon Hafele (WPG), and Henriquez (BOS), while Gambler alum and Dartmouth freshman Cooper Cleaves (MTL) was also picked.

“Congratulations to the Green Bay Gamblers on being named the USHL Organization of the Year for the 2025–26 season,” said Glenn Hefferan, USHL President and Commissioner. “This recognition reflects the vision and work led by ownership in Brendan Bruss and the PMI Entertainment Group, and Team President Jeff Mitchell, and rewards the hard work from the entire hockey staff, business staff and players, led by Head Coach and General Manager, Pat McCadden, and Director of Business, Greg Lynch. The Gamblers had an outstanding season and continue to set the bar for excellence in our League. We are proud to celebrate this deserved award with them.”

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 315 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 90% 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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).