Checking Back in with the USHL

by Hawerchuk on Dec 9, 2009 9:00 AM EST in Prospects

Two years ago, I looked at how the USHL had gone from producing an insignificant number of NHL players to accounting for almost 10% of the pros in less than a decade. Forget the 'Miracle on Ice' - the growth of the USHL is the most significant success story in the history of American hockey.

I thought I'd take another look at how the USHL is doing and whether it has continued to produce NHL players at such a high rate. The pertinent plots are after the jump...

First, has the USHL continued its seemingly inexorably path to filling the entire NHL with its player? Sure looks that way to me:

What about the USHL's role as the primary feeder league for NCAA D-I college hockey? Still on the same path - the percentage of USHL players making the jump to the NCAA has been increasing (the blip this season is because we're only 30% of the way through the NCAA season and not every player has made his debut). The percentage of NCAA players who've played in the USHL has also continued to increase:

None of this should be in any way surprising - the caliber of USHL players increased dramatically from 1990-2000, and now the sheer number of quality hockey players in the USHL continues to increase.

We don't yet see players jumping directly from the USHL to the NHL like we do with Canadian junior leagues, but by age 21, it's difficult to argue with the results: on a per-team basis, the 12-team USHL produces as many NHL players as the 60-team CHL. Canada has achieved hockey saturation, so the number of players going from AAA Midget or Tier II Junior to the CHL and on to the NHL is unlikely to increase in the near future. The USHL, on the other hand, continues to expand its reach as previously-untapped areas of the country like California grow their youth hockey programs.

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I saw a couple USHL games in person last year and was impressed with the quality of play. There is a mix of players heading to the NCAA (already declared which schools they are headed to), some already NHL drafted players and some undrafted players. Overall, the skill-set is pretty high and the style seems to mirror the CHL style of play as opposed to the NCAA.

More players from places like California (as you mentioned) and even Canada (USHL doesn’t pay its players so they maintain NCAA eligibility unlike CHL) than some would think.

Where every team is the home team

by IllegalCurve on Dec 9, 2009 11:06 AM EST reply actions

This rise in USHL prospects seems to be coming just in time, given the recent problems with the Russians.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.

by Doogie2K on Dec 9, 2009 1:07 PM EST reply actions

They actually might be linked. The less Russians, the more USHL players.

In general, I think European proportion of NHL talent peaked around the year 2000, IIRC.

Considering the USHL is still considered a Tier II league, not a major junior league, it would likely take a very special player to make the jump directly from the USHL to the NHL.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Dec 9, 2009 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

There are definitely players who can make the jump, but they tend to realize that at age 17 and spend a year in Tier I junior before the draft. If you go to the USHL, you have to want to play college hockey.

by Hawerchuk on Dec 9, 2009 4:10 PM EST up reply actions