CHICAGO -The United States Hockey League experienced a major milestone at the recently completed 2011 National Hockey League draft. Twenty eight current and nine former USHL players were among sixty Americans selected in the 2011 entry draft. This is the second highest total of USA players in NHL draft history.
Two USHL players went in the first round as Jamie Oleksiak (D), Sioux Falls Stampede/Chicago Steel (2008-10) was selected by the Dallas Stars with the 14th overall pick followed by the selection of J .T. Miller (F), Team USA in the 15th spot. Miller went to the New York Rangers.
Perhaps of more interest is the fact that the USHL provided more players in this year’s entry draft than the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The USHL also trailed the Western Hockey League another Canadian Hockey League Junior League with only five fewer drafted players.
The USHL founded in 1961 became a junior league in 1970. It currently has 16 teams based in the mid west with league headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Current teams are located in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska and South Dakota. Players are generally eligible to play in USA Hockey sanctioned junior leagues between the ages of 16 and 20 years of age.
It is the only Tier One Junior league in the United States. In short, this means that the experience players’ gain, the schedule and number of games they play, the competition and crowds they play before, give these young men a real taste of what it will be like to play higher level college and eventually professional hockey. Last season the USHL averaged r 2,512 fans per game.
The league, with two major exceptions, is similar to the major junior leagues in Canada that skate under the umbrella Canadian Hockey League. Three leagues, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League make up the CHL.
The major differences are that first USHL players are not paid and thus retain their amateur status. Secondly, their career track is geared towards college hockey first and pro hockey later; while the major junior leagues in Canada are pro hockey feeder programs.
Another striking factor of the 2011 NHL draft statistics is that the USHL on average had more players selected on average per team than their CHL counterparts. In total the North American Junior Leagues provided entry level numbers as follows:
USHL- 28 from 16 teams (1.75 per team)
QMJHL-22 from 18 teams (1.68 per team)
Obviously, the USHL and USA Hockey both benefit by having USA Hockey’s U-18 National Team Development Program team participating in the USHL. Seventeen of the 37 players with a USHL background selected in the draft previously played for the NTDP team.
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