This is a list of seasons of the United States Hockey League since its transition to a junior hockey league in 1979.
Starting in 1979–80, the USHL changed to an all-junior league and would operate as an American competitor to the Canadian Hockey League. While the CHL is the major junior program for most professional hockey prospects, its players are forbidden by NCAA regulations to play hockey for Division IorIII programs, making the USHL a favorite preparatory league for players seeking to play collegiate hockey in America.
| No. | Season | No. of teams |
Reg. season games |
Start (reg. season) |
Finish (incl. USHL playoffs) |
Anderson Cup Champion | Clark Cup Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979–80 | 7[a] | 48 | Hennepin Nordiques (30–18–0) | Hennepin Nordiques | ||
| 2 | 1980–81 | 8[b] | 48 | Dubuque Fighting Saints (38–9–1) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 3 | 1981–82 | 7[c] | 48 | Sioux City Musketeers (29–16–3) | Sioux City Musketeers | ||
| 4 | 1982–83 | 7 | 48 | Dubuque Fighting Saints (39–8–1) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 5 | 1983–84 | 8[d] | 48 | St. Paul Vulcans (37–8–0–3) | St. Paul Vulcans | ||
| 6 | 1984–85 | 10[e] | 48 | Austin Mavericks (39–8–1–0) | Dubuque Fighting Saints | ||
| 7 | 1985–86 | 9[f] | 48 | Sioux City Musketeers (42–6–0–0) | Sioux City Musketeers | ||
| 8 | 1986–87 | 10[g] | 48 | Rochester Mustangs (37–9–0–2) | Rochester Mustangs | ||
| 9 | 1987–88 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (40–7–1-0) | Thunder Bay Flyers | ||
| 10 | 1988–89 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (40–6–2–0) | Thunder Bay Flyers | ||
| 11 | 1989–90 | 10 | 48 | September 30 | Omaha Lancers (36–11–0–1) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 12 | 1990–91 | 10 | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (36–10–2–0) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 13 | 1991–92 | 10[h] | 48 | Thunder Bay Flyers (36–11–1) | Des Moines Buccaneers | ||
| 14 | 1992–93 | 10 | 48 | Omaha Lancers (35–9–0–4) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 15 | 1993–94 | 10 | 48–54[i] | Des Moines Buccaneers (36–12–0–0) | Omaha Lancers | ||
| 16 | 1994–95 | 11[j] | 48 | Des Moines Buccaneers (38–5–5–0) | Des Moines Buccaneers | ||
| 17 | 1995–96 | 11[k] | 46 | Green Bay Gamblers (32–11–3–0) | Green Bay Gamblers | ||
| 18 | 1996–97 | 12[l] | 54 | April 22 | Green Bay Gamblers (41–11–0–2) | Lincoln Stars | |
| 19 | 1997–98 | 13[m] | 24, 56 | April 21 | Des Moines Buccaneers (40–14–2) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 20 | 1998–99 | 13[n] | 56 | April 23 | Des Moines Buccaneers (48–7–0–1) | Des Moines Buccaneers | |
| 21 | 1999–2000 | 14[o] | 58 | September 17 | April 27 | Lincoln Stars (41–16–1) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 22 | 2000–01 | 13[p] | 24, 58 | April 28 | Lincoln Stars (43–7–0–6) | Omaha Lancers | |
| 23 | 2001–02 | 14[q] | 13, 61 | May 12 | Omaha Lancers (46–12-0–3) | Sioux City Musketeers | |
| 24 | 2002–03 | 11[r] | 60 | September 27 | April 29 | Waterloo Black Hawks (37–14–3–6) | Lincoln Stars |
| 25 | 2003–04 | 12[s] | 60 | September 26 | May 5 | Tri-City Storm (43–12–1–4) | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| 26 | 2004–05 | 11[t] | 60 | September 24 | May 9 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (42–13–1–4) | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders |
| 27 | 2005–06 | 11[u] | 60 | September 23 | May 1 | Sioux Falls Stampede (43–13–1–3) | Des Moines Buccaneers |
| 28 | 2006–07 | 12[v] | 60 | October 5 | May 15 | Waterloo Black Hawks (39–17–4) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 29 | 2007–08 | 12 | 60 | October 5 | May 10 | Omaha Lancers (43–12–5) | Omaha Lancers |
| 30 | 2008–09 | 12[w] | 60 | October 3 | May 8 | Green Bay Gamblers (38–17–4) | Indiana Ice |
| 31 | 2009–10 | 14[x] | 60 | October 2 | May 12 | Green Bay Gamblers (45–10–5) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 32 | 2010–11 | 16[y] | 60 | October 1 | May 21 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (42–13–6) | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| 33 | 2011–12 | 16 | 60 | September 30 | May 23 | Green Bay Gamblers (47–9–4) | Green Bay Gamblers |
| 34 | 2012–13 | 16 | 64 | September 28 | May 17 | Dubuque Fighting Saints (45–11–8) | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| 35 | 2013–14 | 16 | 60 | September 20 | May 20 | Waterloo Black Hawks (44–11–5) | Indiana Ice |
| 36 | 2014–15 | 17[z] | 60 | September 26 | May 15 | Youngstown Phantoms (40–14–6) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 37 | 2015–16 | 17 | 60 | September 25 | May 20 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (40–15–3–2) | Tri-City Storm |
| 38 | 2016–17 | 17 | 60 | September 23 | May 24 | Sioux City Musketeers (40–13–5–2) | Chicago Steel |
| 39 | 2017–18 | 17[aa] | 60 | October 6 | May 19 | Waterloo Black Hawks (38–14–6–2) | Fargo Force |
| 40 | 2018–19 | 17 | 62 | September 27 | May 17 | Tri-City Storm (45–12–3–2) | Sioux Falls Stampede |
| 41 | 2019–20[ab] | 16[ac] | 47–50 | September 26 | March 11 | Chicago Steel (41–7–1–0) | Not awarded |
| 42 | 2020–21 | 14[ad] | 49–54 | November 6 | April 24 | Chicago Steel (38–11–3–2) | Chicago Steel |
| 43 | 2021–22 | 16[ae] | 62 | September 23 | May 21 | Tri-City Storm (47–11–3–1) | Sioux City Musketeers |
| 44 | 2022–23 | 16 | 62 | September 22 | May 19 | Fargo Force (40–14–4–4) | Youngstown Phantoms |
| 45 | 2023–24 | 16 | 62 | September 20 | May 22 | Fargo Force (50–10–2–0) | Fargo Force |
