UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE HISTORY
1980 - Present
The US-Midwest Hockey League, an unusual merger between the junior Midwest League and the senior US League, became a junior only league in 1980 and took on the name United States Hockey League. The league added the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Des Moines Buccaneers that same season.
In 1981, the once Senior Green Bay Bobcats ceased operations but grew back to eight teams in 1983 adding the North Iowa Huskies. The following season, it lost the Bloomington Junior Stars but added the Thunder Bay Flyers, formerly the Thunder Bay Kings of the Thunder Bay Junior League. The Austin Mavericks became the Rochester Mavericks in 1985. Teams were added in Madison and Omaha over the next couple of seasons and the league remained stable for much of the 1990's.
The league returned to Green Bay in 1994 adding the Gamblers and it is believed that the Wisconsin Capitals became the Fargo Moorhead Ice Sharks around the same time. The league grew again in 1996 adding the expansion Lincoln Stars.
The US National Team joined the league in 1998 and the following season, the Huskies moved to become the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders and the league expanded into Sioux Falls adding the Stampede.
2000 saw the league lose both the Twin Cities Vulcans and Thunder Bay Flyers however the league also expanded adding the Tri-City Storm. Also, the Ice Sharks relocated to become the Chicago Steel.
The league continued to move south in 2001 adding the Topeka Scarecrows while the Fighting Irish relocated to become the Tulsa Crude.
In 2002, the league lost the Rochester Mustangs and the Omaha Lancers became the River City Lancers.