Elite Conference, News, Premier Conference, USPHL Premier
by Joshua Boyd
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOSTON, MA – July 30, 2024 – The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is excited to unveil the 2024-25 regular season schedules for its USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite Conferences. Building on a legacy of excellence, the USPHL continues to be a prime pathway for players aspiring to collegiate and advanced junior hockey careers.
In the 2023-24 season, over 250 USPHL Premier players progressed to NCAA, ACHA, and AAU colleges and more than 50 Elite players progressed to ACHA and AAU college teams. Since their inception in 2017-18, the Premier and Elite conferences have seen more than 5,000 players advance to college hockey, with over 30 players reaching the NCAA Division I level.
USPHL Premier Conference Highlights:
- Total Games: 1,636 regular season games
- Showcases: USPHL Premier teams will take part in 10 USPHL Showcase Series events this year, with events taking place in each month of the regular season. Additionally, the USPHL Premier will have representation in the 2024 NCDC/USPHL Premier All-Star Event in Foxboro, Mass., Jan. 27-28. The USPHL National Championships will take place March 20-24 in Wayne, N.J.
- Schedule: USPHL Premier teams will play 44 games each, however, the Pacific Division will have a 46-game schedule.
- New Division: The new Canada Division features College Universel Gatineau, College Universel Sherbrooke, the Montreal Black Vees, Hawkesbury Knights, Kingston Wranglers and Somang Laurentides Lanaudiere HC.
- New Additions: There will be several additional new teams joining the USPHL Premier ranks this year. In the Northwest, the Bremerton Sockeyes, Iron County Yeti and Colorado Fighting Elk are new to the league. In the Pacific Division, we welcome the Long Beach Bombers and Ventura Vikings. The Fresh Coast Freeze are new to the league in the Great Lakes Division, and in the Atlantic, we welcome the Red Bank Generals, Mercer Chiefs and West Chester Wolves. In the New England Division, the Thunder Hockey Club, Boston Jr. Rangers and Railers Junior Hockey Club have joined the league. The Northwest Express (former Minnesota Moose) have relocated to Spooner, Wis., and the Henderson Force (former Las Vegas Thunderbirds) will take the ice in Henderson, Nev.
USPHL Elite Conference Highlights:
- Total Games: 658 regular season games
- Showcase Games: USPHL Elite teams will play in nine USPHL Showcase Series events during the regular season. The USPHL National Championships will take place March 20-24 at Wayne, N.J.
- Schedule: All teams, with some notable exceptions listed below, will play a 44-game schedule.
- New Additions: The Hershey Cubs and South Shore Kings have joined the USPHL Elite for the full season. The Boston Jr. Bulldogs will join the league, playing a 24-game season in their first USPHL Elite campaign.
- The North American Prep Hockey League returns as a scheduling partner at select USPHL Elite showcases.
“Every new season is an opportunity for our fantastic student-athlete hockey players to put their high level of talent in front of college scouts, and forge relationships towards future college hockey opportunities,” said USPHL Deputy Commissioner Tony Zasowski. “The USPHL Premier and Elite Conferences have proven themselves as being at the forefront of advancement to college hockey at all levels, as well as to the highest levels of junior hockey and ultimately on to college hockey.”
Scouting Opportunities: All USPHL games provide excellent scouting opportunities for NCAA, ACHA, and AAU college hockey coaches. The top-tier National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) will also monitor Premier talent, with over 240 Premier players and alumni appearing in NCDC games last season.
The 2024-25 season promises to be another thrilling chapter in the USPHL’s mission to develop and advance hockey talent across North America.
For more information on the USPHL and to view the 2024-25 schedule, please visit www.usphl.com.
About the United States Premier Hockey League
Founded in 2012, the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is comprised of over 150 teams, fielding more than 20,000 players aged 9-21 in more than 100 organizations across the North, South, Midwest, West, and Canada. Our Junior Divisions consist of the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), a tuition-free, Tier 2 Junior hockey league, and our Premier and Elite Conferences, all geared toward college and pro placement.
Our youth and midget divisions (operated through the Tier 1 Hockey Federation) field full season 9U through 18U teams. The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey including over 3,400 into NCAA college hockey and over 300 players into NCAA Division I hockey. The USPHL has also had 18 players who played in the NCDC drafted by NHL teams.