2017–18 USHL season explained

The 2017–18 USHL season was the 39th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season ran from October 6, 2017, to April 14, 2018.^[1] The regular season champions, the Waterloo Black Hawks, were awarded the Anderson Cup. The playoff champions, the Fargo Force, were awarded the Clark Cup.

League changes

The Bloomington Thunder were rebranded as the Central Illinois Flying Aces.^[2]

While the alignment remained the same from the previous season, the league increased the number of teams that qualify for the playoffs from eight to twelve. The top two seeds in each conference now have a bye in the first round. The third and fourth conference seeds than host the fifth and sixth conference seeds in a best-of-three series. The rest of the playoffs are a best-of-five series.^[1]

Regular season

Final standings:^[3]

Eastern Conference

Team
	60	41	18	0	1	83	295	211	739
	60	33	20	5	2	73	180	189	976
	60	33	25	1	1	68	202	206	1131
	60	30	24	4	2	66	172	170	1019
	60	26	21	10	3	65	179	194	606
	60	28	25	2	5	63	219	218	907
	60	26	24	8	2	62	179	198	933
	60	23	33	2	2	50	183	224	755
	60	14	39	3	4	35	161	258	928

Western Conference

Team
	60	38	14	6	2	84	199	150	1017
	60	39	16	2	3	83	192	143	996
	60	37	16	3	4	81	208	133	985
	60	32	19	4	5	73	187	181	1018
	60	35	23	1	1	72	197	168	1260
	60	29	27	2	2	62	137	155	967
	60	26	26	4	4	60	159	197	981
	60	20	33	4	3	47	145	199	796

x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched conference title; z = clinched regular season title

Statistical leaders

Scoring leaders

Players are listed by points, then goals.

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts. = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
align=left	Anthony Del Gaizo	align=left	Muskegon Lumberjacks	60	40	32	72	89
align=left	Filip Suchý	align=left	Omaha Lancers	54	31	38	69	66
align=left	Jack Dugan	align=left	Chicago Steel	54	31	35	66	104
align=left	Jack Drury	align=left	Waterloo Black Hawks	56	24	41	65	83
align=left	Jackson Cates	align=left	Waterloo Black Hawks	57	33	30	63	18
align=left	Ben Copeland	align=left	Waterloo Black Hawks	60	18	44	62	26
align=left	Alex Steeves	align=left	Dubuque Fighting Saints	55	20	37	57	28
align=left	Casey Dornbach	align=left	Lincoln Stars	59	21	35	56	10
align=left	Quinn Preston	align=left	Dubuque Fighting Saints	58	24	31	55	28
align=left	Trenton Bliss	align=left	Green Bay Gamblers	60	21	34	55	55

Leading goaltenders

These are the goaltenders that lead the league in GAA that have played at least 1380 minutes.

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage

Player	Team	GP	Mins	W	L	OTL	SOL	SO	GAA	SV%
align=left	Filip Larsson	align=left	Tri-City Storm	30	1667	18	10	0	0	7	1.65	0.941
align=left	Strauss Mann	align=left	Fargo Force	34	1972	22	8	2	1	5	1.86	0.932
align=left	Zach Driscoll	align=left	Omaha Lancers	38	2054	23	9	1	1	8	1.90	0.934
align=left	Jared Moe	align=left	Waterloo Black Hawks	32	1828	23	6	1	0	2	2.23	0.919
align=left	Ryan Bischel	align=left	Fargo Force	29	1664	15	8	1	3	3	2.24	0.920

Post season awards

USHL awards

Award	Name	Team
Player of the Year		Muskegon Lumberjacks[4]
Forward of the Year		Waterloo Black Hawks
Defenseman of the Year		Waterloo Black Hawks
Rookie of the Year		Muskegon Lumberjacks
Goaltender of the Year		Tri-City Storm
Coach of the Year		Waterloo Black Hawks[5]
Scholar-Athlete		Dubuque Fighting Saints[6]
Curt Hammer		Cedar Rapids RoughRiders[7]
General Manager of the Year	P.K. O'Handley	Waterloo Black Hawks
Executive of the Year	Brandon Bruss[8]	Green Bay Gamblers
Organization of the Year	Sioux Falls Stampede[9]

All-USHL First Team

Pos	Name	Team
G		Tri-City
D		Waterloo
D		Chicago
F		Waterloo
F		Muskegon
F		Chicago

Source^[10]

All-USHL Second Team

Pos	Name	Team
G		Youngstown
D		Muskegon
D		Fargo
F		Waterloo
F		Fargo
F		Omaha

Source^[10]

All Rookie First Team

Pos	Name	Team
G		Chicago
D		Youngstown
D		Cedar Rapids
F		Lincoln
F		Chicago
F		Muskegon

Source^[11]

All Rookie Second Team

Pos	Name	Team
G		Muskegon
D		Lincoln
D		Muskegon
F		Madison
F		Tri-City
F		Madison

First Round

Eastern Conference

(E4) Green Bay Gamblers vs. (E5) Dubuque Fighting Saints

Western Conference

(W4) Fargo Force vs. (W5) Tri-City Storm

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

(E2) Youngstown Phantoms vs. (E5) Dubuque Fighting Saints

Western Conference

(W2) Omaha Lancers vs. (W3) Fargo Force

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

(E1) Team USA vs. (E2) Youngstown Phantoms

Western Conference

(W1) Waterloo Black Hawks vs. (W3) Fargo Force

Clark Cup Championship

(E2) Youngstown Phantoms vs. (W3) Fargo Force

Playoff scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Chase Gresock		11	8	6	14	2
Matt Barry		11	4	10	14	8
Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup		14	4	8	12	15
		14	3	8	11	24
		14	3	7	10	10
		14	2	8	10	12
		13	7	2	9	14
		11	4	5	9	10
		11	3	6	9	8
		14	2	7	9	6

Playoff leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Player	Team	GP	Mins	W	L	GA	SO	SV%	GAA
		6	366	4	2	11	2	.933	1.81
		14	831	11	3	29	2	.932	2.09
		5	294	2	3	11	0	.915	2.25
		3	294	0	3	11	0	.929	2.29
		6	138	3	1	13	0	.916	2.55

External links

• Official website of the United States Hockey League

Notes and References

1. Web site: USHL Announces 2017-18 Schedule . USHL . July 18, 2017 . October 30, 2017.
2. Web site: It's Official: Thunder Hockey Team Becomes Flying Aces . . August 24, 2017.
3. Web site: USHL Standings . USHL . October 30, 2017.
4. Web site: USHL Announces End of Year Awards . OurSportsCentral.com . April 30, 2018.
5. Web site: P.K. O'Handley Named USHL Coach & General Manager of the Year . USHL . May 2, 2018.
6. Web site: USHL Scholar-Athlete Award and All-Academic Team Announced . USHL . May 1, 2018.
7. Web site: Marc McLaughlin Named Curt Hammer Award Recipient . USHL . May 1, 2018.
8. Web site: EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR . USHL . June 27, 2018.
9. Web site: Sioux Falls Stampede Named USHL Organization of the Year . OurSportsCentral.com . June 27, 2018.
10. Web site: All-USHL Teams Announced . USHL . May 1, 2018.
11. Web site: All-USHL Rookie Teams Announced . USHL . May 1, 2018.