USPHL Releases 2016-17 Regular Season Game Schedule

22 Aug 2016 by Frank Scarpaci

USPHL Releases 2016-17 Regular Season Game Schedule 08/19/2016, 10:00am EDT
By Brett Bruneteau / Mike Klein
BOSTON, MA – The USPHL’s 2016-17 regular season will commence on Wednesday, September 7, with a 18U division face-off between the Jersey Shore Whalers and the New Jersey Rockets at Rock Ice Arena in Dunellen, NJ. The 2,400 game schedule, featuring all divisions of junior, midget, and youth hockey, will conclude on Sunday, February 26, with a USP3 showdown between the Kalkaska Rhinos and the Decatur Blaze.

After clinching their second Premier Division championship, the Jersey Hitmen will enter the 2016-17 regular season, once again, as the USPHL’s reigning champion and top team. The team will open up its regular season with a banner raising ceremony prior to the first game against the P.A.L. Junior Islanders in a double header on September 17 and 18 at the Ice Vault in Wayne, NJ. The Hitmen will then head to Boston, MA the following weekend (September 24-26) to compete in the Junior Bruins Shootout. At the showcase, they will play the host team Bruins, South Shore Kings, and Okanagan Eagles. The event will mark the first time of the 2016-17 regular season that each Premier Division team will be showcased under one roof.

The USPHL Heritage Classic will be hosted in two of America’s most prominent cities this season, including Detroit, MI and Chicago, IL. Teams and dates will be released at a later time.

The league’s regular season will pause from Sunday, January 15 to Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Day), for the 2017 USPHL All Star Games and activities in North Andover, MA. Games for the Premier, 18U, and 16U levels will be played at both Lawler Arena and Gallant Arena on the campus of Merrimack College.

The USPHL Showcase Series will feature 23 regular season events during the course of the 2016-17 regular season as well. A complete listing of showcase dates and times will released in the coming weeks.

Divisional Breakdown

Premier
The Premier Division is among the nation’s leaders in advancing players to NCAA Division I hockey. Last year featured a thrilling battle for the Founders Cup, with the Islanders Hockey Club clinching the title on the second-to-last day of the regular season. The Jersey Hitmen, however, defeated the Islanders to win their second consecutive Dineen Cup. This season, the Premier Division will consist of the Hitmen, Islanders Hockey Club, Junior Bruins, South Shore Kings, PAL Jr. Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Springfield Pics, Syracuse Stars, and Okanagan Eagles.

Elite
The Elite Division, one of the nation’s leaders in NCAA Division III advancements, will feature three subdivisions this season: North, South, and Midwest. Last season the Hampton Roads Whalers defeated the Florida Eels in a thrilling contest to win the division crown. The North Division consists of the Junior Bruins, PAL Jr. Islanders, South Shore Kings, Syracuse Stars, Rochester Monarchs, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, New York Aviators, and Team Beijing. The South Division is made up of the Hampton Roads Whalers, Florida Eels, Carolina Eagles, Charlotte Rush, Palm Beach Hawks, Potomac Patriots, Richmond Generals, and Tampa Bay Junior Hockey Club.

New this season is the Midwest Division, featuring the Dells Ducks, Chicago Cougars, Forest Lake Lakers, Detroit Fighting Irish, Blaine Energy, Steele County Blades, River Falls Renegades, and Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings. Last season, the Midwest Division was combined with the USP3 Midwest, and the Dells Ducks took home the USP3 title.

USP3
The USP3HL, among the nation’s leaders in advancement to NCAA Division III and ACHA college, returns with the North, South, Midwest, and Pacific divisions. The USP3 North will feature the Frederick Freeze, Islanders Hockey Club, Jersey Hitmen, Jersey Shore Whalers, Springfield Pics, and Junior Bruins. The USP3 South will consist of the Atlanta Jr. Knights, Carolina Eagles, Charlotte Rush, Daytona Racers, Florida Eels, Hampton Roads Whalers, Florida Jr. Blades, Palm Beach Hawks, Potomac Patriots, Tampa Bay Junior Hockey Club, and Richmond Generals. The USP3 Midwest boasts the Alpena Flyers, Decatur Blaze, Ironwood Yoopers, Kalkaska Rhinos, Marquette Royales, Michigan Wild, Motor City Hawks, Traverse City North Stars, and Tri-City Icehawks.

The USPHL also welcomes a new USP3 Pacific Division to its lineup. In its inaugural season, the Pacific Division brings the arrival of the Eugene Generals, Seattle Ravens, West Sound Warriors, and Tri City Outlaws to the fray.

MIDGETS
The USPHL brings back its 18-and-under, 16-and-under, and 16U Futures this season. Last year, Selects Academy at South Kent School took home both the 18U and 16U titles while the Potomac Patriots won the 16U Futures crown. Once again, the midget divisions will features the youngest and brightest stars from around the country. Last season’s midget crop included fifteen players with NCAA Division I commitments in the 18U Division along with fourteen more in among the 16U players. Three players from the 16U division were tabbed to join the US National Development Program.

HP Youth
Entering its inaugural season, the High Performance Youth Divisions will extend the USPHL’s renowned brand of player development to younger aged players seeking unrivaled player training and competition. The new divisions are comprised of both major and minor levels of 14 and under (Bantams), 12 and under (Peewees), and 10 and under (Squirts) and will focus on a unique and innovative player development model that is centered on skill acquisition, pragmatic game scheduling and player retention and advancement. The youth platform of the USPHL will also provide players an assortment of developmental opportunities unrivaled by any traditional youth hockey league on the east coast.

Reminder: Division Game Schedule Breakdown

Premier Division – 225 total games: 10 teams x 45 games Elite Division – total 616 games: 28 teams x 44 games USP3 Division – total 660 games: 30 teams x 44 games 18U Division –total 208 games: 16 teams (total 183 games: 15 teams) 16U Division –total 236 games: 17 teams (total 210 games: 16 teams) 16U Futures –total 80 games :12 teams (approx) HP Youth – total 368 games: 41 teams Schedule Notes

Regular Season Opens: Sunday, Sept. 2 All-Star Break: Sunday, Jan. 15 – Monday, Jan. 16 Last Day of Regular Season: Sunday, Feb. 26
To view the full regular season schedule, visit USPHL.com Stay Connected with the USPHL: Twitter: @USPHL Facebook: USPHL

The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL.com), which operates in 20 of the 50 United States, is the Nation’s largest amateur ice hockey league. The league is comprised of 171 teams representing 61 organizations. Players in the USPHL are 8 to 21 years of age. During the previous season, the USPHL had over 300 players advance to the collegiate level; even more advanced to other levels of the game, establishing the USPHL as the foremost producer of player advancement in the United States.

Brett Bruneteau
Business Development & Marketing
United States Premier Hockey League
brett@usphl.com | (402) 301-9522

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