The 2008–09 USHL season is the 30th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season began on October 3, 2008, and concluded on April 5, 2009, with the regular season champion winning the Anderson Cup. The 2008–09 season was the first for the expansion Fargo Force, replacing the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets who folded after only two seasons in existence.
The Clark Cup playoffs featured the top four teams from each division competing for the league title.
Regular season Final Standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched league title
East Division Team GP W L OTL PTS GF GA zGreen Bay Gamblers 60 39 17 4 82 237 165 xCedar Rapids RoughRiders 60 38 17 5 81 219 147 xIndiana Ice 60 39 19 2 80 221 177 xWaterloo Black Hawks 60 37 20 3 77 246 198 Chicago Steel 60 31 27 2 64 194 213 Des Moines Buccaneers 60 12 43 5 29 167 283
West Division Team GP W L OTL PTS GF GA yLincoln Stars 60 37 17 6 80 191 155 xOmaha Lancers 60 32 21 7 71 218 192 xFargo Force 60 32 23 5 69 191 166 xSioux Falls Stampede 60 28 28 4 60 182 199 Sioux City Musketeers 60 24 30 6 54 194 210 Tri-City Storm 60 11 48 1 23 140 295
Players
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIMAndrew Miller Chicago Steel 5832508276Michael Cichy Tri-City/Indiana 5634427623Craig Smith Waterloo Black Hawks 54284876108Mike Seidel Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 5929447336Stéphane Da Costa Sioux City Musketeers 4831366723Kirt Hill Lincoln Stars 56244266112Stanislav Galiev Indiana Ice 6029356446Brandon Richardson Indiana Ice 55214263145Michael Forney Green Bay Gamblers 5926346053Andy Taranto Fargo Force 6034255940Louis Leblanc Omaha Lancers 6028315978
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team GP Mins W L OTL GA SO SV% GAA Kevin Murdock Lincoln Stars 35 2005 21 10 4 75 1 0.920 2.24 Troy Grosenick Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 24 1363 13 5 4 53 1 0.910 2.33 Steve Summerhays Green Bay Gamblers 23 1328 15 6 1 52 1 0.909 2.35 Mike Johnson Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 39 2264 23 12 0 90 3 0.909 2.39 Mike Lee Fargo Force 48 2745 26 15 0 110 3 0.918 2.40
Clark Cup Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Eastern Division
(E1) Green Bay Gamblers vs. (E4) Waterloo Black Hawks
(E2) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders vs. (E3) Indiana Ice
Western Division
(W1) Lincoln Stars vs. (W4) Sioux Falls Stampede
(W2) Omaha Lancers vs. (W3) Fargo Force
Semifinals
Eastern Division
(E1) Green Bay Gamblers vs. (E3) Indiana Ice
Western Division
(E1) Lincoln Stars vs. (E3) Fargo Force
Clark Cup Finals
(E3) Indiana Ice vs. (W3) Fargo Force
Awards Coach of the Year: Dean Blais Fargo Force Curt Hammer Award: Mike Walsh Chicago Steel Defenseman of the Year: John Moore Chicago Steel Executive of the Year: Jim Pflug Lincoln Stars Forward of the Year: Andrew Miller Chicago Steel General Manager of the Year: Jon Cooper Green Bay Gamblers Goaltender of the Year: Mike Lee Fargo Force Organization of the Year: Fargo Force Player of the Year: Andrew Miller Chicago Steel Rookie of the Year: Louis Leblanc Omaha Lancers Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jeff Teglia Omaha Lancers
First Team All-Stars Brett Bennett (Goalie) Indiana Ice John Moore (Defense) Chicago Steel Matt Donovan (Defense) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Andrew Miller (Forward) Chicago Steel Craig Smith (Forward) Waterloo Black Hawks
Second Team All-Stars Kevin Murdock (Goalie) Lincoln Stars Jake Newton (Defense) Lincoln Stars David Makowski (Defense) Green Bay Gamblers Stephane Da Costa (Forward) Sioux City Musketeers Mike Seidel (Forward) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Anthony Taranto (Forward) Fargo Force
References
External links Official website of the United States Hockey League