The 2024–25 USPHL Premier season was the 12th season of the Premier Division of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The regular season ran from September 6, 2024 to March 2, 2025 with an unbalanced schedule. The Vernal Oilers won the regular season championship and went on to defeat the Springfield Pics 6–2 in the Championship game.
Member changes On January 25, 2024, the Muskegon Lumberjacks announced that their affiliate, the Red Bank Generals, would join the USPHL's Premier Division for this season.
On February 12, the USPHL announced the addition of five Canadian teams, the Hawkesbury Knights, Kingston Wranglers, Montreal Black Vees, Somang Hockey, and Universel Sherbrooke. The five teams joined Universel Collège Gatineau to form a new Canada Division.
In March, the Ventura Vikings joined the Pacific Division of the USPHL Premier.
A week later, the Bremerton Sockeyes, Colorado Fighting Elk, Mercer Chiefs, Thunder Hockey Club and West Chester Wolves were added as additional expansion franchises.
At the same time, the Buffalo Stampede relocated and became the Fresh Coast Freeze, the Las Vegas Thunderbirds relocated and became the Henderson Force, the Nashville Spartans relocated and became the Red River Spartans and the Casper Roughnecks relocated and became the Iron County Yeti.
At the beginning of April, the Long Beach Shredders rebranded as the Long Beach Bombers.
Over the summer, the league approved the transfer of the Boston Junior Rangers and the Worcester Jr. Railers from the Eastern Hockey League.
In August, the Columbia Infantry announced that they would not be fielding a team for this season.
The Palm Beach Typhoon suspended play after a game against the Dells Ducks on January 6. Neither the team nor the league made explicit mention of the reason. While the team cancelled its final 19 games, the Typhoon remained members of the league and were included on the USPHL's schedule for the 2025–26 season.
Regular season
The standings at the end of the regular season were as follows:
Note: x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched regular season title Standings Atlantic Division Team xy – Connecticut Jr. Rangers 44319466213127 x – Elmira Impact 442911462197132 x – West Chester Wolves 442711660152104 x – Red Bank Generals 442812460193153 x – Mercer Chiefs 442316551163150 x – Rockets Hockey Club 442418250190159 x – P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 442216650175166 x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 441721640129154 Jersey Hitmen 441526333131199 Hershey Cubs 441427331106168 Brooklyn Aviators 44536313107275
Canada Division Team xy – Montreal Black Vees 442715256193156 x – Hawkesbury Knights 442515454197127 x – Universel Sherbrooke 442217549173149 x – Universel Collège Gatineau 442022242179189 x – Somang Hockey 441823339173198 x – Kingston Wranglers 444400855310
Florida Division Team xy – Tampa Bay Juniors 42337268228108 x – Bold City Battalion 422412654160136 x – Florida Eels 402412452147115 x – Atlanta Madhatters 421525232121168 x – Florida Jr. Blades 391226125111173 Palm Beach Typhoon 253220647155
Great Lakes Division Team xy – Metro Jets 4436807226170 x – Toledo Cherokee 4435817123877 x – Columbus Mavericks 442717054202169 x – Red River Spartans 442221145167203 x – Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones 441429129127210 x – Battle Creek Kernels 44934119106237 Fresh Coast Freeze 44538111104301
Midwest Division Team xy – Fort Wayne Spacemen 4433836924593 x – Chicago Crush 442911462197124 x – Metro Jets Development Program 442219347147154 x – Chicago Cougars 442321046137141 x – Decatur Blaze 441030424101204 x – Motor City Gamblers 4483421892219
New England Division Team xy – Islanders Hockey Club 4437437722088 x – Springfield Pics 44328468205110 x – Northern Cyclones 4430956515399 x – South Shore Kings 443012262149105 x – Utica Jr. Comets 442220246126138 x – Worcester Jr. Railers 442120345145146 x – Boston Junior Bruins 442020444154162 x – Boston Junior Rangers 441225731130170 Thunder Hockey Club 4453631397272
North Division Team xy – Minnesota Squatch 4436627424298 x – Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 4435727222990 x – Northwest Express 442913260222142 x – Minnesota Mullets 442517252191148 x – Dells Ducks 442419149187169 x – Minnesota Blue Ox 442220246151157 x – Steele County Blades 442020444173176 x – Isanti Outlaws 44734317106274 Hudson Havoc 4453901088278
Northwet Division Team xyz – Vernal Oilers 4444008840669 x – Seattle Totems 4440408034970 x – Bellingham Blazers 442716155176154 x – Iron County Yeti 441330127141326 Rogue Valley Royals 4493411991268 Bremerton Sockeyes 4473431782264 Colorado Fighting Elk 44637113105338
Pacific Division Team xy – Fresno Monsters 46379074270127 x – Lake Tahoe Lakers 463310369278148 x – Ontario Jr. Reign 463311268245126 x – Henderson Force 462915260189132 San Diego Sabers 462322147188184 Bakersfield Roughnecks 461626436158245 Ventura Vikings 461627335170255 Long Beach Bombers 461034222121232
Southeast Division Team xy – Charlotte Rush 4429876515997 x – Hampton Roads Whalers 44289763162132 x – Potomac Patriots 443012262177150 x – Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 442117648140127
Statistics
Scoring leaders
Player Team Roman Wolynec Seattle Totems 43 39 124 163 24 Aatu Suontakanen Seattle Totems 41 49 77 126 14 Knut Hörnkvist San Diego Sabers 45 32 71 103 64 Cannon Bonifay Minnesota Squatch 44 44 57 101 18 Kasper Pohjala Vernal Oilers 28 26 71 97 10 Simon Eriksson Fresno Monsters 44 40 54 94 12 Roni Alanko Vernal Oilers 27 47 43 90 26 Brian Erte Lake Tahoe Lakers 46 28 61 89 10 Sam Bailey San Diego Sabers 46 40 48 88 20 Denver Craig Ontario Jr. Reign 33 38 50 88 60
Leading goaltenders
Player Team GP Mins W L OTL SOL SO GAA SV% Rostislav Efremov Metro Jets 15 809 13 0 0 0 5 1.19 0.953 Thomas Cafarelli Islanders Hockey Club 13 723 11 1 0 0 5 1.41 0.950 Evan Crawford Charlotte Rush 18 1089 14 2 1 1 5 1.49 0.950 Cole Fennema Seattle Totems 23 1250 19 1 0 0 10 1.54 0.935 Jordan Nicolucci Fort Wayne Spacemen 13 691 9 2 1 0 3 1.56 0.933 Caleb Kril Toledo Cherokee 22 1197 17 4 0 1 6 1.60 0.943 Matthew Dore South Shore Kings 25 1479 19 4 1 0 3 1.66 0.944 Andrew Parmentier Metro Jets 16 2231 11 5 0 0 4 1.77 0.925 Austin Nowak Toledo Cherokee 20 1081 13 4 0 0 2 1.78 0.942 Daniel Cleofe Seattle Totems 19 1087 16 3 0 0 5 1.82 0.913
Premier Division playoffs Teams are reseeded after the quarterfinal rounds. Divisional Round February 26 – March 15 Atlantic
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Canada
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Canada Quarterfinals
(3) Universel Sherbrooke vs. (6) Kingston Wranglers
(4) Universel Sherbrooke vs. (5) Kingston Wranglers
Canada Semifinals
(1) Montreal Black Vees vs. (4) Universel Collège Gatineau
(2) Hawkesbury Knights vs. (3) Universel Sherbrooke
Canada Finals
(1) Montreal Black Vees vs. (3) Universel Sherbrooke
Florida
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Florida Play-In
(4) Atlanta Madhatters vs. (5) Toledo Cherokee
Florida First Round
(1) Tampa Bay Juniors vs. (5) Toledo Cherokee
(2) Bold City Battalion vs. (3) Florida Eels
Florida Losers Semifinal
(2) Bold City Battalion vs. (5) Florida Eels
Florida Winners Semifinals
(1) Tampa Bay Juniors vs. (3) Florida Eels
Florida Losers Final
(2) Bold City Battalion vs. (3) Florida Eels
Florida Finals
(1) Tampa Bay Juniors vs. (2) Bold City Battalion
Great Lakes
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Great Lakes Quarterfinals
(3) Columbus Mavericks vs. (6) Battle Creek Kernels
(4) Red River Spartans vs. (5) Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones
Great Lakes Semifinals
(1) Metro Jets vs. (5) Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones
(2) Toledo Cherokee vs. (3) Columbus Mavericks
Great Lakes Final
(1) Metro Jets vs. (2) Toledo Cherokee
Midwest
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Midwest Quarterfinals
(3) MJDP vs. (6) Motor City Gamblers
(4) Chicago Cougars vs. (5) Decatur Blaze
Midwest Semifinals
(1) Fort Wayne Spacemen vs. (4) Chicago Cougars
(2) Chicago Crush vs. (3) MJDP
Midwest Finals
(1) Fort Wayne Spacemen vs. (4) Chicago Crush
New England
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
New England Quarterfinals
(1) Islanders Hockey Club vs. (8) Boston Junior Rangers
(2) Springfield Pics vs. (7) Boston Junior Bruins
(3) Northern Cyclones vs. (6) Worcester Jr. Railers
(4) South Shore Kings vs. (5) Utica Jr. Comets
New England Semifinals
(1) Islanders Hockey Club vs. (4) South Shore Kings
(2) Springfield Pics vs. (3) Northern Cyclones
(1) Islanders Hockey Club vs. (2) Springfield Pics
North
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
North Quarterfinals
(1) Minnesota Squatch vs. (8) Isanti Outlaws
(2) Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings vs. (7) Steele County Blades
(3) Northwest Express vs. (6) Minnesota Blue Ox
(4) Minnesota Mullets vs. (5) Dells Ducks
North Semifinals
(1) Minnesota Squatch vs. (4) Minnesota Mullets
(2) Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings vs. (3) Northwest Express
North Finals
(1) Minnesota Squatch vs. (2) Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings
Northwest
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Northwest Semifinals
(1) Vernal Oilers vs. (4) Iron County Yeti
(2) Seattle Totems vs. (3) Bellingham Blazers
Northwest Finals
(1) Vernal Oilers vs. (2) Seattle Totems
Pacific
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Southeast
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
National Round March 20 – March 24 Due to the imbalanced nature of the schedule, the 10 qualifying teams were ranked as follows: Seed Team Division 1 Vernal Oilers 88 Northwest 2 Fresno Monsters 74 Pacific 3 Metro Jets 72 Great Lakes 4 Tampa Bay Juniors 68 Florida 5 Springfield Pics 68 New England 6 Potomac Patriots 62 Southeast 7 Fort Wayne Spacemen 69 Midwest 8 Minnesota Squatch 74 North 9 P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 50 Atlantic 10 Universel Sherbrooke 49 Canada
The teams were then divided into two separate pools (Division 1 and Division 2)
Division 1 Seed Team Division 2 Fresno Monsters 74 Pacific 3 Metro Jets 72 Great Lakes 4 Tampa Bay Juniors 68 Florida 5 Springfield Pics 68 New England 8 Minnesota Squatch 74 North 9 P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 50 Atlantic
Division 2 Seed Team Division 1 Vernal Oilers 88 Northwest 6 Potomac Patriots 62 Southeast 7 Fort Wayne Spacemen 69 Midwest 10 Universel Sherbrooke 49 Canada
The two pools then played separate round-robin series with the top two finishers in each Division advancing to the national semifinals. Each team would play three games regardless of the number of opponents in their respective divisions. Ties were broken first by head-to-head matches and then by goal differential.
Division 1
Scores in italics denote overtime or shootout finish
Standings Team Tampa Bay Juniors 20107118+3 Springfield Pics 20016178+9 P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 20016138+5 Metro Jets 1101547-3 Fresno Monsters 100231314-2 Minnesota Squatch 00030719-12
Division 2
Scores in italics denote overtime or shootout finish
Standings Team Potomac Patriots 20107139+4 Vernal Oilers 20016147+7 Fort Wayne Spacemen 11015148+6 Universel Sherbrooke 00030421-17
National Round
March 20
March 21
March 22
Championship round
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
Semifinals
(1) Vernal Oilers vs. (4) Tampa Bay Juniors
(5) Springfield Pics vs. (6) Potomac Patriots
Finals
(1) Vernal Oilers vs. (5) Springfield Pics
References
General reference
External links Official website of the USPHL Premier Division