2019–20 USPHL Premier season

2019–20 USPHL Premier season
LeagueUnited States Premier Hockey League
Premier
SportIce hockey
DurationRegular season
September, 2019 – March , 2020
Post-season
March 2020
Number of games44–14
Number of teams52
Regular season
Season championsRockets Hockey Club
USPHL Premier Playoffs

The 2019–20 USPHL Premier season was the 7th season of the Premier Division of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The regular season ran from September 18, 2020 to March 6, 2021 with an unbalanced schedule. The Rockets Hockey Club won the regular season championship. On March 12, 2020, after the Divisional postseason round had been completed, the USPHL cancelled the remainder of the playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Member changes

  • In January of 2019, the USPHL approved the addition of the Charleston Colonials as an expansion franchise.[1]
  • In the same month, the Carolina Eagles announced a merger with the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes organization. The Eagles would rebrand under Hurricanes banner for this season.[2]
  • On March 15, the Syracuse Stars announced a merger with the Utica Jr. Comets organization. The team relocated and assumed the name of their new parent club.[3]
  • On May 16, the USPHL announced the addition of the Columbus Mavericks as an expansion franchise.[5]
  • A few days later, the Fort Wayne Spacemen were also approved an expansion franchise.[6]
  • In the offseason, both the Lake Erie Bighorns and P.A.L. Jr. Islanders returned from their one-year hiatus.
  • Over the summer, the Niagara Falls Thunder relocated and became the Buffalo Thunder and the Kasson Vipers relocated and became the Rochester Vipers.
  • Due to uncertainty about their home arena, the Wooster Oilers suspended play prior to the season.[7]
  • When the USPHL began the season, the Atlanta Kings, DME Swamp Rabbits, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack and Tri-City Ice Hawks had all been removed from the league.[8]
  • On October 20, 2019, after forfeiting two games to the Springfield Pics, the Jersey Shore Whalers were removed from the league and promptly folded.[9]

Regular season

The standings at the end of the regular season were as follows:[10]

Note: x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched regular season title

Standings

Florida Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Florida Eels 44 32 9 3 67 190 125
x – Tampa Bay Juniors 44 21 20 3 45 173 151
x – Charleston Colonials 44 21 21 2 44 117 149
x – Florida Jr. Blades 44 16 23 5 37 132 162
Atlanta Madhatters 44 11 29 4 26 110 191

Great Lakes Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Metro Jets 44 36 7 1 73 271 87
x – Pittsburgh Vengeance 43 33 7 3 69 199 84
x – Toledo Cherokee 44 31 12 1 63 210 141
x – Lake Erie Bighorns 44 20 22 2 42 114 146
x – Lansing Wolves 44 14 27 3 31 123 198
x – Columbus Mavericks 44 7 35 2 16 124 259

Mid-Atlantic Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xyz – Rockets Hockey Club 44 38 6 0 76 249 79
x – New York Aviators 44 34 8 2 70 263 121
x – Philadelphia Hockey Club 44 27 14 3 57 190 132
x – Skipjacks Hockey Club 44 26 16 1 53 158 130
x – New Jersey Hitmen 44 12 29 3 27 116 169
x – P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 44 10 32 2 22 87 202
Jersey Shore Whalers 14 1 12 1 3 12 61

Midwest East Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Chicago Cougars 44 35 8 1 71 299 104
x – Decatur Blaze 44 23 18 3 49 189 161
x – Metro Jets Development Program 44 22 20 2 46 130 123
x – Fort Wayne Spacemen 44 21 19 4 46 203 179
x – Detroit Fighting Irish 44 12 30 2 26 130 292
x – Midwest Blackbirds 44 12 32 0 24 110 279
x – Motor City Hockey Club 44 4 39 1 9 78 311

Midwest West Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Hudson Havoc 44 33 8 3 69 219 96
x – Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 44 31 11 2 64 205 89
x – Minnesota Moose 44 29 12 3 61 202 122
x – Minnesota Blue Ox 44 26 14 4 56 210 152
x – Rum River Mallards 44 26 17 1 53 207 154
x – Minnesota Mullets 44 22 17 5 49 175 149
x – Steele County Blades 44 11 31 2 24 99 240
x – Dells Ducks 43 9 32 3 21 108 221
Rochester Vipers 44 6 38 0 12 88 284

New England Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Islanders Hockey Club 44 36 5 3 75 209 89
x – Northern Cyclones 44 28 11 5 61 162 105
x – New Hampshire Junior Monarchs 44 28 12 4 60 150 128
x – Boston Bandits 44 24 15 5 53 151 115
x – Twin City Thunder 44 22 21 1 45 157 176
x – Boston Junior Bruins 44 21 20 3 45 144 137
South Shore Kings 44 14 24 6 34 127 167

Northeast Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Utica Jr. Comets 44 30 11 3 63 194 122
x – Springfield Pics 44 29 14 1 59 167 108
x – Connecticut Jr. Rangers 44 21 21 2 44 175 168
x – Buffalo Thunder 43 16 25 2 34 134 193
x – Rochester Monarchs 44 6 34 4 16 93 267
x – Connecticut Nighthawks 43 5 38 0 10 74 322

Southeast Division

Team GP W L OTL Pts GF GA
xy – Charlotte Rush 44 34 9 1 69 190 86
x – Hampton Roads Whalers 44 31 11 2 64 179 89
x – Richmond Generals 44 26 17 1 53 167 138
x – Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 44 24 17 3 51 160 131
Potomac Patriots 44 20 22 2 42 120 159

Premier Division playoffs

Divisional Round

Teams are reseeded after the quarterfinal rounds.

Florida

Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
   
1 Florida Eels 2
4 Florida Jr. Blades 1
2 Tampa Bay Juniors 2
3 Charleston Colonials 0

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Great Lakes

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3) 		Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
1 Metro Jets 2
3 Toledo Cherokee 2 4 Lake Erie Bighorns 0
6 Columbus Mavericks 0
2 Pittsburgh Vengeance 2
4 Lake Erie Bighorns 2 3 Toledo Cherokee 0
5 Lansing Wolves 1

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Mid-Atlantic

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3) 		Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
1 New Jersey Rockets 2
3 Philadelphia Hockey Club 2 4 Skipjacks Hockey Club 0
6 P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 1
2 New York Aviators 2
4 Skipjacks Hockey Club 2 3 Philadelphia Hockey Club 0
5 Jersey Hitmen 1

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Midwest East

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3) 		Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
      
1 Chicago Cougars 2
4 Fort Wayne Spacemen 1
2 Decatur Blaze 2
7 Motor City Hockey Club 0
3 Metro Jets Development Program 2
6 Midwest Blackbirds 0
2 Decatur Blaze 2
3 Metro Jets Development Program 0
4 Fort Wayne Spacemen 2
5 Detroit Fighting Irish 0

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Midwest West

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3) 		Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
      
1 Hudson Havoc 2
8 Dells Ducks 0
1 Hudson Havoc 2
4 Minnesota Blue Ox 0
2 Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 2
7 Steele County Blades 0
3 Minnesota Moose 2
6 Minnesota Mullets 0
2 Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings 1
3 Minnesota Moose 2
4 Minnesota Blue Ox 2
5 Rum River Mallards 1

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

New England

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3) 		Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
1 Islanders Hockey Club 2
3 New Hampshire Junior Monarchs 1 6 Boston Junior Bruins 1
6 Boston Junior Bruins 2
2 Northern Cyclones 0
4 Boston Bandits 2 4 Boston Bandits 2
5 Twin City Thunder 0

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Northeast

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3) 		Semifinals
(Best-of-3)
1 Utica Jr. Comets 2
3 Connecticut Jr. Rangers 2 4 Buffalo Thunder 0
6 Connecticut Nighthawks 0
2 Springfield Pics 2
4 Buffalo Thunder 2 3 Connecticut Jr. Rangers 0
5 Rochester Monarchs 0

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Southeast

Semifinal
(Best-of-3)
   
1 Charlotte Rush 2
4 Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 0
2 Hampton Roads Whalers 2
3 Richmond Generals 0

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

Remainder of postseason cancelled

References

  1. ^ "Charleston Colonials, set to debut in 2019-20, name Hunter Bishop as head coach of USPHL Premier team". The Junior Hockey News. January 28, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  2. ^ "Carolina Hurricanes; CJHHA celebrate 15 years of Junior Canes hockey". Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  3. ^ "UTICA JR COMETS MERGE WITH SYRACUSE STARS". Utica Jr. Comets. March 15, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "Atlanta Mad Hatters excited for 2019-20 debut season, announce tryout changes". USPHL. April 11, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  5. ^ "Columbus Mavericks set to join USPHL Premier for 2019-20 season". The Junior Hockey News. May 16, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  6. ^ "Spacemen hope to fill local hockey 'gap'". Journal Gazette. May 20, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  7. ^ "Wooster Oilers Excited To Make Return To USPHL Premier in 2020-21". USPHL. May 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central. September 16, 2019.
  9. ^ "The Death Pool – USPHL Whalers Get Harpooned". The Junior Hockey News. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  10. ^ "USPHL Standings". United States Premier Hockey League. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
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