By Todd Klein, Head Athletic Trainer, Waterloo Black Hawks
As we are winding down the regular season, everyone here in the USHL wants to wish all the playoff teams best of luck. We also are looking forward to seeing everyone at our summer meeting.
The Youngstown Phantoms and the Sioux Falls Stampede are battling for the Anderson Cup with one week to go in the season. Should be an exciting finish!
By Corey Courtney, Head Athletic Trainer and Head Equipment Manager, Lincoln Stars
We would like to start off by thanking Anita, Natalie and the rest of the PHATS/SPHEM staff for the wonderful hospitality and putting together another spectacular PHATS/SPHEM Conference in Phoenix. We had a record turnout of representatives from the USHL and expect at least one member from each USHL team to be in attendance in Florida this summer. It’s always wonderful catching up with everyone.
Congratulations to the players, coaching staff and fans of the Youngstown Phantoms for capturing their first USHL Clark Cup Championship in 2022-2023. A very big congratulations to Amber Martinelli (AT) and Steven Smith (EM) for winning a Clark Cup in both of their inaugural seasons in the USHL. The Fargo Force also captured their first league championship Anderson Cup. Congratulations to Derrick Grieshaber (AT) and Matt Oliver (EM) for their first Anderson Cup. Finally, congratulations to the USHL players, coaching staff and USA Hockey on winning Gold at the 2022 World Junior Challenge in Cornwall, ON. Corey Courtney (AT, EM) and Spencer Popinga (EM, SC).
We in the USHL would like to say a big congratulations and best of luck by wishing Chris Ipson and Dave Stahlke a very happy retirement. Both were fixtures in the USHL and both will be missed dearly. Chris spent 12 years with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders as both the AT and EM and Dave was the AT with the Green Bay Gamblers for the past 20 seasons.
We would also like to recognize and express our heartfelt condolences to the family, former teammates, staff members and friends of Adam Johnson after the terrible tragedy on October 28th. The USHL issued a league wide moment of silence remembering Adam and celebrating his life. Adam will truly be missed and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who had the honor to be in Adam’s life. Adam played with the Indiana Ice and the Sioux City Musketeers over a 3-year span in the USHL.
We would like to introduce and welcome the following new Athletic Trainers and Equipment Managers to the USHL for the 2023-24 season:
Nick Peyton — EM (DesMoines Buccaneers)
Alex Zillig – EM (Omaha Lancers)
Callie Sitter – AT (Sioux City Musketeers)
Sean Kuehn – AT (Tri-City Storm)
RJ Harris – EM (Tri-City Storm)
Chris Kiefer – EM (Waterloo Blackhawks)
Levi Wade – AT (Cedar Rapids Roughriders)
Parker Anderson – EM (Cedar Rapids Roughriders)
Adrienne Lewis – AT (Green Bay Gamblers)
Issac Albers — EM (Green Bay Gamblers)
Cam Batty – EM (Madison Capitals)
Ed Duffy – EM (Muskegon Lumberjacks)
Best of luck to everyone this season! We hope the 2023-2024 season is both a memorable and safe one for all!
By Todd Klein, Head Athletic Trainer, Waterloo Black Hawks
It’s hard to believe the 22-23 season is winding down and the playoffs are right around the corner. Best of luck to those of you that get to continue your seasons. Here in the USHL, we have one month left in the regular season. Congratulations to Chris Ipson ATC (Cedar Rapids Roughriders) and Todd Klein ATC (Waterloo Black Hawks) on their 1500th game worked. We are all looking forward to next season when we will be going back to pre-Covid scheduling where we get to play everybody in the league. Also, very excited to see everyone in Phoenix this summer at our annual meeting!
By Todd Klein, Head Athletic Trainer, Waterloo Black Hawks
It’s time to get back to hockey! Hope everyone had a great summer. It was fun seeing people again at the summer meeting in Marco Island. Now that everyone has been back at it for a month or so, I hope you are all having a good start to the season. There are a lot of new faces here in the USHL. Congratulations to all our Athletic Trainers and Equipment Managers that moved up to the pro ranks. Welcome to all the new staff! Look forward to meeting everyone soon!
by Todd Klein
Head Athletic Trainer
Waterloo Black Hawks
As all of our seasons are winding down, we here in the USHL want to wish everyone the best of luck as the regular season ends and playoffs start up. It’s been another crazy year with Covid. We have all worked hard keeping our players safe and want to say thank you for all the hard work!
Hopefully we can have a relaxing off-season. Hope to see everyone in person at our summer meet in Florida!
by Todd Klein
Head Athletic Trainer
Waterloo Black Hawks
As we get the 2021-2022 season underway. All of us here in the USHL want to wish everyone best of luck! Let’s hope this season is a safe and healthy one. It’s good to get back to normal.
Welcome to all of our new athletic trainers and equipment managers. I look forward to working with you all. Let’s all stay in contact throughout the season so we can keep things running smoothly.
Congratulations to our former staff that have moved on to the next level.
by Todd Klein
Head Athletic Trainer
Waterloo Black Hawks
What a long, strange trip it’s been. As the season winds down, I hope everyone is staying healthy. This has been one of, if not the most difficult seasons for all of us. I would like to commend all of our athletic trainers and equipment managers in the league for all their hard work to let us get through the season with only a few bumps in the road. For those of you continuing on to the playoffs, best of luck to you! Hope to see all of you virtually during the summer meeting.
by Todd Klein
Head Athletic Trainer
Waterloo Black Hawks
Welcome back to hockey from the USHL! Our teams and league office have been working hard during these times of uncertainty to get hockey going again. We were able to start training camps on September 14th with a slightly shortened regular season starting on November 6th.
We would like to thank everyone who has helped us get started including the NHL who helped with intake testing. If all goes as planned, we will be playing a 54 game schedule (normally 62).
Unfortunately, we lost 2 teams for the upcoming season. The Cedar Rapids Roughriders had their building destroyed by the Deracho that went through the Midwest on August 10th. The Covid-19 restrictions in Dane county Wisconsin cost the Madison Capitols their season. We look forward to having them both back next season.
The Waterloo Black Hawks did their own Bubble training camp before their players moved in with their billets.
Thanks to the Hockey News for doing an article about our bubble.
Best of luck to everyone getting started. May they have a healthy season ahead.
by Todd Klein
Head Athletic Trainer
Waterloo Black Hawks
What a crazy finish to the hockey season! Here in the USHL we have suspended operations for now hoping to return soon, but things don’t look too good. Hope to see everyone at the PHATS/SPHEM this summer. Stay healthy!
by Todd Klein
Head Athletic Trainer
Waterloo Black Hawks
Welcome back to the 2019-2020 hockey season. We have been at it since late August here in the USHL with all of our high school kids.
Welcome to our new Athletic Trainers with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, Madison Capitols, Omaha Lancers, and the Sioux City Musketeers. Also, welcome our new Equipment managers with the Des Moines Buccaneers, Madison Capitols, Sioux City Musketeers, and the Tri-City Storm. Best of luck to our staff members that have moved on to the collegiate and professional ranks.
Congratulations to all the players that were drafted in the NHL draft in June. The USHL had another record year in the draft, including the number 1 overall pick.
Best of luck to everyone as we get started. Stay healthy and safe.