The 2020–21 USHL
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
was the 42nd
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
of the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
as an all-junior league.
Due to the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the previous season was curtailed on March 12, 2020, without holding a playoff or awarding a
Clark Cup
The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USH ...
champion. As pandemic-related restrictions were still in effect, the start of the 2020–21 season was delayed to November 2020.
During the offseason, the
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Before moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1999, the team was based in Mason City, where they were known as the North Iowa Huski ...
' home arena was damaged during the
August 10 derecho, forcing the team to suspend operations for at least the 2020–21 season. The
Madison Capitols
The Madison Capitols are a Tier I junior ice hockey team that plays in the Eastern Conference of the United States Hockey League. Founded in 2014, the team plays its home games at Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Histor ...
chose to not participate due to pandemic restrictions in
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...
.
The regular season ran from November 6, 2020, to April 24, 2021, with a 54-game schedule for each team. Due to pandemic safety protocols, several games were postponed or cancelled, with six of the fourteen teams completing all 54 games. For the second consecutive season, the
Chicago Steel
The Chicago Steel are an ice hockey team that plays in the United States Hockey League since 2000. The Steel have played their home games at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois since 2015; previously, the team played at Edge Ice Arena in ...
were awarded the
Anderson Cup
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
for accumulating 81 points in 54 games for a 0.750
points percentage. The Steel also won the
Clark Cup
The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USH ...
playoff championship.
Regular season
Due to the unbalanced schedule during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the league ranked teams on
points percentage.
Final standings:
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
''x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched conference title; z = clinched regular season title''
Statistical leaders
Scoring leaders
Players are listed by points, then goals.
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts. = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''
Leading goaltenders
''Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SOL = Shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage ''
Clark Cup playoffs
Final results:
Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Chicago Steel vs. (E4) Dubuque Fighting Saints
(E2) Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. (E3) Green Bay Gamblers
Western Conference
(W1) Tri-City Storm vs. (W4) Fargo Force
(W2) Omaha Lancers vs. (W3) Sioux City Musketeers
Conference Finals
Eastern Conference
(E1) Chicago Steel vs. (E2) Muskegon Lumberjacks
Western Conference
(W3) Sioux City Musketeers vs. (W4) Fargo Force
Clark Cup Finals
(E1) Chicago Steel vs. (W4) Fargo Force
Playoff scoring leaders
''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''
Playoff leading goaltenders
''Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average''
Postseason awards
USHL awards
All-USHL First Team
Source
All-USHL Second Team
Source
All-USHL Third Team
Source
USHL All-Rookie Team
Source
All-Rookie Second Team
Source
References
External links
Official website of the United States Hockey League
{{DEFAULTSORT:2020-21 Ushl Season
United States Hockey League seasons
USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...