The procurement of players for USHL teams follows a cycle that emphasizes drafting players at an age when players are physically and mentally mature enough to play a regular shift in the USHL. But don't forget that Tier I Junior hockey is a for-profit business.
Developing players are signed, brought in, trained OR sold, traded, sent home as teams decide which players are going to sign with a college and which are contributing the most to the success of the team. It's a trade off. Players get an opportunity to develop. Owners get an opportunity to brings in fans, sell concessions and merchandise and which all brings in more money. Tier I teams are responsible to pay for the room/board and all hockey fees for the players on their rosters.
USHL Draft Process
The following is the Draft process for USHL team's procurement of players for the 2012-13 season:
1. At the beginning of the 2012-2013 season, each USHL team may have 23 players on their active roster. These are the actual players on the team who will play in the games.
2.April 2012 will mark the first of two drafts that the USHL holds each year. This draft is called the "Futures Draft" because the players selected in this draft, while eligible, usually will not play in the USHL during the 2012-2013 season. The 2011 Futures Draft restricts teams to selecting players who have a 1996 birth year. Each team will draft 6 players in the Futures Draft. These are the players each team may keep protected on an Affiliate List through the 2012-13 season while these players continue to develop at a lower level of hockey during the season.
3.Each year, each USHL team will submit an Initial Protected List of veteran players from the previous season, who will make up the back of the team.
4.The second and main USHL draft will be held on May 2012. This draft is open to players with birthdates ranging from 1992 to 1997. Teams will fill their roster to a total of 30 players on this date, in addition to the 10 they have on their Affiliate List. The total number of players that a team will draft will vary depending on the number of returning players they have on the Initial Protected List. Typically teams will have 9 returning players, as 14 on average will be moving on to the NHL or NCAA Division I hockey. This is an average, and not a guarantee. Some teams will protect more players and some will protect less. Teams will have their training camps/tryouts in June and July. Teams will typically have 60-80 players at their training camps. 30 of the players at the camp are returning players or drafted players that the team has protected. The remaining 30-50 players are invited by the team.
By July 1st, 2012 teams must be down to a 25-man protected list from all the players that were at their training camps in June. Because the USHL is a relatively small league with only 15 teams, and each team only drafts a small number of players relative to other leagues, there are plenty of undrafted players who make the USHL every year.
5.Teams take their 25-man roster to the USHL's Fall Classic at the end of September 2011. The Fall Classic is a pre-season event where all of the USHL teams gather in one USHL location to play in front of over 100 NHL scouts and all NCAA Division I schools.
6.Right after the Fall Classic and prior to October 1, 2012, each team will reduce their roster to 23. These 23 players make up the team's active roster for the 2012-13 season.
What does a player have to do to become eligible?Nothing, players are automatically eligible. Nothing in addition to playing has to be done. No phone calls need to be made and no forms need to be filled out.
How old do you have to be to get drafted?
Although there is no formal age restriction, USHL players generally are between the ages of 16-20.
How many rounds are in the draft?
That number varies. Prior to the draft, each team submits an initial protected list consisting of the veteran players that they wish to protect and also the players that they drafted for their affiliate list. Once that number is established, teams will draft until their list reaches 23 players. When a team reaches 23 players, they are done selecting until every team in the league gets to that number. Once everybody is at 23 players, then teams will begin selecting again until their list reaches 30 players. When every team has 30 players on their list, they are finished selecting and the draft is complete.
What is the affiliate list?
The affiliate list is made up of players in the U-18 category. The list contains players that can be added anytime over the course of the season, either for full-time duty or as an injury replacement. These players can be drafted either during the entry draft or the futures draft. These players do not have to play in 10 games to be given veteran status and can be placed on a team's initial protected list.
How many players can be drafted onto the affiliate list?
Each team is allowed to draft and assign 12 players to their affiliate list.
Who is considered a veteran player?
A veteran is classified as any player who played in 10 or more games for that team in the previous season. Regular season and playoff games both count toward this number.
How is the draft order determined?
The order is determined using the reverse order of standing based on points accumulated from the previous season. In other words, the team that finished last in the previous season will have the first pick, while the team that finished first overall will have the last pick.
Does getting drafted guarantee you are on the team?No. Getting drafted simply means that your USHL rights belong to that team. It does not guarantee that you will be on the team at the start of next season.
If drafted, does a player still need to go through tryout camps?Yes. Coaches usually require that all returning veterans, as well as players that are drafted go through tryout camps just like the players that aren't drafted but do get invited.
Is it possible to get drafted by more than one team?No. Players can only be drafted by one USHL team.
Is it possible to be drafted into more than one league?Yes, players can be drafted into several different leagues. However, they are only allowed to play in one and will be classified in one September 15.
Can a player still get drafted even though he has signed a tender with another league?Yes, the tenders that are signed in other leagues have no bearing on the USHL or its draft.
How does a player know when he is drafted?
Players will be notified of their selection within 24-48 hours of the draft by the coach of the team that selected them.
Is the draft open to the public?
You will be able to follow the draft online at www.ushldraft.com. Public availability of the draft is subject to change.
What about the protected lists, will those be posted as well?
Individual team protected lists will be posted following the draft. Once the draft is completed, the USHL will have a dead period lasting approximately two weeks where no roster movement can take place.
