This weekend's United States Hockey League action features a showdown between what have been two of the league's top three teams so far this season.
It won't be a preview of the Clark Cup, however.
Friday and Saturday night, the 4-0 Des Moines Buccaneers travel to Ann Arbor Michigan to take on the 8-0-1 USA Under 18 team. But despite the fact that the Under 18 team is considered a league member, they are ineligible to win the Clark Cup. They can win the Anderson Cup, symbolic of the regular season championship, but not the Clark Cup or the Gold Cup.
It seems this is only one of the inconsistencies and oddities surrounding the Under 18s.
Although Buccaneer coach Scott Owens told the Des Moines Register that he thinks having the Under 18s in the league is a good idea, he seems to be in the minority. Most USHL observers question what benefit the league is receiving by playing against the Under 18s.
The Under 18s are part of the National Team Development Program (NDTP), a program set up by USA Hockey to increase the performance of USA teams at the international level. The Under 18s are based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, some 422 miles from their closest USHL rival (Dubuque). Fargo is 891 miles from Ann Arbor, creating one of the longest junior hockey road trips in the country.
It's easy to understand why USHL teams might be skeptical because of the travel, but that's not the only reason some observers would rather see the Under 18s play elsewhere. The Under 18s recruit from the same talent pool as USHL teams, and there are several 17-year-olds playing in the league this year. It's hard to say how many of the Under 18 players would be playing for USHL teams this year if not for the NDTP, but concerns have been raised about playing a team with the resources of the NDTP and then trying to recruit against them the following season.
Attendance in Ann Arbor has been less than impressive so far. The Under 18s have averaged just 220 fans through their first six home games. Their Oct. 3 win against Waterloo drew just 54 fans. It is quite possible that was the first regular season game in USHL history where players, officials, and arena employees outnumbered the fans. And while the purpose of the NDTP might not be to draw large crowds, it certainly does not reflect well in a league that has worked very hard and very successfully to increase attendance in recent years.
With perhaps the best matchups of the young USHL season on deck, the question is, will anyone see the games? And more importantly, if the games are against a team that can not win the Clark Cup, are they really league games at all?
