The USPHL Elite will open its 2024-25 season on Friday, Sept. 13, with a game between the host Charlotte Rush and the visiting Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, with the first puck drop of the season happening at 5:30 p.m. EST. The schedule continues with four more games on Saturday, Sept. 14, in the Southeast, Florida and Atlantic Divisions. The first Sunday of the season sees three games, one in each of the aforementioned divisions.
The USPHL Elite operates as a feeder conference for the USPHL Premier, and also indirectly as a feeder for the top-tier National Collegiate Development Conference. Last season, there were 393 transactions between the Elite and Premier conferences, and an additional 217 Elite alumni played in the Premier in 2023-24. A total of 25 former Elite players competed in the NCDC in 2023-24.
The USPHL Elite also sends players directly on to college hockey, with 64 players advancing directly to ACHA and AAU college hockey teams. More than 100 USPHL Elite alumni played NCAA hockey in 2023-24, including four at the NCAA Division I level.
Friday’s game will mark the first of 634 regular season games in the 2024-25 USPHL Elite season. Elite teams will take part in nine USPHL Showcase Series events during the season, beginning Sept. 27 in both the Boston Junior Bruins Shootout and the USPHL Southeast Showcase, to be played in Marlboro, Mass., and Chesapeake, Va., respectively.
USPHL Elite Conference Highlights:
- Total Games: 634 regular season games
- Showcase Games: USPHL Elite teams will play in 168 games in nine USPHL Showcase Series events during the regular season. The USPHL National Championships will take place March 20-24 in Wayne, N.J.
- Schedule: All teams, with some notable exceptions listed below, will play a 44-game schedule.
- New Additions: The Hershey Cubs and South Shore Kings have joined the USPHL Elite for the full season. The Boston Jr. Bulldogs will also join the league, playing a 24-game season.
- North American Prep Hockey League teams return to play games at select USPHL Showcase Series Events.
