1979–80 USHL season
| 1979–80 USHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | United States Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of games | 48 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| Regular season | |
| Anderson Cup | Hennepin Nordiques |
| Clark Cup Playoffs | |
| Finals champions | Hennepin Nordiques |
| Runners-up | Waterloo Black Hawks |
The 1979–80 USHL season was the 1st season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The Hennepin Nordiques won the Anderson Cup as regular season champions and the Clark Cup as postseason champions.
League changes
In 1977, the USHL began the process of converting from a semi-professional senior league into a Tier I Junior league. After about half of the league members operated only with players between the ages of 16 and 20, the remainder followed suit for this season. The result of this caused the league to set aside all of its previous records and results and essentially begin anew with this season. While several league members can trace their history to the previous senior hockey era (or earlier), the USHL currently only recognizes the results since 1979.[1]
Member changes
- Prior to the start of the season the Anoka Nordiques relocated and became the Hennepin Nordiques.[2]
Regular season
Final standings[3]
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; y = clinched division title; z = clinched league title
North Division
| Team | GP | W | L | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yz – Hennepin Nordiques | 48 | 30 | 18 | 0 | 60 | 252 | 228 |
| Bloomington Junior Stars | 48 | 28 | 18 | 2 | 58 | 246 | 213 |
| Green Bay Bobcats | 48 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 48 | 239 | 237 |
| St. Paul Vulcans | 48 | 10 | 38 | 0 | 20 | 205 | 303 |
South Division
| Team | GP | W | L | SOL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Waterloo Black Hawks | 48 | 27 | 19 | 2 | 56 | 270 | 235 |
| Austin Mavericks | 48 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 50 | 239 | 219 |
| Sioux City Musketeers | 48 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 44 | 256 | 267 |
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in regular season points at the completion of all regular season games.[4]
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Gerarden | Green Bay Bobcats | – | 41 | 52 | 93 | 97 |
| Mike Valesano | Sioux City Musketeers | – | 40 | 51 | 91 | 92 |
| Andy Widmar | Bloomington Junior Stars | – | 30 | 57 | 87 | 16 |
| Brian Hartman | Sioux City Musketeers | – | 38 | 48 | 86 | 88 |
| Tom Horan | Waterloo Black Hawks | – | 53 | 32 | 85 | 47 |
| Mark Schelde | Hennepin Nordiques | – | 32 | 48 | 80 | 49 |
| Bill Grum | Waterloo Black Hawks | 48 | 46 | 31 | 77 | 30 |
| Bill McClellan | St. Paul Vulcans | – | 35 | 41 | 76 | 63 |
| Dave Mogush | Bloomington Junior Stars | – | 50 | 26 | 76 | 10 |
| Pete Goligoski | Green Bay Bobcats | – | 34 | 39 | 73 | 50 |
Clark Cup playoffs
Missing information
The Dubuque Fighting Saints won the Clark Cup
Awards
| Award | Recipient | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Dave Fehringer | Hennepin Nordiques |
| Forward of the Year | Dan Gerarden | Green Bay Bobcats |
| Defenseman of the Year | Bill Grillo | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| Goaltender of the Year | Scott Stotzner | Austin Mavericks |
| Coach of the Year | Dan Justin | Hennepin Nordiques |
| General Manager of the Year | Dan Justin | Hennepin Nordiques |
References
- ^ a b "2024-25 USHL Media Guide". USHL. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "Hennepin Nordiques Statistics and History [USHL]". Hockey DB. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "USHL Standings". Ushl2011.stats.pointstreak.com. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
- ^ "USHL 1979-80 League Leaders". Hockey DB. Retrieved June 18, 2025.