Fargo, ND - The United States Hockey League (USHL) announced today the schedule for the 2009-10 regular season. The League expands to 14 Member Clubs this season, aligned in two divisions of seven with each team playing a total of 60 games (30 home, 30 road). A balanced schedule will have all teams hosting each of the remaining Clubs a minimum of two games.

The Force are looking forward to their sophomore season coming off of a run at the Clark Cup in their inaugural season, with new Head Coach and General Manager Steve Johnson they look to build on that success. The Force has an optimal schedule with 25 games falling on either Friday or Saturday with 5 games within the remaining weekdays. The Force will open the season against the team Johnson spent ten plus successful seasons with, the Lincoln Stars. The puck is set to drop at 7:05pm, Friday, October 2nd at the Urban Plains Center.

The United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and the Youngstown Phantoms join the growing USHL for the 2009-10 season. Both teams will compete in the East Division along with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Chicago Steel, Green Bay Gamblers, Indiana Ice, and Waterloo Black Hawks. The seven-team West Division will be comprised of the Des Moines Buccaneers, Fargo Force, Lincoln Stars, Omaha Lancers, Sioux City Musketeers, Sioux Falls Stampede, and Tri-City Storm.

The USNTDP, USA Hockey's Ann Arbor-based program of 46 select 17 and 18-year-olds, will field "Team USA" with a varying roster based upon the program's international and collegiate schedule. Youngstown's new Tier I USHL entry will transfer the well-known "Phantoms" name and logo (also the logo of world-famous Phantoms Fireworks) used last season by the NAHL's Mahoning Valley team, and play its home games in Youngstown's Covelli Centre (formerly the Chevrolet Centre).

The 2009-10 season launches on Thursday, October 1st when the Sioux City Musketeers host the Lincoln Stars at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The remaining 12 Clubs will take the ice during the opening weekend of the League's 31st season on October 2-3. The final day of the regular season will be on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 as all 14 USHL teams will be in action. Following its commitment to education and off-ice development, the USHL will play nearly 90% of its games during the 2009-10 season on weekend or holiday dates in order to preserve its scholar-athletes' academic schedules.

The USHL celebrates its 31st season of junior hockey in 2009-10. With 180 players from the 2008-09 campaign already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 17 NHL Entry Draft picks taken from the League's rosters this past season, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.
A full USHL/Fargo Force schedule accompanies this release. In addition, the schedule will be posted at fargoforce.com.