The USHL and Tier I

On Aug. 23, 2002, USA Hockey and the United States Hockey League announced the unveiling of Tier I junior hockey in America. The coming season will be the classification's sixth year, as the 12-team USHL continues its efforts to help forge the future of player development.

What is Tier I?

The USHL's leaders had a vision for the future and that vision was Tier I. Simply put, the USHL wanted to insure, through mandates and actions, that players would be immersed in the very best development program possible. Every league makes promises. The USHL wanted to make sure that their promises were kept. The byproduct of this philosophy is the increased opportunity of enhancement for the athletes.

Tier I regulations mandate minimum standards for coaching, facilities, education, off-ice player support and nearly every other manageable aspect of the junior hockey experience. The driving force of these mandates was the USHL's desire for perpetual improvement. The prime beneficiary of Tier I is the athlete, the USHL's biggest asset.

"This had been a long-term, cooperative goal of the USHL and USA Hockey for nearly seven years," said USHL President Gino Gasparini. "The classification ‘Tier I' means a great deal to all of us involved and to the future of the game. Our league's goal has always been to provide the best path of development and this re-classification ensures that we continue to meet and exceed that goal. It's further evidence that this league will never stop evolving or striving to make the best better."

Why Tier I?

The concept of a Tier I junior hockey league in the United States has been debated and questioned for several years. The governing criteria of such a league, produced by USA Hockey in cooperation with several American Hockey policy makers, was first drafted in 1996. The USHL, with its recognition as the nation's top Junior A development circuit growing, grasped onto the idea. Gasparini led the move, using discussions with hockey's other power brokers to guide an edited version of the original criteria back to USA Hockey.

"Commissioner Gasparini helped draft a response and those criteria evolved and came to fruition in 1999 when they were approved by USA Hockey's Junior Council," said then-Council Chairperson David Tyler.

The resulting draft of the criteria was subsequently published in USA Hockey's 2000 Annual Guide.

"The USHL examined the criteria and realized two things," said Gasparini. "The first was that Tier I would benefit the athletes. The second was that the criteria differed very little from our established league rules." Through its efforts, the USHL established itself as the only league capable of meeting all Tier I demands and reaped the rewards of
re-classification.

"This announcement reflects the culmination of a long-sought-after recognition by the United States Hockey League that has been well earned by its quality programming and player development," said USA Hockey's Walter Bush. "This decision was made following a very careful evaluation process."

What Tier I does

• The Tier I USHL conforms to all NCAA rules regarding maintenance of NCAA hockey eligibility
• The Tier I USHL mandates that all player housing will be paid for by that player's team
• The Tier I USHL mandates that each team will provide head-to-toe equipment to its players with the costs paid by the team, not the athlete
• The Tier I USHL mandates a maximum and minimum number of league games with a proper practice / game balance
• The Tier I USHL mandates a diminished number of 20-year-old players and the infusion of more balance in the U-18, 18- and 19-year-old age category
• The Tier I USHL creates a clearly-defined training ground for the game's very best, ensuring the ultimate in development and fan excitement

What Tier I does not do

Tier I is the highest classification of junior hockey in the United States. It is not an American version of the Canadian Major Junior system. The Tier I USHL will not render players ineligible for NCAA hockey competition.

• The Tier I USHL will not pay its players a salary
• The Tier I USHL will not allow signed National Hockey League players to compete
• The Tier I USHL will not jeopardize NCAA college hockey eligibility

What is the ultimate goal?

While it's true that the United States is a growing hockey power, it's clear, with the game's growing popularity, that a new system capable of grooming the brightest young stars is vital to America's competitive future. The USHL wants to be that system and the league believes Tier I makes the path clear.

"There is so much talent skating all over the U.S. right now," said Gasparini. "And those athletes deserve the very best. They deserve to be trained for success, both on the ice and off. They deserve the chance to get that training in an exciting environment that will prepare them to succeed in unprecedented degrees at the next level. Tier I will help create that success. It will forge this country's hockey future."