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USHL Draft

USHL Draft

Draft FAQ

When is the 2008 USHL Entry Draft?
This year’s draft will be held on May 14th at 9:00 a.m. (CDT)
Who is eligible to be drafted?
Anybody that the individual coaches feel can contribute to their teams can be selected.
What does a player have to do to become eligible?
Nothing. Players are automatically eligible. Nothing in addition to playing has to be done. No phone calls need to be made and no forms need to be filled out.
How old do you have to be to get drafted?
Although there is no formal age restriction, USHL players generally are between the ages of 16-20.
How many rounds are in the draft?
That number varies. Prior to the draft, each team submits an initial protected list consisting of the veteran players that they wish to protect and also the players that they drafted for their affiliate list in October, 2006. Once that number is established, teams will draft until their list reaches 23 players. When a team reaches 23 players, they are done selecting until every team in the league gets to that number. Once everybody is at 23 players, then teams will begin selecting again until their list reaches 30 players. When every team has 30 players on their list, they are finished selecting and the draft is complete.
What is the affiliate list?
The affiliate list is made up of players in the U-18 category. The list contains players that can be added anytime over the course of the season, whether for full-time duty or as an injury replacement. These players can be drafted either during the entry draft or the October futures draft. These players do not have to play in 10 games to be given veteran status and be placed on a team's initial protected list.
How many players can be drafted onto the affiliate list?
Each team is allowed to draft and assign 12 players to their affiliate list.
What about a veteran, what is that?
A veteran is classified as any player who played in 10 or more games for that team in the previous season. Regular season and playoff games both count toward this number.
How is the draft order determined?
The order is determined using the reverse order of standing based on points accumulated from the previous season. In other words, the team that finished last will have the first pick, while the team that finished first overall will have the last pick.
  1. Green Bay Gamblers
  2. Des Moines Buccaneers
  3. Tri-City Storm
  4. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
  5. Fargo Force
  6. Sioux City Musketeers
  7. Lincoln Stars
  8. Chicago Steel
  9. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
  10. Sioux Falls Stampede
  11. Waterloo Black Hawks
  12. Indiana Ice
  13. Omaha Lancers
Does getting drafted guarantee you are on the team?
No. Getting drafted simply means that your USHL rights belong to that team. It does not guarantee that you will be on the team at the start of next season.
If drafted, does a player still need to go through tryout camps?
Yes. Coaches usually require that all returning veterans, as well as players that are drafted go through tryout camps just like the players that aren't drafted but do get invited.
Is it possible to get drafted by more than one team?
No. Players can only be drafted by one USHL team.
Is it possible to be drafted into more than one league?
Yes. Players can be drafted into several different leagues. However, they are only allowed to play in one and be classified in one at a time after September 15.
Can a player still get drafted even though he has signed a tender with another league?
Yes. The tenders that are signed in other leagues have no bearing on the USHL or its draft.
How does a player know when he is drafted?
Players will be notified of their selection within 24-48 hours of the draft by the coach of the team that selected them.
Is the draft open to the public?
You will be able to follow the draft online at www.ushldraft.com. Public availability of the draft is subject to change.
What about the protected lists, will those be posted as well?
Individual team protected lists will be posted following the draft. Once the draft is completed, the USHL will have a dead period lasting approximately two weeks where no roster movement can take place.