April 30, 2014.  The United State Premier Hockey League announced today that the Rochester Americans (“Rochester”) and Springfield Pics (“Springfield”) will be joining the USHPL’s Premier Division increasing the number of Premier teams to eleven for the 2014/2015 season.  In its 2013/2014 inaugural season, the USPHL had well in excess of 150 participants that will go on to play collegiate hockey with approximately 70 committed to play NCAA Division One Hockey making it the clear leader in the East to help aspiring players reach their collegiate goals.  

The addition of Rochester and Springfield will expand the breadth of the USPHL at the Premier Level.  The two organizations combined have had approximately 40 Division 1 placements and over 100 total collegiate placements over the past 5 years.

Founded by the late Gary Dineen, the Springfield Pics are one of the most storied junior hockey programs in the country.  The organization has had over 35 NHL draft picks and countless numbers of collegiate hockey placements since its inception.   The Springfield Pics were the USPHL Elite Division Champions and USA Hockey National Semi-Finalists in 2013/2014.

The Rochester Junior Americans has been an institution in the Rochester hockey community for over three decades.   Owned and operated by Maksymum Hockey, a leading hockey player development company, the Junior Americans program has been an incubator for developing hockey players into NCAA Division I and III student-athletes, as well as advancing players to the major junior and professional ranks. The Rochester Junior Americans model is based on strong partnerships with Rochester Youth Hockey and its home rink, the Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex.  Through these partnerships, the Junior Americans have found success with the top local hockey players choosing to play in their home market, augmented with top talent from North America.

Tryouts for USPHL teams will occur throughout the months of May, June and July.  Please visit the USPHL website at www.usphl.com or the member organizations for specific information regarding the registration and tryout process.