1980–81 USHL season
| 1980–81 USHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | United States Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Number of games | 48 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| Anderson Cup | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Clark Cup Playoffs | |
| Finals champions | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Runners-up | Austin Mavericks |
The 1980–81 USHL season was the 2nd season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The Dubuque Fighting Saints won the Anderson Cup as regular season champions and the Clark Cup as postseason champions.
Member changes
- The Waterloo Black Hawks relocated and became the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Shortly afterwards, the Hennepin Nordiques relocated to Waterloo and assumed the name and history of the Black Hawks.[1]
- The Des Moines Buccaneers joined the league as an expansion franchise.[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 | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Green Bay Bobcats | 48 | 29 | 19 | 0 | 58 | 292 | 218 |
| Austin Mavericks | 48 | 28 | 19 | 1 | 57 | 253 | 218 |
| St. Paul Vulcans | 48 | 28 | 19 | 1 | 57 | 291 | 223 |
| Bloomington Junior Stars | 48 | 15 | 32 | 1 | 31 | 206 | 289 |
South Division
| Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yz – Dubuque Fighting Saints | 48 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 77 | 351 | 187 |
| Des Moines Buccaneers | 48 | 23 | 25 | 0 | 46 | 240 | 299 |
| Waterloo Black Hawks | 48 | 16 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 220 | 311 |
| Sioux City Musketeers | 48 | 12 | 36 | 0 | 24 | 200 | 308 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Carlson | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 47 | 59 | 68 | 127 | – |
| Brian Collins | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 48 | 55 | 53 | 108 | – |
| Tom Strelow | St. Paul Vulcans | – | 50 | 44 | 94 | – |
| Steve Palmiscno | Des Moines Buccaneers | – | 47 | 44 | 91 | – |
| Tim Lee | Green Bay Bobcats | – | 48 | 38 | 86 | – |
| Bill Mason | Green Bay Bobcats | – | 33 | 52 | 85 | – |
| Jeff Thole | St. Paul Vulcans | – | 36 | 44 | 80 | – |
| Myles Hart | Des Moines Buccaneers | – | 31 | 49 | 80 | – |
| Dave Mogush | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 48 | 40 | 38 | 78 | – |
| Dean Thomas | Dubuque Fighting Saints | 47 | 33 | 41 | 74 | – |
Clark Cup playoffs
Missing information
The Dubuque Fighting Saints won the Clark Cup
Awards
| Award | Recipient | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Mike Carlson | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Forward of the Year | Mike Carlson | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Defenseman of the Year | Rick Zombo | Austin Mavericks |
| Goaltender of the Year | Brian Granger | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Rookie of the Year | Mike Carlson | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Coach of the Year | Jack Barzee | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| General Manager of the Year | Jack Barzee | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
References
- ^ "TIME CAPSULE". Waterloo Black Hawks. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "Club History". Des Moines Buccaneers. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "USHL Standings". Ushl2011.stats.pointstreak.com. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
- ^ "USHL 1980-81 League Leaders". Hockey DB. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "2024-25 USHL Media Guide". USHL. Retrieved June 18, 2025.