Lincoln Stars

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Lincoln Stars
CityLincoln, Nebraska
LeagueUSHL
ConferenceWestern
Founded1996
Home arenaIce Box
ColorsBlue, black, white
     
Owner(s)Alberto Fernandez
General managerNick Fabrizio
Head coachRocky Russo
Websitewww.lincolnstars.com
Franchise history
1996–presentLincoln Stars
Championships
Regular season titles3 Anderson Cups (1999–00, 2000–01, and 2002–03)
Playoff championships2 Clark Cups (1997 and 2003)

The Lincoln Stars are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Stars' home ice is the Ice Box on the former Nebraska State Fair grounds and adjacent to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

History[edit]

With prompting of Lincoln realtor Mark Claydon, who spear-headed an effort to build the city's first and only indoor ice arena, the Stars came to Lincoln in 1996. Led by Derek Reynolds and future NHL player Josh Langfeld, the Stars posted a 40–13–1 regular season record, the best expansion season in USHL history.[citation needed] The Stars continued their domination through the playoffs, losing just two playoff games en route to winning the Clark Cup. Every game was sold out at the 4,231-seat Ice Box.[citation needed] The success continued through the following seasons; the Stars sold out every home game until early 2002. In 1998, the Ice Box was expanded to 5,010 seats in preparation for the USA Hockey National Championships (Junior A). The capacity was later reduced to 4,610, as some bleacher seats were converted to club seating.

The Stars made the playoffs their first seven seasons and won a second Clark Cup in 2003. Led by players such as Danny Irmen, the Stars defeated the rival Omaha Lancers in the Clark Cup finals. After the 2003 championship, they missed the playoffs for the first time and attendance started to steadily decrease.[1] From the 2003–04 to 2012–13 seasons, the team qualified for the playoffs eight times and advanced past the second round once.[2]

In 2013, the Stars were sold to Chicago-based businessman Ryan Schiff.[3] The team failed to make the playoffs seven out of the next nine completed seasons; the 2019–20 USHL season was curtailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

On June 3, 2021, it was announced the team had been sold to Alberto Fernandez, the owner of both the North American Hockey League's North Iowa Bulls, a franchise that he had owned as the Amarillo Bulls since 2019, and the North American 3 Hockey League's Mason City Toros, a team that used to be called the North Iowa Bulls and had won the league championship four times.[4] Fernandez then brought over the Amarillo Bulls head coach, Rocky Russo, to be the head coach for the Stars.[5]

Season records[edit]

Season GP W L T OTL SOL Pts Finish Playoffs
1996–97 54 40 13 0 1 81 2nd, South Won quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. Rochester Mustangs
Won semifinals, 4–1 vs. Omaha Lancers
Won Clark Cup finals, 4–0 vs. Green Bay Gamblers
1997–98 56 38 14 3 1 77 3rd, South Won quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. Sioux City Musketeers
Lost semifinals, 0–4 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
1998–99 56 29 20 7 65 3rd, West Won quarterfinals, 3–2 vs. Sioux City Musketeers
Lost semifinals, 2–3 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
1999–00 58 41 16 1 83 1st, USHL Won quarterfinals, 3–2 vs. Sioux City Musketeers
Lost semifinals, 2–3 vs. Twin Cities Vulcans
2000–01 56 43 7 6 92 1st, USHL Won quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Sioux City Musketeers
Won semifinals, 3–0 vs. Tri-City Storm
Lost Clark Cup finals, 2–3 vs. Omaha Lancers
2001–02 61 43 15 3 89 2nd, West Lost quarterfinals, 1–3 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
2002–03 60 37 14 3 6 83 1st, USHL Won quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Tri-City Storm
Won semifinals, 3–0 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Won Clark Cup finals, 3–1 vs. River City Lancers
2003–04 60 27 29 4 0 58 5th, West did not qualify
2004–05 60 37 17 3 3 80 3rd, West Lost quarterfinals, 1–3 vs. Sioux City Musketeers
2005–06 60 34 20 4 2 74 2nd, West Won quarterfinals, 3–2 vs. Omaha Lancers
Lost semifinals, 1–3 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
2006–07 60 37 20 1 2 77 3rd, West Lost qualifying round, 0–4 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
2007–08 60 31 22 4 3 69 3rd, West Won quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
Lost semifinals, 2–3 vs. Omaha Lancers
2008–09 60 37 17 3 3 80 1st, West Won quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
Lost semifinals, 0–3 vs. Fargo Force
2009–10 60 16 36 2 6 40 7th, West did not qualify
2010–11 60 33 22 2 3 40 5th, West Lost conference quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Fargo Force
2011–12 60 38 18 2 2 80 1st, West Won conference semifinals, 3–1 vs. Fargo Force
Lost conference finals, 1–3 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
2012–13 64 39 22 0 3 81 4th, West Lost conference semifinals, 2–3 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
2013–14 60 24 28 2 6 56 5th, West did not qualify
2014–15 60 18 37 1 4 41 8th, West did not qualify
2015–16 60 33 24 2 1 69 2nd, West Lost conference semifinals, 1–3 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
2016–17 60 32 22 5 1 70 5th, West did not qualify
2017–18 60 35 23 1 1 72 5th, West Won first round, 2–1 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede
Lost conference semifinals, 1–3 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
2018–19 62 12 42 4 4 32 8th, West did not qualify
2019–20 48 23 20 3 2 51 5th, West Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 54 22 28 3 1 48 6th, West did not qualify
2022-23 62 37 21 3 1 78 3rd, West Won first round, 2-0 vs.Des Moines Buccaneers
Won conference semifinals, 2-1 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
Lost conference finals, 3-1 vs. Fargo Force
2023-24
Totals 1593 893 615 0 75 61

Coaches[edit]

Alumni[edit]

Notable Stars alumni includes Brandon Bochenski (Tampa Bay Lightning), Andy Schneider (Pittsburgh Penguins), David Backes (Boston Bruins), Josh Langfeld (San Jose Sharks), Jared Boll (Columbus Blue Jackets), Evan Rankin (Syracuse Crunch), Erik Condra (Ottawa Senators) and Brandon Bollig (Chicago Blackhawks - NHL Stanley Cup Champions).

Lincoln players have also made names for themselves in the NCAA Championship Game. Three former Stars have scored championship-winning overtime goals: Josh Langfeld (Michigan Wolverines—1998 vs. Boston College Eagles), Grant Potulny (Minnesota Golden Gophers—2002 vs. Maine Black Bears) and Colby Cohen (Boston University Terriers—2009 vs. Miami RedHawks).

Roster[edit]

As of September 21, 2022.[7]

No. S/P/C Player Pos Ht Wt DoB Hometown Previous team College commitment
2 Minnesota Adam Kleber D 6' 3" 201 lb 2006-03-24 Chaska, Minnesota Chaska (USHS–MN) Minnesota Duluth
3 Illinois James Jurcev D 6' 5" 185 lb 2003-05-05 Palos Heights, Illinois New Mexico (NAHL) None
4 Saskatchewan Boston Buckberger D 5' 11" 172 lb 2003-06-01 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Brooks (AJHL) Wisconsin
5 Ontario Jack Sparkes D 6' 7" 227 lb 2003-10-20 Ottawa, Ontario St. Michael's (OJHL) Michigan State
6 Minnesota Carter Davis D 6' 0" 165 lb 2005-04-30 Elk River, Minnesota Elk River (USHS–MN) None
7 Connecticut D. J. Hart D 6' 3" 190 lb 2002-02-23 Stamford, Connecticut Madison (USHL) Ohio State
8 Slovakia Marián Moško D 5' 11" 174 lb 2004-05-01 Žilina, Slovakia Selects Academy U18 (Midget AAA) Cornell
9 Colorado Patrick Raftery F 5' 11" 167 lb 2004-02-26 Centennial, Colorado Colorado Thunderbirds U18 (Midget AAA) Maine
10 Wisconsin Keaton Peters F 5' 10" 185 lb 2004-03-01 Sussex, Wisconsin Janesville (NAHL) Northern Michigan
11 Minnesota Tanner Ludtke F 6' 0" 170 lb 2004-11-27 Elko, Minnesota Lakeville South (USHS–MN) Omaha
13 New Hampshire Cole Crusberg-Roseen D 5' 11" 170 lb 2002-04-14 Stratham, New Hampshire Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) UMass
14 Minnesota Hagen Moe F 6' 0" 183 lb 2003-05-20 Elk River, Minnesota Springfield (NAHL) Bowling Green
15 California Antonio Fernandez D 5' 9" 174 lb 2003-10-11 San Jose, California Amarillo (NAHL) Princeton
16 Missouri Jack Larrigan F 5' 10" 161 lb 2004-04-09 St. Louis, Missouri Janesville (NAHL) Notre Dame
18 Illinois Brennan Ali F 6' 0" 194 lb 2004-02-09 Glencoe, Illinois Avon Old Farms (USHS–CT) Notre Dame
19 Massachusetts Doug Grimes F 6' 3" 201 lb 2002-04-18 Brookline, Massachusetts Cedar Rapids (USHL) Boston University
21 Minnesota Wyatt Olson F 6' 1" 185 lb 2005-05-24 Maple Grove, Minnesota Sioux Falls Power U18 (Midget AAA) Denver
22 Ontario Mason Marcellus F 5' 9" 165 lb 2002-07-19 Greely, Ontario Drayton Valley (AJHL) Quinnipiac
23 Michigan Michael Mesic F 5' 11" 165 lb 2004-08-15 Plymouth, Michigan North Iowa (NAHL) Northern Michigan
26 South Carolina Jared Mangan F 5' 11" 161 lb 2003-04-08 Charleston, South Carolina Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) None
27 Latvia Klāvs Veinbergs F 6' 3" 198 lb 2003-03-27 Riga, Latvia Riga (MHL) None
28 Pennsylvania Daniel Sambuco F 6' 0" 190 lb 2003-06-10 Springfield, Pennsylvania Waterloo (USHL) Providence
30 California Lucas Massie G 6' 1" 176 lb 2003-04-11 Claremont, California Blackfalds (AJHL) None
39 Ontario Cameron Whitehead G 6' 3" 172 lb 2003-06-13 Orleans, Ontario Utica (NCDC) Northeastern

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lincoln Stars Yearly Attendance Graph". HockeyDB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Lincoln Stars Statistics and History". HockeyDB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "New Lincoln Stars owner has hockey background". Lincoln Journal Star. November 21, 2013.
  4. ^ "USHL Approves Sale of Stars". Lincoln Stars. June 3, 2021.
  5. ^ "Lincoln Stars hire new coach and general manager". Lincoln Star Journal. July 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "Stars coach/GM Michael stepping down after one season". Lincoln Journal Star. June 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "Lincoln Stars Roster". USHL. Retrieved September 16, 2022.

External links[edit]