IF I WERE KING: USHL BOSS GLENN HEFFERAN USHERS IN THE R-LEAGUE If I were the king of junior hockey, The United States Hockey League would develop their own Rookie League.

Yes, the R-League would be a place where younger prospects develop under the watchful eye of America’s only Tier I junior league.

For the 2025-26 season, four to six teams would play a full season out of the same building utilizing USHL coaching, training, and officiating staff.

Teams should register as 18U House League to gain USA Hockey sanctioning.

Each team plays two games a week on Tuesday and Thursday during the season. This gives the USHL clubs the ability to “call-up” players for weekend assignments.

Additional games and tournaments against area AAA and academy, and prep school are also a possibility.

Each team carries a maximum of twenty players (eliminates healthy scratches).

Every game is professionally filmed and broadcast on the league streaming network. 

Players get the opportunity to develop within the system of a USHL club.

Players gain the ability to focus on enhancing skill sets instead of having to worry about airline flights, bus trips, hotels, and questionable meals.

Players are always the first choice of the parent USHL club when there is a need for a player at that position or role.

Ability to enhance prospects’ development in a controlled environment.

Ability to continuously gauge prospects’ development within current team’s practices and games.

Financial benefit from low budget associated with the operation of R-League teams within a single building.

The key to the success of such an idea is for the USHL teams to provide more than lip service when it comes to the development of R-League prospects. This will really be the next step for the USHL’s effort to leverage their brand, and expertise, into a revenue generating model of development that serves the game.

Will the USHL, and President/Commissioner Glenn Hefferan, take a hard look at such a concept? Doing so could literally change the shape of player development at a cost point middle-class families could actually afford.

It's also something the North American Hockey League should have done with the 3HL long ago.