USHL RoughRiders to Host Elite U-18 Showcase in Cedar Rapids

Press Release

Eight teams set to showcase talents on opening weekend at The Stable

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will host a Tier 1 U-18 Elite Hockey League showcase in conjunction with the USHL team’s 2012-13 home opener. Eight teams from the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League will participate in this first-time event from October 6-8 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Held at Cedar Rapids Ice Arena – known affectionately to Riders fans as “The Stable” – the Tier 1 U-18 Elite Hockey League Showcase represents an ideal opportunity for elite U-18 hockey players to experience a USHL atmosphere while skating in front of NCAA Division I scouts and USHL fans who are eager to begin to the 2012-13 USHL campaign.

The Tier 1 Elite Hockey League is comprised of top-tier youth AAA hockey organizations throughout the U.S. competing in multiple age groups from Squirt all the way up to the Midget Major level. The eight participating teams will compete at both the NHL rink and the adjacent Olympic ice sheet at The Stable. Teams will be split into two divisions: the Rocky Mountain Division, which includes the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, and the Midwest Division. The Rocky Mountain RoughRiders joined the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League for the 2011-12 season and are managed by the same group that owns the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

“Not only will this prove to be a good exposure and scouting opportunity for these young players, but it will bring a number of hockey enthusiasts and scouts to the Cedar Rapids area for the weekend,” says RoughRiders CEO Jeff Jauch. “As USHL prospects look to showcase their talents on the ice, the inaugural Showcase will also bring additional exposure to the Cedar Rapids community.”

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders will play their home opener of the 2012-13 USHL season against the Fargo Force on October 5th. All eight Tier 1 Elite Hockey League squads will faceoff the following afternoon to open the Showcase. The Stable maintenance crew will then clean the ice for another USHL tilt between the RoughRiders and the Youngstown Phantoms on October 6th at 7:05 PM.

Over the course of the weekend, hockey fans and talent scouts from around the country will have the chance to watch future USHL prospects, along with future NCAA Division I and NHL prospects, skate under the same roof.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)