Lincoln Stars

Lincoln Stars
City:	Lincoln, Nebraska
League:	USHL
Division:	West
Founded:	1996
Home Arena:	Ice Box
Colors:	Blue, White and Black
Owner(s):	Ryan Schiff
General Manager:	Jon Hull
Head Coach:	Cody Chupp (2017-18)
Franchise history
1996-current:	Lincoln Stars
Championships
Regular Season Titles:	3 (2000, 2001, 2003)
Playoff Championships:	2 (1997, 2003)

The Lincoln Stars are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the West Division of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

The Stars' home ice is the Ice Box, on the Nebraska State Fair grounds and adjacent to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Stars came to Lincoln in the fall of 1996 and became an overnight sensation in Nebraska's capital city. Led by fiery Derek Reynolds and future Ottawa Senator and San Jose Shark Josh Langfeld, the Stars posted a 40-13-1 regular season record, the best expansion season in USHL history. The Stars continued their domination through the playoffs, losing just two playoff games en route to winning the Clark Cup. More impressive, however, was the teams' performance off the ice. Every game was sold out at the 4,231-seat Ice Box, and it was common for people to camp out overnight for tickets.

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 have made the playoffs nine of their first ten seasons, and won their second Clark Cup in 2003. Led by players such as Danny Irmen, the Stars capped off a magical season by defeating the rival Omaha Lancers in the Clark Cup finals.

Notable Stars alumni includes Brandon Bochenski (Tampa Bay Lightning), Andy Schneider (Pittsburgh Penguins organization), David Backes (St. Louis Blues), Josh Langfeld (San Jose Sharks), Jared Boll (Columbus Blue Jackets), Evan Rankin (Notre Dame) and Erik Condra (Notre Dame).

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

Lincoln enjoys some of the best junior hockey support in the United States, as the team plays to greater than 90% capacity at the Ice Box.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses, SL = Shootout Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points

Season	GP	W	L	T	OL	SL	GF	GA	Pts	Finish	Playoffs
1996-97	56	40	13	-	1	0	244	168	81	2nd of 6 South	Won quarterfinals 4-1 (Rochester Mustangs) Won semifinals 4-1 (Omaha Lancers) Won Championship 4-0 (Green Bay Gamblers)
1997-98	56	38	14	-	3	1	229	160	77	3rd of 6 South	Won Quarterfinals 4-1 (Sioux City Musketeers) Lost Semifinals 0-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
1998-99	56	29	20	-	7	0	198	174	65	3rd of 4 West	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Dubuque Fighting Saints) Won Semifinals 3-0 (Green Bay Gamblers) Lost Final 2-4 (Des Moines Buccaneers)
1999-00	58	41	16	-	0	1	218	139	83	1st of 7 West 1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-2 (Sioux City Musketeers) Lost Semifinals 2-3 (Twin City Vulcans)
2000-01	56	43	7	-	6	0	246	143	92	1st of 6 West 1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Sioux City Musketeers) Won Semifinals 3-0 (Tri-City Storm) Lost Final 2-3 (Omaha Lancers)
2001-02	61	43	15	-	3	0	240	157	89	2nd of 7 West	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders)
2002-03	60	37	14	-	3	6	214	153	83	1st of 6 West 1st overall	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Tri-City Storm) Won Semifinals 3-0 (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) Won Championship 3-1 (River City Lancers)
2003-04	60	27	29	-	4	0	174	191	58	5th of 6 West	Did not Qualify
2004-05	60	37	17	-	3	3	217	184	80	3rd of 5 West	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)
2005-06	60	34	20	-	4	2	218	178	74	2nd of 5 West	Won Quarterfinals 3-2 (Omaha Lancers)
2006-07	60	37	20	-	1	2	241	200	77	3rd of 6 West	Lost Quarterfinals 0-4 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
2007-08	60	31	22	-	4	3	186	163	69	3rd of 6 West	Won Quarterfinals 3-0 (Sioux Falls Stampede) Lost Semifinals 2-3 (Omaha Lancers)
2008-09	60	37	17	-	3	3	191	155	80	1st of 6 West	Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Sioux Falls Stampede) Lost Semifinals 0-3 (Fargo Force)
2009-10	60	16	36	-	2	6	143	220	40	7th of 7 West	Did not Qualify
2010-11	60	33	22	-	2	3	195	188	71	4th of 8 Western	Lost First Round 0-2 (Indiana Ice)
2011-12	60	38	18	-	2	2	214	172	80	1st of 8 Western	First Round Bye Won Quarterfinals 3-1 (Fargo Force) Lost Semifinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2012-13	64	39	22	-	0	3	217	191	81	4th of 8 Western	Lost Quarterfinals 2-3 (Sioux Falls Stampede)
2013-14	60	24	28	-	2	6	175	219	56	5th of 8 Western	Did not Qualify
2014-15	60	18	37	-	1	4	150	242	41	8th of 8 Western	Did not Qualify
2015-16	60	33	24	-	2	1	177	163	69	2nd of 8 Western	Lost Quarterfinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2016-17	60	32	22	-	5	1	171	161	70	5th of 8 Western	Did not Qualify
2017-18	60	35	23	-	1	1	197	168	72	5th of 8 Western	Won First Round 2-0 (Tri-City Storm) Lost Conf Semifinals 1-3 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2018-19	62	12	42	-	4	4	151	262	32	8th of 8 Western	Did not Qualify
2019-20	48	23	20	-	3	2	172	177	51	5th of 8 Western	Playoffs cancelled
2020-21	54	22	28	-	3	1	160	204	.444	6th of 8 Western	Did not qualify
2021-22	62	35	20	-	3	4	226	208	77	3rd Western	Lost Conf Quarterfinals 0-2 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
2022-23	62	37	21	-	3	1	214	185	78	3rd Western	Won Conf Quarterfinals 2-0 (Des Moines Buccaneers) Won Conf Semifinals 2-1 (Waterloo Black Hawks Lost Conf Final 1-3 (Fargo Force)
2023-24	62	27	29	-	3	2	169	216	59	6th Western	Won Conf Quarterfinals 2-0 (Waterloo Black Hawks) L, Conf Semifinals 0-3 (Sioux City Musketeers)

External links

• Lincoln Stars