Muskegon Chronicle sportswriter Ron Rop, who covers the Muskegon Lumberjacks, posed five questions to Skip Prince, the commissioner of the United States Hockey League.

Q:

How would you describe the overall mission of the United States Hockey League?

A:

We make great hockey players and even better young men. Our mission is summarized in our signature: “It’s not just hockey — it’s the USHL.” As Muskegon has hopefully begun to realize through the Lumberjacks, we really aren’t just a hockey league. Every one of our owners, including Josh Mervis, is dedicated to providing the finest junior players in North America and the world with a pathway that is unique in American sports. That is, the opportunity to play Division I NCAA hockey and beyond, including the NHL for those good enough — through the USHL portal.

The way you do that is simple to state, but complex to execute: provide the finest coaching, strength and conditioning training, academic preparation, housing arrangements and community involvement available anywhere, to the best players in the world.

Q: From a league standpoint, how would you evaluate the first three months of the USHL season?

A:

I think we continue to make progress in fulfilling the mission I tried to set out above, in what has probably been the most active year in the league’s history.

* We expanded by two teams, including here in Muskegon, and both teams have been competitive on the ice and continue to show improvement. That’s a credit both to the league’s general managers for creating a draft and tender system that allowed the two new teams to acquire some strong talent and to the coaches and ownership in Muskegon and Dubuque. In fact, all of the teams — including USA Hockey’s NTDP club — are competitive at the halfway point and in reach of making the playoffs. That’s important.

* We saw six of our USHL head coaches move on in their careers last year to take the top or second position for a number of NCAA Division I and NHL organizations. But because it’s the USHL, we were able to replace them with an equal or even more talented group of new coaches — including Muskegon’s Kevin Patrick.

* Six teams in the league — again, including Muskegon — completed major renovations to their venues and three new or improved venues are planned. We’re becoming a league with facilities any major college or professional organization would love to have.

* Attendance is consistent with the first part of last year, in the grips of the largest recession in 50 years, and is again on track to surpass 1,000,000 fans this season. Second-half attendance by all our predictors — season-ticket sales, mini-packs, walk-up rates — should be strong.

* A squad of USHL players came together in five days in November, traveled to Penticton, B.C., and captured the gold medal at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge — the second-most prestigious tournament gold out there after the World Junior Championships. Half the squad for the U.S. team, as well as stars for the Canadian and Swedish teams, are USHL alumni.

* Most importantly, though, we continue to see our young men excel not only on the ice but academically. We’ve counted 207 NCAA Division I commitments to date — well ahead of last year’s pace — as well as a number of players highly rated by NHL’s Central Scouting for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. These are just special young men.

We’re working hard at this.

Q: What can we expect to see from the United States Hockey League in the near future as far as expansion or any other changes to the product?

A:

Expansion is a year-by-year assessment for us. Sure, it’s in our future, and over time, we will not only be larger in our number of teams, but in our geographical footprint. It’s inevitable.

But it’s not easy. There are a number of cities, and even more ownership groups, seeking to acquire a USHL member club, and as you know, expansion is always attractive on the surface to any league — new cities, expansion revenue and all that. But I’m lucky enough to represent a group of owners focused on excellence and on standards and it takes a combination of assets to make that work.

First and foremost, you need to be sure that there is a team of competitive talent out there to have wear the USHL crest. The USHL caliber of player is extraordinarily high and there aren’t thousands of players out there, or even 1,000. But assuming the player pool is there, you need a maze of other elements to fall into place. At the top, you need the right ownership that is well-organized, well-funded and committed to the mission. The right organization under that ownership — strong management, a world-class coach and strong community relations; a city capable of providing not only corporate and fan support, but great schooling, billet homes and community involvement; a building and facilities suitable for play and training at this level. A lease that makes sense for the team. Political support. And most importantly, all of these elements working in a coordinated fashion.

Q: You've been to Muskegon several times since the announcement they were joining the United States Hockey League. What are your initial impressions of the Muskegon Lumberjacks' franchise both on and off the ice?

A:

As commissioner, you want full houses and for every team to win all its home games — so on that score, the Lumberjacks don’t get a perfect grade. Yet.

Seriously, I think the progress made to date in Muskegon has been extraordinary. Remember, Josh Mervis, Tim Taylor and the ownership of the Lumberjacks opted (properly, I think) not to even begin marketing this team, and the new brand of hockey it brought, until the IHL Lumberjacks were out of the playoffs— so they’ve really only been on the ground with the new Jacks for less than eight months. I’m guessing it might seem like longer to Josh and Tim, but look at what they’ve done in that time:

* Hired one of the bright young minds in hockey anywhere in Kevin Patrick, as well as an absolute first-tier assistant in Dave Noel-Bernier, a great staff and scouting group.

* Pulled together the youngest, fastest and toughest squad in this year’s USHL.

* Invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into Walker Arena at both the fan level and behind the scenes in the players’ locker room and training facilities — with more improvements to come.

* Put time, funding and assistance into local hockey at all levels.

* Secured, only three months into the season, college commitments for more than half their players, who in the meantime go to school here, work and volunteer in the community every day of every week of every month they wear the Muskegon jersey.

* Perhaps most important to Muskegon hockey fans, put a great hockey market that looked to be falling by the wayside back on the national and world hockey map. The future stars of college and the NHL play here, a lot of them wearing Lumberjacks colors — not down the road, not in another state, but here. The NHL is here almost every game. Not a game goes by without major college scouts coming to Muskegon, where by the way, they are welcomed by an ownership, management and staff they respect and depend on, in a town they like to visit and eat dinner in and stay for the night.

This team, the building and the league will continue to get better — and it’s happening here. Not a bad first eight months, but I don’t think anyone on the Lumberjacks team, on the ice or off it, is stopping for a second to congratulate themselves. Just this weekend Josh has brought in a nationally-recognized licensing and merchandising consultant, an expert in ticket sales, his chief European scout and a couple of his recruits. You have a winner.

Q: What would you say to Muskegon hockey fans who grew up watching professional hockey and aren't sold on the USHL product?

A:

Just that. You have a winner. Fall in love with it.

First of all, I’d suggest they come watch these players, understand where they’re from and where they’re going and understand just how important Muskegon’s place in U.S. hockey just became. A fan sitting in the stands at Walker Arena has more of a chance to see a player who’s going to win the Hobey Baker Trophy as the top player in college hockey or lift the Stanley Cup, than he or she has in years.

I grew up in a minor-league hockey city and cut my teeth on the game at that level. I respect and admire Muskegon’s history. I’ve walked the halls of Walker, watched the old IHL and know that 50-year patch meant something to every hockey fan here. You’ll never hear me undercutting what that meant in hockey’s history.

But Muskegon has the chance to be part of hockey’s present and future. I think it’s a testament to the fan base, but it’s their job now to pick up on just how powerful, fast and talented these players are, how committed they are to the game every shift, every period, how dependent they are on the city for support as they go from good to great and how much they give back.

I do get irritated when I hear this is “high school” hockey. So was LeBron. This isn’t a McDonald’s All-Star team, but a whole league’s worth, for a whole season. So to the fans out there, all I can say is come to a couple of games. Meet these young men. Watch them grow and go and come back here for the next 20 years, flush with success, but grateful for their time here. I’ve never known a hockey fan who watched two or three USHL games and didn’t want to come back for more. That’s all it takes.

E-mail: rjrop@muskegonchronicle.com