The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) has announced that it has approved the membership of the Provo Riverblades for the 2020-21 season. 

“We are looking forward to bringing an elite level of U20 Junior hockey to the area,” said Riverblades managing partner Jared Higgins. “I have seen the success that this level of hockey has brought in areas such as Salt Lake City and Ogden and I believe adding a third team in Provo is going to create some great rivalries. I believe the city of Provo is really going to embrace this level of hockey and our fans are going to love this team and the energy it brings.”

The Riverblades are thrilled to announce the team’s inaugural coach. The team will be led by Head Coach Mike Callan, who comes from coaching college hockey at the NCAA level. Callan most recently coached the Chatham Cougars team that played in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). Callan will bring a wealth of experience to the organization in a lot of different areas.

“The arrival of the USPHL in Provo is an exciting moment for myself and the community,” said Callan.“The USPHL is well respected across North America and has been instrumental in developing players into the NCAA and professional hockey. I have heard many great things about Provo and from what I have seen of the area thus far it is spectacular. I am very excited to begin building the Provo Riverblades into a winning program and integrate myself and the players into the community.”

The Riverblades will be playing out of the Mountain Conference in the USPHL. Teams will include the Northern Colorado Eagles, Pueblo Bulls, Utah Outliers and Ogden Mustangs. The Riverblades will instantly have strong rivalries with the Outliers and Mustangs as cross-town opponents. This will add to the intensity and excitement of games. 

The Riverblades will look to offer high energy, fast-paced, hard-hitting hockey that the city of Provo will embrace and support!

Further information on the team, staff roster & roster will be released in the coming weeks as the team develops the organization. The team will be looking for volunteers in various capacities and those interested can reach out to Director of Business Operations Julie Hatch at julie@provoriverblades.com.

(June 11, 2020)