Liiga vs USHL

How would you compare/contrast Liiga and USHL?

It's a bit hard to compare the top league in Finland with the top junior league in North America, but we can say that both leagues are extremely strong in their own right for each of their levels. A portion of top USHL players on each roster could honestly make the jump to Liiga if they were domestic players (many obviously aim to play college first). We say this to show how strong the USHL is as a junior tier.

Our partners (in Europe and North America) have scouted each of these respective leagues over the years.

Liiga

Liiga is the top ice hockey league in Finland.

USHL

The USHL is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The league has helped produce hundreds of NHL and even more NCAA and professional players.

Location: Finland

Location: United States

Skill Level in Liiga

Liiga is the highest professional hockey league in Finland. Founded in 1975, the league has 15 clubs that span from the South near Helsinki all the way up to the Arctic Circle. It's considered by many to be one of the stronger leagues in Europe.

Skill Level in USHL

The USHL, a Tier I junior hockey league, features 16 teams across the middle of the United States. Founded back in 1947, the league today serves as a top developmental path to NCAA and pro hockey and is unanimously considered the top junior league in the US.

Player Perspective: Liiga

"Liiga is the perfect league to play in, especially as an import from North America who enjoys the physical play paired with skill. I'd agree that Liiga's caliber is up there with a number of the top leagues in Europe based on my experience also playing in Germany and Austria. The fans hear love their hockey.

Player Perspective: USHL

"Playing in the USHL played an instrumental role in my development on the ice and as a person. I credit much of my success later in NCAA and now pro to my years in junior."

Number of Teams in Liiga: 15

Number of Teams in USHL: 16

Caliber of Players and Imports in Liiga

Skill level of Liiga players is extremely high, with only the best Finnish players moving up to the highest league. For imports, teams expect players in Europe with strong resumes and players from North America with high-end ECHL/AHL experience on their resumes. Some even have NHL games played. This shows the strength of the league.

Caliber of Players and Imports in USHL

USHL rosters include many of the top junior players in the world. There's a reason it's the top junior tier in the United States. An impressive amount of USHL players go on to play NCAA on scholarships, the pros (ECHL/AHL/Europe), and eventually the NHL for the very best alumni. The USHL is their junior proving grounds to compete while developing their game for the next level. To be an import in the USHL, you also have to be a top level junior player prior to playing here.