The United States Hockey League recognizes success on and off the ice.
The United States Hockey League (USHL) announced June 24th, 2025, that the Lincoln Stars have been named the league's Organization of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
"This recognition reflects the strong leadership of Owner Alberto Fernandez and Team President Tyler Shaffar, along with the exceptional work of Rocky Russo, Nick Fabrizio, and the entire Lincoln Stars' staff throughout the year," Glenn Hefferan, President & Commissioner of the USHL, said. "The Stars not only delivered success on the ice but also reenergized the Ice Box and reconnected with a passionate fan base that has supported them since 1996. We commend the entire Lincoln organization for setting a high standard and continuing to grow the game in Nebraska's capital."
This is the third time in franchise history that the Stars have been recognized with this honor. The 2024-25 campaign joins the 1996-97 and 1999-00 campaigns.
"Winning the USHL Organization of the Year is a true reflection of the exceptional work our staff put in from top to bottom," Lincoln Stars president and minority owner Tyler Shaffar said. "They exceeded every expectation with professionalism, passion, and commitment. I'm incredibly proud of what this group accomplished. We're also deeply grateful to the fans in Lincoln for reigniting the Stars' atmosphere and bringing incredible energy back into the building."
The Stars won their fourth Anderson Cup this past season by recording the top regular-season record in the USHL at 44-15-3-0. Lincoln broke single-season records for wins, surpassing the 2000-01 (43-7-4-2) and 2001-02 (43-15-0-3) seasons. The Stars recorded 40 wins in a season for the fifth time in franchise history and the first time in the last 23 campaigns. Lincoln also led the USHL with 272 goals and broke its single-season record of 246 in 2000-01. The Stars scored five-or-more goals in a game 27 times, matching 1997-98 for the team record and marking the ninth time doing it at least 20 times in franchise single-season history.
Six different individuals were honored for their efforts in the 2024-25 season. Yan Shostak led the way by being named USHL Goaltender of the Year and earning a spot on the All-USHL First Team. Jack Pechar appeared on the All-USHL Second Team as a forward, while defenseman Etienne Lessard earned a spot on the All-USHL Third Team. Goaltender William Prowse was named to the All-USHL Rookie First Team. Nick Fabrizio was named General Manager of the Year and Rocky Russo was named Head Coach of the Year.
The Stars' success on the ice led to fans showing up in droves. Lincoln sold out the Ice Box three times, marking the first time recording a sellout since 2019. The Stars finished sixth in the USHL in attendance at 2,413, a figure that marked the best single-season average attendance in the last five seasons.
The 2025-26 season is scheduled to begin in September. Stay tuned for the USHL's schedule release later this summer. Season tickets for the Stars' 30th anniversary season can be purchased by visiting lincolnstars.com
