The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a prominent team in the United States Hockey League (USHL), the only Tier 1 Hockey League in the United States. Founded in 1999, the RoughRiders have become a cornerstone of the Cedar Rapids community, providing a platform for young players to develop their skills and pursue their dreams of playing college hockey.
The team plays a 60-game schedule from September through April, including preseason and postseason games. The RoughRiders play at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, better known as "The Stable," a 4,300-seat facility located at 1100 Rockford Road SW.
Team History and Achievements
The RoughRiders were founded in 1999 after being formerly known as the North Iowa Huskies out of Mason City, Iowa. Since their inception, the RoughRiders have maintained a competitive presence in the USHL. They have achieved notable success, securing three Anderson Cups as regular-season champions and one Clark Cup as playoff titlists.
The team is a three-time winner of the Anderson Cup for the regular season best record, winning in 2004-2005 (shared with Omaha Lancers), 2010-2011 and 2015-2016.
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The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders achieved their first major championship in the 2004-05 season, capturing the Anderson Cup as the USHL regular-season champions with a 42-13-1-4 record and 89 points. In the playoffs, the RoughRiders captured the Clark Cup in 2005, defeating the Sioux City Musketeers 3 games to 2 in the finals after advancing through the Eastern Conference playoffs.
In the 2010-11 season, the RoughRiders claimed their second Anderson Cup with an impressive 42-12-3-3 record, accumulating 90 points and topping the league standings through consistent offensive output and puck possession strategies emphasized by Carlson. Key players contributed to a balanced attack, but the team fell short in the Clark Cup finals, losing 2-3 to the Green Bay Gamblers despite a strong regular-season performance.
The 2015-16 campaign marked the RoughRiders' third Anderson Cup in 12 years, finishing with a 40-15-3-2 record and 85 points, highlighted by a potent offense that scored 198 goals. Carlson's coaching philosophy, centered on player development and high-tempo play, propelled the team to the top of the Eastern Conference, though they exited the playoffs early in the conference quarterfinals with a 2-3 loss to the Bloomington Thunder.
Returning for the 2021-22 season, the RoughRiders posted a 29-29-2-2 record in their first full campaign at the repaired ImOn Ice Arena, securing a playoff berth but falling in the qualifying round to the Chicago Steel. This resurgence reflected a gradual recovery, with the team maintaining competitiveness through the early 2020s amid a stable USHL landscape that saw no major expansions but emphasized regional rivalries in the Eastern Conference.
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Regular Season Records
The following table summarizes the team's regular season records from 1999-2000 to the ongoing 2025-26 season. Records are formatted as wins-losses-non-regulation outcomes (where non-regulation outcomes include ties, overtime losses, and shootout losses earning 1 point, combined for pre-2013-14 seasons when shootout losses also awarded 1 point), with points calculated as 2 per win and 1 per such non-regulation outcome (adjusted for post-2013-14 shootout losses at 0 points). Finish percentage reflects total points divided by maximum possible points (2 per game).
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| Season | GP | Record (W-L-T/OTL/SOL) | Pts | Finish % | Eastern Conference Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 58 | 19-34-5 | 43 | 0.371 | 7th of 8 |
| 2000-01 | 56 | 30-21-5 | 65 | 0.580 | 4th of 8 |
| 2001-02 | 61 | 33-21-7 | 73 | 0.598 | 3rd of 8 |
| 2002-03 | 60 | 27-26-7 | 61 | 0.508 | 5th of 8 |
| 2003-04 | 60 | 34-23-3 | 71 | 0.592 | 4th of 8 |
| 2004-05 | 60 | 42-13-5 | 89 | 0.742 | 1st of 8 |
| 2005-06 | 60 | 33-21-6 | 72 | 0.600 | 3rd of 8 |
| 2006-07 | 60 | 37-18-5 | 79 | 0.658 | 2nd of 8 |
| 2007-08 | 60 | 33-22-5 | 71 | 0.592 | 4th of 8 |
| 2008-09 | 60 | 38-17-5 | 81 | 0.675 | 2nd of 8 |
| 2009-10 | 60 | 38-19-3 | 79 | 0.658 | 3rd of 8 |
| 2010-11 | 60 | 42-12-6 | 90 | 0.750 | 1st of 8 |
| 2011-12 | 60 | 27-21-12 | 66 | 0.550 | 5th of 8 |
| 2012-13 | 64 | 25-30-9 | 59 | 0.461 | 7th of 8 |
| 2013-14 | 60 | 35-21-4 | 74 | 0.617 | 3rd of 8 |
| 2014-15 | 60 | 39-21-0 | 78 | 0.650 | 2nd of 8 |
| 2015-16 | 60 | 40-15-5 | 85 | 0.708 | 1st of 8 |
| 2016-17 | 60 | 12-44-4 | 28 | 0.233 | 8th of 8 |
| 2017-18 | 60 | 26-24-10 | 62 | 0.517 | 7th of 8 |
| 2018-19 | 62 | 36-21-5 | 77 | 0.621 | 4th of 8 |
| 2019-20 | 47 | 19-23-5 | 43 | 0.457 | 7th of 8 (season curtailed) |
| 2020-21 | 0 | ---- | - | - | - |
| 2021-22 | 62 | 29-29-4 | 62 | 0.500 | 6th of 8 |
| 2022-23 | 62 | 30-23-9 | 69 | 0.556 | 6th of 8 |
| 2023-24 | 62 | 25-30-7 | 57 | 0.460 | 7th of 8 |
| 2024-25 | 62 | 27-30-5 | 59 | 0.476 | 5th of 8 |
| 2025-26* | 15 | 9-5-1 | 19 | 0.633 | 4th of 8 (as of Nov.) |
Through the 2024-25 season, the franchise holds an overall regular season record of 776-579-71-70 (0.566 win percentage), encompassing 1,496 games played across 25 completed seasons (excluding the canceled 2020-21 schedule).
Peak performance metrics align with Anderson Cup regular-season title wins in 2004-05 (0.742 finish percentage), 2010-11 (0.750), and 2015-16 (0.708), reflecting dominant campaigns that secured top Eastern Conference seeds and direct playoff byes. Conversely, the 2016-17 season marked the nadir at 12-44-4 (28 points, 0.233 finish percentage), attributed to roster turnover and defensive struggles amid a league expansion to 17 teams.
The transition from divisional to conference-only standings in 2013-14 streamlined competition but heightened parity, with the RoughRiders posting winning records in 14 of 19 post-2013-14 seasons under Carlson's emphasis on defensive structure and player development.
Clark Cup Playoffs
The Clark Cup playoffs in the United States Hockey League (USHL) determine the annual champion through a postseason tournament structured around the league's two conferences (Eastern and Western), qualifying the top 6 teams per conference (seeded 1-6; 1-2 earn byes to semifinals, 3vs6 and 4vs5 play best-of-3 first round, then best-of-5 semifinals and finals; conference winners advance to best-of-5 Clark Cup Final).
Early playoff appearances in the 2000s established the RoughRiders as a consistent contender. In 2000-01, they reached the second round before elimination; similar second-round exits followed in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2005-06, and 2006-07. First-round losses occurred in 2003-04, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2011-12.
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The pinnacle came in 2004-05, when the top-seeded RoughRiders swept the Indiana Ice 3-0 in the quarterfinals (7-3, 6-2, 5-4 OT), then dispatched the Chicago Steel 3-0 in the semifinals (2-1, 2-1 OT, 4-2), before defeating the Sioux City Musketeers 3-2 in the Clark Cup Final (5-0, 1-2, 4-3, 1-2 OT, 4-1) to claim their lone championship.
Subsequent seasons yielded mixed results amid occasional absences. The RoughRiders advanced to the second round in 2018-19 after a first-round victory but were eliminated there. The 2019-20 playoffs were cancelled league-wide due to the COVID-19 pandemic after the regular season concluded. The team sat out the entire 2020-21 season due to severe damage to their home arena from an August 2020 derecho storm, while the USHL proceeded with a shortened campaign among the remaining teams.
A first-round upset followed in 2022-23, where the sixth-seeded RoughRiders defeated the third-seeded NTDP 2-1 before a second-round exit.
| Season | Round Reached | Key Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | Clark Cup Final | Won championship (3-0 vs. Indiana Ice, 3-0 vs. Chicago Steel, 3-2 vs. Sioux City Musketeers) |
| 2010-11 | Conference Final | Lost 1-3 to Green Bay Gamblers (after 3-1 win vs. NTDP (sixth seed) |
| 2022-23 | Conference Semifinal | Won 2-1 vs. National Team Development Program (1-6, 0-6) |
Mark Carlson: The Architect of the RoughRiders
Mark Carlson has served as head coach and general manager of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders since the team's inaugural 1999-2000 season in the United States Hockey League (USHL), making him the only coach in franchise history.
Prior to joining the RoughRiders, Carlson gained coaching experience as an assistant at the University of Massachusetts Lowell during the 1995-96 season and at Northeastern University from 1996 to 1999, following a playing career at UMass Lowell from 1990 to 1993.
Carlson tied the USHL all-time wins record with his 778th victory on September 27, 2025. He broke the record with his 779th victory on October 3, 2025, against the Madison Capitols, in his 1,500th regular-season game, all with Cedar Rapids.
As of October 3, 2025, his overall record stood at 779-579-142 after 1,500 games, establishing USHL benchmarks for most wins and games coached by a single-team head coach.
The 2025-26 coaching staff features two assistant coaches and a goaltending coach supporting Carlson's leadership. Jared Bussard, a native of Berlin, Pennsylvania, joined as an assistant in June 2025 after serving in the same role with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers during the 2024-25 season; his prior experience includes assistant coaching stints at Lindenwood University and various junior programs.
Garrett Windle, from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, was hired in August 2025 following two seasons as an assistant with the Eastern Hockey League's Philadelphia Junior Flyers; he previously worked as a video coach for the USHL's Madison Capitols in 2022-23 and held skills and assistant roles with the New Jersey Rockets and NA3HL's Philadelphia Jr.
Team Statistical Benchmarks
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have established several key team statistical benchmarks in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The franchise record for most regular-season wins is 42, a total achieved twice during the 2004-05 and 2010-11 seasons.
The highest winning percentage in team history stands at .750, set during the 2010-11 campaign when the RoughRiders compiled a 42-12-6 record over 60 games.
Individual single-season leaders highlight offensive and defensive standouts from the RoughRiders' tenure. Forward Teddy Purcell set a high-water mark for scoring with 67 points (20 goals, 47 assists) in 58 games during the 2004-05 season. Goaltender Alex Stalock anchored the net that year, posting a .905 save percentage across 32 appearances while contributing to the team's Clark Cup championship run.
Career franchise leaders reflect sustained contributions from multi-year players. Mike Seidel tops the all-time points list with 163 (60 goals, 103 assists) over 173 games from 2006 to 2009. Defenseman Chris Snavely holds the record for most games played at 212, underscoring his longevity with the team.
On special teams, the RoughRiders achieved their best penalty kill percentage of 84.6% during the 2022-23 regular season.
RoughRiders Hockey Club
RoughRiders Hockey Club strives to provide a home to all youth hockey players. RoughRiders Hockey Club offers Travel, House and Instructional Hockey. Formed in 2002 when two organizations combined, RRHC is a 501 (c)3 organization.
RRHC is a member of the Mid-West Amateur Hockey Association (MWAHA) comprised of associations from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. RRHC is governed by a Board of Directors, but directed by the Director of Hockey Operations.
At all times the BOD and HD are guided by the core values in the decision-making processes. RRHC relies on great coaching, and coaching is a rewarding way to positively impact the lives of young athletes.
Travel Team Tryouts are generally held mid-August each year, with the season beginning October 1 and running through the end of February. Players are welcome to join teams any time before December 31st, per USA Hockey Roster rules. Interested players should contact Director of Business Ops Jefferson Stack, to discuss placement and fees.
Financial consideration may be granted to families in need of assistance. Payment of fees is generally broken into three installments payable throughout the season. Parent volunteering is necessary to run the all-volunteer travel hockey program.
RRHC offers a house hockey program, the RoughRider Youth Hockey League (RYHL), as an alternative for Travel hockey. Players can expect to play games against like-skilled opponents, teams generally change every week. Players of any level can join this program which runs year-round.
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