The owner of the NAHL's Mahoning Valley Phantoms says that he is interested in moving his team to the USHL.

It's an interesting idea, but I'm not entirely sure I understand why they'd want to make this move. They've proven they can be successful in the NAHL, but they've had a lot of games with attendance in the triple digits, and travel would be a nightmare.

But I do see Tier I Juinor A hockey extending east some day, especially now that the NTDP will be playing in the league. It's up for debate about how much you can expand the USHL without diluting the talent level, but I think there's room for a few more teams without hurting competition much. Teams may not run four lines deep, but there would be more room for younger players to make rosters and gain experience.