Former Chicago Steel Owner Named Gasparini Award Recipient
The USHL named Larry Robbins the recipient of the Gasparini Award on Thursday. The award honors his lasting impact on the league through dedication, leadership, and service.
Named after former USHL Commissioner Gino Gasparini, the award recognizes those who have played a key role in the league's growth and success.
Past recipients include long-tenured executives, team owners, coaches, and administrators who have shaped the USHL's development. Their contributions range from expanding the league's footprint to enhancing player opportunities and maintaining highly competitive standards.
Beyond the rink, they help shape policies, foster partnerships, and strengthen the league's reputation.
Robbins owned the Chicago Steel from 2015 to 2023. During that time, he helped elevate the USHL to new heights and establish a new standard for player development, professional advancement, and team success in Chicago.
Upon purchasing the team in 2015, Robbins approached ownership with an unwavering commitment to the player experience.
"Larry's commitment to enhancing the USHL player experience and elevating the standard of junior hockey was extraordinary," USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan said in a news release. "His competitive spirit, paired with a bold and innovative vision for player development, reshaped what was possible at the junior level. The methods he championed with the Chicago Steel pushed the boundaries of how we prepare young athletes. His legacy continues to influence the league and the youth hockey ecosystem. We are proud to recognize that impact with the Gasparini Award."
Robbins relocated the team to Geneva, Ill., and invested more than $1 million to build out team and business operations facilities and purchase a center-hung videoboard to help modernize the fan experience.
After his first three seasons as owner, including the 2016-17 campaign, which saw the Steel capture its first Clark Cup, Robbins decided to focus the team's time, energy, and resources on player development.
The Steel introduced daily on-ice skill sessions for players focused heavily on off-ice training, including the introduction of heart rate monitors, force plates, and surveys to measure performance. Chicago boosted video and analytics tools and added mental resilience training and resources for players.
The shift helped convince top Canadian and European players to develop in the USHL, helping set a new standard in promoting the league as the preferred path to the NCAA and beyond.
Robbins delighted in individual advancement during his time in the USHL. From 2015-23, 39 players with Steel ties were selected in the NHL Draft, including first-overall pick Owen Power (2021, Buffalo Sabres) and third-overall selection Adam Fantilli (2023, Columbus Blue Jackets). One hundred and sixty Steel players earned NCAA Division I commitments. Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini became the first back-to-back Hobey Baker Award recipients to win from the same USHL team.
In addition to player advancement, multiple members of the Steel hockey staff advanced to the NHL and NCAA. During Robbins' time as owner, Chicago's staff helped the Steel stack the most regular season and playoff wins in the league while qualifying for the postseason in seven consecutive years (2017-23).
Robbins also enhanced Chicago's business operations, increasing its attendance for every non-COVID season (72% growth) from 2015-2023. On-ice success and innovative promotions elevated local, national, and international media exposure for the team and the league.
The team's Forged From Steel docuseries premiered in 2021, a creative, behind-the-scenes look that continues to showcase the USHL as a premier destination for aspiring talent.
"I am proud to have partnered with so many committed USHL owners and leaders, as well as with USA Hockey's NTDP program, to cooperatively elevate our beloved sport to provide elite competitive and development opportunities for future college and pro players, coaches, and associated professionals," Robbins said. "I am grateful and humbled to accept the Gasparini Award on behalf of the hundreds of members of the Chicago Steel who arrived during our eight years with passion and purpose each day to elevate our players and staff with a relentless pursuit of collective excellence and to generate future leaders and innovators on and off the ice."
After selling the Steel, Robbins turned his attention to youth hockey in Florida. He has partnered with Wayne Gretzky and the community of Palm Beach to build a new two-sheet ice arena and launched the Florida Surf, the first new AAA youth hockey program in Florida in the last twenty years.
The USHL renamed its Distinguished Service Award in 2010 to recognize the tremendous contributions of its fifteenth recipient, Gasparini. Before the 1995-96 season, he became the USHL commissioner and began a tenure of success that saw growth in league attendance, NCAA Division I scholarships, and NHL Draft selections. Under his leadership, the USHL was established in 2002 as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league.
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