NA3HL 2017-18 thread

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
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st louis
Not sure if this will end up being very active as this section of the board comes in waves, but does anyone else follow this league? Live a five min drive or hell 20 min walk from the arena the Jr. Blues play in. Fun league to watch, plenty of call ups to the NAHL. Few D1 commits and a slew of D3 commits each season.
 

JackalsKnuckles

Registered User
Jun 18, 2007
165
2
I follow the league pretty close in the Northeast Division.

A couple relocations of teams up this way as Lockport is moving to Hyde Park Arena and now know as the Niagara Powerhawks, and Syracuse is moving to Oswego and will play at Crisafulli Arena. http://na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=21168

This league is the best bang for the buck from a fan standpoint around if you ask me.
 

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
62
st louis
I follow the league pretty close in the Northeast Division.

A couple relocations of teams up this way as Lockport is moving to Hyde Park Arena and now know as the Niagara Powerhawks, and Syracuse is moving to Oswego and will play at Crisafulli Arena. http://na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=21168

This league is the best bang for the buck from a fan standpoint around if you ask me.

I agree with this! Very fun league to follow. I try and hit up a few NAHL/USHL games a year but the NA3HL I'm at the rink almost weekly.
 

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
62
st louis
I used to play in it back when it was the CSHL. Pretty good league. I played against Paul Stastny..lots of D1 guys even back then

yea a few players who went onto the NHL/AHL/NCAA have had stints down in tier 3. It gets a bit confusing to follow everything occassionally as there are just so many teams now
 

GoBoltz56

Brisebois 1st Rounder
Jul 31, 2004
2,118
1,237
Tampa and Michigan
yea a few players who went onto the NHL/AHL/NCAA have had stints down in tier 3. It gets a bit confusing to follow everything occassionally as there are just so many teams now

We only had like 15-20 teams I think in the CSHL. But it got absorbed and I think a bunch of leagues merged into the league it is now.
 

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
62
st louis
We only had like 15-20 teams I think in the CSHL. But it got absorbed and I think a bunch of leagues merged into the league it is now.

It is. Just wish the 48 teams was slimmed down a tad. Though travel from division to division would still be an issue money wise.
 

kij

Registered User
Jan 31, 2016
269
130
It is. Just wish the 48 teams was slimmed down a tad. Though travel from division to division would still be an issue money wise.

You only play teams within reasonable travel unless you're in the south division (3 Texas teams, Atlanta, Louisiana, and Alabama). The 13 teams in the Northeast division could play an interlocked schedule. The furthest trip up there would be Niagara Falls to the Maine teams which would be around 10 hours. The only trip that takes over 12 hours for teams in the Northeast is to the showcase in Blaine, MN.
 

Blue Liner

Registered User
Dec 12, 2009
10,332
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Chicago
We only had like 15-20 teams I think in the CSHL. But it got absorbed and I think a bunch of leagues merged into the league it is now.

If you played against Stastny then we probably played against each other, too. I was in that league around the same time, '99, '00. League was MUCH different back then. Off the top of my head I think there were only 12 teams, and there were only a couple of other Junior B (as it was called back then) leagues around the country in total. There was the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, I think there was an Empire Junior Hockey League out east, and then the EJHL which talent-wise was on par with the NAHL if not as deep.

Speaking of, the NAHL only had 15 or so teams back then too as it was before expansion and before it merged with the 10 or so America West Hockey League clubs. The Tier III level is far too watered down now. There are still some players there no doubt but the overall quality has dipped noticeably on account of there being way, way too many teams for that level. It's still definitely worth checking out overall, though.
 

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
62
st louis
If you played against Stastny then we probably played against each other, too. I was in that league around the same time, '99, '00. League was MUCH different back then. Off the top of my head I think there were only 12 teams, and there were only a couple of other Junior B (as it was called back then) leagues around the country in total. There was the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, I think there was an Empire Junior Hockey League out east, and then the EJHL which talent-wise was on par with the NAHL if not as deep.

Speaking of, the NAHL only had 15 or so teams back then too as it was before expansion and before it merged with the 10 or so America West Hockey League clubs. The Tier III level is far too watered down now. There are still some players there no doubt but the overall quality has dipped noticeably on account of there being way, way too many teams for that level. It's still definitely worth checking out overall, though.

Essentially the tier three clubs fill out the future rosters for D3/ACHA teams. The main bright side to the NA3HL is that they are an affiliate to the NAHL. Every weekend a kid or two gets a call up.
 

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
62
st louis
Yet another new team in the league, well from relocation. The Butte Cobras will be in the Fronier Division. Taking the place of the Glacier Nationals.
 

kij

Registered User
Jan 31, 2016
269
130
Yet another new team in the league, well from relocation. The Butte Cobras will be in the Fronier Division. Taking the place of the Glacier Nationals.

The sale was forced by the league. Butte has a good fan base and is just transferring over from the WSHL as the turf war continues.
 

GindyDraws

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Mar 13, 2014
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Indianapolis
Yet another new team in the league, well from relocation. The Butte Cobras will be in the Fronier Division. Taking the place of the Glacier Nationals.

Glacier has been so putrid in their entire existence, the league told them not to bother playing their final games
 

kij

Registered User
Jan 31, 2016
269
130
Draft night! Kicks off in a few

Going on past years, teams are generally lucky if one of 8 draft picks actually decides to sign with them. The NA3HL draft is a good idea in theory however it requires a lot more pre-draft effort to be a functional way to build a roster.
 

takehisheadoff

Registered User
Nov 2, 2009
256
1
Medicine Hat, AB
Draft night! Kicks off in a few

Why would a league that players have to pay money to play in have a draft.:amazed:
images
 

joshyhockey26

Registered User
Dec 6, 2015
2,698
62
st louis
Preseason is finally here! Watching the Jr Blues currently. They have a weekend slate of games against two local club college teams.
 

JackalsKnuckles

Registered User
Jun 18, 2007
165
2
Billings and Butte have both suspended operations per their respective websites.

Not enough players to fill the rosters.
 

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