2022-23 Junior Hockey Additions and Subtractions

[Barclay Donaldson]

Feel free to add by commenting with links...

ADDITIONS
Eastern Hockey League

• Unnamed team (Warwick, RI)
  • Eastern Hockey League announces expansion with a team coming to Warwick, Rhode Island
  • EHL and EHLP Welcome Group of New Franchises
  • Team was announced in December 2021. Still unnamed. There is precedence for the EHL having expansion teams flop, like Lehigh Valley Rebels and Keene/Maine Eclipse, as well as naming expansion markets with teams that never come, which happened for multiple teams across the south, both named and unnamed
• Philadelphia Hockey Club (Sewell, NJ)
  • EHL Welcomes Philadelphia Hockey Club
  • Owner was likely tired of losing money with the USPHL-NCDC

Eastern Hockey League Premier

• Adirondack Jr. Thunder (Glenn Falls, NY)
  • EHL and EHLP Welcome Group of New Franchises
  • Adirondack Junior Thunder to Join Eastern Hockey League Premier this Fall
  • Playing out of ECHL Adirondack Thunder's arena
• Union Thunder (Union, NJ)
  • Introducing the Union Thunder
  • Introducing the Pennsylvania Huntsmen
  • Another hockey team named the Thunder. That is exactly what the world needs
• Pennsylvania Huntsman
  • Introducing the Pennsylvania Huntsmen
  • Market previously hosted junior hockey, Exton Bulls

NAHL

• Minnesota Magicians -> Wisconsin Wendigo (Eagle River, WI)
  • Magicians sold and relocated to Eagle River, Wisconsin
  • Eagle River NAHL team to be named Wisconsin Windigo
  • Market
    • previously hosted a neutral site NA3HL game that was well received and well attended by the community
    • known as the hockey capital of the state
    • less than 1,500 people in the town and barely 20,000 people in the county
  • Rink
    • extremely old rink that could certainly use a facelift
    • seats 2,000 people, more than the entire population of the town
• Wichita Falls Warriors -> Oklahoma Warriors (Oklahoma City, OK)
  • Wichita Falls Warriors announce relocation to Oklahoma City
  • Oklahoma City NA3HL franchise sold to New Mexico
  • Extremely small facility, likely doesn't seat more than a few hundred and little proven market support
• Jamestown Rebels -> Washington Township, NJ
  • Jamestown Rebels sold and relocated to Philadelphia, PA
  • Will play in the same facility under the same ownership as the former NCDC Philadelphia Hockey Club
  • Were attracting crowds between 900-1000 in Jamestown, no reason for the sale given by former Family Guy producers Ken Dennis

NA3HL

• Oklahoma City Blazers NA3HL -> New Mexico Ice Wolves
  • NA3HL announces new team in Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Affiliated with the NAHL New Mexico Ice Wolves and set to play out of the same facility
  • Was stated to be a relocation of the OKC Blazers after the organization's purchase of the Wichita Falls NAHL franchise: New Mexico names Darren Banks as first Head Coach

USPHL - NCDC

• Mercer Chiefs
  • Tier 1 Hockey Federation, USPHL Announce Collaboration, Mercer Chiefs Join NCDC For 2022-23
  • Long time youth hockey powerhouse adds NCDC team. Rumored to be a relocation of the Philadelphia Hockey Club
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
  • WBS Knights To Join National Collegiate Development Conference In 2022-23
  • Previously had a NAHL team, EHL team, and was a USPHL Midget member

USPHL - Premier/Elite

• Columbia Infantry (Columbia, SC)
  • Columbia Infantry Announces Entry To USPHL Premier, Elite Divisions For 2022-23
• Nashville Spartans (Nolansville, TN)
  • Nashville Spartans To Join USPHL Premier, Elite Divisions In 2022-23
  • Shares Atlanta MadHatters ownership group

USPHL Premier

• Bakersfield Roughnecks (Bakersfield, CA)
  • Bakersfield Roughnecks To Join USPHL Premier’s Pacific Division In 2022-23
• Unnamed Idaho Falls franchise (Idaho Falls, ID)
  • Idaho Falls Organization Accepted Into USPHL Premier Mountain Division For 2022-23
  • Was reported as last as March 8 by local newspapers to be in the NA3HL
• Battle Creek Kernels (Battle Creek, MI)
  • Battle Creek Kernels Set To Join USPHL Premier In 2022-23 Season
  • Previously hosted USPHL Michigan Wolves
• Minnesota Squatch (Elk River, MN)
  • Minnesota Squatch Join United States Premier Hockey League, Will Play In Elk River
• Rebrand (Rum River Mallards -> Isanti Outlaws)
• Seattle Totems (leaving WSHL) Seattle, WA
• Bellingham Blazers (leaving WSHL) Bellingham, WA
• Vernal Oilers (leaving CAJHL) Vernal, UT
• Rogue Valley Rebels (leaving WSHL) Medford, OR
• Rock Springs Prospectors (Rock Springs, WY)

Click to read more...

 

[Captain Crash]

NAHL: The Minnesota Magicians has been sold and will be relocated to Eagle River, Wisconsin during the off-season.

Magicians sold and relocated to Eagle River, Wisconsin

Team in Eagle River to be the third NAHL team to call the State of Wisconsin home; Team will play out of the historic 'Dome.'

www.nahl.com

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Job Openings - American Hockey Coaches Association

Jobs that may be of interest to AHCA Members

ahcahockey.com

Interesting development out of Idaho Falls. Job posting on AHCA with heavy hints towards currently the NA3HL playing out of the new arena they have under construction. Stated to be playing in 2022-23 starting this fall, but nothing official from the NA3HL website. (New Idaho Falls Hockey team to play in NA3HL - Local News 8)

Assuming ownership also owns the minor league baseball Idaho Falls Chukars. News releases from Idaho Falls Chukars make it seem like it is a done deal, with over 1,000 season tickets sold. Team name is supposedly down to Sturgeon, Freedom Gliders, and Spud Kings according to the team name vote.

Eastern Idaho Falls Junior Hockey Tier III- Head Coaching Position

Eastern Idaho Junior Hockey is seeking to hire a head coach to lead an expansion Tier III junior hockey team for the 2022-23 season.

The newly formed team will operate out of the Mountain America Center and Hero Arena in Idaho Falls, ID.

The person that is hired to fill this role will not only lead the team on the ice, but will possess core values that align with promoting education, leadership, proper work ethic, and values that align well with the organization and venue.

Primary duties to include:

-Recruiting on annual basis to fill all roster positions in accordance with league rules
-Oversee scheduling of practices and games with venue operator
-Oversee all on ice and off ice practice planning to promote the growth of players
-Organize all travel arrangements for away games, including meals, hotel, and transportation
-Lead organization in community centered activities to promote a positive atmosphere and involvement with organizations around the Idaho Falls region
-Work closely with billet and education coordinator to ensure player well being
-Oversee the team equipment budget on an annual basis
-Work closely with ownership to ensure proper budgeting for ice time, travel, recruiting, and additional staff positions
-Lead multiple off season recruiting camps in Idaho Falls and surrounding region
-Responsible for upholding team and player image inline with community values

Opportunity for private lessons available, as well as additional revenue for camps and clinics.

Experience Requirements-

Level 4 USA Hockey certificate OR equivalent education required
Extensive knowledge and experience in either junior hockey or NCAA Div I/III hockey
5+ years or recruiting experience
Head coaching experience preferred
Experience managing large equipment orders, budgets, and travel arrangements preferred
Knowledge of Safesport required

All serious candidates please email a cover letter, resume, and three qualified references to Kevin Greene- [email protected].

Posted on 03/22/2022

East Idaho Hockey Hits 1,400 Season Seats Sold!

Season Tickets continue to sell for the new Junior-A hockey team, now reaching the 1,400 seat milestone.

www.ifchukars.com

Going into its Inaugural Season at the Mountain America Center this Fall, East Idaho Hockey is proud to announce they have just passed 1,000 season tickets sold as of January 31st, 2022.
East Idaho Hockey, whose season is set to start in the fall of 2022, began selling season tickets in October of 2021. Since season tickets have been on sale East Idaho Hockey has seen an incredible amount of community support and excitement. The team is set to play Junior A Hockey at the Mountain America Center, currently under construction in Snake River Landing, which will seat 4,100 fans.
When asked about this achievement, East Idaho Hockey President Kevin Greene says, “I never would have guessed we would reach this milestone so early. This is clearly a huge hockey town, so we would encourage anyone interested in season seats, club level seats, advertising opportunities, or group tickets to reach out to us now.”

If interested in purchasing season tickets for the hockey team or any other inquires, stop by the Idaho Falls Chukars business office located at Melaleuca Field or call the office at 208-522-8363.

Once again with junior hockey, it's only official when the league announces something

 

[JMCx4]

Did he say "Sturgeon"?

 

[PipeDream]

Philadelphia Hockey Club To Exit USPHL For 2022-23 Season

The Philadelphia Hockey Club will not be part of the USPHL beginning with the 2022-23 season. This includes Youth, Midget, and all levels of junior: NCDC, Premier and Elite. We thank the Philadelphia Hockey Club for their contributions to the USPHL and wish them the best moving forward.

www.usphl.com

What do you think happened here?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Philadelphia Hockey Club To Exit USPHL For 2022-23 Season

The Philadelphia Hockey Club will not be part of the USPHL beginning with the 2022-23 season. This includes Youth, Midget, and all levels of junior: NCDC, Premier and Elite. We thank the Philadelphia Hockey Club for their contributions to the USPHL and wish them the best moving forward.

www.usphl.com

What do you think happened here?

They dropped their juniors program according to their website. They are doing the typical "U18 and down" structure, two teams at just about every level. Likely split with the USPHL since the USPHL took the a lot of the AYHL and made that new youth hockey league. I can't imagine it is anything other than a profit and ideological split.

Juniors is not always a profitable institution. NCDC is a guaranteed money loser. Rumor around here had the new Mercer Chiefs NCDC franchise previously belong to PHC.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Idaho Falls Organization Accepted Into USPHL Premier Mountain Division For 2022-23

A Team Name and Logo Expected to be Announced in April

www.usphl.com

The Idaho Falls franchise which was previously stated to be joining the NA3HL is now joining the USPHL Premier.

 

[JMCx4]

Does this mean anything to this thread?

USPHL News: Philadelphia Hockey Club To Exit USPHL For 2022-23 Season

 

[hockeydude12345]

PHC is very scummy. They knew they were going to lose their NCDC, but yet they still had a NCDC prospects tournament immediately after their season ended, and before this announcement.

 

[mk80]

Job Openings - American Hockey Coaches Association

Jobs that may be of interest to AHCA Members

ahcahockey.com

Interesting development out of Idaho Falls. Job posting on AHCA with heavy hints towards currently the NA3HL playing out of the new arena they have under construction. Stated to be playing in 2022-23 starting this fall, but nothing official from the NA3HL website. (New Idaho Falls Hockey team to play in NA3HL - Local News 8)

Assuming ownership also owns the minor league baseball Idaho Falls Chukars. News releases from Idaho Falls Chukars make it seem like it is a done deal, with over 1,000 season tickets sold. Team name is supposedly down to Sturgeon, Freedom Gliders, and Spud Kings according to the team name vote.

East Idaho Hockey Hits 1,400 Season Seats Sold!

Season Tickets continue to sell for the new Junior-A hockey team, now reaching the 1,400 seat milestone.

www.ifchukars.com

Seems like a large arena just to have USPHL hockey. But to each their own. That Spud Kings name is too good to pass up in my opinion.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Seems like a large arena just to have USPHL hockey. But to each their own. That Spud Kings name is too good to pass up in my opinion.

It seems like a good NAHL market if they ever resume their northwestern push.

It is certainly far larger than any of the NA3HL Frontier Division barns and crowd wise dwarf everyone but Helena. USPHL Premier was likely chosen because travel might be easier.

 

[mk80]

It seems like a good NAHL market if they ever resume their northwestern push.

It is certainly far larger than any of the NA3HL Frontier Division barns and crowd wise dwarf everyone but Helena. USPHL Premier was likely chosen because travel might be easier.

I agree, it would be great for NAHL hockey if they ever do get a more western presence again

 

[mk80]

Wichita Falls relocating to OKC

 

[JMCx4]

Wichita Falls relocating to OKC

I sure didn't see THAT ONE coming. I guess Kay Yeager Coliseum just wasn't meant to host hockey.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Wichita Falls relocating to OKC

That is a shame. It seems like they had solid ownership and attendance was solid, especially in the competitive south. Any reason given for why they were sold? That arena has seen a lot of hockey turnover. Possible issue with the city?

Blazers Ice Center? The rink that sits maybe 300 people? That is going to host NAHL hockey. I am guessing OKC Blazers in the NA3HL bought the team and will attempt to run it like the Northeast Generals and pray they break even. These two offseason relocations are certainly downgrades.

 

[JMCx4]

... The only two options I can think of in Oklahoma City are Prairie Surf Studios which as recently as 2015 hosted AHL hockey and Blazers Ice Center, home of the current NA3HL OKC Blazers. One sits 13,000 for hockey. The other sits 300. This is not going to end well...

Maybe the team is working its way north toward the Kansas City area, in anticipation of Lamar Hunt, Jr. finally completing his new arena in the next couple of years & buying back in to the NAHL.

 

[mk80]

That is a shame. It seems like they had solid ownership and attendance was solid, especially in the competitive south. Any reason given for why they were sold? That arena has seen a lot of hockey turnover. Possible issue with the city?

Blazers Ice Center? The rink that sits maybe 300 people? That is going to host NAHL hockey. I am guessing OKC Blazers in the NA3HL bought the team and will attempt to run it like the Northeast Generals and pray they break even. These two offseason relocations are certainly downgrades.

Looking at their attendance average of 351 for the season I wouldn't exactly say solid. They've had a lot of staff turnover this season as well. NAHL Game Center | North American Hockey League | NAHL

I forget who told me, but I had heard the break even attendance figure for NAHL teams is 1,000 fans. Now there are some teams like Janesville, Chippewa etc. who sell out most nights but their rink only seats like 500 people. And some of the eastern teams, like Danbury, Northeast, New Jersey are not as attendance dependent and funded by other means.

Edit: As for the 3HL Ice Hawks well their Facebook and twitter accounts are suspended so maybe some connection to this? https://twitter.com/okcicehawks

Update Edit #2: Upon going through the NA3HL Ice Hawk website, their social media links go to unused OKC Blazers pages https://twitter.com/okcblazers Oklahoma City Blazers Login • Instagram

Update Edit #3: The NAHL website has the coming soon team page put up as the OKC Warriors, essentially a rebranded logo that replaces the Texas outline on the shield with some spears Oklahoma Warriors | North American Hockey League | NAHL

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Looking at their attendance average of 351 for the season I wouldn't exactly say solid. They've had a lot of staff turnover this season as well. NAHL Game Center | North American Hockey League | NAHL

I forget who told me, but I had heard the break even attendance figure for NAHL teams is 1,000 fans. Now there are some teams like Janesville, Chippewa etc. who sell out most nights but their rink only seats like 500 people. And some of the eastern teams, like Danbury, Northeast, New Jersey are not as attendance dependent and funded by other means.

Edit: As for the 3HL Ice Hawks well their Facebook and twitter accounts are suspended so maybe some connection to this? https://twitter.com/okcicehawks

Update Edit #2: Upon going through the NA3HL Ice Hawk website, their social media links go to unused OKC Blazers pages https://twitter.com/okcblazers Oklahoma City Blazers Login • Instagram

Update Edit #3: The NAHL website has the coming soon team page put up as the OKC Warriors, essentially a rebranded logo that replaces the Texas outline on the shield with some spears Oklahoma Warriors | North American Hockey League | NAHL

HockeyDB puts it at just over 1,000. Wichita Falls Warriors yearly attendance at hockeydb.com
The league website is notoriously inaccurate, look at the El Paso numbers.

 

[mk80]

HockeyDB puts it at just over 1,000. Wichita Falls Warriors yearly attendance at hockeydb.com
The league website is notoriously inaccurate, look at the El Paso numbers.

Interesting, you would think the league would have a more accurate number. I guess my teachers and professors were right in saying “always get a second source”

 

[JMCx4]

Interesting, you would think the league would have a more accurate number. I guess my teachers and professors were right in saying “always get a second source”

Easy for them to say, since over 95% of on-line media content these days will lead you back to a Wiki-page.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Interesting, you would think the league would have a more accurate number. I guess my teachers and professors were right in saying “always get a second source”

All good, the NA3HL for one reason or another keeps more accurate tabs. You would think with it being the first place you look teams would want more accurate counts. New Mexico has announced attendances for three games. One would think such a young team would want to advertise their attendance count.

 

[mk80]

USPHL Premier adds the Battle Creek Kernels

Battle Creek Kernels Set To Join USPHL Premier In 2022-23 Season

The United States Premier Hockey League’s growth in Michigan continues, as the Battle Creek Kernels are set to debut in 2022-23 as part of the USPHL Premier’s Midwest East Division. The Kernels are partly owned by Triston Jensen, who has significant coaching and general manager experience in the

www.usphl.com

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Atlanta MadHatters ownership adds Premier and Elite teams out of metro Nashville

Nashville Spartans To Join USPHL Premier, Elite Divisions In 2022-23

The USPHL is coming to Music City USA, as the Nashville Spartans will enter teams in the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite Divisions for 2022-23. Jon Tuggle, Zach Sabatini and Brett Werkheiser form the ownership group that is bringing USPHL hockey to Tennessee’s vibrant state capital. The Spartans wi

www.usphl.com

 

[JMCx4]

Atlanta MadHatters ownership adds Premier and Elite teams out of metro Nashville

Nashville Spartans To Join USPHL Premier, Elite Divisions In 2022-23

The USPHL is coming to Music City USA, as the Nashville Spartans will enter teams in the USPHL Premier and USPHL Elite Divisions for 2022-23. Jon Tuggle, Zach Sabatini and Brett Werkheiser form the ownership group that is bringing USPHL hockey to Tennessee’s vibrant state capital. The Spartans wi

www.usphl.com

Joshua Boyd must be seeking extra credit in his junior high Expressive Journalism class ...

They will play out of Gary Force Acura Ice Arena in Nolensville, Tenn., a vibrant and growing mini-metropolis about 20 miles outside of Nashville proper that is home to Carrie Underwood as well as other local celebrities.

 

[kij]

To add some insight into the NAHL website attendance numbers getting butchered, what tends to happen is the team doesn't have a number until after the game, so when doing the box score it is listed as 0. Then they either forget to update it, don't care enough, the portal times them out, or the arena wifi hits the fan at some point and a number of items are lost to the ether. In the end, the attendance listed on the website is 0 and that drags down the averages.

As for Wichita, wow is that disappointing to lose another team in that market. Had to expect with OKC and El Paso leaving the WSHL for the 3HL that something bigger was in the works for both of them and here we have it.

Idaho Falls having 1,000 season ticket holders for tier 3, that is promising but will it last? You'd like to see a team with that kind of market and a brand new arena to be pushing to jump up a level, which the NAHL would probably allow but they need at least two more frontier teams to join up with the Alaska Three to make anything work in Idaho. We shall see how that team evolves but sounds strong.