The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH, ''"North American Hockey League"'') is a low-level

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and sk ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

league based in the Canadian province of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

. Teams in the LNAH compete for the Vertdure Cup.

History

The league was founded as the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (QSPHL; French: ''Ligue de hockey semi-professionnelle du Québec'' (''LHSPQ'')) in 1996, and became fully professional and assumed its current name in 2004. It reached its peak in terms of number of teams that season, with ten. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the 2019-20

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

were suspended and never concluded; Thetford Assurancia was the regular season champion. The league had hoped to start the 2021 season in January, but announced in November 2020 that it would not be going forward with one, although it floated the possibility of a spring tournament should the situation improve.

League play

Unlike higher-level minor professional leagues, such as the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...

or the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

, the LNAH is not known for its skill level. Its teams employ many enforcers and has a rather infamous reputation for on-ice antics, primarily fisticuffs. The LNAH has a reputation as the world's toughest hockey league; a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' article stated that the league averaged 3.2 fights a game during the 2010–11 season, compared with 0.6 fights in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

. Despite this reputation, many of the players have been ex-National Hockey League or ex-American Hockey League players, including Patrick Côté, Michel Picard, Stéphane Richer,

Bobby Dollas Robert H. Dollas (born January 31, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Dollas played defence for the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Detroit Red Wings, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calga ...

Guillaume Lefebvre Guillaume Lefebvre (born May 7, 1981) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played four seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins. Playing career Lefeb ...

Garrett Burnett Garrett "Rocky" Burnett (September 23, 1975 – April 11, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the National Hockey League in the 2003–04 season. Playing career Undrafted, Burnett ...

Daniel Shank Daniel Shank (born May 12, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League. After playing four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Shank made his professional debut with the Adiron ...

François Leroux François Leroux (born April 18, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. At 6'6" and over 240 pounds, Leroux was a physical, defensive-minded defenceman who amassed 577 penalty minutes in his NHL career. In his NHL career, he p ...

Jeremy Stevenson Jeremy Joseph Stevenson (born July 28, 1974) is an American-born Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who last played for the Kalamazoo Wings of the International Hockey League. Early life Born in San Bernardino, California, Ste ...

Éric Fichaud Éric Joseph Fichaud (born November 4, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 95 games in the National Hockey League with four teams between 1996 and 2000. He was selected in the first round of the 1994 NHL Entry ...

, Mario Roberge,

David Gosselin David Gosselin (born June 22, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played 13 games in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators between 2000 and 2001. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1998 to ...

Michel Ouellet Michel Ouellet (born March 5, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Ouellet was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 4th round (124th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entr ...

Jesse Bélanger Joseph Jesse Dave Bélanger (born June 15, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League from 1991 to 2001. Playing career As a youth, he played in the 1981 and 1982 Quebec International Pee-We ...

Donald Brashear Donald Brashear (born January 7, 1972) is an American former professional hockey player who played for five organizations in the National Hockey League (NHL) over a 23 year pro career, in which he played the role of an enforcer. He was among th ...

, Yves Racine, Anthony Stewart and

Juraj Kolník Juraj Kolník (born November 13, 1980) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey forward, who last played for the Jonquière Marquis of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey. Kolník has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

. During the

2004–05 NHL lockout The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play. The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...

, some NHL players -- such as Sylvain Blouin,

, Sébastien Caron,

Mathieu Biron Mathieu Biron (born April 29, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played over 250 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). After retiring as a hockey player, he became a firefighter. Playing career As a youth, Biron pl ...

, Marc-André Bergeron and Sébastien Charpentier -- played the entire season in the LNAH. This is abetted by the absence of a veteran limit rule (common to other minor pro leagues in North America) which allows teams to stock up on experienced players. The 15-round LNAH Draft is held during the summer. Players too old for

junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

may be drafted even if they were already drafted by an NHL team. The league has had a rule that stipulates that all players must either have come from or played junior hockey in Quebec, though it has not been strictly used for LNAH teams based outside Quebec.

Teams

Current

; Notes # ''An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.''

Timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:01/01/1996 till:06/17/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.95,0.5,0.4) id:line value:black id:bg value:white PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2001 text: Acton Vale Nova/Beaulieu (1996–2001) bar:1 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:07/01/2009 text: Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin/Cristal/Top Design/Chiefs (2001–2009) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift:(-20) text: H-Rich. (96–97) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text: Iberville (97–98) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2001 shift:(30) text: Saint-Laurent (98–01) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:07/01/2006 text: Verdun/Verdun-Montreal Dragons (2001–2006) bar:3 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1999 text: Lachute Rapides (96–99) bar:3 color:skyblue from:07/01/1999 till:06/01/2003 text: LaSalle Rapides (1999–2003) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift:(-20) text: L'tides (96–97) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text: St-Thérèse (97–98) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2006 shift:(60) text: Laval Chiefs/Summum Chiefs (1998–2006) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2008 text: St-Jean Chiefs (06–08) bar:4 color:yellow from:07/01/2008 till:end shift:(20) text: Saguenay/Jonquière 98.3/Marquis (2008–present) bar:5 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 text: Louiseville Jets (1996–1997) bar:6 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2004 text: Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf/Caron et Guay (1996–2004) bar:6 color:skyblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2018 text: Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay/Vikings/Blizzard/Draveurs (2004–18) bar:7 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 text: Rive-Sud (96–98) bar:7 color:yellow from:07/01/1998 till:end text: Saint-Georges Garaga/CRS Express/Cool FM 103.5 (1998–present) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 text: St-Gabriel (96–98) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2002 text: Joliette Blizzard/Mission (98–02) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/2002 till:06/01/2004 shift:(-20) text: St-Jean-sur-Rich. (02–04) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2008 text: Sorel Mission (2004–2008) bar:8 color:yellow from:07/01/2010 till:end shift:(-10) text: Sorel-Tracy GCI/HC Carvena/Éperviers (2010–present) bar:9 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2004 text: Sorel Dinosaures/Royaux (1996–2004) bar:10 color:yellow from:07/01/1996 till:end text: Thetford Mines Coyotes/Prolab/Isothermic/Assurancia (1996–present) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift: (-20) text: Vanier (96–97) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:

Quebec Aces The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. History The Aces were founded in 1928 by Anglo-Canadian Pulp and Paper Mills, the name Aces stan ...

(97–98) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1999 till:06/01/2001 shift: (15) text: Beaupre (99–01) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2008 text: Quebec Aces/Radio X (2001-08) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/2008 till:06/01/2010 text: Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans (2008-10) bar:12 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift:(-20) text: Waterloo 94 (96–97) bar:12 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2004 shift:(25) text: Granby Blitz/Prédateurs (1997–2004) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2003 text: Windsor Papetiers/Lacroix (1996–2003) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2003 till:06/01/2011 text: Sherbrooke Saint-François (2003–2011) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2011 till:06/01/2012 shift:(-55) text:

Windsor Wild The Windsor Wild were an ice hockey team based in Windsor, Quebec that played in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). Formerly the Sherbrooke Saint-François, the Wild played in the LNAH during the 2011-12 season. They moved to Cornwall, O ...

(11-12) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2012 till:09/29/2016 text:

Cornwall River Kings The Cornwall River Kings were a professional ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada and members of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). They played their home games at Ed Lumley Arena at the Cornwall Civic Complex. The team w ...

(2012–16) bar:14 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2003 text: Asbestos Aztèques/Dubé (1997–2003) bar:15 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2002 text: Jonquière Condors (1997–2002) bar:15 color:skyblue from:07/01/2002 till:12/09/2004 text: Saguenay Paramédic/Fjord (2002–2004) bar:16 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2004 text: Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel (2001–2004) bar:17 color:skyblue from:07/01/2003 till:06/01/2004 text:Trois-Rivières Viking (2003–2004) bar:18 color:yellow from:07/01/2008 till:end text: Rivière-du-Loup CIMT/3L (2008–present) bar:19 color:skyblue from:07/01/2008 till:03/01/2009 text: Ste-Marie Poutrelles Delta (2008–2009) bar:20 color:skyblue from:07/01/2013 till:12/01/2013 shift:(-50) text: Valleyfield (13) bar:20 color:skyblue from:12/01/2013 till:05/31/2017 text: Laval Braves/Prédateurs (2013–2017) bar:21 color:skyblue from:07/01/2018 till:11/09/2018 shift:-100 text: Berlin Blackjacks (2018) bar:21 color:yellow from:11/10/2018 till:end shift:0 text:Les Pétroliers du Nord (2018–present) bar:22 color:yellow from:04/07/2022 till:end shift:0 text:

Bâtisseurs de Montcalm The Montcalm Builders (french: Bâtisseurs de Montcalm) are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec, Canada. The team is part of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH), and plays at the Complexe JC Perreau ...

(2022–present) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1996

Defunct

* Acton Vale Beaulieu (2000–01; became Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin) * Acton Vale Nova (1996–2000; renamed Acton Vale Beaulieu) * Asbestos Aztèques (1997–2001; renamed Asbestos Dubé) * Asbestos Aztèques (2002–03; folded) * Asbestos Dubé (2001–02; renamed Asbestos Aztèques) *Berlin BlackJacks (2018; team taken over by league after 10 games in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

and moved to St-Jérôme, Quebec for the remainder of the 2018-19 season as Les Pétrôliers du Nord, and then to Laval, Quebec for season 2019-20 under the same name) *

(2012–16; folded) * Côte-de-Beaupré As (2000–01; became Québec As and played at Charlesbourg in 2001–2002 and at Beauport in 2002–2003) * Côte-de-Beaupré Caron et Guay (1999–2000; became Côte-de-Beaupré As) * Granby Blitz (1997–2002; renamed Granby Prédateurs) *

Granby Prédateurs The Granby Prédateurs ("Predators") were a junior ice hockey team founded in 1981 after the team moved from Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, where they had been known as the Sorel Éperviers. The team had been known as the Granby Bisons, but changed their ...

(2002–04; folded) * Haut-Richelieu Dragons (1996–97; renamed Iberville Dragons) * Iberville Dragons (1997–98; became Saint-Laurent Dragons) * Joliette Blizzard (1998–2000; renamed Joliette Mission) * Joliette Mission (2000–02; became Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Mission) * Jonquière Condors (1997–2002; renamed Saguenay Paramédic) *Lachute Rapides (1996–99; became LaSalle Rapides) *LaSalle Rapides (1999–2003; folded) * Laurentides Gladiateurs (1996–97; became Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs) *

Laval Chiefs Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxe ...

(1998–2005; renamed Laval Summum-Chiefs) * Laval Summum-Chiefs (2005–06; became Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum-Chiefs) *

Laval Braves The Laval Predators (french: link=no, Prédateurs de Laval) were an ice hockey team based in Laval, Quebec which competed in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) from 2013 to 2017. Their home arena was the historic Colisée de Laval, buil ...

(2013–14; renamed Laval Predateurs) * Laval Predators (2014–17; folded) * Louiseville Jets (1996–97; folded) * Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay (2001–04; became Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay) * Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf (1996–2001; renamed Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay) * Québec As (1997–98; dormant in 1998–99 and became Côte-de-Beaupré Caron et Guay) * Québec As (2001–03; renamed Québec Radio X, then Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans) * Rive-Sud Chacals (1996–98; became Saint-Georges Garaga) * Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel (2001–04; folded) * Rivière-du-Loup CIMT (2008–10; renamed Rivière-du-Loup 3L * Saguenay 98,3 (2008–09; renamed Saguenay Marquis) *

Saguenay Fjord Saguenay Fjord National Park (french: parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay) is a provincial park located in Quebec, Canada. In the regions of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Charlevoix, Côte-Nord, and Bas-Saint-Laurent, the park is situated along the ...

(2004–05; folded after 24 games) * Saguenay Paramédic (2002–04; renamed Saguenay Fjord) * Ste-Marie Poutrelles Delta (2008; folded during the season) * Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs (1997–98; became Laval Chiefs) * Saint-Gabriel Blizzard (1996–98; became Joliette Blizzard) * Saint-Georges Garaga (1998–2005; renamed Saint-Georges CRS Express) *

Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs The Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs was a semi-pro ice hockey team based in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which is now defunct. The team was part of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). The Chiefs played at the Stade L.P. Gaucher. The team started in ...

(2008–09; folded) * Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin (2001–05; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal) * Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal (2005–06; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design) * Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design (2006–08; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs) * Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Mission (2002–04; became Sorel-Tracy Mission) * Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum-Chiefs (2006–08; became Saguenay 98.3) * Saint-Laurent Dragons (1998–2001; became Verdun Dragons) * Sherbrooke Saint-François (2003–11; became Windsor Wild) * Sorel Dinosaures (1996–99; renamed Sorel Royaux) * Sorel Mission (2004–08) * Sorel Royaux (1999–2004; folded) * Sorel-Tracy GCI (2010–11) * Thetford Mines Coyotes (1996–2000; renamed Thetford Mines Prolab) *

Thetford Mines Isothermic The Thetford Assurancia is a hockey team based in Thetford Mines, Quebec. The team is part of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). The team plays at the Centre Mario Gosselin. History Previously this LNAH franchise was known as the The ...

(2007–15; renamed Thetford Assurancia) * Thetford Mines Prolab (2000–07; renamed Thetford Mines Isothermic) * Trois-Rivières Blizzard (2014–17; renamed Trois-Rivières Draveurs) * Trois-Rivières Draveurs (2017–18; membership revoked) * Trois-Rivières Viking (2003–04; folded) * Valleyfield Braves (2013; became Laval Braves partway through 2013–14 season) * Vanier Voyageurs (1996–97; became Québec As and played at Val-Bélair) *

Verdun Dragons The Verdun Dragons were a hockey team based in Verdun, Quebec. The team was part of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey. The Dragons played at the Verdun Auditorium. They won the Futura Cup against the Saint-Georges Garaga in 2003–2004. In ...

(2001–05; renamed Verdun-Montréal Dragons) * Verdun-Montréal Dragons (2005–06; folded) * Waterloo 94 (1996–97; became Granby Blitz) * Windsor Lacroix (2001–03; became Sherbrooke Saint-François) * Windsor Papetiers (1996–2001; renamed Windsor Lacroix) *

(2011–12; became Cornwall River Kings)

Champions

The Vertdure Cup is the trophy awarded annually to champions of the LNAH. It was first awarded after the 1996–97 season, and was originally called the Futura Cup. In 2011, it was renamed the Canam Cup, and in 2014 as the Vertdure Cup.

LNAH Finals appearances by city

Note: Cities listed in yellow are currently home to an LNAH franchise.

References

External links

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey 1 Ice hockey leagues in Ontario Minor league ice hockey Articles which contain graphical timelines 1996 establishments in Canada Sports leagues established in 1996 Professional sports leagues in Canada