North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (NA3EHL) was a

USA Hockey USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the Sport governing body, governing body for organized ice ...

-sanctioned Tier III junior

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 hock ...

league. The league had teams in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. In 2016, the league merged with the

North American 3 Hockey League The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is an American Junior ice hockey#Tier III, Tier III junior ice hockey league that consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, M ...

History

Precursors to the league were: * Interstate Junior Hockey League (1998–2004) *

International Junior Hockey League International Junior Hockey League was an independent Junior B ice hockey league. The League had teams in New England and Mid Atlantic United States. League History The league formed in 2005 out of the Interstate Junior Hockey League with tea ...

(2005–2012)

Northern States Hockey League (2012–2014)

The Northern States Hockey League (NSHL) formed in spring 2012 and became the second league to be sanctioned by the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

(AAU) and its

United Hockey Union The United Hockey Union (UHU), founded in 2012, is a group of ice hockey leagues in North America. The UHU is overseen and insured by the Amateur Athletic Union. Neither body is recognized by USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, or the International Ice Hoc ...

program. Several existing programs from the defunct

(IJHL) Super Elite Division joined new franchises to form a seven-team league. The initial teams included the Cape Cod Islanders, the

Eastern Kodiaks The Eastern Kodiaks were an independent junior ice hockey, Junior "A" ice hockey team from Exeter, New Hampshire, Exeter, New Hampshire and played home games aThe Rinks at Exeter They were a member of the International Junior Hockey League from 2 ...

, the

Junior Mariners Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Junior (Junior Mance album), ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * Junior (Röyksopp album), ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * Junior (Kaki King album), ''Junior'' (Kaki King a ...

, the Lake George Fighting Spirit, the

New England Stars The New England Stars were a North Eastern Hockey League (NEHL) team based in Danbury, Connecticut who started play at the end of 2006. The team filled the void when the Danbury Trashers left the Danbury Ice Arena, after the Trashers folded due t ...

, the Syracuse Stampede, and the Trenton Habs. For the 2013–14 season the league added the

Maine Moose The Maine Moose were a junior ice hockey, Tier III Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hallowell, Maine in the Amateur Athletic Union, AAU-sanctioned North American 3 Eastern Hockey League, Northern States Junior Hockey League. They played home games ...

, the

Maine Wild Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nort ...

, and the Wilkes-Barre Miners. In addition, two teams relocated and changed names when the Lake George Fighting Spirit moved to

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire Waterville Valley is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 508 at the 2020 census, up from 247 at the 2010 census. Waterville Valley attracts many visitors in the winter months with alpine skiing at Watervill ...

and became known as American Hockey Institute Fighting Spirit and the Trenton Habs were renamed the Jersey Shore Wildcats when they moved their operations to

Wall Township, New Jersey Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area and is a bedroom community of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 26,164, refle ...

. The league also lost the Eastern Kodiaks when the team moved operations to Jamestown, New York, shortly before folding. The NSHL continued growth for the 2014–15 season when the league announced three new teams: the Roc City Royals, Central New York Stallions, and the Lockport Express. Two franchises also announced relocation and name change plans. The Maine Moose franchise was sold and renamed the

Maine Timberwolves The Maine Moose were a Tier III Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hallowell, Maine in the AAU-sanctioned Northern States Junior Hockey League. They played home games in at the Bank of Maine Ice Vault in Hallowell, Maine. The organization continue ...

with a relocation to

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...

, and the AHI Fighting Spirit was renamed the New Hampshire Fighting Spirit with a relocation to

Laconia, New Hampshire Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. La ...

. The league also organized the 12 teams into two divisions of six teams each. However, when the NSHL released its 2014–15 schedule in August, the CNY Stallions were not included in the schedule, reducing the west division to five teams and the league to eleven teams. On September 17, the Maine Timberwolves folded prior to the start of the season re-balancing the league to five teams per division.

North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (2014–2016)

In October 2014, the NSHL left the

after two seasons under the promise of

sanctioning by affiliating with the Tier II Junior A

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

(NAHL) early into the 2014–15 season. Under the new organizational management by the NAHL, the league changed its name to the North American 3 Eastern Hockey League. Because the season had already started, the league would operate independently for the 2014–15 season and would apply to join USA Hockey before the 2015–16 season. The NA3EHL was approved for Tier III status by USA Hockey in May 2015. After the league was renamed, the Junior Mariners changed their name to the East Coast Minutemen while continuing to play out of Salem, New Hampshire. On December 16, 2014, it was announced that the Fighting Spirit would relocate once again for the following season to

and renamed as the L/A (Lewiston/Auburn) Fighting Spirit. On November 18, 2014, the NAHL announced it was adding the Skylands Kings junior hockey team for expansion to the NA3EHL beginning play in the 2015–16 season. On April 9, 2015, the NA3EHL announced the addition of the Northeast Generals as an expansion team to begin play the following season based out of

Canton, Massachusetts Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,370 at the 2020 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of downtown Boston. Hist ...

. On April 13, 2015, it was announced the New York Aviators, the 2015

United States Premier Hockey League The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is an American ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL has grown to over 60 organizations from across the United States fielding teams in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), ...

-Empire Division Champions, would be transferring to the NA3EHL starting in the 2015–16 season. On March 4, 2016, it was formally announced that the NA3EHL would be added to the

's other Tier III league, the

(NA3HL), beginning with the 2016–17 season. The former NA3EHL teams became two new divisions within the NA3HL: the Coastal and Northeast.

List of all teams

* AHI Fighting Spirit (2013–14;

; relocated to

, in 2014) * Cape Cod Islanders (2012–16;

Falmouth, Massachusetts Falmouth ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority ferri ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) * CNY Stallions (announced for 2014–15 but did not participate) * East Coast Minutemen (2014–16;

Salem, New Hampshire Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 30,089 at the 2020 census. Being located on Interstate 93 as the first town in New Hampshire, which lacks any state sales tax, Salem has grown into a commer ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) *

(2012–13;

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...

; folded after one season in the NSHL) * Jersey Shore Wildcats (2013–16;

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) * Junior Mariners (2012–14;

; renamed to East Coast Minutemen during the 2014–15 season) * L/A Fighting Spirit (2015–16; Lewiston-Auburn, Maine; joined the NA3HL in 2016) * Lake George Fighting Spirit (2012–13; Lake George, New York; relocated to Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, in 2013) * Lockport Express (2014–16;

Lockport, New York Lockport is both a city and the Lockport (town), New York, town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York, Niagara County, New York (state), New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) *

(2012–13 as a partial NSHL member, 2013–14 as a full member;

Hallowell, Maine Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,570 at the 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Hallowell is noted for its culture and old architecture. Hallowell is included in the Augusta, Maine, micropolita ...

; sold and renamed to Maine Timberwolves in 2014) *

(folded prior to the 2014–15 season without ever playing a game; intended to play out of

)
Maine Wild
(2013–16;

Biddeford, Maine Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) *

(2012–16;

Tyngsboro, Massachusetts Tyngsborough (also spelled Tyngsboro) is a town in northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Tyngsborough is from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, and located on the New Hampshire state line. At the 2020 census, the town popula ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) * New Hampshire Fighting Spirit (2014–15;

; relocated to Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, as the L/A Fighting Spirit in 2015) * New York Aviators (2015–16;

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016, relocated to

Long Beach, New York Long Beach is an oceanfront Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County in New York (state), New York, United States. It takes up a central section of the Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the weste ...

, and became the Long Beach Sharks) *

Northeast Generals The Northeast Generals are a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The team competes in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). History In 2015, the organization added a Tier III junior team to the North Amer ...

(2015–16;

; joined the NA3HL in 2016 as well as creating a Tier II team in the NAHL) * Roc City Royals (2014–16;

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016)
Skylands Kings
(2015–16;

Stockholm, New Jersey Stockholm is an unincorporated community located in the southeastern part of Hardyston Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. Its ZIP Code is 07460. Like many neighboring towns, Stockholm is home to a number of lakes including De ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) * Syracuse Stampede (2012–16;

Baldwinsville, New York Baldwinsville is a Village (New York), village in Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 7,898 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Syracuse, New York, ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016) * Trenton Habs (2012–13;

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Wall Township, New Jersey Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area and is a bedroom community of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 26,164, refle ...

, and became the Jersey Shore Wildcats in 2013) * Wilkes-Barre Miners (2013–16;

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

; joined the NA3HL in 2016, relocated to

Binghamton, New York Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

, and became the Binghamton Jr. Senators)

Season summary

NA3EHL/NSHL Cup Champions * 2012–13: Syracuse Stampede * 2013–14: Jersey Shore Wildcats * 2014–15: Jersey Shore Wildcats * 2015–16: Jersey Shore Wildcats NA3EHL/NSHL Regular Season Champions * 2012–13: Lake George Fighting Spirit * 2013–14: AHI Fighting Spirit * 2014–15: Jersey Shore Wildcats * 2015–16: Jersey Shore Wildcats

References

External links

*
Former NSHL website
{{Junior Hockey Junior ice hockey leagues in the United States

History

Northern States Hockey League (2012–2014)

North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (2014–2016)

List of all teams

Season summary

See also

References

External links