The Northern Junior Hockey League (NJHL) was an independent regional junior ice hockey league based in Jamestown, New York. The league operated from 2008 to 2010.

History

United Junior Hockey League

The United Junior Hockey League (UJHL) was created in 2008 when three teams — the

Penn Enforcers The Pittsburgh Cougars are a currently dormant junior ice hockey team. The Cougars play their home games at the Iceoplex at Southpointe near Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Franchise History The team was originally known as the Traverse City Enforcer ...

Philadelphia Thunder The Philadelphia Jr. Jackals was an independent junior "A" ice hockey team that played in the Mid-Atlantic Division of International Junior Hockey League Super Elite League. The team played its home games at The Rink At Old York Road in Elkins P ...

, and

Wooster Oilers The Wooster Oilers are a junior ice hockey team and member of the United States Premier Hockey League 'Premier' level. The Oilers play home games at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster, Ohio. History The franchise started in 2006 as an expansio ...

transferred from the

America East Hockey League America East Hockey League was a Junior A league that folded in August 2008. The League had teams in the Northeastern region of the United States. Its stated goal was to develops its players to play on college, Major Junior, and professional tea ...

to form the UJHL along with the additional expansion teams —

Findlay Grrrowl The Michigan Grrrowl was a tier III Junior "A" ice hockey team and a member of the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The franchise was previously known as the NWO Grrrowl and Findlay Grrrowl Franchise history Findlay Grrrowl era The franchise was ...

and

Jamestown Jets The Jamestown Jets were an American junior ice hockey team based in Jamestown, New York. Originally members of the United Junior Hockey League and later the Northern Junior Hockey League. The Jets played in the Canadian Greater Metro Junior A Hoc ...

. In August 2008, after the

went dark for the 2008–2009 season, the UJHL accepted four

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

teams that were to be new members of the AEHL into the UJHL. A new Division was created for the teams, made up of prep schools and small colleges that field Junior teams from

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 thirtee ...

, Canada. In February 2009, the entire North Division left the UJHL. The reason given by the league was lack of finances. Soon after, the four North Division teams played their own playoffs, won by the

Harrington College Icebergs The Harrington College Icebergs are an independent junior hockey, Junior A ice hockey team for players ages 15–20. The team is affiliated with Harrington College of Canada. The Icebergs are members of the America East Hockey League. The team pla ...

over Team Ulysse 2-games-to-1. In March 2009,

Barry Soskin Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

, owner of the Penn, Jamestown, and Findlay franchises decided to pull his teams from the UJHL, before briefly agreeing to return in order to finish the playoffs. The remaining first UJHL playoff champion, without competition from their North Division, was the

who beat the

2-games-to-1 to win in the final. Soskin's franchises eventually did split off to form the Northern Junior Hockey League in 2009. The NJHL also claims membership of the Adirondack, Philadelphia, Troy, and Wooster teams, in addition to the Jamestown and Findlay teams, and Team Ulysse, which joined as well. The league merged completeness with the NJHL.

Northern Junior Hockey League

The new league, under the Northern Junior Hockey League (NJHL), name was officially announced on May 11, 2009 when the NJHL launched its website. The league's first season of play is the 2009-10 season. The first game was won by the Jamestown Jets playing against the Findlay Grrrowl by 5:2, playing at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena on September 11, 2009. But the Findlay Grrrowl split the series by, winning the second game on September 12, 2009. On August 25, 2010 the

announced the team was moving to the

Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in the Greater Toronto Area, Central Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Quebec. In 2019, they added three ...

(GMHL). followed by the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution, an expansion franchise for 2010-11 announced a move to the Tier III junior A

Central States Hockey League The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league that consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New Yo ...

(CSHL) and the Troy Bruins announced that the franchise was moving to the minor professional All American Hockey League (AAHL). On August 31, 2010

Danville Express Danville or Dansville may refer to: ;Canada *Danville, Quebec ;United States *Danville, Alabama *Danville, Arkansas *Danville, California *Danville, Georgia *Danville, Illinois *Danville, Indiana *Danville, Iowa * Danville, Kansas *Danville, Kentu ...

's GM resigned and

and Danville websites have been taken down and no word from the Alpena Thunder, sparking rumors the league folded. On September 1, 2010 the league went dark.

Former teams

* Adirondack Predators''- 2009–2010, league champions ' * Alpena Thunder expansion 2010, ''joined CJHL'' * Battle Creek Jr. Revolution- expansion 2010, ''joined CSHL'' *

2010, ''never played, folded'' * Draveurs de Trois-Rivières 2008–2009, ''moved to LHPS'' *

2008–2010, ''folded'' * Indiana Inferno- 2009, ''never played, folded'' *

- 2008–2010, ''moved to

GMHL The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in the Greater Toronto Area, Central Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Quebec. In 2019, they added three tea ...

''
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2008–2009, ''folded'' *

Pittsburgh Cougars The Pittsburgh Cougars are a currently dormant junior ice hockey team. The Cougars play their home games at the Iceoplex at Southpointe near Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Franchise History The team was originally known as the Traverse City Enforcer ...

- ''never played, folded'' *

- 2008–2010, ''moved to IJHL'' * Saint Lawrence Lions 2008–2009, ''moved to LHPS'' * Team Ulysse-2008–2010, ''moved to LHPS'' * Troy Bruins 2009-2010, ''moved to AAHL'' *

- 2008–2010, ''moved to GLJHL''

Championships

UJHL Champions

''South'' * 2009

''North'' * 2009

References

External links

NJHL League Website
''(non operational)'' {{Junior Hockey Defunct junior ice hockey leagues in the United States Defunct junior ice hockey leagues in Canada 2009–10 in American ice hockey by league 2009–10 in Canadian ice hockey by league Sports leagues established in 2008 Sports leagues disestablished in 2010 2008 establishments in North America 2010 disestablishments in North America