| United States Premier Hockey League-Elite | |
| |
| Sport | Ice Hockey |
| Founded | 2012 |
| CEO | Richard Gallant |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Country(ies) |  United States
|
| Most recent champion(s) | Boston Jr. Bruins |
| Most championship(s) | Springfield Pics, Boston Jr. Bruins 1 each |
| Official website | USPHL.com |
The United States Premier Hockey League Elite Division (USPHL-Elite) is an American junior ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL-Elite has grown to 32 organizations from across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and one foreign entry from Beijing, China .
USA Hockey had classified the Elite Division as a Tier III junior hockey league. The division was sanctioned by USA Hockey until the end of the 2016-17 season.[1]
History[]
The league was originally founded on June 6, 2013, when it was announced that the USPHL would absorb the Empire Jr. Hockey League (becoming the Empire Division) and the newly formed Eastern Elite Hockey League (becoming the Elite Division). With the additions, the USPHL added 16 organizations to the original 15.
During the 2014 off-season the USPHL lost the New York Applecore, but added the Providence Capitals, Jersey Shore Whalers, and the Richmond Generals and a whole organizations to increase the total number of organizations to 18 headed into the 2014-15 season.
The USPHL announced on December 18, 2014 the formation of a Mid-West Division to begin in the 2015-16 season by adding several teams from the Minnesota Junior Hockey League.[2] By the end of the season, the Mid-West Division would add all but one active MnJHL team causing the MnJHL to disband for the following season. On March 10, 2014, the USPHL also added the entire Midwest Junior Hockey League to its new Mid-West Division for the 2015-16 season.[3] USPHL Mid-West will mark the fourth Tier III division under the USPHL umbrella.
In late April 2015, the Charlotte Rush was announced as an expansion franchise by adding two teams, one in the Elite Division and one in the USP3.
The league and the USPHL as a whole was reorganized for the 2017-18 season as the USPHL launched the National Collegiate Development Conference which would have been a Tier-II league if it had been approved by USA Hockey. That league was rejected for Tier-II status late in 2016. The USPHL as a whole withdrew from USA Hockey and is playing as unsanctioned leagues. Many of the clubs in the leagues jumped up one level from 2016-17 to 2017-18 as the United States Premier 3 Hockey League was disbanded. Many of the teams from that league joined the Elite Division for 2017-18 while most of the teams from the 2016-17 version of the Elite Division were moved to the Premier Division for 2017-18 and the 2016-17 version of the Premier Division mostly moved to the newly formed NCDC.
Teams[]
(Tentative line up for 2017-18; especially for Midwest Division as league has not posted a listing for 2017-18 season for that division)
Former Members[]
| Team | Location | years |
|---|---|---|
| Illiana Blackbirds | Dyer, Indiana | (2016) withdrew before start of play |
| Portland Jr. Pirates | Saco, Maine | (2013-16) appears to have dropped junior hockey portion of its program |
| Providence Capitals | Lincoln, Rhode Island | (2014-16) organization reverts to youth hockey only |
| Rochester Stars | Rochester, New York | (2013-14) drop team at this level when join USPHL Premier Division |
| Roswell Bulldogs | Kissimmee, Florida | (2014-15) withdrew after one game of 2015-16 season due to lack of players |
| Springfield Pics | West Springfield, Massachusetts | (2013-14) drop team at this level when join USPHL Premier Division |
| Space Coast Hurricanes | Rockledge, Florida | (2013-14) merged with and renamed Roswell Bulldogs |
Champions[]
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Springfield Jr. Pics |
| 2014–15 | Boston Jr. Bruins |
| 2015–16 | Hampton Roads Whalers |
Seasons[]
- 2013-14 USPHL-Elite Season
- 2014-15 USPHL-Elite Season
- 2015-16 USPHL-Elite Season
- 2016-17 USPHL-Elite Season
- 2017-18 USPHL-Elite Season
References[]
- ↑ USA Hockey agrees to sanction USPHL, major eastern mergers (6 May 2013).
- ↑ Minnesota Junior Hockey League gets a shakeup (18 December 2014).
- ↑ Midwest Junior Hockey League Joins USPHL Mid-West Junior Hockey Division. USPHL (March 10, 2015).