The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced the release of the 2016-17 regular-season schedule. The NA3HL is entering its seventh season and serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. Through the NAHL’s vast resources for development and exposure, the creation of the NA3HL provides another worthy path for players to grow, on and off the ice, while being showcased in front of the entire junior, college and professional scouting community.
The player advancement of NA3HL players last season to the NAHL and other junior leagues again set a new standard for player movement. In addition to the 40+ players who advanced to play in the NAHL throughout the season, 32 NA3HL players were either tendered or drafted by NAHL teams during the 2015-16 season. Over 150 NA3HL players made college commitments during the 2015-16 season, with more than 100 of those being NCAA commitments.
“The NA3HL set new records for player advancement and scouting attendance at events last season and our priority is to build on that momentum. With 48 teams in the League, our exceptional events will continue to showcase players and attract college scouts from across the country,” said NA3HL Commissioner Denny Scanlon.
The 2016-17 season is an exciting time for the NA3HL, as the league will be at an all-time high of 48 teams. In addition to its regular-season schedule and playoffs, the NA3HL, which boasts a geographical footprint with 48 teams in 21 states (Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming) allowing players to compete and excel academically at home, will participate in the NAHL’s high-exposure events, which attract hundreds of college, junior and professional coaches and scouts.
The NA3HL will have three events during the 2016-17 season. All 48 teams will compete in a league-wide Showcase held from December 16-18, 2016 at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.
The second event of the season will be the NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament, which will take place alongside the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan from February 26-28, 2017.
The NA3HL will then finish their season with the Silver Cup Championship Tournament, which crowns the NA3HL’s playoff champion. The event will be held from March 29-April 2, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois.
2016-17 NA3HL Divisional breakdown:
Central Division (5 teams): Chicago Bulldogs, La Crosse Freeze, North Iowa Bulls, Rochester Ice Hawks, Wisconsin Whalers.
Coastal Division (7 teams): Cape Cod Islanders, East Coast Minutemen, L/A Fighting Spirit, Long Beach Sharks, Maine Wild, New England Stars, Northeast Generals.
East Division (6 teams): Metro Jets, Pittsburgh Vengeance, Southern Tier Xpress, Toledo Cherokee, West Michigan Wolves, Wooster Oilers.
Frontier Division (8 teams): Billings Bulls, Bozeman Icedogs, Gillette Wild, Glacier Nationals, Great Falls Americans, Helena Bighorns, Missoula Junior Bruins, Yellowstone Quake.
Midwest Division: (5 teams): Cincinnati Thunder, Evansville Jr. Thunderbolts, Nashville Jr. Predators, Peoria Mustangs, St. Louis Jr. Blues.
Northeast Division (6 teams): Binghamton Jr. Senators, Jersey Shore Wildcats, Lockport Express, Roc City Royals, Skylands Kings, Syracuse Stampede.
South Division (6 teams): Atlanta Capitals, College Station Spirit, Euless Jr. Stars, Louisiana Drillers, Point Mallard Ducks, Texas Jr. Brahmas.
West Division (5 teams): Alexandria Blizzard, Breezy Point North Stars, Granite City Lumberjacks, New Ulm Steel, Willmar WarHawks.
