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, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Sanctioned by USA Hockey, for most of the league's existence, the winner of the NA3HL playoffs would advance to play for the Tier III National Championship, however, this has not been held since 2015.
History Originally formed in the early 1970s as a Junior B-level league known as the Central States Hockey League (CSHL), the league evolved into the Metro Detroit Junior Hockey League in the early 1980s. The CSHL name was used again from 1994 until 2010. The league was reclassified from Tier III Junior B to Tier III Junior A in the summer of 2007 by USA Hockey.
During the 2008–09 season, it was announced that the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins would join the CSHL for the 2009–10 season, bringing the number of teams to 13. The league returned to 12 teams for 2010–11, as the Dubuque Thunderbirds franchise folded to make way for the return of the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League.
On November 1, 2010, it was announced that the North American Hockey League would take control of the CSHL. The NAHL-CSHL affiliation intends for a more structured junior hockey system to provide athletes with more opportunities to advance to college and professional hockey, including a draft of CSHL players into the NAHL. At the time of the take over, the league was renamed to the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL).
In May 2011, it was announced that the Granite City Lumberjacks, Minnesota Flying Aces, North Iowa Bulls and the Twin City Steel would join the league beginning with the 2011–12 season bringing the total number of teams in the NA3HL to 16.
In March 2013, the NA3HL announced that its Board of Governors has accepted the membership application for the Chicago Jr. Bulldogs, which began play in the NA3HL during the 2013–14 season. Owned by Ken Kestas, the Bulldogs played home games out of Canlan Ice Sports in Romeoville, Illinois.
Quad City Jr. Flames (Davenport, Iowa) relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, in May 2013 and were renamed the Wisconsin Whalers.
In May 2014, the Flint Jr. Generals were purchased and relocated to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and renamed the La Crosse Freeze. The NA3HL announced that the Texas Jr. Brahmas would transfer from the Western States Hockey League and join the South Division. The expansion Nashville Junior Predators and Point Mallard Ducks (Decatur, AL) also joined the South Division bringing its total up to six teams. The American West Hockey League moved to the NA3HL to form new Frontier Division. The Battle Creek Revolution announced it was re-branding as the West Michigan Wolves. The Michigan Mountain Cats were sold and relocated to Jamestown, NY, and called the Southern Tier Xpress.
In April 2015, the NA3HL announced an expansion team in Evansville, Indiana, called the Thunderbolts, to play in the South Division beginning in the 2015–16 season. On May 21–22 of 2015, two additional expansion teams were announced: Rochester Ice Hawks, a member of the former Minnesota Junior Hockey League, was added the West Division, and the Louisiana Drillers playing out of Lafayette, Louisiana was added to the South Division.
On March 4, 2016, it was formally announced that the North American Hockey League's other Tier III league, the North American 3 Eastern Hockey League (NA3EHL), would be added to the NA3HL beginning with the 2016–17 season. The former NA3EHL teams became two new divisions within the NA3HL. On May 21, 2016, the Missoula Bruins youth hockey organization from Missoula, Montana, announced it had been approved as an expansion team in the Frontier Division of the NA3HL. The Missoula Junior Bruins replaced the Missoula Maulers of the Western States Hockey League after arena negotiations with the Maulers' owner fell through.
Prior to the 2017–18 season, the Lockport Express relocated to become the Niagara Falls PowerHawks, the Syracuse Stampede relocated to become the Oswego Stampede, and the West Michigan Wolves relocated to become the Lansing Wolves. The Chicago Jr. Bulldogs, Euless Jr. Stars, and L/A Fighting Spirit franchises were sold; the Bulldogs were relocated as the Wausau RiverWolves, the Jr. Stars re-branded as the Mid-Cities Jr. Stars, and the Fighting Spirit re-branded as the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques. The Cincinnati Thunder, which had already been playing out of Dayton, re-branded as the Dayton Falcons. The Butte Cobras, formerly of the Western States Hockey League (WSHL), purchased the Glacier Nationals franchise in order to join the NA3HL. The schedule was set with 47 teams, however, the Butte Cobras and Billings Bulls would both fold prior to playing a game, while the Dayton Falcons, Nashville Junior Predators, and Jersey Shore Wildcats were also removed from the schedules during the season.
In April 2018, the NA3HL announced the entire East Division had left the league including the reigning champions, the Metro Jets, and joined the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The Butte Cobras were also announced as returning and the Point Mallard Ducks were purchased and relocated to become the Milwaukee Power.
In 2020, the WSHL's Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers purchased the dormant Coulee Region Chill franchise to join the league for 2020 and the El Paso Rhinos announced an agreement to add expansion teams to both the NA3HL in 2020 and the NAHL in 2021. The Coastal and Northeast divisions merged into a new East Division beginning with the 2020–21 season following several teams withdrawing.
In 2023, the New Ulm Steel moved to Tomah, Wisconsin, becoming the Wisconsin Woodsmen. With the moved, they were transferred from the West Division to the Central Division. They hired head coach Jon Vaillancourt. In their first season, they placed 4th and made the playoffs, playing the Wausau Cyclones. They got swept, 2-0.
In 2024, the Minnesota Loons were sold and moved to Eveleth, Minnesota, and went under the same umbrella as the NAHL's Minnesota Wilderness, taking the same name, logo, colors, and uniforms. Similarly, the Maine Nordiques of the NAHL added a NA3HL franchise as an expansion team. Also joining as an expansion team is the Tulsa Jr. Oilers.
Alumni Many prominent college and pro hockey players have played in the CSHL at one point in their careers, including 2007 Hobey Baker finalist Eric Ehn (Metro Jets), St. Louis Blues forward and 2010 and 2014 U.S. Olympian Paul Stastny (St. Louis Jr. Blues) and Chris Butler (St. Louis Jr. Blues), now in the St. Louis Blues' organization.
Teams
Division Team Location Arena Founded Joined CentralFox Cities ForgeAppleton, WisconsinAppleton Family Ice Center2026 Peoria Mustangs Peoria, Illinois Owens Center 2000 Rochester Grizzlies Rochester, Minnesota Rochester Recreation Center 19962015 St. Louis Jr. Blues Affton, Missouri Affton Ice Rink 1978 1987 Wausau Cyclones Wausau, Wisconsin Marathon County Arena 2013 2017 West Bend Power West Bend, Wisconsin Kettle Moraine Ice Center 2014 Wisconsin Woodsmen Tomah, Wisconsin Tomah Ice Center 2011 EastGarden City GamblersBrick Township, New JerseyThe Ice Palace2026 Long Beach Sharks Long Beach, New York Long Beach Ice Arena 2010 2016 New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings Hooksett, New Hampshire Tri Town Ice Arena 2023 New Jersey Titans Middletown Township, New Jersey Middletown Ice Arena 2008 2016 Norwich Sea Captains Norwich, Connecticut RoseGarden Ice Arena 2015 2016 Frontier Badlands Sabres Rapid City, South Dakota Roosevelt Park Ice Arena 2016 Bozeman Icedogs Bozeman, Montana Haynes Pavilion 1996 2014 Butte Irish Butte, Montana Butte Community Ice Center 2011 2014 Gillette Wild Gillette, Wyoming Campbell County Ice Arena 2011 2014 Great Falls Americans Great Falls, Montana Great Falls Ice Plex 2011 2014 Helena Bighorns Helena, Montana Helena Ice Arena 2004 2014 Sheridan Hawks Sheridan, Wyoming Sheridan Ice M&M’s Center 2004 Yellowstone Quake Cody, Wyoming Victor J. Riley Arena 2001 2014 South Oklahoma City WarriorsOklahoma City, OklahomaBlazers Ice Centre2026 New Mexico Ice Wolves Albuquerque, New Mexico Outpost Ice Arenas 1998Phoenix InfernoPhoenix, ArizonaFire 'n' Ice Arena2026 Texas Jr. Brahmas North Richland Hills, Texas NYTEX Sports Centre 2010 2014 Tulsa Jr. Oilers Tulsa, Oklahoma WeStreet Ice Center 2024 West Texas Wranglers Amarillo, Texas Amarillo Ice Ranch 2025 Southeast Atlanta Capitals Duluth, Georgia Atlanta IceForum 2013 Austin Ice Bats Cedar Park, Texas Chaparral Ice at The Crossover 2021 Bayou State Rougarou Monroe, Louisiana Monroe Civic Center 2025 Louisiana Drillers Lafayette, Louisiana Planet Ice Skating and Hockey Arena 2015 Pelham Prowlers Pelham, Alabama Pelham Civic Center 2025 Texas RoadRunners College Station, TexasSpirit Ice Arena2013 West Alexandria Blizzard Alexandria, Minnesota Runestone Community Center 2012 Granite City Lumberjacks Sauk Rapids, Minnesota Armadillo Deck Sports Arena 2007 2011 Minnesota Vulcans Blaine, Minnesota Fogerty Arena 2015 Minnesota Wilderness Eveleth, Minnesota Eveleth Hippodrome 2012 North Iowa Bulls Mason City, Iowa North Iowa Ice Arena 2011 Willmar WarHawks Willmar, Minnesota Willmar Civic Center 2007 2011
Future teams Team Location Arena Founded JoinedFox Cities ForgeAppleton, WisconsinAppleton Family Ice Center2026Garden City GamblersBrick Township, New JerseyThe Ice Palace2026Oklahoma City WarriorsOklahoma City, OklahomaBlazers Ice Centre2026Phoenix InfernoPhoenix, ArizonaFire 'n' Ice Arena2026
Champions The league championship trophy is the Fraser Cup. It was originally called the Hurster Cup during the league's time as the Central States Hockey League. In 2012, the cup was then renamed to the Silver Cup. In 2017, the league again renamed the championship to the Fraser Cup after long-time NAHL, NA3HL, and NAPHL Director of Hockey Administration, Robert ‘Fraser’ Ritchie. The winner of the Cup typically receives a bid to compete in the USA Hockey Tier III junior hockey National Championship Tournament, however, the tournament has not been held since 2015.