The 2025-26 Off Season featured more expansion, relocations, and franchise sales than I’ve ever witnessed in my multiple decades in the Jr hockey space. Coupled with the opening of the Canadian Hockey League player pool to NCAA Hockey, and limited if any expansion of NCAA Division II or III hockey programs (List of NCAA Division III ice hockey programs – Wikipedia), the 2025-26 season has been turbulent from the get go.
What we are seeing now is the watering down of much of Junior hockey within the leagues that chose to expand. Inflated scores, dismantled and bare-bones rosters, coaches and GM’s dismissals and much much more, are putting a black-eye on many of these leagues that chose to grow and balloon in size during this unsure time. Here are some recent examples from early season action.
Lopsided scores and unprofessional products have negative consequences for the athletes within their leagues. Junior hockey, when done correctly, serves as a place for players to develop, grow, mature and then be seen by coaches and scouts at the next level in their hockey careers. Junior hockey was and has never been designed to be the final resting place for hockey players. Its a bridge to something more…. most often to college hockey.
Yet, when the scores are lopsided, and professionalism is absent, college scouts fail to get a good understanding of the level of play for athletes they are trying to recruit. Beating up on a small roster of unqualified players oftentimes scares away scouts. “Hes a nice player…. but”.
Many of their Pay to Play Junior Leagues (NCDC, USPHL Premier, EHL, NA3HL etc) all have historically emphasized NCAA placement, but if the league you are involved in has rapidly expanded and watered down the product on the ice it is unlikely that NCAA schools will continue to show great interest in your players… especially with CHL players now in play.
To show you where we are at now, NCDC teams, which a few seasons ago showed on their website ONLY NCAA Division 1 placements, now is actively promoting ACHA placements, and scheduling competitive games against ACHA hockey schools.
West Chester Wolves vs Liberty (ACHA) pre season game two weeks ago- Liberty MD1 vs West Chester Wolves Game Recap – YouTube
With the exception of the EHL, which each season plays NCAA Division II & III teams as part of their All Star College Series ( All-Star Series ), these other leagues (NCDC, NA3HL etc) seem to be more geared towards an ACHA level of play as evidence by their scheduling and showcase decision making and the inclusion of these commitments on some of their websites.
Expansion in Junior Hockey is different than other businesses. Expansion fees will help to reduce an ownership groups overall costs and expenses, but it comes with a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Will the new teams help the on ice product with their skill and level of play or will it hurt the product? Will they hire a coach who can actively promote the players to the next step in their hockey careers? Will the new teams on the ice be aligned with the professionalism idealized by the league itself?
The answer is a NO for many of these expanded leagues, as early returns show.
I hope, for the players involved in these leagues, that many of these organizations can adjust and figure it out before the season goes to waste and leaves many players unfulfilled and unable to achieve their dreams.
By Andrew Trimble
To purchase Andrew’s book, The Hockey Planner, follow this link here- The Hockey Planner: A Year by Year Plan to Assist You on Your Hockey Coaching Journey: From Learn to Play to Junior Hockey: Trimble, Andrew: 9781963743395: Amazon.com: Books
