FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 21, 2024
The United States Premier Hockey League (“USPHL”) is pleased to announce that the Montana Buckaroos will be joining the tuition-free National Collegiate Development Conference (“NCDC”) for the 2025-26 season. Owned by Claude Fortin, who also owns the USPHL Premier’s Montreal Black Vees organization, the Buckaroos will be located in Billings, Mont., and will join the Mountain Division as its seventh member for next season.
The Buckaroos are a new organization founded by Claude Fortin that will begin play in 2025-26 at the existing Centennial Arena. Construction will begin in Spring 2025 on their permanent home arena, the new Signal Peak Energy Arena, which will be a new state-of-the-art, two-sheet facility with ice hockey seating for more than 2,000 spectators, as well as several modern amenities for a first-class entertainment experience for Buckaroos fans. Signal Peak Energy Arena is currently scheduled to open in November 2025.
“I am thrilled to have the Montana Buckaroos join the NCDC. This has been a project of mine for the past four years, and I am very happy to make it happen,” said Claude Fortin, owner of the Buckaroos. “We have received tremendous support from the Mountain Division owners and from the City of Billings. We are excited for the opening of Signal Peak Energy Arena and we are also looking forward to providing our Montreal Black Vees players with advancement opportunities from the USPHL Premier to the NCDC.”
“The Montana Buckaroos will be an outstanding addition to the NCDC’s Mountain Division in 2025-26, and will continue the trend of fan-fueled exciting hockey in the Rocky Mountain states,” said Tony Zasowski, Deputy Commissioner of the USPHL. “Through his work in guiding the Montreal Black Vees, Claude Fortin has already established himself as a driven and successful owner in the USPHL, and we are excited to work with him at the tuition-free NCDC level now as well.”
About The United States Premier Hockey League
Founded in 2012, the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is comprised of over 150 teams, fielding more than 20,000 players aged 9-21 in more than 100 organizations across the North, South, Midwest, West, and Canada. Our Junior Divisions consist of the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), a tuition-free Tier 2 Junior hockey division and our Premier and Elite Divisions, all geared toward college and pro placement.
Our youth and midget divisions (operated through the Tier 1 Hockey Federation) field full season 8U through 18U teams. The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey all-time including over 3,700 into NCAA college hockey, with more than 550 advancing to NCAA Division I hockey in the 2023-24 season. The USPHL has also had 18 players who played in the NCDC drafted by NHL teams.
