Everyone in junior hockey knew that this 2025-2026 season was going to be a battle when it comes to building and maintaining rosters. New leagues, expansion, and player hoarding at higher levels is causing the pay to play leagues to take action or have serious problems later in the season.
The average Tier 2 team in North America is now holding on to thirty-five to forty players on their pre-season, or “training camp” roster. Make no mistake, this is being done on purpose to put Tier 3, or pay to play teams under pressure to fold if they are in a competing league.
All of this comes down to USA Hockey and Hockey Canada hating the success of independent leagues in North America. They hate that they are not getting any money from these leagues, so plans are devised within competing “sanctioned” leagues to try to damage or put down the independents. Unfortunately for those “governing bodies” the biggest independent, the USPHL is now simply too big to be put down or be forced to do anything it doesn’t want to do.
Hockey Canada tried this tactic forever with the GMHL, and the GMHL is not only still around, but they are thriving under new team ownership groups. The BCHL has shown that leagues can leave Hockey Canada and not experience any trouble. The EHL left USA Hockey for many reasons, and they too have not had any problems operating.
USA Hockey now has changed the rules and “protected lists” due to be filed on September 1 every year, will not be made public until October 1 this year. Why? To protect the NA3HL and NAPHL primarily.
Meanwhile, the USPHL has been proactive with some of its weaker organizations and has pulled franchises from approximately nine Premier, Elite and AAA teams. One team pulled was the well-established Dells Ducks. But they were not meeting the standards, and they are gone. These proactive actions have allowed other teams to pick up players and round out rosters.
The EHL, has not scheduled any games until near the end of September. Time can solve all problems, and buying as much time possible could be what keeps turmoil at bey.
The NA3HL though, even while not having to publish protected lists, has started its season. It has started its season by pushing back schedules for some, and keeping rosters hidden until actual game day for others. One very interesting thing stood out from the past weekend of NA3HL games though.
A fifteen-year-old player actively rostered and playing in the NA3HL, and a high number of 2008 and 2007 birth year players who should be playing AAA on active rosters. Yes a 2010 birth year players is in the NA3HL. What does that tell you about the league and the team that signed him?
A fifteen-year-old. Let that sink in for a minute. Not that the player isn’t good. He is good, and he is big. But who advised this young man and his family that playing in the NA3HL was a good idea? Who at USA Hockey approved this happening? When all USA Hockey does is preach playing at your age specific level. Anyone taking this player out of AAA is simply moronic or getting paid to do so.
One thing about those schedules, when they don’t change, and games are played, you can no longer hide things that people wanted to remain hidden. And once those schedules are moved around to accommodate teams who are just waiting for players “to be sent down”, you can only move them so much before something breaks.
Meanwhile, the turf war in western Canada continues. Who will survive, the NJHL or the AEJHL? Both leagues with late September and early October start times. Definitely not enough players to go around.
And the Pacific Junior Hockey League continues to show why it is a joke by kicking out the expansion Cloverdale hockey team just a day before the start of pre season, and with no explanation. Leting rumors spread that the team didnt pay its entry fee. What league allows team in without paying something? And this is supposed to be British Columbia’s replacement of the BCHL?
As other leagues ramp up their schedules this week, more will become obvious. Lots of teams needing lots of players. How many at the Tier 2 level do people think are actually going to accept being “sent down” to teams that couldn’t get their own rosters together without players being sent down?
Stick around, its about to get busy.
