The USA Hockey Winter Meetings were said to have been contentious at times with many heated discussions taking place as it regarded Tier III Junior Hockey Expansion.
The NA3HL has reportedly pulled all expansion applications off the table. How the NA3HL makes the South Division work with three teams down the road is a question needing to be answered. Will McKinney be re-activated?
The NPHL, formerly Nor Pac Junior Hockey League, has reportedly received approval for two new expansion teams. While the locations have yet to be divulged, this would bring the league back into compliance with USA Hockey rules requiring a league to have six member teams in order to be sanctioned.
The America West Hockey League is also rumored to have been granted expansion. While TJHN has been unable to verify how many expansion teams were approved, one source is saying two teams were approved. Other sources are reporting new information TJHN will follow up on over the coming weeks that may change these expansion plans.
The Eastern Hockey League, EHL, has also reportedly been approved for one new expansion franchise to be located in New Jersey.
The Minnesota Junior Hockey League has been approved to expand to Ironwood Michigan in the upper peninsula. While several other expansion applications were denied by the Junior Council, some sources are reporting that appeals may be filed on some of those applications.
Some sources are also reporting that many teams and leagues at the Tier III level were so dis-satisfied with the decisions of the Junior Council that meetings have already taken place with AAU in order to examine the option of leaving USA Hockey.
AAU is also reportedly examining the idea of creating a Tier II league to compete with the North American Hockey League. Several sources are confirming those talks have already begun and that several existing USA Hockey sanctioned organizations are involved in those talks.
TJHN will follow up this story as more information develops.
