2016-17 American Junior Hockey Season

This is a list of 2016-17 American Junior Hockey seasons by league

League Changes[]

After playing its' 50th season in 2015-16 the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League is taken over by the NAHL and is renamed the North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League. The league had its membership decimated over the past two seasons when the Eastern Hockey League had started its' own developmental league and 8 teams pulled out of the MJHL prior to the 2015-16 season and another 7 withdrew (Brewster Bulldogs, Connecticut Nighthawks, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack, New Jersey Rockets, New York Applecore, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, and Philadelphia Revolution) after the conclusion of the season.
After playing for 2 seasons as a stand alone league the North American 3 Eastern Hockey League was fully absorbed by the North American 3 Hockey League.
On April 26, 2016 The Northern Pacific Hockey League announced that the league was absorbed into the United States Premier 3 Hockey League after being reduced to 4 members after the Wenatchee Wolves announced they would stop sponsoring junior hockey to focus on youth hockey and the Bellingham Blazers joined the Western States Hockey League for the 2016-17 season
The USPHL Midwest Division was absorbed by the USPHL Elite Division and United States Premier 3 Hockey League. The league had participated in the USP3HL championship tournament during the 2015-16 season
The Amateur Athletic Union's United Hockey Union added two more junior leagues; the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League (with ten teams based in Ontario) and the National College Prospects Hockey League (with 8 teams based in New York, Ontario, and Pennsylvania)
On September 12, 2016, the Western States Hockey League announced the formation of the Central 1 Hockey League which will be a Tier-I league that will be comprised of six teams for the 2017-18 season; all of which presently have teams in the WSHL. All of the teams are planned to continue to operate teams in the WSHL as well.
On October 6, 2016 the United States Premier Hockey League announced that it was intending to start a Tier-II (tuition free) league for the 2017-18 season and that it had submitted formal paperwork with USA Hockey to be certified as a Tier-II league for 2017-18. The application was denied by the USA Hockey Junior Council at a meeting held in Detroit the week after Thanksgiving. The decision may be appealed by the USPHL or may even lead to a possible withdrawal of the USPHL from USA Hockey.
On December 22, 2016 the USPHL announced that the Boston Bandits, Connecticut Nighthawks, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, New Jersey Rockets, and Northern Cyclones organizations are leaving the Eastern Hockey League and joining the United States Premier Hockey League for the 2017-18 season. This moved would bring six premier level and five elite junior teams. The 16U, 18U and youth porgrams of these organizations would also be involved in this move. The Boston Bandits, New Jersey Rockets, and Northern Cyclones would be also be part of the National Collegiate Development Conference when it commences play for the 2017-18 season.
In mid-January 2017, reports began to surface that the Eastern Hockey League will absorb the North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League for the 2017-18 season. This was confirmed when the EHL issued a release on February 18, 2017 stating that the league was adding 11 new organizations to the league for 2017-18 including 6 of the 7 members of the NA3AHL (all except the Exton Bulls). The league also announced that one dormant team was returning and that 4 additional organizations were joining the league.

Interleague Changes[]

The Bellingham Blazers join the Western States Hockey League from the Northern Pacific Hockey League
The Breckenridge Bucks of the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League join the Western States Hockey League.
The city of Missoula, Montana changed from the Western States Hockey League to the North American 3 Hockey League when the city's Glacier Ice Rink and the WSHL's Missoula Maulers were unable to come to an agreement for a new lease. The city's youth hockey program was granted an expansion team (Missoula Bruins) in the NA3HL a few weeks later.
The Eugene Generals, Seattle Ravens, Tri-City Outlaws, and the West Sound Warriors go from the Northern Pacific Hockey League to the United States Premier 3 Hockey League when the league is absorbed.
The Northeast Generals organizaton from the NA3EHL is granted an expansion team in the NAHL, however; the original team will continue to operate in the NA3HL.
The Metropolitan Junior Hockey League had seven members (Brewster Bulldogs, Connecticut Nighthawks, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack, New Jersey Rockets, New York Applecore, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, and Philadelphia Revolution) jump to the Eastern Hockey League's newly reorganized 19U Elite Division.
The 13 members (Cape Cod Islanders, East Coast Minutemen, Jersey Shore Wildcats, L/A Fighting Spirit, Lockport Express, Maine Wild, New England Stars, New York Jr. Aviators, Northeast Generals, Roc City Royals, Skylands Kings, Syracuse Stampede, and Wilkes-Barre Miners) of the North American 3 Eastern Hockey League all join the North American 3 Hockey League when the NA3EHL is absorbed into the NA3HL.

For more changes within leagues; please see each league's season page listed below.

Leagues[]

USA Hockey Sanctioned Tier-I[]

2016-17 USHL Season

USA Hockey Sanctioned Tier-II[]

2016-17 NAHL Season

USA Hockey Sanctioned Tier-III[]

AAU Sanctioned Leagues[]

On September 12, 2016 the AAU announced the formation of a Tier-I (free to play) league that will be called the Central 1 Hockey League. The league is scheduled to begin play in the fall of 2017 with six members all of which are presently members of the WSHL and are expected to keep fielding teams in that league next year as well. By early April of 2017 the league appears to have collapsed.

Tier-II[]

2016-17 WSHL Season

Tier-III[]

Canadian Leagues with US-Based Teams[]

2016-17 OHL Season (Major Junior)
2016-17 WHL Season (Major Junior)
2016-17 BCHL Season (Junior A)
2016-17 NOJHL Season (Junior A)
2016-17 OJHL Season (Junior A)
2016-17 SIJHL Season (Junior A)
2016-17 KIJHL Season (Junior B)
2016-17 GOJHL Season (Junior B)