2025-26 Nova Scotia Hockey League season

This is the 2025-26 Nova Scotia Hockey League season. This is the league's first season.

Establishment[]

This will be the first province wide league since the collapse of the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League (1982-1996). It had been in the works since 2019 and was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and it's aftermath.

The Nova Scotia Legends Hockey League and Major Series Hockey were in the process of getting organized for the 2024-25 season but were unable to get off the ground in time for the season.

The league is being set up by Gerard MacDonald, who is also the president of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League. He will serve as the league's commissioner. Hockey Canada's classification for senior allows 18+ year olds to play at that level but the league due to its' ties with the NSJHL will restrict players to 20+ as to not hurt the junior league. His work with the NSJHL was the basis for the establishment of the NSHL as he had seen too many fourth year players have to walk away from the competitive level of hockey that they loved.

A March 13, 2025 article followed the announcement of approval of Hockey Nova Scotia for the league and indicated the level of interest in the league as being high as the league had received 42 applications for teams with 18 of them from Cape Breton. Six different applications were received from Glace Bay alone. It further indicated that the selection of the first teams will be done April 15th and the league schedule will be released for Canada Day. The league also indicated it had given the Amherst Ducks of the primarily New Brunswick based Beausejour Senior Hockey League an invitation to join the league to stay with in the province.^[1] Despite the 2026 Allan Cup being held in nearby Newfoundland and Labrador the league will not be attempting to play for the Allan Cup but will instead focus on the development and growth of the league within the province.

A March 25, 2025 update on the league indicated local media coverage of the planned league with the Halifax CTV and Global affiliates having segments on the league.^[2]

Six or eight teams playing a 20 game schedule is the tentative plan for the league's first season according to CTV News.^[3]

As part of the establishment of the league, despite the majority of the population being within the Halifax Regional Municipality, which is hampered by a severe shortage of available ice time in the metro region and will likely at most have one team in the HRM.^[4]

Announcement of Teams[]

On April 30, 2025 the announcement of a team based out of the Colchester Legion Stadium in Truro was made.^[5] By May 2nd the team would be announced as the Truro Sr. Bearcats, which is the traditional name of teams in the community.^[6]

Also on April 30, 2025 a team playing out of the Al MacInnis Sports Centre in Port Hood was identified as Cape Breton West was announced.^[7] On May 3rd the team would be announced as being named the Cape Breton West Knights.^[8]

On May 2, 2025 the league announced the addition of a team based out of the Dan K. Stevens Memorial Arena on the Eskasoni First Nation.^[9] On May 3rd the team would be announced as being named the Eskasoni Sr. Eagles.^[10]

On May 5, 2025 the addition of a team based out of the East Hants Sportsplex in East Hants, Nova Scotia will be added to the league.^[11] The following day the team would be announced as reviving the East Hants Sr. Penguins name which had been previously used in the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League (1982-1996).^[12]

On May 14, 2025 the league announced the addition of a Pictou based team which will play out of the Hector Arena.^[13] The team was announced on May 19th as being named the Pictou County Pipers.^[14]

On May 28, 2025 the league announced the addition of a team from Antigonish. The team will play out of the Antigonish Arena.^[15] On June 3rd the team was announced as being named the Antigonish Sr. Bulldogs honouring the legacy of the Antigonish Bulldogs (senior) hockey team.^[16]

On June 12, 2025 the league announced the addition of a team from Glace Bay. The team will be based out of the Glace Bay Miner's Forum.^[17] Later the same day the team was revealed as being named the Glace Bay Sr. Miners.^[18] Honouring both the mining and hockey legacy within the community.

On June 13, 2025 the league announced the addition of a team based out of the Cape Breton Regional Recreation Centre in Coxheath, Nova Scotia.^[19] On June 22nd the team's name was announced as the County Islanders.^[20]

A release issued on June 16, 2025 stated that the league was going to use a multi-division format to reduce travel and that there are presently three divisions planned; the Cape Breton, Northumberland and the Valley/South Shore Divisions. The release also state that the Valley/South Shore Division was still being developed. The release also re-acknowledged the shortage of available ice time in the Halifax area but indicated that several groups in the area that were attempting to make it work.^[21] No indication was made if the Valley/South Shore Division would be put together in time for the 2025-26 season as no teams have been announced as of early July 2025.

When the league website goes online on September 2nd the Eskasoni Sr. Eagles are not listed on the league website.

Teams[]

Cape Breton Division
Team	Centre	Arena
Cape Breton West Knights	Port Hood	Al MacInnis Sports Centre
County Islanders	Coxheath	Cape Breton Regional Recreation Centre
Glace Bay Sr. Miners	Glace Bay	Glace Bay Miner's Forum
Northumberland Division
Team	Centre	Arena
Antigonish Sr. Bulldogs	Antigonish	Antigonish Arena
East Hants Sr. Penguins	East Hants	East Hants Sportsplex
Pictou County Pipers	Pictou	Hector Arena
Truro Sr. Bearcats	Truro	Colchester Legion Stadium

Standings[]

To be added upon completion of the regular season.

Playoffs[]

To be determined

References[]

[1] ttps://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/the-last-bit-of-passion-hockey-newly-senior-hockey-league-to-prolong-nova-scotia-playing-careers

[2] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid0EJiE7WEcrAXHnB2265LmxgUzpX6jZohNP1wUZTxtduV1X9GgA7QWGVrz9bkSCvmkl

[3] ttps://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/video/2025/03/12/new-senior-mens-hockey-league-coming-to-ns/

[4] ttps://globalnews.ca/video/11088201/nova-scotia-hockey-league-set-for-debut-this-fall

[5] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid052PduPKqu3yBsc65Ky3YUKtM585skDqcH62Ak3Gr8HjbxGr62QimSHr14k1LWX4yl

[6] ttps://www.facebook.com/Truroseniorahockey/posts/pfbid028vv3JRvo5df6mdqxw7nonRFWPvZDnVKJqtPhhiGN1jE2WCQv8xLGBMsp9TB2vEDel

[7] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid0iLHCo3eJcYVjQGXN7sku2MfZs8Xvw3Mor4HYrLjckXkKSuoAoYbdcZp5GxnhdKxbl

[8] ttps://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0gEBf8AmaDPe4LhZGHV1DidTCrBEaA5yQzZyjFAxxbKeRiDLrFfLFYkD6MZAbPbHGl&id=61575854481868

[9] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid09t9ryWBUw1Dc2MB27s8RPCWB7w8F8ASwRx3tNEsetNzFNxf7sS5wCAmJrV4t9Latl

[10] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid032tYdApaPnGJZYbUTy5yZ8EX76LU2vP6s6bLUMbVa3PhZFX8pDcTNrsNxnu28etoAl

[11] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid02odvijPJyGx6v3XeY6ybnij3SUoWLHGhCjqxif8ihNt1AfWfgv8dXRLQ2NaAGQXGUl

[12] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid06Y6ALmraFoG1snrJqswPuV9qNF7gxS4Bd3eqesjewZAHGfeQekv4XJysQpD1Ayx1l

[13] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid02EFXV8zrxuqdQMwvCYtxZDGvDLRd8iMPDLvrmTDhvYtWJQbZVwjNquKYTz8iidbMtl

[14] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid0XuNjt7X4XF6WMXmmtcwdNVLnkJj7B3wtbAKrJpVqzWh4U8i7npQjkCys2wL4faNyl

[15] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid037AFMHznUBvTQ5ZZE7F6xnzxUbsFU3UxDdjntd53DBFYNBqvPgMfZjcW65TVFDwwyl

[16] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid02wAtiRxfyk9S6qjperxFB5U9U3V5jtYZoBfcfKqBadVqejAbo8xBCgQD4ad1FZdzWl

[17] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid02nmiBXSqUXJKuX9uMcvjVDgnVT3CmFF5f38wDqxUU3D71KyZsyXhMuypTyrqojgVBl

[18] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid0FP52FzYq7EA9zZ48eTPEgDfkLuZRuLZ2j3FGW56AQzjkAsANeVAd1B13xuN93o4Rl

[19] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid0261RQd8Dg6D2TpZahTBPeJqEGEYohpM4U5ckdBFRQHn3TRcWKqvUiLrqFWw4ojA3ql

[20] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid026etP1w3nH2CNtWw8jUB5PcxHwYPGM1LU4eYRE7p8L2c15T8wSdTxVwkKd5e8HxTul

[21] ttps://www.facebook.com/novascotiahockeyleague/posts/pfbid0Pb7s5bdw4yADvPdHzzdsqoHJU6ap8x69KhY5oQ8Y3Rvbji6pKCh1Ay5P9SUyTZval

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