The American Premier Hockey League formerly the Union Hockey League is a American men's senior hockey league announced in September of 2022 as the North Eastern Hockey League. On August 2, 2023 the league announced on a new website that the league was was called the Union Hockey League. It begins play with the 2023-24 playing season in October of 2023. With the change over to the new name the league is now listed as being a "Senior A" level playing league after originally being listed as a hybrid men's senior/semi-pro league.
Announcement of Teams[]
A July 14th posting on the league Facebook announced 5 teams (Boston Gold Kings, North Shore Nighthawks, Pittsburgh River Monsters, Rockland Polar Bears, and Soo Apollos), with a planned additional 7 or more teams for the inaugural season.[1]
By July 23rd the Soo Apollos were not listed on the league teams page with the Holyoke Royals, New Jersey Hockey Club, Philadelphia Frozen Fury and Poughkeepsie Vikings being added.
As part of the league branding announcement, the league annouced that eight teams will compete for the 2023-24 season. The posting affirmed the Boston Gold Kings, Holyoke Royals (later renamed the Holyoke Papermen, North Shore Nighthawks, Pittsburgh River Monsters, and Poughkeepsie Polar Bears (changed from the Poughkeepsie Vikings and/or Rockland Polar Bears) teams, while adding the Dyer, Indiana based Midwest Mammoths, Chelsea, Michigan based Motor City Apollos (apparently changing from being located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan), and Niagara Falls, New York based Niagara Falls Buffalos. The New Jersey and Philadelphia teams are no longer listed on the website.
On October 2nd the league would announce the addition of four additional teams for the 2023-24 season, adding the Canton, Massachusetts based Canton Mallards, the East Rutherford, New Jersey based Mid-Atlantic Frozen Fury, the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan based Soo Nordiques, and the Sun Prairie, Wisconsin based Sun Prairie Killer Bees.[2]
On November 16, 2023 it was announced that the Mid-Atlantic Frozen Fury would be taking a leave of absence citing looking for a new rink to play out of. The same annoucement introduced the addition of the Norwich Whalers who would likely be based out of the Norwich Municipal Ice Rink.[3]
The Pittsburgh River Monsters would have to change home rinks for the season when they relocated from the Printscape Arena in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania to the Beaver County Ice Arena in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
The Poughkeepsie Polar Bears would be renamed the Hudson Valley Vipers. The Midwest Mammoths would be renamed the Chicago Mammoths.
The Motor City Apollos would relocate from Chelsea, Michigan to Royal Oak, Michigan and be renamed the Motor City Generals. The name change is appaently due to a name swap with the 2024-25 expansion team planned on being called the New Jersey Apollos.
The league has the Cleveland, Ohio based Lake Erie Voyagers, Newark, New Jersey based New Jersey Apollos, Philadelphia Frozen Fury, and St. Louis Wranglers listed as 2024-24 expansion teams as of mid-November 2023.
By Christmas the Chicago Mammoths, Cincinnati Pilots, Norwich Whalers, and Vermont Loggers would be listed as inactive for the season.
By opening day the Canton Mallards relocate their home games to the Joseph J. Zapustas Arena in adjacent Randolph, Massachusetts and are renamed the Norfolk Mallards. The Conway Yetis are no longer listed on the league website, with the Niagara Falls Buffalos being shifted to the Eastern Division to replace them and the Toledo Mobsters are added to the Western Division.
In January 2024 the Kenosha Americans were announced as joining the league for the 2024-25 season.[4]
On February 6, 2024 the league announced it would be going from 12 teams to 48 teams across the country and is declaring itself as Senior AAA for the 2024-25 season, indicating the announcement of further teams on May 6th.[5]
The league would rename itself in early March of 2024 to the APHL and declare that it was Senior AAA already and that all but the Motor City Generals made the jump to the league under the new name.
Teams[]
East Division[]
West Division[]
original logo as NEHL
logo as UHL
Seasons/Champions[]
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Hudson Valley Vipers |
References[]
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/NorthEasternHockeyLeague/posts/pfbid0GDHF67WyFsKHCodLd2X3JjH2bczt59nPYX8GWjKACvf1FvtYAQfoozNp2f9xwWgsl
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/TheUnionHockeyLeague/posts/pfbid0prFTqh5RYkeCRTnRWcPDRF3hVruDE6zYGRHR9BTzyJz1PfXAHEHumjuZSaCJUEnl
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/TheUnionHockeyLeague/posts/pfbid02Kj2E8AvetgndFjLLPN3bqx4jSVQjXu52cuYGsBMBza94hX3ay55pLdfY5s8jJF5ql
- ↑ https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-6054781
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/TheUnionHockeyLeague/posts/pfbid04fw94ToYgWNE3yvsidz3K1KHhQesRmyaG5RurxayR6XtJqZCEj9B1hzioxfC1tztl