The National Collegiate Development Conference is the name of a Tier II Junior A (Tuition free) league announced on October 6, 2016. The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL )announced they had submitted a formal application with USA Hockey to be certified as a Tier II league and that the matter was rejected by USA Hockey at a special meeting held on the topic in early December 2016. The bid was rejected on two technicalities: the proposal was for 11 teams as opposed to 12 teams and a 50 game regular season as opposed to the required 60 minimum.
The league was announced as a tuition free league that will be based in the northeastern section of the United States. Eleven organizations that are already affiliated with the USPHL were announced as having been accepted in the proposed league.
The creation of the Tier-II league was apparently originally on the agenda for USA Hockey's January 2016 meetings. There was a proposed rule change involving rink standards which was put forward by the USPHL. Based on logistics this process would probably stop or diminish the North American Hockey League presence in the northeastern United States. Not all members of the Premier Division (only 7 of the 11 members for the 2016-17 season) were to be involved in the jump to Tier-II as there were other factors other than rink standards that came into play with the elevation in level.
The stated intent of the league was stated as:
- "For many years East Coast hockey players have desired a tuition-free option of junior hockey," said USPHL Commissioner Jeff Nygaard. "We have always been told it would never happen. The USPHL owners and operators are now making that happen through their continued commitment to both junior hockey an NCAA Division I development opportunities"
- Players who desire to stay closer to home in the East will now have not only a tuition-free option but be able to compete in what the USPHL feels will become a pipeline for training, development and NCAA Division I advancement. With 56 percent of NCAA Division I schools in the Northeast -- which matches up with the USPHL’s tuition-free footprint -- the scouting and development opportunities will increase significantly. Last year the USPHL had over 300 college commitments and the league plans on that number steadily growing as the tuition-free league solidifies itself in the marketplace"
2017-18 Season[]
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 programs 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.[1]
The Connecticut Nighthawks would later drop from the NCDC but join the USPHL's Premier division for 2017-18.
On November 2, 2017 the league announced that the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs would be added to the league for the 2018-19 season.
2018-19 Season[]
On March 16, 2018 the Syracuse Stars announced that they were moving their NCDC, Premier and U-18 Tier 1 teams to the Adirondack Bank Center at Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, New York for the 2018-19 season. The Stars will retain a Tier 1 U-16 team in Syracuse. The relocated teams will retain the Syracuse Stars moniker.
2019-20 Season[]
According to a January 28, 2019 posting on the oursportscentral.com website the Lewiston, Maine-based Twin City Thunder organization will be adding a team to the NCDC for the 2019-20 season.[2] The organization presently has a team in the premier division of the USPHL. The league posted this change along with the return of the Rochester Monarchs as well as the renaming of the Syracuse Stars to the Utica Jr. Comets for the 2019-20 season.[3]
2020-21 Sesaon[]
- On November 14, 2019 the league announced that the Philadelphia Hockey Club had purchased the NCDC franchise rights for the Boston Bandits and wold be added to the league for the 2020-21 season.[4]
- On June 3, 2020 the USPHL announced the addition of the Boston Advantage to the NCDC along with Premier Division, 18U, 16U, and 15U teams. The organization had previously only had youth level teams and would be based out of the Pilgrim Skating Arena in Hingham, Massachusetts.[5]
- The Rochester Monarchs were notified sometime in January or February of 2020 they were to be removed from the NCDC after the 2019-20 season due to on ice performance. The organization would also later withdraw from the USPHL's Premier Division in order to focus on youth hockey.[6]
2021-22 season[]
The league membership remains constants for the 2021-22 season.
2022-23 season[]
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights are added to the league.[7]
2023-24 season[]
- On June 30, 2022 the league announced the expansion of 6 teams to form a western division to begin play with the 2023-24 season. The Utah Outliers, Ogden Mustangs, Pueblo Bulls, Northern Colorado Eagles, Idaho Falls Spuds, and the Provo Predators were announced as the teams.[8]
2024-25 season[]
- On March 21, 2024 the United States Premier Hockey League announced the addition of the West Chester Wolves to the National Collegiate Development Conference and United States Premier Hockey League's Premier league for the 2024-25 season. The teams will be based out of the recently renovated PNY Sports Arena in West Chester, Pennsylvania.[9]
- On April 2, 2024 the Boston Jr. Bruins announced that they had sold their franchise rights to an NCDC to the West Chester Wolves organization. The organization will continue to operate teams at the other levels of the USPHL.[10][11]
- On April 25, 2024 the league announced that the Provo Predators were purchased and would be relocating to Casper, Wyoming.[12] No name was announced for the relocated team as part of the announcement. On May 22, 2024 the team announced its' name would be the Casper Warbirds.[13]
- On May 23, 2024 the Twin City Thunder announced that the team would be relocating to The Rinks at Exeter and appear to being renamed the Thunder Hockey Club.[14] As part of the announcement the team also indicated that it was adding a team to the Premier Division for the 2024-25 season.[15] The team would end up playing its' games out of the two rinks of the Essex Sports Center in nearby Middleton, Massachusetts.[16]
- On June 19, 2024 the United States Premier Hockey League announced that the Boston Jr. Rangers and the Railers Jr. Hockey Club will both be joining the USPHL's NCDC and Premier leagues along with icing a combined team in the Elite league as the two teams have shared ownership in AXE Sports Group, Inc. Both organizations had been playing in the Eastern Hockey League. [17]
- On June 25, 2024, the USPHL announced that the Seacoast Spartans would be leaving the Eastern Hockey League and joining the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for the 2024-25 season.[18]
- On November 11, 2024 the USPHL announced the addition of the Boston Jr. Terriers, who were being renamed the Boston Dogs, to the National Collegiate Development Conference for the 2025-26 season.[19] As a result of the team announcing they change of leagues the Eastern Hockey League had determined that the organization had breached their multi-year contract with the league and suspended the team from league play until the breach was cured.[20] As a result of the action by the EHL the team was added to the NCDC effective immediately.[21]
2025-26 season[]
- On November 21, 2024 the league announced the addition of the Billings, Montana based Montana Buckaroos to the league's Mountain Division for the 2025-26 season. The team will be based out of the Centennial Ice Arena for the beginning of the 2025-26 season and then move into the Signal Peak Energy Arena when it opens around November of 2025.[22] Reports would later indicate that the arena would not be ready at all for 2025-26 and that the team had cancelled its' spring camps and the team was planning on starting with the 2026-27 season. With other sources indicating that the team fell through completely.
- On December 2, 2024 the league and Springfield Pics announced that the organization will be adding a team to the league for the 2025-26 season. The team will be based out of the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield, Massachusetts.[23]
- On February 7, 2025 the league announced the addition of four new teams; the Grand Junction River Hawks (Grand Junction, Colorado, Boston Jr. Bruins (Marlborough, Massachusetts, Universel Academy (Sherbrooke, Quebec were planning to play games out of a rink in Vermont (but are apparently playing all games on the road), and the NY Dynamo, who will be based out of the Capital Ice Arena in Clifton Park, New York, had acquired the Seacoast Spartans franchise rights.[24]
- A March 24, 2025 posting would indicate that the league could be adding a St. Stephen, New Brunswick based team to the league for the 2025-26 season.[25]
- On May 13, 2025 the league announced the addition of five teams to the league for the 2025-26 season. A team based out of the Eastern Charlotte Recreation Complex in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick later identified as the Eastern Charlotte Kingfishers. The aforementioned St. Stephen, New Brunswick will be added as the St. Croix Seawolves. The Woodstock Slammers name is being resurrected with the return of junior hockey to Woodstock, New Brunswick. The league is adding the Presque Isle Frontiers and the Quebec City-based Universel Quebec to based out of the Seminaire Saint-Francois which is also home to the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François of the Quebec Junior Hockey League.[26]
Teams (2025-26)[]
Seasons[]
| Season | Regular Season Champion | Playoff Champion |
| 2017-18 | Islanders Hockey Club | Islanders Hockey Club |
| 2018-19 | Jersey Hitmen | Boston Jr. Bruins |
| 2019-20 | Jersey Hitmen | Playoffs Cancelled |
| 2020-21 | Jersey Hitmen | Jersey Hitmen |
| 2021-22 | Jersey Hitmen | Jersey Hitmen |
| 2022-23 | Jersey Hitmen | P.A.L. Jr. Islanders |
| 2023-34 | P.A.L. Jr. Islanders | South Shore Kings |
| 2024-25 | South Shore Kings | Idaho Falls Spud Kings |
| 2025-26 | TBD | TBD |
Referernces[]
- ↑ USPHL press release announcing proposed league
- ↑ https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-5442352
- ↑ https://www.usphl.com/page/show/3853868-ncdc
- ↑ https://www.usphl.com/news_article/show/1064939?referral=rss
- ↑ https://www.usphl.com/news_article/show/1107822
- ↑ http://www.rochesterjrmonarchs.com/news/press-release
- ↑ https://www.usphl.com/news_article/show/1207253
- ↑ https://www.usphl.com/news_article/show/1231333?referral=rss
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/west-chester-wolves-2024-25
- ↑ https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/boston-junior-bruins-transfer-ncdc-franchise-to-west-chester-wolves-2/
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/junior-bruins-transfer-ncdc-franchise-to-west-chester-wolves
- ↑ https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/usphl-announces-sale-of-ncdc-provo-predators-relocating-to-casper-wyoming/
- ↑ https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/casper-ncdc-team-announces-its-new-team-name-casper-warbirds/
- ↑ https://www.usphlpremier.com/thunder-hockey-club-exeter-nh-2024-25
- ↑ >https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-6100285
- ↑ https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-6150697
- ↑ https://www.usphlpremier.com/boston-jr-rangers-railers-junior-hockey-club-join-usphl
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/seacoast-spartans-to-join-ncdc-in-2024-25
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/boston-dogs-to-join-ncdc-2025-26
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1004655108368048&set=pcb.1004655185034707
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/boston-dogs-to-begin-play-in-ncdc-effective-immediately
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/montana-buckaroos-to-join-ncdc-2025-26
- ↑ https://www.ncdchockey.com/springfield-pics-announce-ncdc-2025-26
- ↑ https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/ncdc-announces-four-teams-joining-for-2025-26/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02SEjHMLRqJLNPo7neZBi264EwxiXxG3TeayyuC8cubT92FPAwxqQRE4KNVsVH5HtFl&id=100088602863164
- ↑ https://usphl.com/ncdc-announces-five-new-teams-051325/