The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which operated the league from 2000 to 2013, at which point it was purchased by the individual franchise owners. As of the end of its final season in 2014, three of the 30 National Hockey League teams had affiliations with the CHL: the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternative for those who would not or did not make the roster of a team in the Major Junior Canadian Hockey League (CHL) nor Tier I United States Hockey League (USHL). The NAHL is one of the oldest junior hockey leagues in the United States and is headquartered in Addison, Texas.
The All-American Hockey League (AAHL) was a minor professional hockey league formed in 1986 after the Continental Hockey League (CnHL) ceased operations. The league was created by the CnHL teams Danville, Dayton, and Troy adding the Downriver Stars and the Jackson All-Americans. In 1987, the AAHL absorbed the two remaining teams from Atlantic Coast Hockey League. After a single season in the AAHL, Carolina, Johnstown, and Virginia left the league to form the East Coast Hockey League. The AAHL only lasted one more season and folded after the 1988–89 season.
The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It consists of six teams from New Brunswick, which make up the EastLink North Division, five teams from Nova Scotia, and one team from Prince Edward Island, which make up the Eastlink South Division. The winner of the MHL playoffs competes for the Centennial Cup against the winners of the 8 other tier 2 junior A leagues across Canada. Prior to the pandemic the MHL champions participated in the Fred Page Cup. This tournament involved the Bogart Cup champions from the Central Canada Hockey League (Ontario), the Kent Cup champions from the MHL (Maritimes) and the winner of La Coupe Napa of the Quebec Junior Hockey League (Quebec) as well as a predetermined host. The winner moved on to compete for the Canadian National Junior A Championship. However with the departure of the British Columbia Hockey League from affiliation with the CJHL in March 2021 as well as Hockey Canada in June 2023, no Centennial Cup qualifying tournaments such as the Kent Cup have been played since 2022, and instead all the league champions directly advance to the Centennial Cup.
The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in the Greater Toronto Area, Central Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Quebec.
The Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the United States. The league began play in November 2007. The league was a low-level league designed to help ex-junior and college players gain pro experience and exposure and move up to higher level leagues.
The Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL) was a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III junior ice hockey league operated out of Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
The Battle Creek Revolution was a professional ice hockey team which played in the All American Hockey League. The team played its home games at Revolution Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. The team was initially announced to play in the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League for the 2008–09 season before the league folded in August 2008.
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league that consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Sanctioned by USA Hockey, for most of the league's existence, the winner of the NA3HL playoffs would advance to play for the Tier III National Championship, however, this has not been held since 2015.
The Evansville IceMen were a professional hockey team based in Evansville, Indiana. The team folded in 2010, as IceMen owner Ron Geary purchased the Muskegon Lumberjacks (1992–2010) of the International Hockey League and moved the team to Evansville, taking on the name "Evansville IceMen".
The Detroit Dragons were an All American Hockey League team based in Fraser, Michigan, which played for part of the 2008–2009 season. Their home rink was Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser. Originally known as the Motor City Gamblers, the team was initially formed as a franchise of the Midwest Hockey League.
The Muskegon Lumberjacks was an International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan. After the 2010 season, the team folded and Ron Geary, the owner of the Evansville IceMen of the AAHL, purchased the franchise rights of the former Muskegon Lumberjacks from the IHL. Geary then moved the franchise to Evansville, Indiana where they became the Evansville IceMen.
The All American Hockey League (AAHL) was a lower level professional ice hockey league with teams in the Midwestern United States. The league suspended operations for the 2011–12 season and subsequently folded.
The Northern Junior Hockey League (NJHL) was an independent regional junior ice hockey league based in Jamestown, New York. The league operated from 2008 to 2010.
The Indiana Blizzard was a professional ice hockey team based in Dyer, Indiana. The team was a member of the All American Hockey League and began its inaugural season in October 2009 as the Detroit Hitmen. The Blizzard played their home games at the Midwest Training & Ice Center Arena.
The Chicago Hitmen were a Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based out of the Chicago region.
The Continental Junior Hockey League (CJHL) was an independent junior ice hockey league based in the Northeastern United States and Canada. League President Jim Cashman is the former President of the now defunct semi-pro Gulf Coast Hockey League and North Eastern Hockey League. League offices were based in Fort Erie, Ontario and Erie, Pennsylvania. The CJHL originally claimed to have 5 teams in Canada and the United States of America for the inaugural season in 2010–11 but only ever played with two teams in its only season of operation.
The Lapeer Loggers were a professional ice hockey team based in Lapeer, Michigan. The Loggers played the 2010–11 season as a member of the All American Hockey League and played their home games at Polar Palace Arena in Lapeer, MI.
The Lansing Wolves were a junior ice hockey team a member of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) as part of the Premier Division. The team played its home games at the Summit Sports and Ice Complex in Dimondale, Michigan, a suburb of Lansing. The franchise was previously a member of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) from 2010 to 2018 as the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution and the West Michigan Wolves.
The Michigan Moose were a professional ice hockey team which played in the All American Hockey League for one month in 2011. The team played its home games at Revolution Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan which it shared with fellow AAHL team, Battle Creek Revolution. The Moose were created in January 2011 using players from three other AAHL teams which had all ceased operations mid-season. The Moose would also cease operations in February 2011.
