The Northwest Express are a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the United States Premier Hockey League (Premier Division). The team plays their home games at the Spooner Civic Center located in Spooner, Wisconsin .
5-717: Founded in 2011, the Maple Grove Energy replaced the recently folded Minnesota Wildcats in Maple Grove. During the 2015 off-season the Energy relocated to Blaine, Minnesota , and changed their name accordingly. Prior to the 2015–16 season, the Energy were members of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL). At the conclusion of the 2014–15 season the majority of the MnJHL members joined
10-726: The Janesville Jets head coach in the North American Hockey League ) in October 2016. His reasons were due to the changing landscape of Tier III junior hockey and the difficulties of fielding a team. He assumed the Energy would be ceasing operations at the end of the season. May 31, 2024 the USPHL - Premier announced that the Minnesota Moose would be relocating to Spooner, Wisconsin and rebranding to
15-812: The United States Premier Hockey League by creating the USPHL-Midwest Division and the MnJHL ceased operations. After one season, the USPHL-Midwest was split into the Elite and USP3 Divisions with the Energy added to the Elite Division for 2016–17. In February 2017, owner Cal Ballard announced that he had given up management operations of the Energy to the Dibble Group (an management group headed by
20-587: The Northwest Express. The franchise has produced some alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division III , and ACHA college programs. Minnesota Wildcats The Minnesota Wildcats were a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL). The team played their home games at the 1,200-seat Maple Grove Community Center located in Maple Grove, Minnesota . Founded in 2004 as
25-600: The Twin Bridges (later St. Louis) Lightning, the franchise was sold and relocated to Maple Grove, Minnesota in 2005 to become the Minnesota Wildcats. The Wildcats normally played 48 game regular season games, in addition to showcase and post-season tournament games. In 2011, the Wildcats folded and were replaced by the Maple Grove Energy . The Energy would have different owners but would carry over many of
#877122