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70-645: The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league spanning parts of Southern Ontario . The PJHL is the third tier of the Ontario Hockey Association and is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada . The league was formed in 2016 with the merging of eight Junior C leagues. PJHL teams compete for the Clarence Schmalz Cup . In the works since 2014, it

140-593: A Tier II junior hockey league headquartered in Addison, Texas . 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 Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is a North American women's professional league that began operations in

210-608: A director with the Czech Ice Hockey Association , felt that Junior-aged players were enticed to play in North America before maturation, with a negative effect on the development of the player and the European system. He stated that of the 527 Czech Republic players who went to North American Junior hockey, only 22 of them played more than 400 NHL games. He sought to establish a European system that

280-632: A full NHL schedule. They only carried select games from the Stanley Cup Finals. From the year 1971 to the year 1995 no United States television network had exclusive coverage of the NHL games. The USA television network started carrying 35 regular-season games and played the full schedule of the playoff games from the year 1981 to 1985. ESPN replaced the USA network in 1985 and then Sports Channel replaced ESPN in 1989. ESPN came back and later took over

350-587: A lower-level professional league. The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States . The league consists of 16 teams throughout the Midwestern United States , for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly amateur , allowing former players to compete in NCAA college hockey. The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is

420-725: A member of the International Professional Hockey League in 1904 . There were five teams from the United States and Ontario that formed the International Ice Hockey Federation. This league only lasted three seasons but it was the first professional ice hockey league that the United States participated in. By 1898 the following leagues had already formed: the Amateur Hockey League of New York,

490-817: A new 10-year deal, and shortly after, Versus was rebranded into NBCSN following NBC's merger with Comcast . The new deal also made available all televised playoff games on a national basis, with NBC's sister networks such as CNBC and the USA Network broadcasting a limited number of playoff games. Following the 2021 season, the NHL elected to split American TV rights, with ESPN and new partner TNT inking new seven-year contracts. This deal also allows all Stanley Cup Finals games to air on over-the-air television (in this case ABC), though only on even-numbered seasons. Movies such as Miracle , The Mighty Ducks , Youngblood , Soul on Ice , and Goon (film) have become part of American culture regarding hockey. Ice hockey

560-720: A professional team, and are used by professional teams to develop their own prospects. One example of this is the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden or the Minor Hockey League in Russia . The lack of an amateur draft in Europe means that the onus is on the teams to sign the most talented young players they can get, and the presence of an affiliated junior team provides a place for young players who are not yet ready for

630-673: A regional following in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. However in the 2015 season, the Arizona State hockey program made its jump from club to the varsity level. College hockey is increasingly being used to develop players for the NHL and other professional leagues (the US has junior leagues, the United States Hockey League and North American Hockey League , but they are more restricted to protect junior players' college eligibility). The Frozen Four

700-590: A significant concentration of teams in the central and southwestern parts of the United States, although the league began to expand to east coast as of 2015. In October 2016, the Tier III United States Premier Hockey League , a league predominately located on the east coast, applied to USA Hockey for approval of a Tier II league to begin in the 2017–18 season, however, the league was denied that December and decided to operate its Tier II league independently. The NAHL, like

770-658: A trophy that would be considered to be a visible sign of the ice hockey championship. This trophy was a silver bowl inlaid with gold. The trophy was first presented in 1893 and was called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. The name of the trophy was later changed to the famous name, The Stanley Cup. In 1914 the Portland Rosebuds , an American-based team, joined the Pacific Coast Hockey Association . After that,

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840-439: Is college hockey's national championship. Summer senior ice hockey is increasing in popularity in the 21st century, with Edina, Minnesota 's Da Beauty League and Buffalo, New York 's Fattey Hockey League both drawing NHL players who use the leagues to stay in shape during the offseason. Da Beauty League, established in 2016, is considered the nation's premier summer ice hockey league and benefits from corporate sponsorship from

910-817: Is currently the only Tier I league in the country, consisting of teams in the central and midwestern United States. The USHL provides an alternative to the Canadian Hockey League, which pays its major junior hockey players a stipend, for players who wish to maintain NCAA eligibility for later in their career. While playing in the USHL, all player expenses are paid for by the team; no membership or equipment fees are charged. Unlike major junior teams, free-college stipend does not exist. Historically, professional leagues have drafted less directly from USHL teams, although this trend has shifted in recent years, coinciding with

980-558: Is for Everyone" to make ice hockey more accessible to urban youth and low income communities. As of the year 2015, there are over 2,000 ice rinks in the United States alone (United States, 2008). There are now 32 teams participating in the NHL, with 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada . As of spring 2014, the United States has won 16 Olympic medals (gold, silver, and bronze) total. The US now has more youth hockey players than all other countries, excluding Canada, combined. The legacy of

1050-551: Is made up of 64 schools. Minnesota produces more NCAA Division I players than every other US state as well as any Canadian province. The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in Springfield, Massachusetts . It is considered the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). The league currently has 286 US-born players. The ECHL (formerly known as

1120-682: Is one of the 4 major sports watched in the United States, and the US-based National Hockey League is watched by many people around the world. Ice hockey is traditionally popular in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States , particularly in Massachusetts (and New England in general), Michigan , New York (especially Upstate New York ) and Minnesota . Minnesota is known as the State of Hockey and

1190-695: The Boston Bruins . while Val James was the first African American player to compete in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs . In 1972 the World Hockey Association formed of 12 teams from Canada and the United States intended to rival the NHL but ultimately failed and many of the teams merged with the NHL. The Stanley Cup is the oldest trophy in North American sports. Lord Stanley of Preston

1260-603: The Canadian Women's Hockey League in 2019, hundreds of prominent women's players, including several American Olympians, founded the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association and opted to boycott existing leagues in pursuit of a unified, financially stable professional league. In 2023, the PHF was purchased and ultimately dissolved as part of the foundation of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL),

1330-545: The Clarence Schmalz Cup which was first awarded in 1938. The Ontario Junior C playoffs are played for between six of the Province's seven different regional leagues. In Quebec and West of Manitoba, Junior C hockey tends to be an extension of the local minor hockey system and is sometimes called Juvenile or House League. In Ontario, Manitoba, and the Maritimes, Junior C is run independently of minor hockey systems, though with

1400-823: The Coupe Dodge in Quebec , the Don Johnson Cup in the Atlantic Provinces , and the Keystone Cup that represents all of Western Canada, from British Columbia to Northwestern Ontario . Junior C (Junior A in Québec ) generally consists of local competitions, but is considered competitive in some regions, and serve as seeding or farm-teams for Junior B teams. Ontario Junior C Hockey has six rounds of best-of-seven playoffs (up to 42 games per team) for

1470-694: The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League has operated as an independent league in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The league widely recruits players from outside of North America. In late 2016, the United States Premier Hockey League , an organization composed of several USA Hockey Tier III Junior as well as many youth hockey leagues, applied for a Tier II league. The Tier II status was denied in December 2016 but

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1540-695: The Memorial Cup in a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. Major Junior players were historically deemed ineligible to play college hockey in the United States , because they were considered to be professionals by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Major Junior players retain their eligibility for Canadian universities however, and all three leagues have scholarship programs for players. The NCAA changed its position and decided that CHL players were no longer ineligible as of

1610-575: The Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area is the hockey capital of the US. The NHL has also made inroads into other areas of the US not historically known for hockey. Teams based in North Carolina , Tennessee , Florida , Texas , Arizona , Nevada , and California have all contributed to an increase in the sport's popularity in those states, with Dallas , Tampa Bay , Carolina , Anaheim , Los Angeles , and Vegas all winning

1680-505: The North American 3 Hockey League Some Junior ice hockey leagues operate outside the framework of governing bodies such as Hockey Canada and USA Hockey , typically due to disagreements with governing bodies over player recruitment policies and finances. These leagues are sometimes referred to as 'unsanctioned', 'rogue' or 'outlaw' leagues due to their lack of sanctioning or oversight from an outside governing body. Since 2006,

1750-619: The US . In 2023, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew from the Hockey Canada framework, and thus became an independent league. In response, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework, which included an opportunity for some Junior B teams (styled "Junior A Tier 2" by BC Hockey) to be promoted to Junior A (styled "Junior A Tier 1" by BC Hockey) and eventually seek membership with

1820-457: The northeast and the upper Midwest . However, since the 1990s, ice hockey has become increasingly popular in the Sun Belt due in large part to the expansion of the National Hockey League to the southeast and southwest US, coupled with the mass relocation of many residents from northern cities with strong hockey support to these Sun Belt locations. The contemporary sport of ice hockey

1890-466: The 2025–26 season. The decision was made after a class action was filed on behalf of a player who was declared ineligible after having played two exhibition games in the OHL when he was 16 years old. The CHL places a cap of three 20-year-old players per team, and allows up to four 16-year-olds on each roster. While 15-year-old players were formerly permitted to play a limited number of games per season at

1960-622: The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada, and the Ontario Hockey Association. The 1898 Spalding Athletic Library book includes rules (laws) and results for each league (association). Meanwhile, teams in western Canada formed the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1911. This league created new designs and rules that helped ice hockey evolve into the game it is today. Some of these new innovations that were created were blue lines that were painted under

2030-585: The CHL level, they are now permitted to play only if they are deemed exceptional by Hockey Canada . As of 2024 , nine players have qualified under this rule: centre John Tavares in 2005, defenceman Aaron Ekblad in 2011, centre Connor McDavid in 2012, defenceman Sean Day in 2013, centre Joe Veleno in 2015, centre Shane Wright in 2019, forward Connor Bedard in 2020, forward Michael Misa in 2022, and defenceman Landon DuPont in 2024. CHL teams are currently permitted two "imports" (players from outside Canada and

2100-772: The CJHL. The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024—25 season. Junior B (Junior AA in Québec ; Tier 2 in British Columbia ) was created in 1933, to differentiate between teams eligible for Memorial Cup competition and those who were not. The major championships across Canada are the Sutherland Cup in Southern Ontario , the Barkley Cup in the Ottawa District ,

2170-791: The Canadian Club System: 1. Major Junior, 2. Junior A, 3. Junior B, and 4. Junior C. Not all teams playing in Canadian Junior leagues are based in Canada . As of 2024 , there were approximately twelve US-based teams playing in various Major Junior and Junior A leagues in Canada. In 2023, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework following the departure of its only Junior A league . Its three Junior B leagues ( PJHL , KIJHL and VIJHL ) were re-styled as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to promote some to "Junior A Tier 1" following an independent evaluation. It

Provincial Junior Hockey League - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-672: The East Coast Hockey League) is a league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey . It is considered the premier "AA" or secondary professional league in the United States and Canada and is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina . It is considered

2310-545: The Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) beginning in the 2024-25 season. Major Junior is the highest level of Junior ice hockey in Canada. There are three Major Junior leagues that collectively make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) : The championship teams from each league, as well as a pre-selected host team, compete for

2380-605: The Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew its membership with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. In 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) announced that it would also withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season. In Europe, Junior teams are usually associated with

2450-825: The Minnesota business community. The GLHL is a travel, full-contact league that plays for the Kohlman Cup every year. Teams are all based in Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Several of the teams in the GLHL are the oldest hockey teams in the world, including the Portage Lake Pioneers and Calumet Wolverines, both established in the early 1900s. A hockey tournament debuted in the Summer Olympics in 1920 and would later also be recognized as

2520-566: The Miracle on Ice is believed to be influential in popularizing the sport from a regional sport to a mainstream sport. USA Hockey had 564,468 registered hockey players during the 2023-24 season, including male, female and junior players. Below are a lists of US-born hockey players ranked by birth state. The numbers do not include players who transferred to other states to play high school hockey or for other programs including boarding schools or AAA teams. For example, neither T. J. Oshie , who

2590-401: The NHL contract in 1993. The Fox network joined ESPN in the year 1995. After the 1999 season, ABC , a sister network of ESPN, took over as the NHL's over-the-air broadcast partner in the US, a role it held until 2004. Following the 2004–05 lockout, the NHL signed a new television contract with NBC , initially with co-existing cable TV rights with OLN/Versus . In 2011, NBC and the NHL signed

2660-585: The NHL the top hockey league in North America. In 1942, the Brooklyn Americans withdrew from the NHL. This left the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins, Rangers, and Black Hawks as the only teams left in the NHL for the next 25 years. Those six teams are now called " the Original Six ." New Brunswick -born skater Willie O'Ree became the first black ice hockey player in the NHL for

2730-415: The National Women's Hockey League, was the first in North America to pay its players a salary, and at its foundation featured four teams from the Northeast. Through partnerships with NHL teams, the league expanded to five teams for its fourth season in 2018, adding the Minnesota Whitecaps (a long-established independent team) that year, before expanding into Canada in 2020. However, after the dissolution of

2800-471: The Soviet Union ended Canadian dominance in 1956, winning gold, and went on to win all Olympic tournaments until 1992 with 1960 and 1980, when the Americans were victorious, being lone exceptions. Much of this has to do with the fact that, unlike the Soviets, the Canadians were unable to use their best players. After 1992, four nations won gold medals: Canada (7th, 8th, and 9th titles), Sweden (1st and 2nd title), Czech Republic (1st title), Russia (9th title), and,

2870-615: The Stanley Cup at least once each since 1999. The NHL is trying to grow the sport of ice hockey by attempting to diversify the fanbase and expand from its traditional demographic . A notable example is the Chicago Blackhawks , who have seen a significant increase in attention from ethnic minorities since their Stanley Cup successes in the 2010s, which has resulted in the team setting up outreach programs for urban youths and low income neighborhoods. The Washington Capitals also have noteworthy outreach programs for to garner interest ice hockey. The NHL has outreach programs like "Hockey

Provincial Junior Hockey League - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-520: The Tier III level pay a fee or tuition, commonly ranging from $ 4,000 to $ 9,500. This is for all accounts and purposes an amateur level, although some players go directly to NCAA Division I schools. Most Tier III players are looking to increase their skills in hopes to move up to Tier II or I, while other players go directly to NCAA Division III , ACHA and CHF schools. Prior to July 2011, USA Hockey split Tier III into Junior A and B divisions. USA Hockey currently has one sanctioned Tier III league,

3010-433: The US) each. Up until 1970, the leagues that were classified as Major Junior and "Junior A" today were both part of Junior A. In 1970 they were divided into "Tier I Junior A" or "Major Junior A" and "Tier II Junior A". In 1980, the three Major Junior A leagues opted for self-control over being controlled by the branches of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and became Major Junior hockey, Tier II Junior A became

3080-449: The USHL, provides young players an alternative to major junior hockey, although the skill level is considered significantly lower than major junior hockey and typically filled with those who would not or did not make the roster of a Tier I team. Unlike Tier I, the NAHL does not pay for all players' expenses, such as room and board, but there is no tuition cost to the player as in Tier III. In addition to paying for room and board, players at

3150-412: The USNTDP moving to the USHL in 2009-10. In the 2019 NHL Entry Draft , 17 of the 44 players drafted out of the USHL played for the USNTDP. Those 44 draft picks were 16 more than any of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League, and included 9 first round picks (8 of which came from the USNTDP) and 7 second round picks. For most of its existence the USHL was considered inferior in quality of play to

3220-422: The USPHL moved forward with the new league anyway, creating the National Collegiate Development Conference. In response, the USPHL has removed all their junior level leagues (the NCDC and the Tier III-level Premier and Elite Divisions) from USA Hockey sanctioning since the 2017–18 season. In 2022, the Eastern Hockey League , which was operating two Tier III leagues, also left USA Hockey sanctioning. In 2023,

3290-423: The USSR in the medal round. On the women's side, the US national team won the first Olympic tournament featuring women in 1998 . The Americans won gold again in 2018 and have played in every Olympic final except for one, in 2006 , when they won bronze. As such, they have four silver medals. Women's ice hockey is growing in the United States. The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), founded in 2015 as

3360-424: The United States was on November 17, 1883 on the Lower School Pond of St. Paul's School in Concord, NH . The first known formal game of ice hockey in the United States was subsequently played between Yale University and Johns Hopkins University in 1893, and is generally considered to be the start of present-day ice hockey in the nation. In 1894, the first artificial ice rink was built in Maryland . The rink

3430-407: The United States where the Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Maroons 2–1. That same season, the NHL increased the season schedule from 24 games to 30 games. Three more American teams the New York Rangers , Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Cougars , joined the NHL in the year 1926. That same year, the Western Hockey League fell apart and sold most of its players to the new NHL teams. This makes

3500-578: The eight divisions split into four conferences. The first game in PJHL history was played on September 9, 2016 as the Walkerton Hawks hosted the Hanover Barons in Pollock Division action. Walkerton won the game 6-2. Bolded is overall PJHL season champion based on win percentage. Listed are Division playoff champions. Bolded are also Conference playoff champions. Bolded is winner of Clarence Schmalz Cup as PJHL and OHA champion. Individual Season Single Game Team Junior ice hockey There are four levels of Junior hockey in

3570-453: The first World Ice Hockey Championship. Canada took the gold medal, with the United States getting the silver. The Canadians went on to claim three consecutive golds after the sport was permanently transferred to the newly established Winter Olympics in 1924. In 1936, their streak was ended by the British team that went on to beat the Canadians and tie the Americans, claiming the gold. Canada reclaimed gold in 1948 and defended it in 1952. However,

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3640-408: The general American public as are stars of the NFL, MLB, and the NBA, average attendance for NHL games in the US has surpassed average NBA attendance in recent seasons, buoyed in part by the NHL Winter Classic being played in large outdoor stadiums. In 1924, the Boston Bruins were the first American team to join the National Hockey League . During that season, the first NHL game was played in

3710-469: The ice which divided the ice into three sections, goaltenders are allowed to fall and slide on the ice to help prevent the other team from scoring a goal, forward passing is permitted in the neutral zone, and the game was split into three periods of 20 minutes. The NHL is the major professional hockey league in North America, with 25 US-based teams and 7 Canadian-based teams competing for the Stanley Cup . While NHL stars are still not as readily familiar to

3780-413: The major junior levels. But it continued to improve and as of 2019 about 21 percent of NHL players had played USHL in their career. Between 80 and 90 percent of USHL players continued into NCAA hockey. Currently, the North American Hockey League is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II league in the United States. The NAHL consists of teams spread across the western two thirds of the United States with

3850-403: The most recent champions, Finland (1st title). From 1998 to 2014, NHL players participated in the Olympics. In all other years players from all professional leagues except the NHL and AHL competed. Prior to 1947 there was no nationally recognized national governing body for ice hockey in the United States. The Amateur Hockey Association of the United States or AHAUS, which later became USA Hockey ,

3920-465: The rigours of the professional game to develop. However, not all players on a European junior team are necessarily property of their professional club, and may elect to sign elsewhere. At the World Hockey Summit in 2010, nations in Europe expressed concern about the number of junior players leaving to play in North America, despite the improved talent level and the increasing popularity of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Junior Championships . Slavomir Lener,

3990-462: The same mostly recreational purpose. Junior ice hockey in the United States is sanctioned by USA Hockey . The top level is Tier I, represented by the United States Hockey League . Tier II is represented by the North American Hockey League . There are several Tier III and independently sanctioned leagues throughout the country. Some US-based teams play in Canadian leagues outside of the USA Hockey framework. The United States Hockey League (USHL)

4060-502: The top tier of hockey in the CAHA and became Junior A hockey. Junior A (Junior AAA in Québec ; Tier 1 in British Columbia ) hockey is one level below Major Junior. It is governed by the respective regional branches of Hockey Canada . The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of nine Junior A leagues: The national championship is the Centennial Cup . Unlike Major Junior players, Junior A players retain their NCAA eligibility and may go on to play college hockey in

4130-415: The trustees of the Stanley Cup made a statement that the Stanley Cup was no longer for the best team in Canada, but now the best team in the whole world. The Rosebuds became the first American team to compete in the Stanley Cup Finals two years later. In the year 1917, the team Seattle Metropolitans was the first American team to win the Stanley Cup. Once that season was over, the National Hockey Association

4200-445: The unified league many players had been working towards. The league debuted in January 2024, with three of its six charter franchises located in the US in Boston , New York , and Minnesota . In 1957, CBS was the first US television network to carry NHL games. Later, the television network NBC also started carrying some NHL games. Both television networks held rights to show NHL games at times, but neither television network showed

4270-439: The unique " Major Junior " leagues. The hierarchy of the ice hockey league system forms a pyramid with a large number of regional minor and development leagues making up the base of the pyramid and a linear progression through the professional minor leagues leading to the National Hockey League at the top of the pyramid. Nine US-based teams compete in the three member leagues of the Canadian Hockey League . College hockey has

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4340-498: Was announced in the spring of 2016 that the eight Junior C leagues of the Ontario Hockey Association would merge for the 2016-17 season to create the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The union was in an effort to streamline rules across the classification and to promote growth and development. The leagues that make up the PJHL are the former Central , Empire B , Georgian Mid-Ontario , Great Lakes , Midwestern , Niagara & District , Southern , and Western . leagues that are now

4410-461: Was appointed by Queen Victoria to be the Governor General of Canada on June 11, 1888. While governor, Ice hockey was still just forming in Canada. He first got to see the game of hockey played at Montreal's 1889 Winter Carnival. During the carnival he watched the Montreal Victorias play the Montreal Hockey Club. Since then he and his family became very involved in the game of ice hockey. His two sons, Arthur and Algernon, convinced their father to donate

4480-415: Was born in Washington state, but played high school hockey in Warroad, Minnesota or Jack Johnson , who was born in Indiana, and played at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota count towards the total number of players currently from Minnesota. As of November 2024, there are 230 US-born hockey players representing 34 states in the National Hockey League (NHL). Division I men's ice hockey

4550-403: Was called the North Avenue Ice Palace , which was located in Baltimore, Maryland. A few years later, in 1896, the first ice hockey league in the United States was formed called The US Amateur Hockey League. It was founded in New York City around the same time as the second artificial ice rink was opened in New York, New York, called the St. Nicholas Arena . The US Amateur Hockey League then became

4620-500: Was changed into the NHL or the National Hockey League . Minor league professional hockey leagues in the US include the American Hockey League and the ECHL . USA Hockey is the official governing body for amateur hockey in the US The United States Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Eveleth, Minnesota . The United States ice hockey structure includes elements from traditional American scholastic high school and college athletics, affiliated and independent minor leagues , and

4690-421: Was competitive enough to deter players from entering into the CHL Import Draft . United States ice hockey structure Ice hockey , referred to in the US simply as "hockey", is a popular sport in the United States . Hockey in the US began in 1894 when the first artificial ice rink was built in Baltimore, Maryland. Now hockey is most popular in regions of the US with cold winter climates, such as

4760-444: Was created that year and has remained the governing body of ice hockey in the United States since then. The United States men's team has won two gold medals ( 1960 , 1980 ), eight silver medals ( 1920 , 1924 , 1932 , 1952 , 1956 , 1972 , 2002 , 2010 ) and one bronze medal ( 1936 ). The 1980 gold medal victory is still remembered as one of the greatest upsets in sporting history, with team USA beating four-time defending champions

4830-475: Was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal, Quebec, where the first indoor hockey game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. The game soon spread south through Canadian immigrants, who played the stick and ball game referred to as " shinny " on frozen ponds and lakes in the winter. The first organized game of this precursor to modern ice hockey in

4900-403: Was expected that those teams promoted to "Junior A Tier 1" would eventually apply for membership in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), an association of Junior A leagues governed by Hockey Canada and its regional branches . BC Hockey expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024-25 season. Before the process was completed, the VIJHL announced that it would also withdraw from

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