The years of speculation regarding the EHL’s move to Tier II hockey is finally over, as they announced via their website an elevation to their level of play on February 2nd, 2025. EHL Announces Tier II Status
Most observers recognize that this move puts them on level playing fields as the other College- Placement leagues in North America that are labelled Tier II. Tier II or Jr A leagues such as the NOJHL, CCHL, OJHL, SIJHL, MJHL AND NCDC all have fees if not a tuition- based system for funding their respective teams and their league.
The fact remains, USA hockey looked at what the USPHL and NCDC was proposing in 2017 and said “NO” you are not a Tier II league. Player Registration in excess of several hundred dollars, Billet Fees, and in some cases Tuition in no way qualifies as a FREE league. See below image, or look on the USA Hockey website- USA Junior Hockey Leagues
What changed? How did the marketplace gradually accept the NCDC as Tier II?
Was it an improvement in the on- ice product? That is tough to say… just look at their commitment history. NCDC COMMITMENTS BY YEAR | NCDC
They had more NCAA D1 commitments in the first season than the last 2-3 years combined. They’ve expanded each season (now at 22 teams) and again siphoned off established teams (just like they did in 2017) from rival league the EHL to bolster their league. 3 organizations in 2017 from the EHL (Rockets, Bandits, Cyclones) and another 4 in 2024 (Railers, Rangers, Spartans and Dogs).
What changed?
1- In many instances, gradually the league called themselves Tier II long enough that the marketplace accepted the label.
2- Advisors.
Many advisors looking to advocate and put their kids into Tier II opportunities, but unable to get them drafted or tendered in higher level Tier II leagues such as the AJHL, NAHL, or BCHL, could now find them a home or in a training camp spot in the NCDC given their vastly expanded roster sizes.
In other cases, Advisors changed their tune or were compensated by teams and organizations. This is not the case for all, but it is for some. Additionally, some Advisors are recently done playing and do not know the history of these leagues and USA Hockey’s ruling. They simply accepted the label. See below images for one such Advisor who drastically changed his tune on his own Facebook forum. This Advisor, who calls himself an GROUP EXPERT IN ICE HOCKEY, is now an advocate for the USPHL and NCDC.
The Tier II pay to play Jr Hockey label is accepted in Canada, and now will start to be accepted in the US. With fan attendance down across the board and Eastern US teams never having a huge fan base for their games (given so many local professional and NCAA options), teams and leagues that place players into college will have some fee structure, and the EHL (as well as these other Tier II leagues) are a great destination for college placement. Tier II should and will be the applicable label for leagues that place kids directly into College Hockey, and both the NCDC and EHL are leaders in that category compared to many of their Tier II Canadian counterparts.
By Andrew Trimble
For info on Andrew’s new book, The Hockey Planner, follow this link here- The Hockey Planner: A Year by Year Plan to Assist You on Your Hockey Coaching Journey: From Learn to Play to Junior Hockey: Trimble, Andrew: 9781963743395: Amazon.com: Books
