Midwest Junior Hockey League ( 2012 - 2015 ) The Midwest Junior Hockey League website said it was a proud member of the Amateur Athletic Union ( AAU ) . MWJHL members have made a commitment to player development , advancement and maintaining a high level operation to achieve sustainable and profitable markets . The MWJHL league office was headquartered in Sylvania , Ohio . that consisted of six full time employees to support members vision and objectives . The league office will support its member teams with several long - term sustainability initiatives including MWJHL Properties creating league wide licensing arrangements , and centralized ticket sales and corporate sponsorship operation . During its first league meeting in early July in Deerfield , Illinois the following items were discussed , voted on and passed into the league by laws : First Season . The league was supposed to play with 16 teams of which 6 were gone before the league started play . The six teams that never played were Erie Blizzard ; Lake Erie ( Chardon / Mentor , OH ) Steelheads ; Cincinnati Stache ; Ironwood Bears ( Linolnshire , IL ) ; Kankakee ( IL ) Kingfish ; and Traverse City , MI . The following franchises relocated before playing : Lake in the Hills , IL moved to Holland , MI ; the St . Ignace , MI franchise moved to Saut Ste . Marie . The league started play in the fall of 2012 with the following lineup of ten teams : Bloomington Blaze , Dayton Aeros , Great Lakes ( Fraser , MI ) Lightning , Hartland Hounds , Holland River Bandits , NWO ( Northwest Ohio - Toledo ) , Grrowl , Michigan ( Wayne ) Ice Dogs , Rhinelander Street Cats , Soo ( Sault Ste Marie ) Firehawks , and Tennyson ( Brownston , MI ) Chevrolet , The league ended up with the Dayton franchise folding after their November 11 , 2012 game . This left the league with nine teams . The Grrrowl franchise moved from Toledo to Allen Park , MI in mid - January 2013 and were renamed the Michigan Grrrowl . Second Season . The Michigan Ice Dogs moved to Farmington Hills after the 2012 - 13 season ended . The Hartland Hounds moved to Traverse City and were renamed the Cohos only to fold before they next season began . the Holland River Bandits were suspended by the AAU for a minimum of one year due to the background of their coach . The Rhinelander Street Cats moved to Alpena and were relabeled as the Alpena Street Cats . The Tennyson Chevrolet team was renamed the Detroit Fighting Irish . The Great Lakes Lightning moved to Berkley , MI and were renamed the Berkley Bruins The Michigan Grrrowl faded into extintion after the season , they had forfeited several games late in the season . The league awarded a team to the Marquette Royals , who withdrew to join the Minnesota Junior Hockey League . Louisville , KY was also awarded an expansion team but apparently fell through . The Walker based West Michigan Freeze and the Alpena Street Cats were disbanded by the league at their September 11 , 2013 meeting . Apparently the decision was modified as Alpena played for the season and West Michigan franchise is listed as dormant on the league ' s website . Third Season . The league announced on March 25 , 2014 that the MC Monarchs , based out of Mount Clemens , MI would join the league for its 2014 - 15 season . On March 8 , 2015 it was annouced that all seven of the league ' s members were joining the United States Premier Hockey League ' s Mid - West Division for the 2015 - 16 season . league website