USPHL Elite Division

The United States Premier Hockey League Elite Division (USPHL-Elite) is an American junior ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL-Elite has grown to 32 organizations from across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and one foreign entry from Beijing, China
.
USA Hockey had classified the Elite Division as a Tier III junior hockey league. The division was sanctioned by USA Hockey until the end of the 2016-17 season.
==History==
The league was originally founded on June 6, 2013, when it was announced that the USPHL would absorb the Empire Jr. Hockey League (becoming the Empire Division) and the newly formed Eastern Elite Hockey League (becoming the Elite Division). With the additions, the USPHL added 16 organizations to the original 15.
During the 2014 off-season the USPHL lost the New York Applecore, but added the Providence Capitals, Jersey Shore Whalers, and the Richmond Generals and a whole organizations to increase the total number of organizations to 18 headed into the 2014-15 season.
The USPHL announced on December 18, 2014 the formation of a Mid-West Division to begin in the 2015-16 season by adding several teams from the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. By the end of the season, the Mid-West Division would add all but one active MnJHL team causing the MnJHL to disband for the following season. On March 10, 2014, the USPHL also added the entire Midwest Junior Hockey League to its new Mid-West Division for the 2015-16 season. USPHL Mid-West will mark the fourth Tier III division under the USPHL umbrella.
In late April 2015, the Charlotte Rush was announced as an expansion franchise by adding two teams, one in the Elite Division and one in the USP3.
The league and the USPHL as a whole was reorganized for the 2017-18 season as the USPHL launched the National Collegiate Development Conference which would have been a Tier-II league if it had been approved by USA Hockey. That league was rejected for Tier-II status late in 2016. The USPHL as a whole withdrew from USA Hockey and is playing as unsanctioned leagues. Many of the clubs in the leagues jumped up one level from 2016-17 to 2017-18 as the United States Premier 3 Hockey League was disbanded. Many of the teams from that league joined the Elite Division for 2017-18 while most of the teams from the 2016-17 version of the Elite Division were moved to the Premier Division for 2017-18 and the 2016-17 version of the Premier Division mostly moved to the newly formed NCDC.
==Teams==
(Tentative line up for 2017-18; especially for Midwest Division as league has not posted a listing for 2017-18 season for that division)
North Division 	North Division 	North Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Boston Bandits 	Bridgewater, Massachusetts 	Bridgewater Ice Arena
Boston Jr. Bruins 	Marlborough, Massachusetts 	New England Sports Center
Connecticut Nighthawks 	Simsbury, Connecticut 	International Skating Center of Connecticut
Hartford Jr. Wolfpack 	Cromwell, Connecticut 	Champions Skating Center
Islanders Hockey Club 	Tyngsborough, Massachusetts 	Skate 3
New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs	Hooksett, New Hampshire 	Tri-Town Ice Arena
Northern Cyclones 	Hudson, New Hampshire 	Cyclones Arena
Springfield Pics 	West Springfield, Massachusetts	Olympia Ice Center
Mid-Atlantic Division 	Mid-Atlantic Division 	Mid-Atlantic Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Jersey Hitmen 	Wayne, New Jersey 	Capital One Bank Ice Vault Arena
Jersey Shore Whalers 	Brick Township, New Jersey 	Ocean Ice Palace
New Jersey Rockets 	Newark, New Jersey 	Prudential Center
New York Jr. Aviators 	Brooklyn, New York 	Aviator Sports and Events Center
P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 	Hauppauge, New York 	The Rinx-Hidden Pond Park
Syracuse Stars 	Cicero, New York 	Cicero Twin Ice Arena
Team Beijing 	East Meadow, New York 	Northwell Health Ice Center
Southeast Division 	Southeast Division 	Southeast Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Atlanta Jr. Knights 	Marietta, Georgia 	Marietta Ice Center
Carolina Eagles 	Wake Forest, North Carolina 	Polar Ice House
Charlotte Rush 	Indian Trail, North Carolina 	Extreme Ice Center
Hampton Roads Whalers 	Chesapeake, Virginia 	Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex
Potomac Patriots 	Woodbridge, Virginia 	Prince William Ice Center
Richmond Generals 	Richmond, Virginia 	SkateNation Plus
Florida Division 	Florida Division 	Florida Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Daytona Racers 	Daytona Beach, Florida 	Daytona International Skateway
Florida Eels 	Fort Myers, Florida 	Fort Myers Skatium
Florida Jr. Blades 	Estero, Florida 	Germain Arena
Palm Beach Hawks 	Lake Worth, Florida 	Palm Beach Skate Zone
Tampa Bay Juniors 	Ellenton, Florida 	Ellenton Ice
Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Decatur Blaze 	Decatur, Illinois 	Decatur Civic Center
Ironwood Fighting Yoopers 	Ironwood, Michigan 	Pat O'Donnell Center
Kalkaska Rhinos 	Kalkaska, Michigan 	The Kaliseum
Motor City Hawks 	Fraser, Michigan 	Fraser Hockeyland
Tri-City Ice Hawks 	Bay City, Michigan 	Bay County Civic Arena
Pacific Division 	Pacific Division 	Pacific Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Eugene Generals 	Eugene, OR 	The Rink Exchange
==Former Members==
Team 	Location 	years
Illiana Blackbirds 	Dyer, Indiana 	(2016) withdrew before start of play
Portland Jr. Pirates 	Saco, Maine 	(2013-16) appears to have dropped junior hockey portion of its program
Providence Capitals 	Lincoln, Rhode Island 	(2014-16) organization reverts to youth hockey only
Rochester Stars 	Rochester, New York 	(2013-14) drop team at this level when join USPHL Premier Division
Roswell Bulldogs 	Kissimmee, Florida 	(2014-15) withdrew after one game of 2015-16 season due to lack of players
Springfield Pics 	West Springfield, Massachusetts	(2013-14) drop team at this level when join USPHL Premier Division
Space Coast Hurricanes	Rockledge, Florida 	(2013-14) merged with and renamed Roswell Bulldogs
==Champions==
Year 	Champion
2013–14	Springfield Jr. Pics
2014–15	Boston Jr. Bruins
2015–16	Hampton Roads Whalers
==Seasons==
*2013-14 USPHL-Elite Season
*2014-15 USPHL-Elite Season
*2015-16 USPHL-Elite Season
*2016-17 USPHL-Elite Season
*2017-18 USPHL-Elite Season
==References==
==External links==
*Official USPHL website
*Official USA Hockey website
Category:Established in 2012
Category:United States Premier Hockey League