United States Premier 3 Hockey League

The United States Premier 3 Hockey League (USP3) is an American junior ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USP3 has grown to 25 organizations from across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The USP3 was previously known as the Empire Division and was re-named the USP3 division for the 2015–16 season.
USA Hockey classifies the USP3 Division as Tier III junior hockey league. All USPHL divisions are sanctioned by USA Hockey.
==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).
During the 2014 off-season the USPHL lost the New York Applecore (Empire), but added the Providence Capitals (Elite & U16), Jersey Shore Whalers (Empire), and the Richmond Generals (Elite, Empire) organizations to increase the total number of organizations to 35 headed into the 2014-15 season.
The changes for the 2015-16 continued into April when the New York Aviators announced their decision to leave the USPHL and join the NA3EHL. The USPHL promptly re-assigned the Aviator franchise to Rye, New York and was renamed to the New York Dragons. In early April 2015, the Empire Division would expand to Daytona Beach, Florida with the Daytona Racers. Also in April, it was announced the Empire Division would be renamed as the USP3 Division. 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 Rush actually took the franchise rights of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs.  The East Coast Eagles were renamed the Carolina Eagles.  The Bay State Breakers, Islanders Hockey Club, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, Rochester Jr. Americans, and South Shore Kings stopped operating teams in the league.  On August 27, 2015 the Adirondack Jr. Wings announced they were suspending the operations for their junior level team and continuing to operate the organization's team at the midget level.
In late April of 2016 the USPHL announced that the USPHL Midwest Division was being discontinued and that the teams would be moved to the United States Premier 3 Hockey League and the USPHL Elite Division for the 2016-17 season.  Each league was adding 9 teams in what would become each league's Midwestern division.
In May of 2016, the league announce that the remaining four members of the Northern Pacific Hockey League would form the league's new Pacific Division.  The teams will take part in two showcase events held by the league for the 2016-17 season and participate in the league's playoffs.
The Frederick Freeze and Michigan Wild were dropped from the league in September 2016.
The league would be disbanded as part of the United States Premier Hockey League's reorganization for the 2017-18 season with most of the teams jumping to the USPHL Elite Division.
==Final Member Teams==
The USP3HL consisted of 30 organizations located along the East Coast spanning from Massachusetts to Florida and in upper Midwestern United States and the Pacific Northwestern United States.
North Division 	North Division 	North Division 	North Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena 	Fate
Boston Jr. Bruins 	Marlborough, Massachusetts 	New England Sports Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Islanders Hockey Club 	Tyngsborough, Massachusetts 	Skate 3 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Jersey Hitmen 	Wayne, New Jersey 	Capital One Bank Ice Vault Arena	Join USPHL Elite Division
Jersey Shore Whalers 	Brick Township, New Jersey 	Ocean Ice Palace 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Springfield Pics 	West Springfield, Massachusetts	Olympia Ice Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
South Division 	South Division 	South Division 	South Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena 	Fate
Atlanta Jr. Knights 	Marietta, Georgia 	Marietta Ice Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Carolina Eagles 	Wake Forest, North Carolina 	Polar Ice House 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Charlotte Rush 	Indian Trail, North Carolina 	Extreme Ice Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Daytona Racers 	Daytona Beach, Florida 	Daytona International Skateway 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Florida Eels 	Fort Myers, Florida 	Fort Myers Skatium 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Florida Jr. Blades 	Estero, Florida 	Germain Arena 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Hampton Roads Whalers 	Chesapeake, Virginia 	Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex	Join USPHL Elite Division
Palm Beach Hawks 	Lake Worth, Florida 	Palm Beach Skate Zone 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Potomac Patriots 	Woodbridge, Virginia 	Prince William Ice Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Richmond Generals 	Richmond, Virginia 	SkateNation Plus 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Tampa Bay Juniors 	Ellenton, Florida 	Ellenton Ice 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Midwestern Division 	Midwestern Division 	Midwestern Division 	Midwestern Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena 	Fate
Alpena Flyers 	Alpena, Michigan 	Northern Lights Arena 	folded shortly after end of season
Decatur Blaze 	Decatur, Illinois 	Decatur Civic Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Ironwood Fighting Yoopers	Ironwood, Michigan 	Pat O'Donnell Center 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Kalkaska Rhinos 	Kalkaska, Michigan 	The Kaliseum 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Marquette Royales 	Marquette, Michigan 	Lakeview Arena 	suspend operations prior to 2016-17 season and do not return for 2017-18
Motor City Hawks 	Fraser, Michigan 	Fraser Hockeyland 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Traverse City North Stars	Traverse City, Michigan 	Centre Ice Arena 	Folded July 5, 2017
Tri-City Ice Hawks 	Bay City, Michigan 	Bay County Civic Arena 	Join USPHL Elite Division
Pacific Division 	Pacific Division 	Pacific Division 	Pacific Division
Team 	Centre 	Arena 	Fate
Eugene Generals 	Eugene, OR 	The Rink Exchange 	Join USPHL Elite Division and play as an independent team
Seattle Ravens 	Kent, WA 	Kent Valley Ice Centre 	joined Western States Hockey League as Kent Ravens
Tri-City Outlaws 	Kennewick, WA 	Toyota Center (Kennewick) 	Apparently ceased operations
West Sound Warriors 	Bremerton, WA 	Bremerton Ice Center 	cease operations; replaced by former Vancouver Rangers in town and in WSHL
==Champions==
* Was known as Empire Division prior to the 2015-16 season
Year 	USP3
2013–14	Florida Jr. Blades
2014–15	New York Aviators
2015–16	Dells Ducks
2016-17	Charlotte Rush
==References==
==External links==
*Official USPHL website
*Official USA Hockey website
Category:Established in 2012
Category:Disestablished in 2017
Category:United States Premier Hockey League