The 2026-27 North American Hockey League season is the league's 42nd season under this name and its 52nd dating back to its founding as the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League in 1975 when the Michigan Junior Hockey League and the Wolverine Junior A Hockey League merged.
Membership changes In early December 2024 reports of the league adding six teams that would form a Pacific Division would indicate that the league would likely be adding four teams in California and one each in Arizona and Nevada likely for the 2026–27 season. Previous rumors had indicated a stand alone Tier-I league, while others had teams affiliated with the United States Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and the British Columbia Hockey League had also been indicated over the past two years. The planned organizations have reportedly had ties to the region's National Hockey League teams and former players.https://www.juniorhockey.io/news/nahl-to-add-six-new-teams-in-the-west The teams would end up added to the USHL for the 2027–28 season. On or around May 22, 2025 it was announced that the Greeley, Colorado based Colorado Grit had its' lease terminated at the Greeley Ice Haus and that the team would go inactive for the 2025–26 season with the intent of returning for the 2026–27 season.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-6232443https://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=40491 The city had terminated the lease citing unpaid bills and other issues with local businesses. The team using the threat of legal action citing not completed financial commitments with the team.https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/the-death-pool-nahls-colorado-grit-kicked-out-of-arena-and-sale-potentially-forced/ The team would not return to the league for the 2026–27 season. On March 18, 2026 the NAHL announce the relocation of the North Iowa Bulls to the newly opened Deep South Ice & Sports Center in Richmond, Texas, a suburb of Houston, Texas for the 2026–27 season. The team will be renamed the Houston Bulls.https://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=42192 In late May 2026 it was indicated that the Maine Nordiques (NAHL) and Maine Nordiques (NA3HL) had both folded.https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/the-death-pool-nahl-and-na3hl-maine-nordiques-dead-on-the-scene/ On June 2, 2026 the Billings Cattle Punchers, who were announced as an expansion team in the National Collegiate Development Conference for 2026-27 were reported to be jumping to the North American Hockey League. Also included were the Pueblo Bulls, who were reportedly taking over the charter of the Chippewa Steel franchise. The Utah Outliers and Ogden Mustangs were also reported to be joining the NAHL. The Rochester Jr. Americans were also reported to be going dormant for the 2026–27 season.https://www.facebook.com/groups/1599316870151456/?multi_permalinks=27067524316237361&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen When the league issued its release about the creation of a Mountain Division for the 2026–27 season, the release also included the Idaho Falls Spud Kings and Grand Junction River Hawks, but not the Utah Outliers.https://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=42501 On July 3, 2026 the Pueblo Bulls announced that would be rebranded as the Pueblo Peppers.https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/introducing-the-pueblo-peppers-a-new-era-of-hockey-in-pueblo/n-6383446 The team had purchased the Chippewa Steel franchise rights and relocated it to Pueblo, Colorado.
Teams Central Division Team Arena Location Aberdeen Wings Odde Ice Center Aberdeen, South Dakota Austin Bruins Riverside Arena Austin, Minnesota Bismarck Bobcats V.F.W. Sports Center Bismarck, North Dakota Minot Minotauros Maysa Arena Minot, North Dakota St. Cloud Norsemen Dave Torrey Arena St. Cloud, Minnesota Watertown Shamrocks Prairie Lakes Ice Arena Watertown, South DakotaMidwest Division Team Arena Location Anchorage Wolverines Sullivan Arena Anchorage, Alaska Chippewa Steel Chippewa Area Ice Arena Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Fairbanks Ice Dogs Big Dipper Ice Arena Fairbanks, Alaska Janesville Jets Woodman's Center Janesville, Wisconsin Kenai River Brown Bears Soldotna Sports Center Soldotna, Alaska Minnesota Mallards Forest Lake Sports Center Forest Lake, Minnesota Minnesota Wilderness Northwoods Credit Union Arena Cloquet, MinnesotaSpringfield Jr. Blues Nelson CenterSpringfield, Illinois Wisconsin Windigo The Ponds of Brookfield Brookfield, WisconsinEast Division Team Arena Location Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks Danbury Ice Arena Danbury, Connecticut Elmira Aviators First Arena Elmira, New York Johnstown Tomahawks Cambria County War Memorial Arena Johnstown, Pennsylvania Maine Nordiques Norway Savings Bank Arena Auburn, Maine Maryland Black Bears Piney Orchard Ice Arena/Ice World Odenton, Maryland/Abingdon, Maryland New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings Delta Dental Arena Hooksett, New Hampshire New Jersey Junior Titans Middletown Ice World Arena Middletown, New Jersey Northeast Generals Canton Ice House Canton, Massachusetts Philadelphia Rebels Hollydell Ice Arena Sewell, New Jersey Rochester Jr. Americans Thomas Creek Ice Arena Fairport, New YorkSouth Division Team Arena Location Amarillo Wranglers Amarillo Ice Ranch Amarillo, Texas Corpus Christi IceRays American Bank Center Corpus Christi, Texas El Paso Rhinos Sierra Providence Event Center El Paso, Texas Houston Bulls Deep South Ice & Sports Center Richmond, Texas Lone Star Brahmas NYTEX Sports Centre North Richland Hills, Texas New Mexico Ice Wolves Outpost Ice Arenas Albuquerque, New Mexico Odessa Jackalopes Ector County Coliseum Odessa, Texas Oklahoma Warriors Blazers Ice Centre Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Shreveport Mudbugs Hirsch Coliseum Shreveport, LouisianaSouth Division Team Arena Location Billings Cattle Punchers Signal Peak Energy Arena Billings, Montana Grand Junction River Hawks River City Sportplex Grand Junction, Colorado Idaho Falls Spud Kings Hero Arena at the Mountain America Center Idaho Falls, Idaho Ogden Mustangs The Ice Sheet at Ogden Ogden, Utah Pueblo Peppers Pueblo Ice Arena Pueblo, Colorado
Standings To be added upon completion of the regular season. Robertson Cup playoffs Format The third place team plays the sixth place team and the fourth place team plays the fifth place team in best-of-three division quarterfinal series in the East and South Division, with the winners being re-seeded third and fourth. In the other divisions the top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The first place team plays the fourth place team and the second place team plays the third place team in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division semifinal winners meet in a best-of-five series over two weekends. The division winners advance to the Robertson Cup tournament. The event will be held at the Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota from May 21 to May 25, 2027. The teams are seeded 1 to 4 and are paired off 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in best-of-three series. The semifinal winners meet in a single championship game on May 25.
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