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Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1996
No. of teams6
CountryCanada
Headquarters Thetford Mines, Quebec
Most recent
champion(s)
Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 (2)
Most titles Thetford Assurancia & Jonquière Marquis (3)
Official website lnah.com

The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH, "North American Hockey League") [1] [2] is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. Teams in the LNAH compete for the Vertdure Cup.

History

The league was founded as the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (QSPHL; French: Ligue de hockey semi-professionnelle du Québec (LHSPQ)) in 1996, and became fully professional and assumed its current name in 2004. It reached its peak in terms of number of teams that season, with ten.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-20 playoffs were suspended and never concluded; Thetford Assurancia was the regular season champion. The league had hoped to start the 2021 season in January, but announced in November 2020 that it would not be going forward with one, although it floated the possibility of a spring tournament should the situation improve. [3]

League play

Unlike higher-level minor professional leagues, such as the American Hockey League or the ECHL, the LNAH is not known for its skill level. Its teams employ many enforcers and has a rather infamous reputation for on-ice antics, primarily fisticuffs. The LNAH has a reputation as the world's toughest hockey league; a New York Times article stated that the league averaged 3.2 fights a game during the 2010–11 season, compared with 0.6 fights in the National Hockey League. [4]

Despite this reputation, many of the players have been ex-National Hockey League or ex-American Hockey League players, including Patrick Côté, Michel Picard, Stéphane Richer, Bobby Dollas, Guillaume Lefebvre, Garrett Burnett, Daniel Shank, François Leroux, Jeremy Stevenson, Éric Fichaud, Mario Roberge, David Gosselin, Michel Ouellet, Jesse Bélanger, Donald Brashear, Yves Racine, Anthony Stewart and Juraj Kolník. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, some NHL players -- such as Sylvain Blouin, Donald Brashear, Sébastien Caron, Mathieu Biron, Marc-André Bergeron and Sébastien Charpentier -- played the entire season in the LNAH. This is abetted by the absence of a veteran limit rule (common to other minor pro leagues in North America) which allows teams to stock up on experienced players.

The 15-round LNAH Draft is held during the summer. Players too old for junior ice hockey may be drafted even if they were already drafted by an NHL team. The league has had a rule that stipulates that all players must either have come from or played junior hockey in Quebec, [4] though it has not been strictly used for LNAH teams based outside Quebec.

Teams

Current

Team City Arena Joined
Jonquière Marquis Saguenay, Quebec Palais des Sports 1996 [a]
Laval Pétroliers Laval, Quebec Colisée de Laval 2018 [a]
Rivière-du-Loup 3L Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec Centre Premier Tech 2008
Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 Saint-Georges, Quebec Centre Sportif Lacroix-Dutil 1996 [a]
Sorel-Tracy Éperviers Sorel-Tracy, Quebec Colisée Cardin 1996 [a]
Thetford Assurancia Thetford Mines, Quebec Centre Mario Gosselin 1996
On hiatus
Bâtisseurs de Montcalm Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec Complexe JC Perreault 2023 [b]
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Relocated since founding; see the respective team articles for more information.
  2. ^ On hiatus since 2023–24 season; intends to return for 2024–25 season. [5]

Timeline

Bâtisseurs de Montcalm Berlin Blackjacks Laval Predators Valleyfield Braves Sainte-Marie Poutrelles Delta Rivière-du-Loup 3L Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel Saguenay Fjord (hockey) Jonquière Condors Asbestos Aztèques Cornwall River Kings Windsor Wild Sherbrooke Saint-François Sherbrooke Saint-François Granby Prédateurs (LNAH) Waterloo 94 Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans Pont Rouge Lois Jeans Pont Rouge Lois Jeans Pont Rouge Lois Jeans Pont Rouge Lois Jeans Thetford Assurancia Sorel Royaux Sorel-Tracy Hawks Sorel-Tracy Hawks Sorel-Tracy Hawks Sorel-Tracy Hawks Sorel-Tracy Hawks Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 Rive-Sud Chacals Trois-Rivières Draveurs (LNAH) Trois-Rivières Blizzard Louiseville Jets Saguenay Marquis St-Jean Chiefs Laval Chiefs Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs Laurentides Gladiateurs LaSalle Rapides Lachute Rapides Verdun Dragons Saint-Laurent Dragons Iberville Dragons Haut-Richelieu Dragons Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs

Defunct

Champions

The Vertdure Cup is the trophy awarded annually to champions of the LNAH. It was first awarded after the 1996–97 season, and was originally called the Futura Cup. In 2011, it was renamed the Canam Cup, and in 2014 as the Vertdure Cup.

Season Champion Runner-up
1996–97 Saint-Gabriel Blizzard Acton Vale Nova
1997–98 Lachute Rapides Acton Vale Nova
1998–99 Joliette Blizzard Saint-Georges Garaga
1999–00 LaSalle Rapides Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf
2000–01 Joliette Mission Saint-Georges Garaga
2001–02 Laval Chiefs Thetford Mines Prolab
2002–03 Laval Chiefs Thetford Mines Prolab
2003–04 Verdun Dragons Saint-Georges Garaga
2004–05 Québec Radio X Thetford Mines Prolab
2005–06 Sherbrooke Saint-François Thetford Mines Prolab
2006–07 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum Chiefs Sherbrooke Saint-Francois
2007–08 Trois-Rivières Caron & Guay Thetford Mines Isothermic
2008–09 Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans Thetford Mines Isothermic
2009–10 Saint-Georges CRS Express Sherbrooke Saint-Francois
2010–11 Sherbrooke Saint-François Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5
2011–12 Thetford Mines Isothermic Windsor Wild
2012–13 Jonquière Marquis Sorel-Tracy HC Carvena
2013–14 Jonquière Marquis Thetford Mines Isothermic
2014–15 Thetford Mines Isothermic Sorel-Tracy Éperviers
2015–16 Rivière-du-Loup 3L Sorel-Tracy Éperviers
2016–17 Jonquière Marquis Thetford Assurancia
2017–18 Sorel-Tracy Éperviers Rivière-du-Loup 3L
2018–19 Sorel-Tracy Éperviers Jonquière Marquis
2019–20 Not awarded; season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Not awarded; season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 Thetford Assurancia Les Pétroliers du Nord
2022–23 Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 Thetford Assurancia

LNAH Finals appearances by city

Note: Cities listed in yellow are currently home to an LNAH franchise.

City Finals Won Lost Years won Years lost Team(s) in Finals Years in LNAH
Thetford Mines 12 3 9 2012, 2015, 2022 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2017, 2023 Prolab, Isothermic, Assurancia 1996–present
Saint-Georges 6 2 4 2010, 2023 1999, 2001, 2004, 2011 Garaga, CRS Express, Cool FM 103.5 1998–present
Sorel-Tracy 5 2 3 2018, 2019 2013, 2015, 2016 HC Carvena, Éperviers 1996–2008, 2010–present
Sherbrooke 4 2 2 2006, 2011 2007, 2010 Saint-Francois 2003–2011
Jonquière 4 3 1 2013, 2014, 2017 2019 Marquis 1997–2004, 2008–present
Laval 3 2 1 2002, 2003 2022 Chiefs, Pétroliers 1998–2006, 2013–17, 2019–present
Joliette 2 2 0 1999, 2001 Blizzard, Mission 1998–2002
Rivière-du-Loup 2 1 1 2016 2018 3L 2008–present
Pont-Rouge 2 1 1 2009 2000 Grand Portneuf, Lois Jeans 1996–2004, 2008–2010
Acton Vale 2 0 2 1997, 1998 Nova 1996–2001
Trois-Rivières 1 1 0 2008 Caron & Guay 2003–2018
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 1 1 0 2007 Summum Chiefs 2002–2004, 2006–2008
Québec 1 1 0 2005 Radio X 1997–1998, 2001–2008
Verdun 1 1 0 2004 Dragons 2001–2006
LaSalle 1 1 0 2000 Rapides 1999–2003
Lachute 1 1 0 1998 Rapides 1996–1999
Saint-Gabriel 1 1 0 1997 Blizzard 1996–1998
Windsor 1 0 1 2012 Wild 2011–2012

References

  1. ^ RDS (LNAH's broadcaster) article.
  2. ^ Le procès de Éric Haley aura lieu en décembre, La Tribune.
  3. ^ "La LNAH annule sa saison 2020-2021". LNAH. 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  4. ^ a b Jeff Z. Klein (2011-03-01). "A Place for Pro Hockey Players Fighting to Stay in the Game". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  5. ^ "Communiqué Bâtisseurs" (Press release). Bâtisseurs de Montcalm. June 29, 2023.

External links