Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey
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| Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1996 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |  Canada |
| Current champions | Sherbrooke Saint-Francois |
| Official website | www.lnah.ca |
The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) was founded in 2004 and is a low-level professional league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League from 1996 to 2004 when it turned pro. It has no connection with the similarly-named North American Hockey League (NAHL), an American junior league for players under twenty.
Unlike higher-level 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 that mostly include fisticuffs. The LNAH has the unofficial reputation as the world's roughest hockey league.
Despite this reputation, many of the players are ex-NHL or ex-AHL players; Patrick Cote, Michel Picard, Stephane Richer, Bobby Dollas, Guillaume Lefebvre, Garrett Burnett, Daniel Shank, Francois Leroux, Jeremy Stevenson, Eric Fichaud and Mario Roberge. During the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, some NHL players played the entire season in the league, such as Donald Brashear, Sebastien Caron, Mathieu Biron, Marc-Andre Bergeron.
Another unique aspect, compared to other minor pro leagues of North America, is the absence of a veteran limit rule, which allows teams to stock up on experienced players. The league is slowly trying to clean itself up (for 2005-2006, the roster limit went from 20 to 19 players, which for most teams meant one less enforcer), but this is no easy task for a league that has always been popular with the fans for its reputation of being the toughest league in the world.
Contents |
[edit] Current teams
- Québec Radio X (2003-Present)
- Saint-Georges CRS Express (2005-Present)
- Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design (2006-Present)
- Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum-Chiefs (2006-Present)
- Sherbrooke Saint-François (2003-Present)
- Sorel-Tracy Mission (2004-Present)
- Thetford Mines Prolab (2000-Present)
- Trois-Rivières Caron & Guay (2004-Present)
[edit] Champions
- 1996-97 Saint-Gabriel Blizzard
- 1997-98 Lachute Rapides
- 1998-99 Joliette Blizzard
- 1999-00 LaSalle Rapides
- 2000-01 Joliette Mission
- 2001-02 Laval Chiefs
- 2002-03 Laval Chiefs
- 2003-04 Verdun Dragons
- 2004-05 Québec Radio X
- 2005-06 Sherbrooke Saint-François
[edit] Defunct teams
- Acton Vale Beaulieu (2000-2001; became Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin)
- Acton Vale Nova (1996-2000; renamed Acton Vale Beaulieu)
- Asbestos Aztèques (1997-2001; renamed Asbestos Dubé)
- Asbestos Aztèques (2002-2003; folded)
- Asbestos Dubé (2001-2002; renamed Asbestos Aztèques)
- Côte-de-Beaupré As (2000-2001; became Québec As and played at Charlesbourg in 2001-2002 and at Beauport in 2002-2003)
- Côte-de-Beaupré Caron et Guay (1999-2000; became Côte-de-Beaupré As)
- Granby Blitz (1997-2002; renamed Granby Prédateurs)
- Granby Prédateurs (2002-2004; folded)
- Haut-Richelieu Dragons (1996-1997; renamed Iberville Dragons)
- Iberville Dragons (1997-1998; became Saint-Laurent Dragons)
- Joliette Blizzard (1998-2000; renamed Joliette Mission)
- Joliette Mission (2000-2002; became Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Mission)
- Jonquière Condors (1997-2002; renamed Saguenay Paramédic)
- Lachute Rapides (1996-1999; became LaSalle Rapides)
- LaSalle Rapides (1999-2003; folded)
- Laurentides Gladiateurs (1996-1997; became Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs)
- Laval Chiefs (1998-2005; renamed Laval Summum-Chiefs)
- Laval Summum-Chiefs (2005-2006; became Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum-Chiefs)
- Louiseville Jets (1996-1997; folded)
- Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay (2001-2004; became Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay)
- Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf (1996-2001; renamed Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay)
- Québec As (1997-1998; dormant in 1998-1999 and became Côte-de-Beaupré Caron et Guay)
- Québec As (2001-2003; renamed Québec Radio X)
- Rive-Sud Chacals (1996-1998; became Saint-Georges Garaga)
- Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel (2001-2004; folded)
- Saguenay Fjord (2004-2005; folded after 24 games)
- Saguenay Paramédic (2002-2004; renamed Saguenay Fjord)
- Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs (1997-1998; became Laval Chiefs)
- Saint-Gabriel Blizzard (1996-1998; became Joliette Blizzard)
- Saint-Georges Garaga (1998-2005; renamed Saint-Georges CRS Express)
- Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin (2001-2005; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal)
- Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal (2005-2006; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design)
- Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Mission (2002-2004; became Sorel-Tracy Mission)
- Saint-Laurent Dragons (1998-2001; became Verdun Dragons)
- Sorel Dinosaures (1996-1999; renamed Sorel Royaux)
- Sorel Royaux (1999-2004; folded)
- Thetford Mines Coyotes (1996-2000; renamed Thetford Mines Prolab)
- Trois-Rivières Viking (2003-2004; folded)
- Vanier Voyageurs (1996-1997; became Québec As and played at Val-Bélair)
- Verdun Dragons (2001-2005; renamed Verdun-Montréal Dragons)
- Verdun-Montréal Dragons (2005-2006; folded)
- Waterloo 94 (1996-1997; became Granby Blitz)
- Windsor Lacroix (2001-2003; became Sherbrooke Saint-François)
- Windsor Papetiers (1996-2001; renamed Windsor Lacroix)
[edit] External links
- LNAH web site - http://www.lnah.ca (in French)
- RDS coverage of the LNAH - http://www.rds.ca/semipro/ (in French)
| Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey |
|---|
| Current Teams : Quebec Radio X • Saint-Georges CRS Express • Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design • Saint-Jean Chiefs • Sherbrooke Saint-Francois • Sorel Mission • Thetford Mines Prolab • Trois-Rivières Caron & Guay |
| North American Professional Hockey | |
|---|---|
| National Hockey League | |
| Minor League Hockey | |
| High Level: American Hockey League Mid Level: Central Hockey League | ECHL | United Hockey League |
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