NAHL TO ADD SIX NEW TEAMS IN THE WEST The new Divisional alignment is about to get really interesting.

We have been hearing about former Omaha Lancers owner Ben Robert's group in California for a few years, and now it looks like it's more than just talk. There were reports of the group being in communications with the United States Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and even the British Columbia Hockey League before the efforts shifted.

Numerous outlets are reporting that the North American Hockey League approved memberships for six new teams yesterday. Four of the teams will be in California, one in Arizona, and the other in Nevada. 

Each of the teams have deep ties to National Hockey League clubs and former players.

While details remain sketchy today, it's believed that the new teams will not hit the ice until the 2026-27 season as buildings are being prepared for the teams.

The landscape of junior hockey is in the middle of the biggest shakeup and redirection in the last 100 years. The recent changes to NCAA eligibility rules (for major junior level players) has resulted in a tremendous trickle down consequences for all the junior levels of play on the continent.

In the past, the NAHL has been able to get a good percentage of their players to the NCAA Division I level of play. Those days are now behind us. The reality is that an overwhelming majority of NAHL players are having to adjust their expectations to target the NCAA Division III and even ACHA Division I levels of play. Very few, if any, will be able to move directly from the NAHL to NCAA Division I level.

Could the NAHL climb out of the NCAA Division III lane back to Division I? Absolutely. The key to that elevation will be the reestablishment of operating standards that match what the USHL is doing. The elimination of billet fees, questionable operators, and wide open drafts will also help the league raise the level of play. 

The NAHL has the opportunity to remain as a relevant rung on hockey's ladder of development, but they are going to have to buckle down the hatches when it comes to operational standards. If they don't, the league will expand to a point of absolute irrelevance.