Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey explained

Pixels:	210px
Sport:	Ice hockey
Founded:	1996
Teams:	8
Country:	Canada
Champion:	Thetford Assurancia (4)
Most Champs:	Thetford Assurancia (4)
Headquarters:	Thetford Mines, Quebec

The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH, "North American Hockey League")^[1] ^[2] is a semi-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
			1996
			2018
			2008
			1996
			1996
			1996
Saint-Hyacinthe Bataillon			2024
National de Québec			2024

Notes

Timeline

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyyImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:20Period = from:01/01/1996 till:06/17/2025TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.95,0.5,0.4) id:line value:black id:bg value:white

PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2001 text:Acton Vale Nova/Beaulieu (1996–2001) bar:1 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:07/01/2009 text:Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin/Cristal/Top Design/Chiefs (2001–2009) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift:(-20) text:H-Rich. (96–97) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:Iberville (97–98) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2001 shift:(30) text:Saint-Laurent (98–01) bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:07/01/2006 text:Verdun/Verdun-Montreal Dragons (2001–2006) bar:3 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1999 text:Lachute Rapides (96–99) bar:3 color:skyblue from:07/01/1999 till:06/01/2003 text:LaSalle Rapides (1999–2003) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift:(-20) text:L'tides (96–97) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:St-Thérèse (97–98) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2006 shift:(60) text:Laval Chiefs/Summum Chiefs (1998–2006) bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2008 text:St-Jean Chiefs (06–08) bar:4 color:yellow from:07/01/2008 till:end shift:(20) text:Saguenay/Jonquière 98.3/Marquis (2008–present) bar:5 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 text:Louiseville Jets (1996–1997) bar:6 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2004 text:Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf/Caron et Guay (1996–2004) bar:6 color:skyblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2018 text:Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay/Vikings/Blizzard/Draveurs (2004–18) bar:7 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 text:Rive-Sud (96–98) bar:7 color:yellow from:07/01/1998 till:end text:Saint-Georges Garaga/CRS Express/Cool FM 103.5 (1998–present) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 text:St-Gabriel (96–98) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2002 text:Joliette Blizzard/Mission (98–02) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/2002 till:06/01/2004 shift:(-20) text:St-Jean-sur-Rich. (02–04) bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2008 text:Sorel Mission (2004–2008) bar:8 color:yellow from:07/01/2010 till:end shift:(-10) text:Sorel-Tracy GCI/HC Carvena/Éperviers (2010–present) bar:9 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2004 text:Sorel Dinosaures/Royaux (1996–2004) bar:10 color:yellow from:07/01/1996 till:end text:Thetford Mines Coyotes/Prolab/Isothermic/Assurancia (1996–present) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift: (-20) text:Vanier (96–97) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:Quebec Aces (97–98) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1999 till:06/01/2001 shift: (15) text:Beaupre (99–01) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2008 text:Quebec Aces/Radio X (2001-08) bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/2008 till:06/01/2010 text:Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans (2008-10) bar:12 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift:(-20) text:Waterloo 94 (96–97) bar:12 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2004 shift:(25) text:Granby Blitz/Prédateurs (1997–2004) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2003 text:Windsor Papetiers/Lacroix (1996–2003) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2003 till:06/01/2011 text:Sherbrooke Saint-François (2003–2011) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2011 till:06/01/2012 shift:(-55) text:Windsor Wild (11-12) bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2012 till:09/29/2016 text:Cornwall River Kings (2012–16) bar:14 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2003 text:Asbestos Aztèques/Dubé (1997–2003) bar:15 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2002 text:Jonquière Condors (1997–2002) bar:15 color:skyblue from:07/01/2002 till:12/09/2004 text:Saguenay Paramédic/Fjord (2002–2004) bar:16 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2004 text:Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel (2001–2004) bar:17 color:skyblue from:07/01/2003 till:06/01/2004 text:Trois-Rivières Viking (2003–2004) bar:18 color:yellow from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Rivière-du-Loup CIMT/3L (2008–present) bar:19 color:skyblue from:07/01/2008 till:03/01/2009 text:Ste-Marie Poutrelles Delta (2008–2009) bar:20 color:skyblue from:07/01/2013 till:12/01/2013 shift:-115 text:Valleyfield Braves (2013) bar:20 color:skyblue from:12/01/2013 till:05/31/2017 text:Laval Braves/Prédateurs (2013–2017) bar:21 color:skyblue from:07/01/2018 till:11/09/2018 shift:-115 text:Berlin Blackjacks (2018) bar:21 color:yellow from:11/10/2018 till:end shift:0 text:Les Pétroliers du Nord (2018–present) bar:22 color:skyblue from:04/07/2022 till:06/29/2023 shift:-200 text:Bâtisseurs de Montcalm (2022–2023) bar:23 color:yellow from:11/10/2024 till:end shift:-200 text:Saint-Hyacinthe Bataillon (2024–present) bar:24 color:yellow from:11/10/2024 till:end shift:-175 text:National de Québec (2024–present)ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1996

Defunct

Acton Vale Beaulieu (2000–01; became Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin)
Acton Vale Nova (1996–2000; renamed Acton Vale Beaulieu)
Asbestos Aztèques (1997–2001; renamed Asbestos Dubé)
Asbestos Aztèques (2002–03; folded)
Asbestos Dubé (2001–02; renamed Asbestos Aztèques)
Berlin BlackJacks (2018; team taken over by league after 10 games in New Hampshire and moved to St-Jérôme, Quebec for the remainder of the 2018-19 season as Les Pétrôliers du Nord, and then to Laval, Quebec for season 2019-20 under the same name)
Cornwall River Kings (2012–16; folded)
Côte-de-Beaupré As (2000–01; 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 (2002–04; folded)
Haut-Richelieu Dragons (1996–97; renamed Iberville Dragons)
Iberville Dragons (1997–98; became Saint-Laurent Dragons)
Joliette Blizzard (1998–2000; renamed Joliette Mission)
Joliette Mission (2000–02; became Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Mission)
Jonquière Condors (1997–2002; renamed Saguenay Paramédic)
Lachute Rapides (1996–99; became LaSalle Rapides)
LaSalle Rapides (1999–2003; folded)
Laurentides Gladiateurs (1996–97; became Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs)
Laval Chiefs (1998–2005; renamed Laval Summum-Chiefs)
Laval Summum-Chiefs (2005–06; became Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum-Chiefs)
Laval Braves (2013–14; renamed Laval Predateurs)
Laval Predators (2014–17; folded)
Louiseville Jets (1996–97; folded)
Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay (2001–04; became Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay)
Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf (1996–2001; renamed Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay)
Québec As (1997–98; dormant in 1998–99 and became Côte-de-Beaupré Caron et Guay)
Québec As (2001–03; renamed Québec Radio X, then Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans)
Rive-Sud Chacals (1996–98; became Saint-Georges Garaga)
Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel (2001–04; folded)
Rivière-du-Loup CIMT (2008–10; renamed Rivière-du-Loup 3L
Saguenay 98,3 (2008–09; renamed Saguenay Marquis)
Saguenay Fjord (2004–05; folded after 24 games)
Saguenay Paramédic (2002–04; renamed Saguenay Fjord)
Ste-Marie Poutrelles Delta (2008; folded during the season)
Sainte-Thérèse Chiefs (1997–98; became Laval Chiefs)
Saint-Gabriel Blizzard (1996–98; became Joliette Blizzard)
Saint-Georges Garaga (1998–2005; renamed Saint-Georges CRS Express)
Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs (2008–09; folded)
Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin (2001–05; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal)
Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal (2005–06; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design)
Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design (2006–08; renamed Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs)
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Mission (2002–04; became Sorel-Tracy Mission)
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum-Chiefs (2006–08; became Saguenay 98.3)
Saint-Laurent Dragons (1998–2001; became Verdun Dragons)
Sherbrooke Saint-François (2003–11; became Windsor Wild)
Sorel Dinosaures (1996–99; renamed Sorel Royaux)
Sorel Mission (2004–08)
Sorel Royaux (1999–2004; folded)
Sorel-Tracy GCI (2010–11)
Thetford Mines Coyotes (1996–2000; renamed Thetford Mines Prolab)
Thetford Mines Isothermic (2007–15; renamed Thetford Assurancia)
Thetford Mines Prolab (2000–07; renamed Thetford Mines Isothermic)
Trois-Rivières Blizzard (2014–17; renamed Trois-Rivières Draveurs)
Trois-Rivières Draveurs (2017–18; membership revoked)
Trois-Rivières Viking (2003–04; folded)
Valleyfield Braves (2013; became Laval Braves partway through 2013–14 season)
Vanier Voyageurs (1996–97; became Québec As and played at Val-Bélair)
Verdun Dragons (2001–05; renamed Verdun-Montréal Dragons)
Verdun-Montréal Dragons (2005–06; folded)
Waterloo 94 (1996–97; became Granby Blitz)
Windsor Lacroix (2001–03; became Sherbrooke Saint-François)
Windsor Papetiers (1996–2001; renamed Windsor Lacroix)
Windsor Wild (2011–12; became Cornwall River Kings)

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		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
2023–24	Thetford Assurancia^[5]	Rivière-du-Loup 3L

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
	13	4	9	2012, 2015, 2022, 2024	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	3	1	2	2016	2018, 2024		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

External links

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey

Notes and References

http://www.rds.ca/lnah/chroniques/269450.html RDS (LNAH's broadcaster) article
Le procès de Éric Haley aura lieu en décembre, La Tribune.
Web site: La LNAH annule sa saison 2020-2021. LNAH. 2021-02-08. 2020-11-20.
Web site: A Place for Pro Hockey Players Fighting to Stay in the Game. New York Times. 2011-03-01. Jeff Z. Klein. 2011-03-01.
https://www.courrierfrontenac.qc.ca/sports/lassurancia-remporte-la-coupe-evirum/