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North Peace Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
First season	1953–54
President	Michael Mercredi
No. of teams	9
Country	Canada
Most recent; champion(s)	Spirit River Rangers ; (2023–24)
Related; competitions	Campbell Cup; Coy Cup; Allan Cup;
Official website	northpeacehockeyleague.com

The North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) is a Canadian men's Senior ice hockey league in Peace River Country in Northern Alberta and British Columbia.

History

The league formed in 1954 and is the longest running senior ice hockey league in Canada.^[1] The league was down to two teams (Peace River Stampeders and High Prairie Regals) in the early 1970s, when it played an interlocking schedule with the South Peace Hockey League.

Prior to the start of the 2009–10 season, the league voted to disallow any team playing AAA hockey from competing in the NPHL playoffs. This change affects teams competing for the Allan Cup.^[2] That same year, the Fort St. John Flyers hosted and won the 2010 Allan Cup national championship.^[3] The 2010 Fort St. John Flyers were inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.^[4]

The 2013–14 season saw the league lose two teams when the Hythe Mustangs folded near the end of the season and the Lakeland Eagles were expelled for repeatedly failing to fulfill league commitments.^[5]^[6] The 2014–15 season saw the league reduced to six teams with the loss of the Dawson Creek Sr. Canucks and High Prairie Regals.^[7]^[8] The Grande Prairie Athletics announced it was taking a leave of absence in the 2015–16 season due to a lack of players.^[9]

The 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[10] The league returned with 8 teams for the 2022–23 season.^[11]

The Grimshaw Huskies announced a leave of absence for the 2023–24 season citing a lack of players.^[12] The league rejected a re-entry bid from the High Prairie Regals.^[13]

In the 2024–25 season, the High Prairie Regals returned from a five-year hiatus, and the Fox Creek Knights joined as an expansion team.^[14]

Teams

East division
Team	Home	Arena
Falher Pirates	Falher, AB	Falher Regional Recreation Complex
Fox Creek Knights	Fox Creek, AB	Greenview Multiplex
High Prairie Regals	High Prairie, AB	High Prairie Sports Palace
Manning Comets	Manning, AB	Jack McAvoy Arena
Valleyview Jets	Valleyview, AB	Polar Palace

West division
Team	Home	Arena
Dawson Creek Canucks	Dawson Creek, BC	Dawson Creek & District Memorial Arena
Grande Prairie Athletics	Grande Prairie, AB	Design Works Centre
Spirit River Rangers	Spirit River, AB	Maclean Rec Centre
Fort St. John Flyers	Fort St. John, BC	North Peace Arena

Defunct teams

Beaverlodge 77s
Fairview Elks
Fairview Monarchs
Fairview Kings
Fort Nelson Fury
Grimshaw Huskies
High Prairie Regals
Horse Lake Thunder
Horse Lake Chiefs
Hythe Mustangs
Lakeland Eagles
McLennan Red Wings
Rycroft Flames
Peace River Stampeders
Tumbler Ridge Panthers
Tumbler Ridge Coal Kings

Championships

The Spirit River Rangers won the 2023–24 league championship Campbell Cup after defeating the Falher Pirates in game 7 of the finals.^[15] In 2023, the Dawson Creek Canucks defeated the Falher Pirates in overtime of game 7 of the finals.^[16]

1986–87 Manning Comets
1987–88 Grimshaw Huskies
1988–89 High Prairie Regals
1989–90 Grimshaw Huskies
1990–91 Fairview Kings
1991–92 Grimshaw Huskies
1992–93 Peace River Stampeders
1993–94 Peace River Stampeders
1994–95 Grimshaw Huskies
1995–96 Grimshaw Huskies
1996–97 Grimshaw Huskies
1997–98 Spirit River Rangers
1998–99 Grimshaw Huskies
1999–00 Spirit River Rangers
2000–01 Spirit River Rangers
2001–02 Dawson Creek Canucks
2002–03 Dawson Creek Canucks
2003–04 Horse Lake Thunder
2004–05 Horse Lake Thunder
2005–06 Spirit River Rangers
2006–07 Peace River Stampeders
2007–08 Spirit River Rangers
2008–09 Fort St. John Flyers
2009–10 Grande Prairie Athletics
2010–11 Spirit River Rangers
2011–12 Falher Pirates
2012–13 Spirit River Rangers
2013–14 Spirit River Rangers
2014–15 Spirit River Rangers
2015–16 Spirit River Rangers
2016–17 Spirit River Rangers
2017–18 Fort St. John Flyers
2018–19 Grande Prairie Athletics
2022–23 Dawson Creek Canucks
2023–24 Spirit River Rangers

Notable players

Gino Odjick played 25 games with the Horse Lake Thunder in the 2004–05 season, averaging 2.6 points and more than 5 penalty minutes per game.^[17] Theoren Fleury, Todd Holt, Sasha Lakovic and Dody Wood also played for the Horse Lake Thunder.^[18]^[19] Columbus Blue Jackets president and former New York Rangers goalie, John Davidson, played one season with the High Prairie Regals in the early 1970s. Reg Bentley was a player-coach for the High Prairie Regals for a couple years in the early 1960s. AHL and KHL alumnus, Jon Mirasty, played for the Grande Prairie Athletics during their 2018–19 championship season. Former NHL and AHL player, Wade Campbell, played for the Grimshaw Huskies both before and after his professional career. Other NHL alumni include Ed Beers and Howard Walker.

References

^ Anderson, Gordon (16 December 2020). "North Peace Hockey League turns the lights out on the hockey season". Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune. Postmedia. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ http://www.prrecordgazette.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1753818 ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Fort St. John Flyers win 2010 Allan Cup". hockeycanada.ca (Press release). Hockey Canada. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ Hitchins, Ed (29 February 2024). "2010 Fort St. John Flyers team among 2024 B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame inductees". Energeticcity.ca. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
^ "Today in High Prairie". South Peace News. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ "Setbacks for Senior League as Playoffs Start". Logan Clow. Retrieved 25 November 2014. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Senior Canucks Bow Out". Byron Hackett. Retrieved 25 November 2014. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "High Prairie Regals Bow Out of NPHL Season". Chris Klegg. Retrieved 25 November 2014. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "A's take leave of absence from NPHL". Logan Clow. Retrieved 26 October 2015. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ Shailynn Foster. "Fort St. John senior Flyers back after three year hiatus". Retrieved 11 September 2022. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ Henson, Jeff (4 November 2022). "Grande Prairie Athletics excited for return of the North Peace Hockey League". EverythingGP. Pattison Media. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ "Statement from Grimshaw Huskies". facebook.com. North Peace Hockey League. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ Prentice, Jordan (27 September 2023). "NPHL releases 2023–2024 regular season schedule". Energeticcity.ca. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ Hitchins, Ed (20 September 2024). "Fort St. John Flyers unveil 2024–25 season schedule". Energeticcity.ca. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ Galbraith, Curtis (27 March 2024). "Spirit River wins NPHL title". EverythingGP. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
^ "Local hockey teams and players roundup: NPHL, NWJHL, ACAC". EverythingGP. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
^ Patterson, Kass (17 January 2023). "Gino Odjick remembered for time on Horse Lake Thunder". My Grande Prairie Now. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ "Fleury to play senior hockey in Alberta". CBC News. CBC/Radio-Canada. 6 January 2005. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ "Theoren Fleury reinstated by NHL". CBC News. CBC/Radio-Canada. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2024.

Sources

Barker, Thom (4 October 2024). "Prince Rupert selected to host 2025 Coy Cup". Coast Mountain News. Black Press Media. Retrieved 20 October 2024.

Hitchins, Ed (28 October 2024). "Flyers' rough start: 79 shots against, 10-1 defeat". Energeticcity.ca. Retrieved 31 October 2024.

"NPHL 2024-25 Regular Season Schedule". River Country. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.

Hitchins, Ed (15 November 2024). "Athletics Crush Flyers 9-1 in NPHL Showdown". The Hamilton Spectator. Metroland Media Group. Retrieved 16 December 2024.