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 of this reputation, many of the players are ex-NHL or ex-AHL players; among those playing in the 2005-2006 season were Patrick Cote, Michel Picard, Stephane Richer, Bobby Dollas, Daniel Shank, Denis Chalifoux, 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] 2006-2007 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
[edit] Champion
- 1996-97 St-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 Quebec Radio-X
- 2005-06 Sherbrooke Saint-Francois
[edit] Defunct teams
- Acton Vale Nova (aka Saint-Hyacinthe Cousins, aka Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal, Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design)
- Asbestos Aztecs
- Granby Blitz
- Lachute Rapides (aka Lasalle Rapides)
- Lasalle Rapides
- Laval Chiefs
- Louiseville Jets
- Iberville Dragons (aka Saint-Laurent Dragons, aka Verdun Dragons)
- Joliette Blizzard (aka Joliette Mission,aka Saint-Jean Mission, now Sorel Mission)
- Joliette Mission (aka Saint-Jean Mission, now Sorel Mission)
- Jonquiere Condors (aka Saguenay Paramedics, aka Saguenay Fjord)
- Quebec As(now Radio-X)
- Rive-Sud Chacals
- Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel
- Saguenay Paramedic (aka Saguenay Fjord)
- Saguenay Fjord
- Saint-Gabriel Blizzard (ak Joliette Blizzard,aka Joliette Mission,aka Saint-Jean Mission, now Sorel Mission)
- Saint-Georges Garaga (now the CRS Express)
- Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin (aka The Cristal, now Top Design)
- Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal (now Top Design)
- Saint-Jean Mission (now the Sorel Mission)
- Saint-Laurent Dragons (now Verdun Dragons)
- Saint-Therese Chiefs (aka Laval Chiefs)
- Saint-Lin Gladiateurs (aka Saint-Therese Chiefs, aka Laval Chiefs)
- Sorel Dinosaures (aka Sorel Royaux)
- Sorel Royaux
- Thetford Mines Coyotes (now the Prolab)
- Trois-Rivières Vikings
- Pont-Rouge Caron et Guay (now the Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay)
- Vanier Voyageurs
- Verdun Dragons
- Waterloo 94
- Windsor Lacroix (now the Sherbrooke Saint-François)
[edit] External links
- LNAH web site - http://www.lnah.ca (in French)
- RDS coverage of the LNAH - http://www.rds.ca/semipro/ (in French)
| North American Professional Hockey | |
|---|---|
| National Hockey League | |
| Minor League Hockey | |
| High Level: American Hockey League Mid Level: Central Hockey League | ECHL |
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