Empire Junior Hockey League
 | |
| Sport | Ice Hockey |
|---|---|
| Ceased |
2013 – Absorbed by USPHL |
| CEO | Don Kirnan |
| No. of teams | 31 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Last champion(s) | Florida Junior Blades |
| Official website | empirehockey.com |
The Empire Junior Hockey League (EmJHL) was an USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III junior ice hockey league. The league was classified as Tier III Junior B until the 2011–12 season when USA Hockey combined the Tier III Junior A and Junior B classifications.
History
On February 25, 2010, the Empire Junior Hockey League Board of Governors voted to eliminate 20-year-old players from the League by changing the restriction of no more than four 20-year-olds per team to a maximum of two per team in the 2010–11 season. Starting with the 2011–12 season there would be no 20-year-olds in the league.
In 2013, the Empire League and the Eastern Elite Hockey League both agreed to affiliate with the newly formed United States Premier Hockey League becoming the Empire and Elite Divisions, respectively. Starting with the 2015–16 season the USPHL's Empire Division was renamed to the USP3 Division.
Participating teams
As of June 2012, the following teams made up the league in its final season:
Champions
- 2012–13 Florida Junior Blades
- 2011–12 New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs[1]
- 2010–11 New York Apple Core[2]
- 2009–10 New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs[3]
- 2008–09 Boston Jr. Bruins[4]
- 2007–08 Boston Jr. Bruins[5]
- 2006–07 Boston Jr. Bruins[6]