Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey facts for kids
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| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | Canada |
| Headquarters | Thetford Mines, Quebec |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Sorel-Tracy Éperviers (3) |
| Most titles | Thetford Assurancia (4) |
The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) is a semi-professional ice hockey league. It is based in the Canadian province of Quebec. Teams in the LNAH play to win the Vertdure Cup.
Contents
History of the LNAH
The league started in 1996. It was first called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (QSPHL). In 2004, it became a fully professional league. At that time, it changed its name to the LNAH. That season, the league had its largest number of teams, with ten.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs in 2019-20 were stopped. They never finished. The Thetford Assurancia team was the champion of the regular season that year. The league also did not play a season in 2021.
How the LNAH Plays
The LNAH is known for its very physical style of play. It is different from other professional leagues like the American Hockey League (AHL). Many teams in the LNAH have players known as "enforcers." These players are good at tough, physical play.
Some people call the LNAH the world's toughest hockey league. A newspaper article once said that the league had many physical plays per game. This was much more than in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Even with this tough style, many players in the LNAH have played in higher leagues. These include the NHL or AHL. Famous players like Donald Brashear and Stéphane Richer have played here. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, some NHL players even played a whole season in the LNAH. The league allows teams to have many experienced players. This means older, skilled players can join.
The LNAH holds a draft every summer. Teams pick players over 15 rounds. Players who are too old for junior hockey can be drafted. This is true even if an NHL team has already drafted them.
Current LNAH Teams
| Team | City | Arena | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonquière Marquis | Saguenay, Quebec | Palais des Sports de Saguenay | 1996 |
| Laval Pétroliers | Laval, Quebec | Colisée de Laval | 2018 |
| Rivière-du-Loup 3L | Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec | Centre Premier Tech | 2008 |
| Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5 | Saint-Georges, Quebec | Centre Sportif Lacroix-Dutil | 1996 |
| Sorel-Tracy Éperviers | Sorel-Tracy, Quebec | Colisée Cardin | 1996 |
| Thetford Assurancia | Thetford Mines, Quebec | Centre Mario Gosselin | 1996 |
| Saint-Hyacinthe Bataillon | Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec | Stade Louis-Philippe-Gaucher | 2024 |
| National de Québec | L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec | Complexe Sportif Bonair | 2024 |
LNAH Champions and Trophies
The Vertdure Cup is the trophy given to the LNAH champions each year. It was first awarded after the 1996–97 season. Back then, it was called the Futura Cup. In 2011, it was renamed the Canam Cup. Then in 2014, it became the Vertdure Cup. For the 2023–24 season, it was called the Evirum Cup. For the 2024-25 season, it is known as the Gilles-Rousseau 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 | Sherbrooke Saint-François | 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 | Rivière-du-Loup 3L |
| 2024–25 | Sorel-Tracy Éperviers | Rivière-du-Loup 3L |
LNAH Finals by City
The table below shows which cities have had teams play in the LNAH finals. Cities highlighted in yellow currently have an LNAH team.
| City | Finals | Won | Lost | Years won | Years lost | Team(s) in Finals | Years in LNAH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford Mines | 13 | 4 | 9 | 2012, 2015, 2022, 2024 | 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2017, 2023 | Prolab, Isothermic, Assurancia | 1996–present |
| Sorel-Tracy | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2018, 2019, 2025 | 2013, 2015, 2016 | HC Carvena, Éperviers | 1996–2008, 2010–present |
| Saint-Georges | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2010, 2023 | 1999, 2001, 2004, 2011 | Garaga, CRS Express, Cool FM 103.5 | 1998–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 |
| Rivière-du-Loup | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2016 | 2018, 2024, 2025 | 3L | 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 | |
| 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 |
