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JUNIOR HOCKEY IN THE U.S. Tier I Junior Hockey *USHL: The United States Hockey League is the only Tier I junior league in the coun- try and is sanctioned by USA Hockey. Many Minnesotans continue to develop their game in the USHL after high school to pre- pare them for Division I college hockey. Tier II Junior Hockey *NAHL: The North American Hockey League, often called "The NA," is the only Tier II junior hockey league in the country and is sanctioned by USA Hockey. Many Minnesotans play in the NAHL after high school to continue their development as a stepping-stone to the USHL, Division I and/ or Division III college hockey. Tier III Junior Hockey *NA3HL: There are two USA Hockey- sanctioned Tier III junior hockey leagues. One of them is the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), often referred to as the "The NA3", which is run by the NAHL. A handful of Minnesota teams com- pete in the NA3. *EHL: The Eastern Hockey League oper- ates entirely out of the east coast with two divisions. USPHL: The U.S. Premier Hockey League is an independent junior hockey league containing several different divi- sions throughout the country. The USPHL is not affiliated with USA Hockey but includes some teams locally. JUNIOR HOCKEY IN CANADA Major Juniors Otherwise known as the CHL, or Canadian Hockey League, which houses the three top-tier junior hockey leagues in Canada, including the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Once a kid plays one game of Major Juniors, their NCAA eligibility will be voided, which means they can no longer play college hockey. Junior A The Canadian Junior Hockey League over- sees 10 different leagues. These are not Major Juniors, meaning players maintain NCAA eligibility. A few of these leagues have teams in the U.S., but not many. The 10 Junior A leagues are: AJHL: Alberta Junior Hockey League BCHL: British Columbia Hockey League CCHL: Central Canada Hockey League MJHL: Manitoba Junior Hockey League MHL: Maritime Junior A Hockey League NOJHL: Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League OJHL: Ontario Junior Hockey League QJHL: Quebec Junior Hockey League SJHL: Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League SIJHL: Superior International Junior Hockey League J A N / F E B 2 0 2 1 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 25 Photos / Gopher Athletics, NAHL/Bismarck Bobcats Opportunities After playing his senior season at St. Paul Johnson, Carl Fish spent two years honing his skills in the NAHL before committing to the University of Minnesota. After a stellar high school career at Delano, Ben Meyers continued developing for two more seasons in the USHL before starring for the Gophers. (*Denotes USA Hockey affiliation)