Northern Collegiate Hockey League
A Premier ACHA D2 Conference
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About

The NCHL is a PREMEIR ACHA D2 conference

The Northern Collegiate Hockey League (NCHL) stands as a vital artery in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Competing at the Men’s Division II level, the NCHL represents a highly competitive brand of collegiate club ice hockey in the central region of the United States. Comprising universities and colleges primarily based in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the league provides an avenue for talented student-athletes to continue playing high-stakes, structured hockey without the rigorous demands of NCAA varsity programs.

Origins

The NCHL was conceptualized in the summer of 2013. The foundation was laid by four teams with a shared mission: three were searching for a conference that felt like the right competitive fit, while the fourth was looking to geographically consolidate and reduce the heavy travel load that often burdens collegiate club programs. By December of 2013, seven inaugural teams approved the league’s by-laws, and the NCHL was officially born.

The puck dropped on the inaugural 2014–2015 season featuring ACHA D2 teams from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. Over the years, the league’s roster of teams has evolved organically. Programs like Michigan Tech and Minnesota-Duluth moved on, paving the way for the addition of midwestern hockey staples over the last decade. Today, the league features competitive programs such as:

Conference Structure and The Hap Cup

To manage travel and foster regional rivalries, the NCHL is split into two divisions: the Black Division and the Orange Division.

The Point System: Teams engage in a 16-game conference season, requiring them to play every other member. In standard hockey fashion, the league awards two points for a win (regulation or overtime), one point for a tie or overtime loss, and zero points for a regulation loss.

At the end of the regular season, the top six teams from the Black Division and the top two teams from the Orange Division converge for the NCHL Conference Tournament. The ultimate prize at the end of this grueling weekend is the Philip E. Schroeder Memorial Trophy, affectionately known around the league as the “Hap Cup.” The competition remains incredibly tight; in fact, just recently in February 2026, Marian University cemented their status as a league powerhouse by repeating as Hap Cup Champions in a thrilling overtime victory against Purdue Northwest.

For the student-athletes involved, the NCHL is much more than a recreational extracurricular; it is a serious, highly organized commitment that demands late-night practices, long bus rides across the Midwest, and a deep-rooted love for the game. By balancing intense ACHA Division II competition with the academic realities of college life, the Northern Collegiate Hockey League ensures that the spirit of midwestern hockey thrives well beyond the varsity level.