MASON CITY, Iowa – The North Iowa Bulls played their first four seasons in the North American Tier 3 Hockey League’s West Division, winning a pair of national championships and Silver Cups along the way. The West Division has established itself as the NA3HL’s “Group of Death” year after year, and the Bulls will return to the West Division as the league realigns for the 2018-19 season.
The league announced its newest alignment Tuesday, and held its 2018 draft on Wednesday. 37 teams will take part in the NA3HL this season in six divisions, following the departure of the East Division from the league and a relocation of the Point Mallard Ducks to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Joining the Bulls in the West Division this year will be the Rochester Grizzlies, who were purchased by the North American Hockey League’s Austin Bruins following the most recent season and are currently undergoing a re-branding after 16 years as the Rochester Ice Hawks.
“We are excited about our 2018-19 line-up and teams, and we are all in for another exciting season with action-packed regular season games and highly-scouted league-wide events,” said NA3HL Commissioner Denny Scanlon. “In addition to the a great number of NCAA and college commitments, the flow of advancement to the NAHL and beyond is increasing and NAHL teams are getting NA3HL players who are ready to play at the next level and who are very well coached.”
The 2018-19 season will end with the Fraser Cup championship game on March 24, 2019 in the Chicago area.
The NA3HL divisional alignment for the 2018-19 season: