Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey


The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey is a low-level professional league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was founded as the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League in 1996, and became fully professional and assumed its current name in 2004. It has no connection with the similarly named North American Hockey League, an American junior league for players under twenty. Teams in the LNAH compete for the Vertdure Cup, which has been awarded annually since 1997.
Unlike higher-level minor professional leagues, such as the American Hockey League or the ECHL, the LNAH is not known for its skill level. Its teams employ many enforcers and has a rather infamous reputation for on-ice antics, primarily fisticuffs. The LNAH has the unofficial reputation as the world's toughest hockey league; a New York Times article stated that the league averaged 3.2 fights a game during the 2010–11 season, compared with 0.6 fights in the National Hockey League.
Despite this reputation, many of the players are ex-NHL or ex-AHL players such as Patrick Côté, Michel Picard, Stéphane Richer, Bobby Dollas, Guillaume Lefebvre, Garrett Burnett, Daniel Shank, François Leroux, Jeremy Stevenson, Éric Fichaud, Mario Roberge, David Gosselin, Michel Ouellet, Jesse Bélanger, Donald Brashear, Yves Racine, Anthony Stewart and Juraj Kolník. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, some NHL players played the entire season in the league, such as Sylvain Blouin, Donald Brashear, Sébastien Caron, Mathieu Biron, Marc-André Bergeron and Sébastien Charpentier. The league has had a rule that stipulates that all players must either have come from Quebec, or played junior hockey in Quebec, though it has not been strictly used for LNAH teams outside Quebec.
Another unique aspect, compared to other minor pro leagues of North America, is the absence of a veteran limit rule, which allows teams to stock up on experienced players. The league is slowly trying to clean itself up, but the league has typically been popular with the fans for its reputation of being the toughest league in the world.
The LNAH Draft is held during the summer, including 15 rounds. Players too old for junior ice hockey may be drafted even if they were already drafted by an NHL team. Drafted players come from many leagues, including the Canadian Hockey League, American Hockey League, lower-level professional leagues, and U Sports.

Teams

Current

TeamCityArenaJoined
Jonquière MarquisSaguenay, QuebecPalais des Sports1996*
Les Pétroliers du NordLaval, QuebecColisée de Laval2018*
Rivière-du-Loup 3LRivière-du-Loup, QuebecCentre Premier Tech2008
Saint-Georges Cool FM 103.5Saint-Georges, QuebecCentre Sportif Lacroix-Dutil1996*
Sorel-Tracy ÉperviersSorel-Tracy, QuebecColisée Cardin1996*
Thetford AssuranciaThetford Mines, QuebecCentre Mario Gosselin1996

; Notes
  1. An asterisk denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.

    Timeline


DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
ImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:01/01/1996 till:06/17/2019
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5
Colors =
id:barcolor value:rgb
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2001 text:Acton Vale Nova/Beaulieu
bar:1 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:07/01/2009 text:Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin/Cristal/Top Design/Chiefs
bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift: text:H-Rich.
bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:Iberville
bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2001 shift: text:Saint-Laurent
bar:2 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:07/01/2006 text:Verdun/Verdun-Montreal Dragons
bar:3 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1999 text:Lachute Rapides
bar:3 color:skyblue from:07/01/1999 till:06/01/2003 text:LaSalle Rapides
bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift: text:L'tides
bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:St-Thérèse
bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2006 shift: text:Laval Chiefs/Summum Chiefs
bar:4 color:skyblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2008 text:St-Jean Chiefs
bar:4 color:yellow from:07/01/2008 till:end shift: text:Saguenay/Jonquière 98.3/Marquis
bar:5 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 text:Louiseville Jets
bar:6 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2004 text:Pont-Rouge Grand Portneuf/Caron et Guay
bar:6 color:skyblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2018 text:Trois-Rivières Caron et Guay/Vikings/Blizzard/Draveurs
bar:7 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 text:Rive-Sud
bar:7 color:yellow from:07/01/1998 till:end text:Saint-Georges Garaga/CRS Express/Cool FM 103.5
bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1998 text:St-Gabriel
bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/1998 till:06/01/2002 text:Joliette Blizzard/Mission
bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/2002 till:06/01/2004 shift: text:St-Jean-sur-Rich.
bar:8 color:skyblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2008 text:Sorel Mission
bar:8 color:yellow from:07/01/2010 till:end shift: text:Sorel-Tracy GCI/HC Carvena/Éperviers
bar:9 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2004 text:Sorel Dinosaures/Royaux
bar:10 color:yellow from:07/01/1996 till:end text:Thetford Mines Coyotes/Prolab/Isothermic/Assurancia
bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift: text:Vanier
bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/1998 text:Quebec Aces
bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/1999 till:06/01/2001 shift: text:Beaupre
bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2008 text:Quebec Aces/Radio X
bar:11 color:skyblue from:07/01/2008 till:06/01/2010 text:Pont-Rouge Lois Jeans
bar:12 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 shift: text:Waterloo 94
bar:12 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2004 shift: text:Granby Blitz/Prédateurs
bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/2003 text:Windsor Papetiers/Lacroix
bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2003 till:06/01/2011 text:Sherbrooke Saint-François
bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2011 till:06/01/2012 shift: text:Windsor Wild
bar:13 color:skyblue from:07/01/2012 till:09/29/2016 text:Cornwall River Kings
bar:14 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2003 text:Asbestos Aztèques/Dubé
bar:15 color:skyblue from:07/01/1997 till:06/01/2002 text:Jonquière Condors
bar:15 color:skyblue from:07/01/2002 till:12/09/2004 text:Saguenay Paramédic/Fjord
bar:16 color:skyblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2004 text:Rivière-du-Loup Promutuel
bar:17 color:skyblue from:07/01/2003 till:06/01/2004 text:Trois-Rivières Viking
bar:18 color:yellow from:07/01/2008 till:end text:Rivière-du-Loup CIMT/3L
bar:19 color:skyblue from:07/01/2008 till:03/01/2009 text:Ste-Marie Poutrelles Delta
bar:20 color:skyblue from:07/01/2013 till:12/01/2013 shift: text:Valleyfield
bar:20 color:skyblue from:12/01/2013 till:05/31/2017 text:Laval Braves/Prédateurs
bar:21 color:skyblue from:07/01/2018 till:11/09/2018 shift:-100 text:Berlin Blackjacks
bar:21 color:yellow from:11/10/2018 till:end shift:0 text:Les Pétroliers du Nord
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1996

Defunct

The Vertdure Cup is the trophy awarded annually to champions of the LNAH. It was first awarded after the 1996–97 season, and was originally called the Futura Cup. In 2011, it was renamed the :fr:Coupe Canam|Canam Cup, and in 2014 as the Vertdure Cup.
SeasonChampionRunner-up
1996–97Saint-Gabriel BlizzardActon Vale Nova
1997–98Lachute RapidesActon Vale Nova
1998–99Joliette BlizzardSaint-Georges Garaga
1999–00LaSalle RapidesPont-Rouge Grand Portneuf
2000–01Joliette MissionSaint-Georges Garaga
2001–02Laval ChiefsThetford Mines Prolab
2002–03Laval ChiefsThetford Mines Prolab
2003–04Verdun DragonsSaint-Georges Garaga
2004–05Québec Radio XThetford Mines Prolab
2005–06Sherbrooke Saint-FrançoisThetford Mines Prolab
2006–07Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Summum ChiefsSherbrooke Saint-Francois
2007–08Trois-Rivières Caron & GuayThetford Mines Isothermic
2008–09Pont-Rouge Lois JeansThetford Mines Isothermic
2009–10Saint-Georges CRS ExpressSherbrooke Saint-Francois
2010–11Sherbrooke Saint-FrançoisSaint-Georges Cool FM 103.5
2011–12Thetford Mines IsothermicWindsor Wild
2012–13Jonquière MarquisSorel-Tracy HC Carvena
2013–14Jonquière MarquisThetford Mines Isothermic
2014–15Thetford Mines IsothermicSorel-Tracy Éperviers
2015–16Rivière-du-Loup 3LSorel-Tracy Éperviers
2016–17Jonquière MarquisThetford Assurancia
2017–18Sorel-Tracy ÉperviersRivière-du-Loup 3L
2018–19Sorel-Tracy ÉperviersJonquière Marquis

LNAH Finals appearances by city

Note: Cities listed in yellow are currently home to an LNAH franchise.
CityFinalsWonLostYears wonYears lostTeam in FinalsYears in LNAH
Thetford Mines10282012, 20152002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2017Prolab, Isothermic, Assurancia1996–present
Sorel-Tracy5232018, 20192013, 2015, 2016HC Carvena, Éperviers1996–2008, 2010–present
Saint-Georges51420101999, 2001, 2004, 2011Garaga, CRS Express, Cool FM 103.51998–present
Sherbrooke4222006, 20112007, 2010Saint-Francois2003–2011
Jonquière4312013, 2014, 20172019Marquis1997–2004, 2008–present
Laval2202002, 2003Chiefs1998–2006, 2013–17, 2019–present
Joliette2201999, 2001Blizzard, Mission1998–2002
Rivière-du-Loup211201620183L2008–present
Pont-Rouge21120092000Grand Portneuf, Lois Jeans1996–2004, 2008–2010
Acton Vale2021997, 1998Nova1996–2001
Trois-Rivières1102008Caron & Guay2003–2018
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu1102007Summum Chiefs2002–2004, 2006–2008
Québec1102005Radio X1997–1998, 2001–2008
Verdun1102004Dragons2001–2006
LaSalle1102000Rapides1999–2003
Lachute1101998Rapides1996–1999
Saint-Gabriel1101997Blizzard1996–1998
Windsor1012012Wild2011–2012