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NAHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Knights Adding New Junior Hockey Team

April 10, 2016 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights News Release


The WBS Knights are proud to announce that they will entering a franchise in the NA3HL. The NA3HL is a Tier 3 Junior Hockey League that will have eight teams in the Eastern United States, including New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The league will be operated under the umbrella of the North American Hockey League. www.na3ahl.com

Josh Fusco has been named head coach of the Knights NA3AHL Team. Josh has an extensive playing and coaching background and will work closely with NAHL Head Coach Tom Kowal who also will help oversee and serve as General Manager of the club. Director of Hockey Operations for the NAHL Knights, Kerry Huffman, will also be involved in player personnel decisions.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for players to play under the same roof as an NAHL team and be part of a junior program with a clear ladder of development. We are excited to launch another highly successful junior program that will give players a chance to move on to play collegiately and at higher levels." noted Huffman.

"We foresee being able to have players that will eventually play for our NAHL team right in our own building. We know the coaching staffs will work closely together and share the same goals and philosophies when it comes to developing players for the Knights." Added Tom Kowal

Josh Fusco is looking forward to the inaugural season for the NA3A Knights, "This is a great opportunity to coach at this level. It is also a unique opportunity for players to play at a high level and be part of a program that has an NAHL team playing and practicing in one location. I look forward to working with the other Knight's coaches to continue to produce elite hockey players like the organization is known for."

The Knight's will be holding prospect camps and tryout opportunities shortly. Please check the website for more information soon.

If interested in playing for the Knights please contact Coach Fusco at fuscohockey09@yahoo.com

FULL LEAGUE PRESS RELEASE

NAHL announces the creation of the North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League

The NA3AHL to serve as another development ground for the Tier III junior player

FRISCO, TEXAS - The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is proud to announce the addition of a new hockey league to the NAHL family made up of eight teams from the league formerly known as the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League (MJHL), which just completed their 50th season of operation. The league will now operate as the North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League (NA3AHL) for the 2016-17 season.

The eight-team league will compete at the Tier III junior level and features teams located in the Eastern United States including: New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The NA3AHL features six approved members, which include: Central Penn Panthers (Lancaster, PA), Jersey Wildcats (Wharton, NJ), Long Island Junior Royals (Huntington, NY), New Jersey Junior Titans (Middletown, NJ), New Jersey Renegades (Bridgewater, NJ) and New York Metro Fighting Moose (Brooklyn, NY). The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights will be included in the league pending final approval from the USA Hockey Junior Council no later than June 10th. In addition, the league expects to relocate one final team to bring the membership to eight teams, which is currently being negotiated and must respect confidentiality at this time.

"We feel the opportunity to manage the NA3AHL will continue to provide more opportunity for players on the East Coast who have aspirations of playing college hockey, utilizing our unique and proven development model. The continued growth on the East Coast of our NAHL, NA3HL and now NA3AHL properties is further affirmation that our structure and decisions are based solely on what is best for the players. Combined with our professional management and full-time staff, we feel we can take the NA3AHL to a heightened level of competition and organization," said NAHL President and NAHL Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld.

As a developmental league, the NA3AHL is a league where many players may begin their junior careers. It is a developmental stage of the player's life where adjustments to the playing style of a higher level of hockey are intertwined with the adjustments to a new phase of life. The NA3AHL will operate as an official Tier III USA Hockey junior league, pending Junior Council approval no later than June 10th.

"I'm pleased to have our teams affiliated with a league that truly supports the ladder of development with the players best interests first and foremost," stated Gene Palecco, President and Commissioner of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League.

NAHL Director of Player Personnel, Craig Barnett, will serve as Commissioner for the NA3AHL. "I am excited to be in a position to work with all the teams, players and families of the NA3AHL and help lead them into a new chapter of junior hockey on the east coast. The NAHL has many resources we can implement into the NA3AHL business plan to help provide stronger competition, educational resources, as well as exposure to assist in the development of the players. I look forward to next season as well as projecting out where we might be two, three years down the road," said Barnett.

The NA3AHL will play a 40-45 game regular season schedule, as well as, participate in other non-league events such as the NA3HL Showcase and Top Prospect Tournament. In addition, NAHL Central Scouting will be utilized to evaluate the NA3AHL players throughout the season. As it does for the NA3HL and NAPHL leagues, the NAHL Central Scouting reports for the NA3AHL will be dispersed to all NHL teams, NCAA I and III programs and all NAHL teams. This is a proven system that will assist each NA3AHL team to promote and market their players in the ladder of development model.

About the NA3AHL

Entering its first season, the North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League (NA3AHL), one of nine USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior leagues. The NA3AHL is a developmental junior league where many players may begin their junior careers. It is a developmental stage of the player's life where adjustments to the playing style of a higher level of hockey are intertwined with the adjustments to a new phase of life. The primary mission of the NA3HL, which is managed organizationally by the North American Hockey League (NAHL), is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes at the Tier III junior level, who have the ability and the aspirations to play at the collegiate level. For more information, visit www.na3ahl.com.

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