HOOKSETT, NH – North American Hockey League (NAHL) Board of Governors earlier this month accepted the application of a new team in Hooksett, slated to begin in the 2023-’24 season.
The team, which will be known as the New Hampshire Mountain Kings, will operate out of Tri-Town Arena and will be the first NAHL franchise located within New Hampshire.
Currently concluding its 48th season, the NAHL is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior Hockey League, consisting of 16 to 20-year-olds looking to develop their skills for advancement into higher levels of the ice hockey world.
During the 2021-’22 season, the NAHL had over 300 NCAA commitments for the sixth straight season, with over 1500+ NCAA commitments over the past six years overall, with 32 alumni of the league eventually drafted by an NHL team.
The New Hampshire Mountain Kings will be operated by New Hampshire Hockey Club LLC owner Chris Brown.
A Concord resident, Brown is the CEO of New Hampshire Distributors LLC, a beer and beverage distribution business with over 250 employees. Brown is also a USA Hockey-certified coach and founder of the 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championship. In 2022, he was inducted into the New Hampshire Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category.
“Our ownership group is ecstatic with this announcement. We have been working tirelessly to get to this point and are excited to do the work necessary to get the Mountain Kings on the ice this fall,” said Brown.
“We are delighted to see the continued growth of the North American Hockey League in the Northeast with the addition of the New Hampshire Mountain Kings,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “The Northeast continues to grow and succeed due to very capable and committed ownership that provides opportunities for players to develop and perform in front of the many NCAA programs in the surrounding geography. We are excited to see the program launch and hit the ice in the upcoming season.”
The New Hampshire Mountain Kings will be the ninth team in the NAHL’s East Division, which made its debut during the 2015-16 season. The East Division currently has eight teams, including: Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (Danbury, CT), Johnstown Tomahawks (Johnstown, PA), Maine Nordiques (Lewiston, ME), Maryland Black Bears (Odenton, MD), New Jersey Titans (Middletown, NJ), Northeast Generals (Attleboro, MA), Philadelphia Rebels (Sewell, NJ) and Rochester Jr. Americans (Fairport, NY). In May of 2022, the New Jersey Titans became the first team from the NAHL’s East Division to win the Robertson Cup, which recognizes the NAHL’s Playoff Champion.
