Draft:American Premier Hockey League

The American Premier Hockey League (formerly known as the NEHL and more recently the Union Hockey League), was founded in 2024. The league is a full contact semi-professional hockey league.

The league first played while branded as the NEHL during the 2022-2023 season with a limited number of teams based exclusively in the Northeastern United States. After expanding to include teams further west, the league rebranded itself as the Union Hockey League.

The Union Hockey League began play for an abbreviated inaugural season in January 2024, although pre-season games began for some teams in November 2023. The Eastern Division consisted of the Niagara Falls Buffalos, the Hudson Valley Vipers, the Holyoke Papermen, the Boston Gold Kings, the Norfolk Mallards, and the North Shore Nighthawks. The Western Division consisted of the Pittsburg River Monsters, the Soo Nordiques, the Sun Prairie Killer Bees, the Toledo Mobsters, the West Michigan Sentinels, and the Flint Apollos.

By early March 2024, the league rebranded itself as the American Premier Hockey League. 11 of the 12 teams from the Union Hockey League moved to the APHL, with the Flint Apollos being the sole exception. By rebranding, the league could start fresh under new leadership.

Despite occasional forfeits due to the substantial geographical distances between teams, the league had moderate success during the first portion of the season both as the UHL and the APHL. By April 2024, the Sun Prairie Killer Bees were suspended for the remainder of the season due to forfeiting repeated games. Several more teams suspended play during the late stages of the season, but a handful of teams remained. A championship game was played between the Toledo Mobsters and the Hudson Valley Vipers, with the Hudson Valley Vipers being crowned the inaugural season champions.

In May 2024, the Boston Gold Kings, Holyoke Papermen, North Shore Nighthawks, and Norfolk Mallards announced their departure to the newly formed Power Play Hockey League.

In May 2024, the Sun Prairie Killer Bees announced their departure for the Great Lakes Hockey League.

In June 2024 the APHL announced two expansion franchises in New York: the Rochester Arrival and the Salt City Storm. The league also announced a change of leadership, with Joshua Way being named president.