By: Brendan Price

The Northern Colorado Eagles are excited to be at the forefront of high-level junior hockey and will be joining their Mountain Division counterparts by playing in the NCDC (National Collegiate Development Conference) of the USPHL, beginning in the 2023-24 season.

“Entering our tenth year, I am truly excited we get to continue and expand our mission to move players onto the NCAA and professional ranks while being able to stay closer to home" he explained.

The Tuition-Free Tier II NCDC boasts more than 70 active alumni who played in the league prior to moving on to NCAA Division I college hockey and even had three players selected in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft directly from NCDC teams.

“The NCDC motto is that the league is fully united and dedicated to the mission of player development and advancement to college hockey,” explained Head Coach/General Manager Steve Haddon.

In its decade-long run, the NCDC has an impressive lineage as a development league for college and professional ranks.

The league consistently produces NCAA Division I caliber prospects and graduates have signed overseas across Europe. It can count Stanley Cup champion Zach Sanford and Boston Bruins forward Charlie Coyle among players that got their start in the NCDC. 

“Their [NCDC] mission statement is exactly a reflection on what we as the Mountain Division have strived for since day one,” Haddon continued.

Since joining the USPHL in 2020-21, the five-team Mountain Division has an impressive track record of advancing players to higher levels of junior hockey, college hockey, and professional contracts.

The division has graduated over 20 players to college commitments in two seasons across the United States and Canada, professional contracts in the US and abroad in the UK, Sweden, Poland, and more. Each of the division’s five teams have advanced at least three players to Tier II opportunities as well.

“The parity of the Mountain Division is second to none and now with the opportunity of joining the NCDC, we have a bigger platform to advance our players to even higher levels,” said Haddon.

From fans and media alike, the NCDC receives plenty of acclaim as well. “The DanK Show” covers the league through their weekly podcast, Power Rankings, Player of the Week, and broadcasts the Dineen Cup. Their hosts, Dan Kmiechick and Lucas Jones, are ecstatic to see the Mountain Division join the NCDC.

“The NCDC is a fast-paced, action packed league that in just its first few seasons in existence has seen over 200 NCAA Division I stars move through its ranks,” explained the DanK Show.

“The Mountain is sure to bring packed barns, top-notch HockeyTV broadcasts and a national appeal to the NCDC. Hockey fans and athletes around the world are going to love watching these squads face-off next year,” the two hosts gushed.

As for this year, the Eagles and the Mountain Division will play the 2022-23 season at the USPHL Premier level before moving to the NCDC in 2023-24.

Entering their 10th season of existence, the Eagles have graduated over 100 players to college commitments in the United States (NCAA) and Canada (U-Sports), as well as professional contracts abroad. Eagles’ alumni dot the hockey landscape; playing in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), Poland and Sweden.

If you are a player that is interested in joining the Eagles organization for the upcoming 2022-2023 season, please email Coach Haddon at haddon@northerncoloradoeagles.com.