Hockey teams split from NorPac, join new league

The USA Hockey Annual General Meetings

concluded this past weekend with the certification of the American

West Hockey League (AWHL).

 The AWHL will be comprised of teams in

Montana and Wyoming and will begin play this October. The 6-team

league will consist of the Billings Bulls, Bozeman Icedogs,

Gillette Wild, Great Falls Americans, Helena Bighorns and Missoula

Maulers.

Billings, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula

were formerly part of the NorPac hockey league. The new Glacier

Nationals team in Whitefish will play in the NorPac this coming

season.

The AWHL was originally formed back in

1992 and suspended operations in 2003 when the league merged with

the North American Hockey League.

The league will play a minimum of 44

games, which will include games against current NorPac teams in

Whitefish, Butte and Cody, Wyo. as part of a separation settlement

between the two leagues.

“We (AWHL) made a commitment to play

the NorPac teams located in our footprint,” says Great Falls

Americans owner, Jim Keough. “It will present a good opportunity to

alleviate travel costs for the NorPac and will provide a chance to

have some spirited competition within the two leagues.”

According to sources from both leagues,

a settlement agreement was reached which would allow for the AWHL

to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Other terms of the agreement

were not disclosed.