Vermont Lumberjacks | |
---|---|
City | Burlington, Vermont |
League | EHL-Premier and Elite |
Conference | North Conference |
Founded | 2003 |
Home arena | Leddy Arena |
Colors | Red, Green and White |
Owner(s) | Stephen Lary |
General manager | Stephen Lary |
Head coach | Doc DelCastillo (Premier) Jim Mosso (Elite) |
Franchise history | |
2003–2014 | Washington Junior Nationals |
2014–present | Vermont Lumberjacks |
The Vermont Lumberjacks are an USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior A ice hockey organization from Burlington, Vermont.
The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status under Junior A guidelines and hope to earn a spot on higher levels of junior hockey in the United States and Canada, Canadian Major Junior, Collegiate, and eventually professional teams.
In 2003, the Washington Jr. Nationals from Arlington, Virginia became a charter member of the new Tier III Junior A Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL). The originally played at the 1,200-seat Kettler Capitals Iceplex, official practice facility of the Washington Capitals, before moving to the multi-rink Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland in 2010.
In 2013, Tier III junior hockey went through a large reorganization that led to the dissolution of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) and six former EJHL teams joining the AJHL. The AJHL was then re-branded as the Eastern Hockey League (EHL).
Following the 2013–14 season, the Jr. Nationals were relocated to Burlington, Vermont and renamed the Vermont Lumberjacks, bringing junior hockey back to the state of Vermont for the two years after the Green Mountain Glades departed following the 2011–12 season.
In 2015, the EHL added a lower level Tier III division (formerly called Tier III Junior B by USA Hockey) called the EHL-Elite Division. This led to the current EHL teams to be placed in the EHL-Premier Division and the Lumberjacks moving their Junior B team from the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League to the Elite Division.