The NAHL offers junior hockey players (mostly aged 18-20) the opportunity to develop, learn, train, grow and succeed, while playing for free. The NAHL is unique in the fact that a vast majority of players begin their NAHL careers without an NCAA opportunity, but earn one through the course of their development in the league.
The NAHL’s dedication to player development is demonstrated by the league’s high-profile annual exposure events like the NAHL Showcase in September, the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in February and the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship in May, which have all evolved into hockey’s most prominent and popular of its kind and are a must-see for NCAA programs and NHL teams alike.
During the 2017-18 season, the NAHL set a new single-season record with 331 NCAA commitments, with over 70% of those being NCAA Division I commitments. In addition, nine players with NAHL experience were selected in the 2018 NHL Draft. Over the course of the last five seasons, 1,345 NAHL players have made NCAA commitments and 21 have been drafted into the NHL.