USPHL’s National Collegiate Development Conference releases ‘23-24 schedule

The Tier II National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) has released its 2023-24 schedule, which can be found online at www. usphlncdc.com. For the first time, NCDC teams will play over 50 league games extending into late March, with the playoffs ending with the Dineen Cup Championships in late April with an expanded format that includes best of five series in the semi-final and quarterfinal rounds.

Schedule Link: www.usphlncdc. com/stats/schedule/all-teams/133/ all-months?league=1

Here are the most important things to know about the 2023-24 NCDC schedule:

Game #1 on the schedule will be played Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. EST as the Northern Cyclones will host the South Shore Kings at Cyclones Arena in Hudson, N.H.

The first game to be played in the new NCDC Mountain Division will be played later the same day (Sept. 22), as the Rock Springs Grizzlies will play their first-ever game at home against the Idaho Falls Spud Kings at Family Recreation Center in Rock Springs, Wyoming, at 7 p.m. MST.

The former North and South Divisions will now be known as the New England and Atlantic Divisions, respectively, in addition to the new Mountain Division.

Each Atlantic and New England team will play an expanded 52-game schedule with the Mountain Division members playing 53 league games with the final day of the regular season on March 22, 2024.

The 2024 Playoffs begin on March 25, 2024, with the New England and Atlantic Divisions’ No. 4 vs. No. 5 play-in games (sudden death OT format).

New England and Atlantic Best-ofThree Semifinals will be held March 27-29, 2024, with the top seed in each division hosting the winner of that division’s play-in game, and the No. 2 seed will host the No. 3 seed in each division. The winners advance to the divisional finals March 31-April 10 in a best-of-five series.

Mountain Division Best-of-Five Semifinals will begin March 29 and will finish no later than April 7.

Winners of the New England Division face the winners of the Atlantic Division (Best-of-Five) April 12-21.

Best of Five Series will either be a higher seed hosting games 1, 3 and 5 or if the distance requires it, games 1, 2 and 5.

Dineen Cup Finals (Best-of-Three) will run April 26-28, 2024 with the winner of the New England vs. Atlantic series hosting the Mountain Division champion in 2024.

Additionally, there will be four NCDC Showcases held during the 2023-24 season.

The first will be the Boston Junior Bruins Shootout, which will run Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 in Marlboro, Mass., and will feature 17 NCDC games.

● The Hitmen Classic will run Oct. 5-9 in Wayne, N.J., and will feature 16 NCDC games.

● The Mountain Division Showcase will run Dec. 14-16 in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and will feature nine NCDC games.

● The South Shore Kings Presidents Day Showcase will run Feb.

16-19 and will feature 16 NCDC games.

All NCDC games will continue to be broadcast live online with FloSports (formerly HockeyTV) and once again, scouts, fans and families can view the line charts on the PressRoom App with Rinknet!

The NCDC will play its first season as a three-division, 18-team league in 2023-24, with the six-team expansion to the Mountain Division. The P.A.L. Jr. Islanders enter the season as the reigning Dineen Cup Champions in this, the seventh NCDC season overall.

NCDC Alignment 2023-24

NCDC New England Division

Boston Junior Bruins

Islanders Hockey Club

Northern Cyclones

South Shore Kings

Twin City Thunder

Utica Jr. Comets

NCDC Atlantic Division

Connecticut Jr. Rangers

Jersey Hitmen

Mercer Chiefs

P.A.L. Jr. Islanders

Rockets Hockey Club

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

NCDC Mountain Division

Idaho Falls Spud Kings

Ogden Mustangs

Provo Predators

Pueblo Bulls

Rock Springs Grizzlies

Utah Outliers

For more information, visit the new NCDC website at NCDCHockey.com

— NCDC Staff

For Colorado Springs’ Mitchell, move to NCDC’s Bulls chance to play high-level junior hockey

BY MATT MACKINDER COLORADO HOCKEY HUB

Ryan Mitchell has plans to play NCAA Division I college hockey.

And the Colorado Springs native is banking on the USPHL NCDC’s Pueblo Bulls helping to realize his dream.

Last month, Mitchell signed with the Bulls, staying in the same state where he played AAA hockey with the Colorado Rampage, Colorado Springs Tigers, and Colorado Thunderbirds.

“As most people, know being a goalie is a mentally tough position, so I have a mental coach, Pete Fry, out of British Columbia,” said Mitchell. “I’ve worked with Pete many years. Pete played with the Pueblo goalie coach, Marty Wakelyn, back in the day and recommended me. They liked what they saw in the prospect camp and signed me.

“I love Colorado and it’s opportunity for sports. I was very impressed by the Pueblo Bulls team culture and fan base. I’m very excited to stay home and compete at a high level.”