The Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League (RMJHL) was an American Tier III junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The RMJHL was approved for play starting in the 2015–16 season.
History The league was announced and sanctioned by USA Hockey on May 2, 2014. Six teams played in the inaugural 2015–16 season.
In December 2015, league officials announced that they were applying to USA Hockey to expand the league by adding franchises in Vail and Pueblo, but neither team came to fruition.
On May 3, 2016, the RMJHL announced the addition of an expansion team in Steamboat Springs, led by managing partner, Troy Mick, CEO and president of the Canadian Junior A Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League.
On May 31, 2016, the Breckenridge Bucks left the RMJHL for the Western States Hockey League (WSHL). On July 11, the RMJHL would announce a new Breckenridge team, called the Bears, with an ownership group headed by Joe Dibble, the general manager and head coach of the Tier II junior Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League. When the 2016–17 season schedule was announced, the Glacier Yetis were placed in dormancy due to lack of players. On the opening day of the second season, the new Breckenridge team was removed from the schedule as well.
For the 2017–18 season, former Denver Pioneers captain Adrian Veidman was named the league's new commissioner in May. The league again announced a team in Breckenridge called the Bolts. The new Breckenridge team is to be operated by the Summit Youth Hockey organization and coached by Kory DeKoevend. In August, the Aspen Leafs announced they would go dormant for the upcoming season.
After three seasons, the RMJHL ceased all operations and folded in 2018. The Steamboat Wranglers were the only organization to continue with a junior team and joined the WSHL for 2018–19, but ceased operations midway through the 2019–20 season.
Teams Team Location Arena JoinedBreckenridge Bolts Breckenridge, Colorado Stephen C. West Ice Arena 2017Colorado Rampage Monument, Colorado Colorado Sports Center 2015Colorado Thunderbirds Littleton, Colorado South Suburban Ice Arena 2015Pikes Peak Miners Colorado Springs, Colorado Sertich Ice Arena 2015Steamboat Wranglers Steamboat Springs, Colorado Howelsen Arena 2016
Champions Season Regular season Playoff Champion Runner-up Result 2015–16 Pikes Peak Miners (69 pts) Aspen Leafs Pikes Peak Miners Championship Game4–3 (OT) 2016–17 Pikes Peak Miners (64 pts) Pikes Peak Miners Steamboat Wranglers 2-games-to-1 (9–4, 1–5, 6–5) 2017–18 Steamboat Wranglers (65 pts) Steamboat Wranglers Pikes Peak MinersChampionship Game9–2
Former teams Aspen Leafs (Aspen, Colorado) – Founding member in the 2015–16 season; went dormant prior to the 2017–18 season due to lack of players. Breckenridge Bears (Breckenridge, Colorado) – Announced for the 2016–17 season, but did not play. Breckenridge Bucks (Breckenridge, Colorado; 2015–16) – Joined the Western States Hockey League in 2016, then relocated to Vail, Colorado, as the Vail Powder Hounds prior to the 2016–17 season. The Vail team would fold in November 2016 due to lack of players. Glacier Yetis (Grand Junction, Colorado; 2015–16) – Originally announced as the Grand Junction Coyotes while the league was in its pre-launch stages. League announced the team would be dormant for the 2016–17 season due to lack of players.
References
External links RMJHL page on EliteProspects