Twin City Thunder head coach and owner Dan Hodge communicates with players on the ice in October 2022 at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal The footprint of the New England Division changed so dramatically over the past two years that Twin City Thunder owner Dan Hodge couldn’t justify keeping the junior hockey organization in Auburn. The United States Premier Hockey League announced last week that the Thunder are moving to Exeter, New Hampshire , for the 2024-25 season.
Changes within the New England Division of the USPHL National Collegiate Development Conference resulted in the Thunder being far away from the opponents that make up the majority of their schedule. “The sale of the Junior Bruins was a big factor,” said Hodge, also the coach of the Thunder’s NCDC team. “At the end of the season, when you take a look at everything of what comes in and what comes out — I hate to say it, but it comes down to what makes the organization and business healthy.
” The Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Junior Bruins, one of the USPHL’s charter franchises, sold its Tier II NCDC franchise in March to ASM Hockey Group LLC, which moved the team to West Chester, Pennsylvania. The Junior Bruins will still have teams in USPHL’s Tier III leagues, the Premier League and Elite League, as well as 16U and 18U teams. This is the second straight year the NCDC lost at least one New England Division franchise.
The Boston Advantage left the USPHL after the .