SPRINGFIELD — A new era will officially begin next season for the Springfield Pics hockey program.
In an announcement to the public in late November, the United States Premier Hockey League said that the Pics will join the Tier II tuition-free National Collegiate Development Conference beginning in the 2025-26 season under General Manager/Head Coach Rob Bonneau.
“We have been a proud member of the USPHL since its inception and are proud to announce our elevation to the NCDC division,” said Springfield Pics franchise owner Patrick Tabb. “This gives us the opportunity to once again compete for the Dineen Cup, named in honor of our founder, Gary Dineen. We are thrilled for this next chapter in our program and provisioning for more college hockey opportunities for players for many years to come.”
Tabb told Reminder Publishing through a USPHL spokesperson that the move to tier II junior hockey for the Pics was necessary “to continue to provide a pathway to college hockey.”
“The NCDC is the best option for any player in the northeast,” Tabb said. “This will open up many new recruiting doors for us.”
As of press time, the Pics’ USPHL Premier team coached by Bonneau sits in second place at 16-3 in the New England division for the 2024-25 season. They also have a USPHL Elite team coached by Chris Beaudoin that is 7-11 so far in the 2024-25 season.
According to the USPHL announcement, the Pics will still field an Elite team in 2025-26 in addition to the new NCDC team.
“The Springfield Pics have been a cornerstone of the USPHL since its inception,” said USPHL Deputy Commissioner Tony Zasowski, in a statement. “As the NCDC continues to solidify its position as the key pathway to college hockey, we are thrilled to elevate the Pics to this next level.”
The Pics were founded in 1972 as part of the New England Junior Hockey League. Under Head Coach Gary Dineen, the team won several Eastern Junior Hockey League Championships, and a number of Pics players went on to play in the NHL. The Pics were a founding member of the USPHL, going on to win the USPHL Elite Championship in 2024 and the 16U American Championship in 2020 and 2021. The program operates out of Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield.
According to the USPHL’s announcement, the Pics will be the 10th team joining the New England division in the NCDC, which is considered the top junior hockey league in New England and has a history of sending numerous players to Division I college hockey. According to Zasowski, there were almost 100 NCAA Division I college hockey commitments by players from the league.
The league was founded in 2017 as the Tuition-Free Tier II conference of the USPHL, itself founded in 2012. It currently features 22 teams and three divisions: two on the eastern seaboard and one in the rocky mountain states of Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
As of the 2023-24 season, there were almost 250 NCDC alumni in pro hockey around the world, and seven players from the league selected in the NHL Entry Draft.
