2018-19 USPHL NCDC season preview

Islanders HC and the Junior Bruins during a USPHL game last season. (courtesy photo)

The 2018-19 USPHL NCDC season kicks off Friday in what will likely be another year of the haves and have nots.

The Middlesex Islanders Hockey Club, two-time defending champions, will once again be one of the top teams in the league. Nipping at their heels will be the Jersey Hitmen, winners of the Dineen Cup in 2015 and 2016, and the Boston Junior Bruins, victors in 2014.

The USPHL NCDC formed prior to the 2016-17 season to give players in the Northeast a chance to play “tuition-free” junior hockey. In theory, it was a good idea that would give local kids a chance to play close to home without paying close to $10,000 like they had to in the past with the USPHL Premier and EJHL.