About
The History of the Metropolitan Branch
The Metropolitan Branch of the Northern Premier Hockey League was established as part of the NPHL’s continued expansion and its commitment to growing competitive senior hockey across Ontario.
Launched under the NPHL banner, the Metropolitan Branch created a new regional home for senior hockey while operating under the same league constitution, standards, rules, and values as the Capital Branch.
From the beginning, the objective was to build a strong and sustainable branch centred around competitive hockey, regional rivalries, community involvement, and long-term organizational growth.
A New Branch Begins
The inaugural Metropolitan Branch featured eight organizations:
Alvinston Killer Bees
Strathroy Jets
Stratford Irish
Six Nations Ironmen
Tilbury Bluebirds
Woodstock Lakers
Orangeville Blitz
Halton Hills Coyotes
Together, these organizations formed the foundation of the NPHL’s newest branch and helped extend the league’s footprint farther across Ontario.
The addition of the Metropolitan Branch represented an important milestone in the growth of the NPHL, bringing new communities, players, rivalries, and supporters into one unified league structure.
The First Apex Cup Champion
The inaugural Metropolitan Branch season also produced the first Apex Cup Championship in NPHL history.
The championship series featured the Alvinston Killer Bees and the Six Nations Ironmen, with Alvinston emerging as the first organization to capture the Apex Cup.
The Killer Bees’ championship secured their place in league history as the first-ever Apex Cup Champions and established the beginning of a new championship tradition within the Metropolitan Branch.
The series also provided an early showcase of the competitive level and regional rivalries the branch was created to develop.
The 2026–27 Chapter
The Metropolitan Branch continues to evolve heading into the 2026–27 season.
The league is proud to welcome the Brant County Riverhawks to the Metropolitan Branch, adding another organization and hockey community to the growing NPHL footprint.
Their addition represents another step in the continued development of the branch as the league works to build strong organizations, competitive markets, and sustainable senior hockey throughout the region.
The 2026–27 season will also introduce standardized Veo video systems across NPHL organizations, creating consistent game footage that will support league review, player safety, officiating development, accountability, and digital content.
Bringing the Branches Together
Another major development for the upcoming season will be an increased connection between the Metropolitan and Capital Branches.
For the first time, the NPHL regular season will feature as many as four cross-branch games, creating opportunities for Metropolitan and Capital organizations to compete against one another during league play.
These games represent an important step toward strengthening the connection between both branches while creating new matchups for players and fans.
Cross-branch competition also reinforces the larger identity of the NPHL:
Two distinct branches operating within one league.
As the NPHL continues to grow, opportunities for competition between the Capital and Metropolitan Branches will help create new rivalries, increase league-wide exposure, and bring communities from across the NPHL footprint together.
One League. Two Branches. A Shared Vision.
The Metropolitan Branch has quickly become an important part of the Northern Premier Hockey League.
From eight founding organizations to the first Apex Cup Championship, continued expansion, and the introduction of cross-branch competition, the branch continues to establish its own history while contributing to the larger growth of the NPHL.
The objective remains consistent across both branches:
Deliver competitive senior hockey. Build strong organizations. Support our communities. Grow the game.