WEST ORANGE, NJ — Earlier this morning, the New Jersey Interscholastic Hockey League convened at Richard J. Codey Arena for their annual Spring Meeting. The nearly two-hour proceedings involved a thorough agenda concerning new team applications, various approvals and potential revisions to the league’s bylaws, and a vast variety of other topics concerning the running of the the conference as well as the Gordon, and Girls Ice Hockey.
The biggest highlights were the approval of the divisional realignments for the 2026-2027 season, which aside from the standard promotion/relegation also included a pair of programs new to the NJIIHL boys & girls conferences respectively. Watchung Hills boys ice hockey was unanimously approved at the meeting to gain membership to the conference, transferring over from the now six-team Skyland Conference. They will compete next season in the McMullen Division and will continue to play their home games at Bridgewater Sports Arena, and Rock Ice Center in Dunellen, NJ.
The other new member is Glen Rock/Ridgewood, a brand new Girls Varsity program out of Bergen County. The new co-op was unanimously granted membership to the NJIIHL Girls Conference and will begin competition in the Annis Division barring state approval of their varsity program. Glen Rock/Ridgewood played last season as a junior varsity co-op and will become the third new team in the past two years added to the state’s roster of girls teams, bringing the overall total to 18 (excluding Hun & Lawrenceville who compete outside of the NJSIAA for playoffs). They will play their home games at the Ice House in Hackensack, NJ.
See the full new divisional alignments for the NJIIHL below
Gordon Conference
American
Christian Brothers Academy
Delbarton
Don Bosco
St. Augustine
St. Joe’s (Montvale)
Seton Hall Prep [promoted]
National
Bergen Catholic
Gloucester Catholic
Pope John
St. Peter’s Prep
Princeton Day [relegated]
NJIIHL (Boys)
McInnis
Governor Livingston/New Providence
Livingston
Scotch Plains-Fanwood [promoted]
Summit
West Essex/Caldwell
Westfield
Kelly
Cranford [relegated]
Frisch
Glen Rock
Montclair Kimberley Academy
Nutley/Columbia/Bloomfield
Oratory Prep [promoted]
Verona/Glen Ridge
McMullen
A.L. Johnson/Roselle Park/Dayton
Bayonne/McNair
Hoboken/Weehawken/Secaucus
Millburn/Kearny/North Arlington
Montclair [relegated]
Watchung Hills [transfer from Skyland]
West Orange
NJIIHL (Girls)
Librera
Immaculate Heart Academy
Kent Place
Morristown-Beard
Princeton Day
Trinity Hall [Promoted]
Cohen
Chatham/Millburn/Livingston
Hoboken/Weehawken/Secaucus [promoted]
Madison
Oak Knoll
Pingry [relegated]
Summit
Westfield
Annis
Cranford
Glen Rock/Ridgewood [new program]
Morristown
Newark East Side
Princeton
Randolph
