NJIIHL Approves Divisional Realignments & Two New Member Teams

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