2026-27 NCDC Season Preview: Northeast Conference
The 2026-27 NCDC Season Preview Series continues with a look at the Northeast Conference.
The Northeast brings together eight programs spanning Maine, Quebec, New Brunswick and the New England region. Lewiston enters the season after capturing the New England North Division title in 2025-26, while the Montréal Black Vees and Perth-Andover Bearcats prepare for their first seasons at the NCDC level. Woodstock also enters the year under its new Warriors identity.
Here is a team-by-team look at the Northeast Conference entering 2026-27.
Lewiston MAINEiacs
Head Coach: Caleb Labrie
General Manager: Ed Harding
2025-26 Record: 41-10-3-4, 89 points — New England North Division Champions
The Lewiston MAINEiacs enter the Northeast Conference after a 41-win season and a first-place finish in the New England North Division.
A core of seven to eight players returns from last season’s successful group, giving Lewiston valuable experience as it looks to remain near the top of the standings.
“Our lineup will consist of seven to eight returning players from a very successful season last year,” Harding said. “We should be consistent at managing the puck in all three zones.”
JD Raleigh, Marek Rogers, Cam Wolf, Ethan Brochu and Connor Morissette are among the returners to watch.
Lewiston also added Seth Lawless, Avery Ferraris, Luke Long and Bulcsu Laszloffy to the roster.
Off the ice, the MAINEiacs enter the season with a new ownership group that Harding believes will provide additional professionalism and support throughout the organization.
On the ice, the formula will remain familiar.
“The style will be similar to the team last year,” Harding said. “We want to manage the puck properly and be tough to play against.”
Consistency and composure will be essential as Lewiston looks to carry last season’s success into the new conference alignment.
“Our goal is the same as last season, finishing at the top of our division and being one of the best organizations in the league,” Harding said.
Montreal Black Vees
Head Coach: Francois Cloutier
General Manager: Claude Fortin
2025-26 NCDC Record: First NCDC Season
The Montreal Black Vees enter their first NCDC campaign looking to bring the program’s established identity to the Tier II level.
“In our first season in the NCDC, we plan on bringing Canadian-style hockey to the league,” Fortin said. “When playing the Black Vees, expect fast and hard hockey.”
The roster includes graduates from Montreal’s Premier program along with players who have spent several years within the Black Vees organization.
“They know what being with the Black Vees is all about,” Fortin said. “They will bring the standard to the highest level from the beginning.”
Sirois, Fortin and Clermont are among the experienced Black Vees expected to make an impact, while Lavallée and Odige are expected to contribute offensively. Montreal also enters the season with an experienced goaltending group and players capable of filling shutdown roles.
The organization spent the offseason preparing a separate arena environment for its NCDC team, including work on the locker room and training facilities.
The identity is straightforward.
“Fast and hard, the Black Vees way,” Fortin said.
Fortin expects a tightly balanced Northeast Conference where consistency will be critical.
“Consistency will be key,” Fortin said.
The Black Vees enter the NCDC looking to continue the standard the organization has established at previous levels.
“In the first eight years of our program, we have never finished lower than second in our division,” Fortin said. “A successful season would be a season that continues that trend.”
Northern Maine Pioneers
Head Coach: Jack Lowery
2025-26 Record: 18-37-1-2, 39 points
The Northern Maine Pioneers enter the Northeast Conference looking to use speed, skill and transition play to take a step forward in 2026-27.
“Our speed, transition game and skill,” Head Coach Jack Lowery said of the team’s biggest strengths.
Danny Raskin, Grant Levins and David Artenosi are among the returning players expected to take on larger roles.
Newcomers Reece Jackson, London Jett and Nick Carver are also expected to have opportunities to contribute immediately.
Northern Maine placed an emphasis on adding additional speed and skill during the offseason.
The Pioneers expect those additions to help create an identity that opponents notice every night.
“Fast, pesky, hard to play against,” Lowery said.
Treating each game with postseason-level urgency will be crucial.
“Staying the course,” Lowery said. “Make sure you treat every game like a playoff game. Every game means something.”
The Pioneers enter 2026-27 with clear goals.
“To make the playoffs and win the division,” Lowery said.
Perth-Andover Bearcats
Head Coach/General Manager: Michael Esposito
2025-26 NCDC Record: First NCDC Season
The Perth-Andover Bearcats begin their first NCDC season in 2026-27, bringing junior hockey to Perth-Andover, New Brunswick.
“We have a great group of players that are excited to bring junior hockey to Perth-Andover,” Esposito said. “We will work hard in all zones, pressure the puck all over the ice and be a very difficult team to play against.”
As a first-year team, the Bearcats do not have a returning roster, but several newcomers are expected to take significant roles.
Goaltender AJ Levy, a 2007 from Congers, N.Y., is expected to play an important part in the team’s success, while 2007 forward Breckin Siefker brings size, skill and previous junior experience.
The organization used the offseason not only to build its roster, but also to establish relationships within its new community.
“The town is excited for junior hockey, and we will have great fan support at every game,” Esposito said.
Perth-Andover intends to combine structure with pace and pressure.
“We will play hard and with structure,” Esposito said. “We will be a hard-working, fast-skating team that attacks our opponents in all areas of the ice.”
Establishing the right culture will be central to the Bearcats’ inaugural season.
“The goal is to have a competitive team that the local community can be proud of and a culture that promotes getting better every day,” Esposito said.
Quebec Universal
Head Coach: Alexandre Gagnon
2025-26 Record: 26-30-1-1, 54 points
Quebec Universal enters its second NCDC season looking to benefit from a more experienced group and added depth throughout the roster.
“We are excited to enter our second season with some veterans and new strong additions at all positions,” Gagnon said.
After navigating the challenges of its first NCDC campaign, Universal believes its returning players can provide greater stability and maturity in 2026-27.
“Our veterans will allow us some stability and some maturity, an aspect that we struggled with last season,” Gagnon said.
With that added experience and new pieces throughout the lineup, Quebec Universal enters the Northeast Conference looking to take another step forward.
“We look forward to a competitive season,” Gagnon said.
St. Stephen County Moose
Head Coach/General Manager: Kyle Adams
2025-26 Record: 14-39-1-4, 33 points
The St. Stephen County Moose enter 2026-27 with a young core that will have an opportunity to develop together throughout the season.
Returning players also give the Moose valuable familiarity with the speed and physicality of NCDC hockey.
Hayden Anderson, Trevor Ponath, Nolan Garrard, Matt McLeod, Carter Clark and Noah Smith are among the returners expected to take on larger roles.
Rylan Benner, AJ Frigon, Landon Paquette and Ty Berube headline the incoming group.
During the offseason, St. Stephen focused on strengthening the organization as a whole.
On the ice, the Moose expect to establish a direct and physical identity.
“200-foot game, hard-nosed, north-south,” Adams said.
Getting off to a strong start will be important as the Moose look to improve on last season’s results.
For Adams, finishing above .500 would represent a successful step forward for the program.
Thunder Hockey Club
Head Coach/General Manager: Dan Hodge
2025-26 Record: 21-26-3-4, 49 points
Thunder Hockey Club enters the season looking to become stronger defensively while maintaining enough balance throughout the lineup to create offense.
“We will be well balanced, but will have a stronger defensive mindset, especially in the D-zone,” Hodge said.
With several returning players attending camps during the offseason, the final makeup of the veteran group remained uncertain at the time of Thunder’s submission.
Hodge is particularly eager to see a young group take on increased responsibility.
Forwards Ashton Marszalek, Luke Caron, Jagger Daulton and Cam Petrillo lead the newcomers, while 2006-born forward Kelly McMahon will be expected to provide veteran leadership.
“Every player who wears our jersey will need to make an impact from Day 1,” Hodge said.
Defensive structure was the primary offseason emphasis.
“This year’s team will have the ability to score goals, but we will make sure to be stronger in the D-zone this season,” Hodge said.
Thunder wants to return to the defensive identity that has helped the program succeed in the past.
“We need to get back to what has made us successful, and that is being tough to play against in our D-zone,” Hodge said.
After reaching the postseason last year, Thunder wants to take another step.
“We want to build off our playoff run last year and make a deeper run this season,” Hodge said. “We are also focused on developing our players on the ice and off the ice.”
Woodstock Warriors
Head Coach/General Manager: Jason Tatarnic
2025-26 Record: 25-24-5-4, 59 points — competed as the Woodstock Slammers
Woodstock enters 2026-27 under its new Warriors identity after competing as the Woodstock Slammers last season.
The Warriors will feature a young roster, but Tatarnic believes the group has the balance and potential to develop significantly over the course of the season.
“We feel we will have a very balanced team,” Tatarnic said. “We have a young team, but we feel our roster has the potential to develop into a very good team.”
For Tatarnic, the focus will be on where the group finishes rather than where it begins.
“We will remind our players it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Tatarnic said.
Yan Krasavin and Luis Valencia are two returning players expected to provide offensive production.
In goal, Pavel Ziatsev brings experience and is expected to make a significant impact, while Woodstock believes its forward group has several players capable of taking on important roles.
The offseason focus was building a balanced roster.
“We will build toward playing a fast game that creates offense while being defensively responsible,” Tatarnic said.
With postseason positioning expected to be competitive throughout the Northeast, every point will matter.
“Everyone wants to make the playoffs, so every point you can earn is pretty important,” Tatarnic said.
Woodstock’s objective is to put itself in that postseason position and build from there.
“Our goal is to make the playoffs and go from there,” Tatarnic said.
