| Northern Maine Pioneers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Presque Isle, Maine |
| League | United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) |
| Division | North |
| Founded | 2025 |
| Home arena | The Forum |
| Colors | Dark gray and orange |
| Owner(s) | Brandon Johnson |
| General manager | Greg Heffernan |
| Franchise history | |
| 2025 | Presque Isle Frontiers |
| 2025–present | Northern Maine Pioneers |
TheNorthern Maine Pioneers are aTier II juniorice hockey team playing in theUnited States Premier Hockey League's National Collegiate Development Conference. The team plays their home games at theThe Forum inPresque Isle,Maine. The club was originally founded as thePresque Isle Frontiers.
The team is owned by Brandon Johnson, who also owns another NCDC team,CT Chiefs North.
The Presque Isle Frontiers were founded by the USPHL's National Collegiate Development Conference as part of a wave of five teams; the Frontiers are the only one located in the United States, with the other four teams being located in Canada.[1] The team was initially owned by the Chris and Rhea Reaves, who also own theWoodstock Slammers inWoodstock, New Brunswick, another team that joined the NCDC as part of this wave of expansion.[1]
The team's inaugural head coach was Slovak nationalErik Čaládi,[2] who had a long playing career in Europe. Sam Shaheen was the team's general manager.[3] However, the team encountered problems very soon after launch. The Frontiers had trouble filling out its roster and ended up forfeiting what was supposed to be their inaugural game.[4] The league responded immediately by revoking the franchise license from the Reaves'. In short order, Brandon Johnson, who also owns theCT Chiefs North, agreed to purchase the franchise.[5] The club was rebranded as the Northern Maine Pioneers, and Johnson planned to have them on the ice by September 30 or October 1.[6] Čaládi ultimately did not join the team after visa issues delayed his arrival from Slovakia,[6] and Shaheen was replaced as general manager by Greg Heffernan.[5]
 Sports teams based inMaine | ||
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| Roller derby | ||
| College athletics (NCAA Div. I) | ||
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| College athletics (USCAA) | ||