Entering its 42nd season in 2017, the North American Hockey League (NAHL) is the largest and oldest USA Hockey-sanctioned Junior Hockey circuit with 24 teams representing some of the nation's emerging hockey markets as well as traditional hot beds. Over 1,000,000 fans each year engage with the NAHL, a number that continues to grow with the success of the league. The NAHL has evolved into a proven pathway for young adults between the ages of 16-21 to develop into outstanding collegiate and professional players while playing in some of the nation's state-of-the-art facilities. A record number of 250 NAHL players made an NCAA commitment in 2016 and five payers were additionally selected in the 2016 National Hockey League (NHL) draft.