New NA3HL Franchise Will Partner With Local Labor Unions For Players to Learn Trades

The NA3HL announced that is has approved the transfer of membership, purchase and relocation of Evansville Jr. Thunderbolts membership by the Oregon Tradesmen (Madison Hockey Partners, LLC d/b/a).

The team will be relocated to Oregon, Wisconsin (a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin) for the 2020-21 season and will henceforth be known as the Oregon Tradesmen. The team will play out of the Oregon Ice Arena, which was formerly home of the NA3HL’s Wisconsin Whalers. 

The Tradesmen will offer players opportunities to learn skilled trades in partnership with local unions as part of their off-ice development program.

“Our unique ‘learning the trades’ model will provide our players an opportunity to learn a skilled trade while also developing their hockey skills. When their competitive hockey career ends at some point in the future our players will have skills that will serve them well the rest of their lives,” said Ben Cowan, Vice-President of the Tradesmen.

Madison Hockey Partners, LLC consists of Bill McCoshen, Eric Petersen and On Ice Promotions, LLC (Ben Cowan and Larry Clemens). McCoshen is the owner and Governor of the NAHL’s Janesville Jets and is also Chairman of the NAHL Board of Governors.

“The Oregon Tradesmen will help us build out our integrated player development and advancement model from youth all the way to the NAHL. This unique model will provide 18 and 19-year-old players an opportunity to develop and advance to the NAHL while developing 20-year-old players for NCAA Division III or ACHA Division 1 opportunities. The relationship with and proximity to the Janesville Jets will help us attract quality players immediately,” said McCoshen.

The Tradesmen have announced Don Babineau as their first head coach. Babineau has tremendous experience in the NA3HL having been head coach most recently of the Coulee Region Chill and also the Euless Stars.

“I’m excited to be part of the Oregon Tradesmen organization led by a strong ownership group. I believe the organization is set up for success in all aspects. I’m looking forward to helping develop players to advance to the NAHL or move directly to NCAA Division III or ACHA Division 1 college hockey,” said Babineau.