Lawsuit brings immediate future of Spud Kings hockey into question

IDAHO FALLS — A lawsuit filed by the United States Premier Hockey League, the parent organization of the National Collegiate Development Conference, has put in jeopardy the 2026-27 hockey season for four former NCDC teams, including the Idaho Falls Spud Kings.

The lawsuit, first reported by JuniorHockey.io, was filed on June 22 with the Delaware Court of Chancery and seeks injunctive relief and fiscal damages. The claim, according to JuniorHockey.io, is that four former NCDC franchises, including the Spud Kings, conspired in a breach of trust to violate non-compete agreements and financial obligations in their partnerships with the NCDC and USPHL.

The Spud Kings, Ogden Mustangs, Grand Junction River Hawks, Pueblo Bulls and Billings Cattle Punchers have all announced their intended move to join the North American Hockey League.

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Chris Hall, Spud Kings’ assistant general manager, said that the Spud King organization is not able to comment on the lawsuit at this time.

The lawsuit claims that the four teams “never formally withdrew” from the NCDC, JuniorHockey.io reports, instead negotiating with the NAHL in secrecy. It says they failed to reveal their intentions to leave the NCDC until June 9, just days before the moves were announced publicly.

Spud Kings General Manager Erik Hudson is specifically named in the suit as a participant in NCDC Executive Committee meetings, where league operations and strategy plans were discussed.

“The lawsuit alleges that Hudson sat in these meetings, absorbing confidential blueprints, all while simultaneously conspiring to move his team to a direct competitor,” according to JuniorHockey.io.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.