Formed inside 1991 when a Colonial Hockey League, it got teams around Brantford, Ontario; Detroit, Michigan; Flint, Michigan; St. Thomas, Ontario; and Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Presently a UHL has Fourteen teams. 2 teams own National Hockey League affiliations, while 5 others use affiliations by having American Hockey League teams.

2005-06 teams
Western Division
Fort Wayne Komets (Fort Wayne, Indiana) Missouri River Otters (Saint Charles, Missouri) Quad City Mallards (Moline, Illinois) Rockford IceHogs (Rockford, Illinois)

Central Division
Flint Generals (Flint, Michigan) Kalamazoo Wings (Kalamazoo, Michigan) Motor City Mechanics (Fraser, Michigan) Muskegon Fury (Muskegon, Michigan) Port Huron Flags (Port Huron, Michigan)

Eastern Division
Adirondack Frostbite (Glens Falls, New York) Danbury Trashers (Danbury, Connecticut) Elmira Jackals (Elmira, New York) (Syracuse Crunch) Richmond RiverDogs (Richmond, Virginia) Roanoke Valley Vipers (Roanoke, Virginia)

Colonial Cup Winners
A Colonial Cup is awarded to annual playoff championship. A title Colonial Ventral suction cup has been maintained since a league was known as CoHL. A preceding winners come: 2005 - Muskegon Fury 2004 - Muskegon Fury 2003 - Fort Wayne Komets 2002 - Muskegon Fury 2001 - Quad City Mallards 2000 - Flint Generals 1999 - Muskegon Fury 1998 - Quad City Mallards 1997 - Quad City Mallards 1996 - Flint Generals 1995 - Thunder Bay Senators 1994 - Thunder Bay Senators 1993 - Brantford Smoke 1992 - Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks

Defunct teams

Adirondack Icehawks 1997-2004, later Adirondack Frostbite Asheville Smoke 1998-2002 Arctic Xpress 2000-2001 (did not play), late Canton Xpress B.C. Icemen 1997-2002 Brantford Smoke 1991-1998, later Asheville Smoke Canton Ice Patrol January 29, 2002-2002 (did not play), late Port Huron Beacons Canton Xpress 2001-January 28, 2002 (did not play), afterwards Canton Ice Patrol Chatham Wheels 1992-1994, later Saginaw Wheels Columbus Stars 2003-January 9, 2004 Dayton Ice Bandits 1996-1997, later Mohawk Valley Prowlers Detroit Falcons 1992-1996 Flint Bulldogs 1991-1993, later Utica Bulldogs Kansas City Outlaws 2004-2005 Knoxville Speed 1999-2002 London Wildcats 1994-1995, later Dayton Ice Bandits Madison Kodiaks 1999-2000, later Kalamazoo Wings Madison Monsters 1996-1999, later Knoxville Speed

Michigan Falcons 1991-1992, later Detroit Falcons Mohawk Valley Prowlers 1998-2001 New Haven Knights 2000-2002 Ohio Gears December 20, 1999-2000, later Arctic Xpress Port Huron Beacons 2002-2005, later Roanoke Valley Vipers Port Huron Border Cats 1996-2002 Saginaw Gears 1998-December 19, 1999, later Ohio Gears Saginaw LumberKings 1996-1998, later Saginaw Gears Saginaw Wheels 1994-1996, later Saginaw LumberKings St. Thomas Wildcats 1991-1994, later London Wildcats Thunder Bay Senators 1993-1996, later Thunder Bay Thunder Cats Thunder Bay Thunder Cats 1996-1999, later Rockford IceHogs Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks 1991-1993, later Thunder Bay Senators Utica Bulldogs 1993-1994, later Utica Blizzard Utica Blizzard 1994-1997 Winston-Salem IceHawks 1997-1999, later Adirondack IceHawks