The present incarnation of the North Star League came about on January 25, 1951. The first members of the league were Maple Lake, Buffalo, Winsted, Monticello, Watertown, Delano, Howard Lake, Cokato, and Waverly.

On February 18 of that year, a private meeting was held at Maple Lake, at which representatives from Monticello, Watertown, Buffalo, Winsted, and Maple Lake were present. These teams decided to resign from the North Star League and form a new league, inviting Delano in as a sixth member. The reason for the breakoff was several controversial questions that had come down to split votes at the organizational meeting. These issues included umpires, length of schedule, and number of teams. They agreed to meet a week later to elect officers and set the schedule. All six teams had lights and would play night games.

That following week, the Wright Star League was formed at Monticello, with Al Banks of Buffalo presiding. The league then voted against adding two more teams, remaining a six-team league.

By 1955, the Wright Star had nearly doubled in size to 10, having taken Elk River, Cokato, Dassel, Waverly, and Montrose into its legions with Watertown bowing out.

Present NSL teams originally joined in the following years:

  • Maple Lake--1951 (charter)
  • Buffalo--1951 (charter)
  • Delano--1951 (charter)
  • Monticello--1951 (charter)
  • Howard Lake--1953
  • Dassel and Cokato--1955 (1967 as D-C)
  • Loretto--1961
  • St. Michael--1972
  • Maple Plain--1972
  • Albertville--1996 (split from St. Michael)
  • Kingston--1997
  • Hutchinson--1998
  • Mound--2002
  • Rockford--2003
  • Rogers -- 2007
  • Elk River -- 2008

Perhaps the most tumultuous year in league history was 1989. That season was punctuated by nearly a dozen meetings, largely because of widespread concern over Hamel's unfair advantage gained from having a pipeline from the Gophers. Hamel's position was that the U of M was in its radius, and the Hawks saw nothing wrong with the practice. The league voted for tighter radius restrictions for the teams in the eastern part of the league. These teams were not allowed to go within the I-494 loop. (This rule was later adopted by the State Board.) Hamel brought a lawyer to a league meeting to press this issue, insulting officers and league members alike. During the ranting, all eight other team representatives left the room and formed a new league. Thus spelled the death of the Wright Star League and the birth of the new North Star League. The state board ruled that the Wright Star had not dissolved properly and only allowed those teams to participate in the postseason if they agreed to let Hamel finish the season. After that point, Hamel joined the Eastern Minny Metro League, and the new North Star was confirmed.