The weekend of Feb. 14-15 brings us not only Valentine’s Day but also more youth hockey playoff action from around the continent. And for those North American leagues and teams that haven’t quite reached that point, the push for the playoffs continues. 

While we still are a week away from the first USA Hockey Tier 1 district tournaments, many leagues around the country are moving into or toward postseason play as teams compete for banners, trophies and bragging rights.

In some cases, those tournaments may serve as qualifiers on the road to state, district or provincial tournaments, and in other cases they merely serve as the culmination of a long season spent competing against local or similar-level teams. Either way, it’s an exciting time as teams play for championships and prepare for when even more is at stake in the weeks ahead.

This weekend in the United States, a pair of Boys Tier 1 showcase leagues are holding their playoffs in American hockey hotbeds. Teams representing some of the nation’s top clubs in the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups from all over the United Sates will be in Blaine, Minn., for the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) Playoffs and Michigan for the North American T1ER 1 Hockey League Dixon Cup Playoffs.  

Out in Western Canada, the Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League (MFHL), which saw its regular-season championship determined on the campaign’s final weekend, has begun postseason, while other Western Boys and Girls AAA leagues prepare close out their seasons and gear up for postseason play.

The British Columbia Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) will see its Boys U15 AAA regular season come to an end as teams jockey for playoff spots and seeds. Meanwhile, teams in the BCEHL’s U18 AAA Boys and Girls divisions as well as in the U17 AAA Boys league, still have a few weeks left to build momentum and sneak into better position for postseason play.

 

T1EHL Playoffs

The Tier 1 Elite Hockey League is the one of the top youth hockey circuits in the United States, featuring more than 20 organizations from all over the country. While the league also offers a similar, but less extensive, format for younger teams, the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U member members have traveled to Blaine, Minn., for the T1EHL Playoffs Feb. 14-17.

The league holds multiple showcase-style weekends in various locations throughout the season at which its members and other guest teams come together to complete their regular-season schedules. These events are heavily scouted by junior coaches and scouts representing all tiers of junior play in the U.S. and Canada as well as by NCAA college coaches. The T1EHL season culminates each year in February with playoffs held at the sprawling National Sports Center in Blaine.

With a track record of moving large numbers of players on to higher levels of play annually, the T1EHL provides an opportunity for AAA youth teams from all over the United States to supplement their usual local or regionalized league seasons by competing at the highest level in additional games that maximize their players’ exposure.

This year’s T1EHL playoffs began the morning of Friday, Feb. 14, and run through Monday, Feb. 17. Each age group features 16 teams competing for league titles in “Championship” divisions, with the remaining teams that did not qualify playing consolation games. Thus, everyone still gets to participate in front of the scouts one final time.

For championship play, the age groups are divided into four-team pools, with every team playing the other team in its pool in a three-game preliminary round to determine Sunday’s playoff matchups. All championship games will be played Monday, Feb. 17.

National Sports Center is serviced by LiveBarn, so T1EHL Playoff games should be available for live or on-demand viewing.

 

CLICK HERE for the complete T1EHL schedule, scores, standings and stats

 

T1EHL 14U Playoffs

The 14U Division features a strong field that includes five teams ranked among the nation’s top 20, according to our Week 21 USA Boys Tier 1 Rankings. In addition, seven participating teams are ranked among the top 30 and nine are in the top 40.

 

Top 14U Participating Teams

#9 Chicago Fury

#10 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers

#11 Buffalo Jr. Sabres

#15 Fox Motors

#19 North Jersey Avalanche

#22 Los Angeles Jr. Kings

#26 St. Louis AAA Blues

#36 Victory Honda

#38 Chicago Fury

 

T1EHL 15O Playoffs

All 16 participating 15O T1EHL teams are ranked among the top 45 in the United States. Four of those teams are in the top 20, and nine are in the top 30.

 

Top 15O Participating Teams

#8 St. Louis AAA Blues

#14 Anaheim Jr. Ducks

#16 Cleveland Barons

#19 Florida Alliance

#20 North Jersey Avalanche

#24 Buffalo Jr. Sabres

#28 Dallas Stars Elite

#29 Fox Motors

#30 Chicago Fury

#33 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes

#34 Sioux Falls Power

#35 Victory Honda

#36 Colorado Rampage

#37 Nashville Jr. Predators

#40 Ohio Blue Jackets

#45 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers

 

T1EHL 16U Playoffs

There are three top 11 teams in Blaine for the 16U Playoffs, with six of the teams ranked among the top 21, nine in the top 30 and 11 among the top 40.

 

Top 16U Participating Teams

#7 Dallas Stars Elite

#8 North Jersey Avalanche

#11 Sioux Falls Power

#16 St. Louis AAA Blues

#19 Buffalo Jr. Sabres

#21 Cleveland Barons

#25 Ohio Blue Jackets

#28 Nashville Jr. Predators

#29 Fox Motors

#36 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers

#38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks

 

T1EHL 18U Playoffs

The 18U Division of the T1HEL Playoffs includes 10 teams that are ranked among the top 40 in the most recent MHR USA Boys Tier 1 Rankings. Five 18U participants are in the top 30.

 

Top 18U Participating Teams

#13 St. Louis AAA Blues

#22 Ohio Blue Jackets

#25 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes

#27 Chicago Fury

#28 Victory Honda

#32 North Jersey Avalanche

#35 Fox Motors

#38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks

#39 Sioux Falls Power

#40 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers

 

 

North American T1ER Playoffs

The North American Tier 1 Hockey League is a division of the North American Prospects Hockey League. It represents the highest level of play in the NAPHL and includes teams from all over the United States. Now in its 16th season, the NAPHL is comprised of of three Leagues: T1ER (Tier 1), SHOW (Tier I/ II) and the FALL League (September / October Season).

The NAPHL was developed in partnership with the North American Hockey League, the only sanctioned Tier 2 tuition-free junior league in the United States. The NAHL sent a record 400 players on to play NCAA hockey following the 2023-24 season, with nearly 75 percent of those commits moving to the Division I level.

Similar to the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, the NAPHL has earned a reputation as one of the premier youth developmental leagues in the U.S. In recent years, record-breaking numbers of NAPHL players have advanced to play in the NAHL. 

In 2023, the NAPHL had a record 95 players tendered or drafted by NAHL teams, with another 79 tendered or drafted by teams in its other junior affiliate, the North American Tier 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). In addition, another 24 players were drafted by teams in the Tier 1 United States Hockey League (USHL). There are more than 200 NAPHL alums playing in the NAHL, better than 160 in the NA3HL and more than 40 in the USHL. Nine former NAPHL players were listed by NHL Central Scouting prior to the 2024 NHL Draft.

With weekend showcase-style events that are operated by NAHL staff members – and often held in conjunction with NAHL and NA3HL events – the NAPHL provides professionally run, well-organized and highly scouted exposure opportunities for its teams and players. The weekend regular-season showcases culminate every year with the North American Tier 1 Hockey League Dixon Cup Playoffs in Michigan.

This year’s NAPHL T1ER playoffs include 13O, 12U, and 11U age groups, but our focus will be on the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U Gold divisions. Games are being played at Suburban Ice and Troy Sports Center in Michigan. They can be viewed live and on-demand via NAHLTV. Play began Friday, Feb. 14, and runs through Monday, Feb. 17.

 

CLICK HERE to access schedules, stats, standings & scores for all NAPHL T1ER age groups

 

NAPHL T1ER 14U Gold Division

There are 10 teams that qualified for the 14U Gold Dixon Cup Playoffs. Four of those teams are ranked among the top 70 in our Week 21 MHR USA Boys Tier 1 14U Rankings.

 

14U Top Participating Teams

#41 Philadelphia Hockey Club

#51 Omaha Mastery

#68 CarShield

#59 Pittsburgh Stars

 

NAPHL T1ER 15O Gold Division

Eight teams qualified for the 15O Gold Dixon Cup Playoffs. Two of those teams are ranked among the top 70 in our Week 21 Rankings.

 

15O Top Participating Teams

#57 Philadelphia Hockey Club

#66 CarShield

  

NAPHL T1ER 16U Gold Division

There are 12 teams competing for the Dixon Cup in the 16U Gold Division. Of those 12, four are ranked among the Week 21 top 60 and eight are in the top 90.

 

16U Top Participating Teams

#34 CarShield

#55 Indiana Elite

#57 Madison Capitols

#59 Pittsburgh Stars

#71 Orange County Ice Dogs

#83 Vegas Jr. Golden Knights

#84 Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks

#89 Omaha Mastery

  

NAPHL T1ER 18U Gold Division

Twelve teams qualified for the 18U Gold Division and will compete for the NAPHL T1ER Dixon Cup. Five of the participating teams are ranked among the MHR Week 21 top 41 and eight are in the top 70.

 

18U Top Participating Teams

#18 CarShield

#33 Biggby Coffee

#37 New Jersey Titans

#41 Lincoln Stars

#48 Pittsburgh Stars

#61 Madison Capitols

#65 Philadelphia Little Flyers

#67 Philadelphia Hockey Club

 

 

Western Canada Playoff Picture

With each passing day, the AAA Boys and Girls playoff picture in Western Canada comes a little bit more into focus.

One league, the Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League (MHFL) began its eight-team playoffs this week after a wild concluding weekend that saw the regular-season champion determined. Another league, the British Columbia Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) 15U AAA Boys division, closes out its regular season this weekend as teams jockey for final postseason positioning.

Meanwhile, the other divisions of the BCEHL, as well as the AAA leagues in Alberta and Saskatchewan, are coming to the end of their regular seasons. Most seasons will conclude during the final the weekends of February, while others will continue on into early March.

While a good number of playoff berths and seeds have been clinched, there are plenty of other spots up for grabs in what promises to be an exciting few weeks. 

Also on the horizon in March are the Central Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL) Championships. More on those playoff races in the weeks ahead.

 

MFHL U18 AAA Playoffs

All of the MFHL first-round matchups except one were set after a hectic final weekend of the regular season. The lone remaining first-round matchup is being determined by a best-of-three play-in series between the ninth-place Interlake Lightning and eighth-place Central Plains Capitals.

Game 3 is being played Friday, Feb. 14, after the teams split the first two contests. The Capitals earned a 1-0 shutout victory Feb. 10 thanks to a late goal by Madlyn Moerkerk and 55 sabes by Elyse Denbow. Interlake rebounded for a 4-1 Game 2 win Feb. 12 as Makayla Sydenham potted a pair of goals.

The winner of Friday’s game will take on the top-seeded Eastman Selects, who broke into the MHR Canada Girls Tier 1 top 10 this week after knocking off the fifth-ranked Winnipeg Avros to secure first place on the final Friday of the regular season.

The Avros will play in the first game of the MFHL best-of-five quarterfinals against the seventh-seeded Westman Wildcats on Wednesday, Feb. 19. In another quarterfinal, the fourth-seeded Yellowhead Chiefs host the No. 5 Brandon Wheat Kings for Game 1 Feb. 20.

Schedules for the other two series, including the one involving Eastman and the play-in winner, have not been announced. The third-seeded Winnipeg Ice face the No. 6 Pembina Valley Hawks in the fourth quarterfinal matchup.

Winnipeg is ranked 14^th in Canda, Yellowhead is No. 56 and Brandon is No. 76.

 

CLICK HERE for the complete MFHL Playoff schedule

CLCK HERE for the final MFHL standings

 

MFHL Playoffs Round 1 Matchups (best of five):

#1 Eastman Selects vs. #9 Interlake Lightning or #8 Central Plains Capitals

#2 Winnipeg Avros vs. #7 Westman Wildcats

#3 Winnipeg Ice vs. #6 Pembina Valley Hawks

#4 Yellowhead Chiefs vs. #5 Brandon Wheat Kings

 

 

BCEHL Boys U15 AAA Final Weekend

It’s the final weekend of play for U15 AAA Boys teams in the BECHL as they scramble to solidify their playoff seedings. The Thompson Blazers (16-9-2-1) have 35 standings points, four more than the third-place Cariboo Cougars (14-11-2-1). Meanwhile, the Vancouver North West Hawks (14-13-1-0) and North East Chiefs (13-12-2-1) are tied for fifth place with 29 points apiece. 

The Chiefs and Hawks face off twice during the final weekend with the No. 5 seed on the line, while the Blazers and Cougars also conclude the year facing each other in a home-and-away series.

Western Canada’s 29^th-ranked Okanagan Rockets are in first place at 24-4-0-0 and hold a 13-point advantage over the Blazers. They conclude the season with a pair of games against the last-place Greater Vancouver Canadians (10 points). The Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (14-13-3) are tied with Cariboo at 31 points. Fraser Valley and the seventh-place Valley West Giants (22 points) have concluded regular-season play.  

  

Feb. 15 BCEHL U15 AAA Games:

Greater Vancouver Canadians at Okanagan Rockets – 6:00 p.m. EST at MNP Place 

Cariboo Cougars at Thompson Blazers – 7:30 p.m. EST at Sandman Centre

Vancouver North East Chiefs at Vancouver North West Hawks – 9:00 p.m. EST at Canlan Sports North Shore

 

Feb. 16 BCEHL U15 AAA Games:

Cariboo Cougars at Thompson Blazers – 1:00 p.m. EST at Art Holding Memorial Arena

Greater Vancouver Canadians at Okanagan Rockets – 10:00 a.m. EST at MNP Place

Vancouver North West Hawks at Vancouver North East Chiefs – 10:45 a.m. EST at Scotia Barn

 

Elsewhere in the BCEHL

All of the other BCEHL AAA leagues conclude their regular seasons either the weekend of Feb. 21 or Feb. 28. 

In the U18 AAA Boys division, the Cariboo Cougars are in first place with 50 points, five ahead of the Valley West Giants. The Okangan Rockets are in third with 43 points, while just three points separate third and fifth place. Regular-season play concludes for BCEHL U18 AAA Boys teams Feb. 23

 

CLICK HERE for the BCEHL U18 AAA Boys schedule, standings and stats

 

On the U18 AAA Girls side, the Greater Vancouver Comets, ranked eighth in Canada, have a commanding 25-point lead over the second-place Northern Capitals. At 29 points, the Caps are a single point ahead of both the Fraser Valley Rush and Thompson-Okanagan Lakers.

 

CLICK HERE for the BCEHL U18 AAA Girls schedule, standings and stats

 
First place also is locked up for the Okanagan Rockets in U17 Boys AAA play. Okanagan has 60 points, 14 more than the second-place Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. Fraser Valley is just three points in front of the Vancouver North West Hawks (43 points) and four in front of the Vancouver North East Chiefs. Just eight points separate second and sixth place, while the Greater Vancouver Canadians and Cariboo Cougars are tied for sixth with 29 points apiece.

 

CLICK HERE for the BCEHL U17 AAA Boys schedule, standings and stats