NAPHL Photo by Patrick Gariepy

 

While Valentine’s Day kicked off the weekend of Feb. 14-17 – and in the United States we closed the weekend out with Presidents Day – the rest of the weekend was all about the hockey.

Youth hockey postseason action continued or got underway in many parts of North America, and for those leagues and teams that hadn’t quite reached that point, the push for the playoffs continued. While we were still a week away from the first USA Hockey Tier 1 district tournaments, teams in many leagues competed for banners, trophies and bragging rights.

In the United States, the weekend of Feb. 14-17 included a pair of Boys Tier 1 showcase leagues 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 traveled to 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 the previous weekend, filled out its quarterfinal field with an eighth place vs. ninth place best-of-three play-in series. Meanwhile, other Western Canada Boys and Girls AAA leagues moved closer to postseason play as their regular seasons continued to wind down.

The British Columbia Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) saw its Boys U15 AAA regular season come to an end as teams jockeyed for final 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 at least one week of play 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 league members 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.

This year’s T1EHL playoffs began the morning of Friday, Feb. 14, and ran through Monday, Feb. 17. Each age group featured 16 teams competing for league titles in “Championship” divisions, with the remaining teams that did not qualify playing consolation games.

For championship play, each age group was 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 knockout-round matchups. Championship games were played Monday, Feb. 17.

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

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

 

T1EHL 14U Playoffs

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

 

Top 14U Participating Team Records

#9 Chicago Fury (1-3-0)

#10 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (3-1-0)

#11 Buffalo Jr. Sabres (3-1-0)

#15 Fox Motors (5-0-0)

#19 North Jersey Avalanche (3-1-0)

#22 Los Angeles Jr. Kings (1-3-0)

#26 St. Louis AAA Blues (1-3-0)

#36 Victory Honda (3-1-0)

#38 Chicago Fury (1-3-0)

 

14U Championship Game – Monday, Feb. 17

Fox Motors 4, Dallas Stars Elite 1

Ryan Teuscher scored twice, and Mason Martin stopped 32 shots to lead Fox Motors past Dallas for the 14U championship. Dylan Lieckfield contributed a goal and an assist for the winners, and Mason Hartz scored the other Fox goal. Charlie Fox tallied for Dallas

 

T1EHL 15O Playoffs

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

 

Top 15O Participating Team Records

#8 St. Louis AAA Blues (4-1-0)

#14 Anaheim Jr. Ducks (3-1-0)

#16 Cleveland Barons (3-1-0)

#19 Florida Alliance (3-1-0)

#20 North Jersey Avalanche (2-2-0)

#24 Buffalo Jr. Sabres (2-2-0)

#28 Dallas Stars Elite (4-1-0)

#29 Fox Motors (2-2-0)

#30 Chicago Fury (2-2-0)

#33 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (0-4-0)

#34 Sioux Falls Power (0-4-0)

#35 Victory Honda (3-1-0)

#36 Colorado Rampage (0-4-0)

#37 Nashville Jr. Predators (1-3-0)

#40 Ohio Blue Jackets (3-1-0)

#45 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (1-3-0)

 

15O Championship Game – Feb. 17

Dallas Stars Elite 4, St. Louis AAA Blues 1

John Nolan Waterstreet, Logan Brown and Noah Morrison scored the game’s final three goals overlapping the second and third periods as Dallas broke a 1-1 tie and rolled to a 4-1 victory. Samson Ygay had the other Dallas goal, opening the scoring in the first period before Justus Templeton tied it in the middle frame for the Blues. Winning goalie Dean Sartin made 31 saves.

 

T1EHL 16U Playoffs

There were 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 Team Records

#7 Dallas Stars Elite (3-1-0)

#8 North Jersey Avalanche (3-2-0)

#11 Sioux Falls Power (3-1-0)

#16 St. Louis AAA Blues (5-0-0)

#19 Buffalo Jr. Sabres (2-2-0)

#21 Cleveland Barons (1-3-0)

#25 Ohio Blue Jackets (2-2-0)

#28 Nashville Jr. Predators (0-4-0)

#29 Fox Motors (3-1-0)

#36 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (3-1-0)

#38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks (0-4-0)

 

16U Championship Game – Feb. 17

St. Louis AAA Blues 5, North Jersey Avalanche 3

The Blues trailed the Avs, 3-2, entering the third period, but got a pair of goals from Camden Alemond and one from Carson Clukies to skate off with the title. Alemond sealed it with an empty-net goal to complete his hat trick. Theo Vantine also scored for St. Louis, and Nathan Sutto stopped 33 shots to earn the win in goal. Brody Latkin, Hunter Bridges and William Leonard scored for North Jersey.

 

T1EHL 18U Playoffs

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

 

Top 18U Participating Team Records

#13 St. Louis AAA Blues (2-2-0)

#22 Ohio Blue Jackets (2-2-0)

#25 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (3-1-0)

#27 Chicago Fury (3-1-0)

#28 Victory Honda (2-2-0)

#32 North Jersey Avalanche (2-2-0)

#35 Fox Motors (4-1-0)

#38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks (3-1-0)

#39 Sioux Falls Power (4-1-0)

#40 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (1-3-0)

 

18U Championship Game – Feb. 17

Fox Motors 3, Sioux Falls Power 2

Matthew Ostrander scored his first goal of the weekend with 17 seconds remaining to seemingly provide insurance, but it turned out to be the game-winning goal when Charles Norris scored for Sioux Falls 16 seconds alter to cut the final margin to 3-2. Andrew Fabry and Landon Carpenter also scored for Fox, while winning netminder Caden Meringa stopped 17 shots. Cam Alt had the other Power goal, netting a short-handed tally in the third period.

 

 

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. 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. 

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 is on the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U Gold divisions. Games were played at Suburban Ice and Troy Sports Center in Michigan. They can be viewed on-demand via NAHLTV. Play began Friday, Feb. 14, and ran through Monday, Feb. 17.

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

 

NAPHL T1ER 14U Gold Division

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

 

14U Top Participating Team Records

#41 Philadelphia Hockey Club (3-2-0)

#51 Omaha Mastery (5-0-0)

#68 CarShield (2-2-0)

#59 Pittsburgh Stars (3-1-0)

 

14U Championship Game – Feb. 17

Omaha Mastery 2, Philadelphia Hockey Club 1

Alex Montanez and Kaden Certa scored to give Omaha a 2-0 lead in the second period, but Jason Bloor cut the margin to 2-1 with his sixth goal of the playoffs. Omaha held on in the third period, however, as winning goalie Isaac Pilcher finished with 26 saves.

 

NAPHL T1ER 15O Gold Division

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

 

15O Top Participating Team Records

#57 Philadelphia Hockey Club (4-0-0)

#66 CarShield (3-2-0)

 

15O Championship Game – Feb. 17

Philadelphia Hockey Club 4, CarShield 1

Nole Donohue scored twice, with Grady Reilly and Nicky Lento also tallying, as PHC earned the 15O championship. Reilly also dished out a pair of assists, with Lento adding a single helper. Aidan Wright made 28 saves to earn the victory in goal. Caden Clark had CarShield’s lone goal.

  

NAPHL T1ER 16U Gold Division

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

 

16U Top Participating Team Records

#34 CarShield (5-0-0)

#55 Indiana Elite (2-2-0)

#57 Madison Capitols (3-1-0)

#59 Pittsburgh Stars (4-1-0)

#71 Orange County Ice Dogs (1-3-0)

#83 Vegas Jr. Golden Knights (1-3-0)

#84 Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks (2-2-0)

#89 Omaha Mastery (2-1-1)

 

16U Championship Game – Feb. 17

CarShield 3, Pittsburgh Stars 1

CarShield jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first 11:33 of the game and sealed the win on Michael Buckowitz’s fifth goal of the weekend late in the third period. Buckowitz opened and closed the scoring for the winners, with Greyson Larose potting the other CarShield goal. Matthew Clarke assisted on both Buckowitz tallies. Ethan Riffe had the lone Pittsburgh goal, while Nathan Arnold made 16 saves to backstop the victory for CarShield.

  

NAPHL T1ER 18U Gold Division

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

 

18U Top Participating Team Records

#18 CarShield (5-0-0)

#33 Biggby Coffee (3-1-0)

#37 New Jersey Titans (3-1-0)

#41 Lincoln Stars (3-2-0)

#48 Pittsburgh Stars (3-1-0)

#61 Madison Capitols (2-1-1)

#65 Philadelphia Little Flyers (2-2-0)

#67 Philadelphia Hockey Club (1-3-0)

 

18U Championship Game – Feb. 17

CarShield 2, Lincoln Stars 1

Noah Teng broke a 1-1 tie midway through the third period, and goalie Andrew Bely made 17 saves as CarShield edged Lincoln for the 18U championship. Cooper Jacobson scored his fourth goal of the weekend for the victors, and Alex DeGroat assisted on the winning tally. Boone Theiler had the lone goal for the Stars.

 

 

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 last 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, closed 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 two 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 are now set following the best-of-three play-in series between the eighth-place Interlake Lightning and ninth-place Central Plains Capitals.

Game 3 was 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 from Elyse Denbow. Interlake rebounded for a 4-1 Game 2 win Feb. 12 as Makayla Sydenham potted a pair of goals.

In the finale, Interlake rolled up a 43-19 shots advantage and scored twice in the third period to seal a 3-0 victory and advance to take on the top-seeded Eastman Selects in the quarterfinals. Orieanna Kennedy made 19 saves to earn the shutout win, while Ellis Pearson, Chloe Minkus and Kashlynn Kiesman scored for the Lightning. Bre-Ann Windross and Ireland Tymchak each dished out two assists for the winners.

Top-seeded Eastman broke into the MHR Canada Girls Tier 1 top 10 last week after knocking off the fifth-ranked Winnipeg Avros to secure first place on the final Friday of the regular season. Game 1 of the Eastman-Interlake quarterfinal series is set for Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. EST.

The Avros also will play their first game of the MFHL best-of-five quarterfinals against the seventh-seeded Westman Wildcats at 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 19. In another quarterfinal, the fourth-seeded Yellowhead Chiefs host the No. 5 Brandon Wheat Kings for Game 1 Feb. 20, at 9:30 p.m. EST.

The quarterfinals got underway Tuesday, Feb. 18, with the sixth-seeded Pembina Valley Hawks playing at the third-seeded Winnipeg Ice in a 10:10 p.m. EST start.

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. #8 Interlake Lightning

#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 was the final weekend of play for U15 AAA Boys teams in the BECHL as they scrambled to solidify their playoff seedings. The Thompson Blazers (16-9-2-1) entered the weekend with 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) were tied for fifth place with 29 points apiece. 

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

Western Canada’s 29^th-ranked Okanagan Rockets finished in first place at 26-4-0-0 15 points in front of the Blazers. They concluded the season with a pair of wins against the last-place Greater Vancouver Canadians (10 points). The Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (14-13-3) finished sixth with 31 points, two points behind third-place Cariboo and one behind the fourth-place North West Hawks and fifth-place North East Chiefs.

  

Feb. 15 BCEHL U15 AAA Games:

Greater Vancouver Canadians (1) at Okanagan Rockets (6)

Cariboo Cougars (4) at Thompson Blazers (2)

Vancouver North East Chiefs (6) at Vancouver North West Hawks (5

 

Feb. 16 BCEHL U15 AAA Games:

Cariboo Cougars (2) at Thompson Blazers (5)

Greater Vancouver Canadians (1) at Okanagan Rockets (8)

Vancouver North West Hawks (4) at Vancouver North East Chiefs (3)

 

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 52 points, three ahead of the Valley West Giants. The Okangan Rockets are in third with 43 points, while just seven 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 26-point lead over the second-place Fraser Valley Rush. At 32 points, the Rush are three points ahead of the Northern Capitals and four in front of the Thompson-Okangan 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 64 points, 15 more than the second-place Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. Fraser Valley is just two points in front of the Vancouver North West Hawks (47 points) and five in front of the Vancouver North East Chiefs. Just nine points separate second and fifth place, while the Greater Vancouver Canadians are in sixth place with 31 points, two ahead of the Cariboo Cougars.

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