Weekend Preview Feb. 6-8: Big Events in the CSSHL & Detroit Plus the NE Pack Playoffs
Believe it or not, some teams are preparing to hop on the Road to Nationals in both Canada and the United States as we head into the first full weekend of February.
The engines are revving, and the countdown is on.
In the United States, we are just two weeks away from the February’s first USA Hockey Tier 1 district tournament, which is the route most teams take to qualify for USA Hockey National Championships.
The Pacific District Girls Tier 1 Tournament for 14U, 16U and 19U teams is scheduled for Feb. 19-22 in Alaska. Following that weekend, similar tournaments will be held to determine district champions in Michigan, the Atlantic District, New York, the Southeastern District, the Central District, the New England District, the Mid-Am District, the Northern Plains District and Massachusetts as the fields are finalized for Nationals. A few National Championship berths were decided in November in Minnesota, Massachusetts and New England.
State champions at the 19U (Girls), 18U, (Boys), 16U and 14U levels earn berths into the USA Hockey Tier 2 National Championship tournaments. Many state tournaments have been held, are getting underway or will be played during the next several weeks. We will be tracking results from the USA Hockey state and district tournaments via our Tier 1 District Tournament Tracker and by signifying which teams qualify for Nationals in our weekly rankings.
Canadian U18 teams compete for the opportunity to play in the Telus Cup (Boys) and Esso Cup (Girls) Hockey Canada Club National Championships. Teams in younger age groups participate in league playdowns and playoffs for the right to compete for provincial championships. That process is already underway in Canada, and we will follow it all the way to the end of the road in late April.
The Telus Cup features the U18 Boys champions of Quebec; champions of the Pacific, West, Central and Atlantic regions; and a host team. This year, the Peterborough Pets from Ontario are hosting the tournament.
The Esso Cup includes provincial U18 Girls champions from Ontario and Quebec along with the Pacific, West and Atlantic champs and a host team. The 2026 Esso Cup is being held in Dieppe, New Brunswick, with the Moncton Rockets serving as tournament hosts.
As youth hockey playoff fever takes hold around North America, the weekend of February 6-8 gives us a little taste of postseason play along with some other intriguing events.
One of the top amateur hockey leagues in North America, the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, is hosting a unique event the weekend of Feb. 6-8 in Saint-Rach-de-l’Achigan, Quebec. The 2026 CSSHL East West Challenge brings together 14 total U18 AAA Boys teams from the CSSHL’s Eastern and Western divisions for a showcase-style event. Play began Thursday, Feb. 5, and concludes with the championship game Sunday, Feb. 8.
Meanwhile, another of North America’s top youth leagues, the Northeast Pack, is holding its annual playoffs for some of the top 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U Tier 1 Boys teams in the United States. The NE Pack Playoffs began the morning of Friday, Feb. 6, and run through Feb. 8 in Utica, N.Y.
Finally, some of the top North American Tier 1 Girls programs are in the Detroit area for the Motor City Girls Fest, a late-season tuneup for many teams hoping to make a run to Nationals. The tournament includes 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U divisions, with 90 teams from the United States and Canada competing.
The CSSHL East West Challenge in Saint-Rach-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, features 14 school-based teams from across Canada that compete in the league’s Eastern and Western Boys U18 divisions. The teams are competing in a showcase-style event, with everyone playing at least four games. Two teams will advance to compete in a fifth game for the tournament championship Sunday, Feb. 8.
Founded in 2009 by five like-minded Hockey Canada Sport Schools, the mission for the CSSHL always has been to establish a league designed specifically for elite level student-athletes, providing them with an opportunity to increase their skills on and off the ice, a high level of competition and exposure.
The inaugural 2009-10 season featured five sport schools and eight total teams competing in two divisions. Since then, the CSSHL has grown to include 38 sport schools and 129 teams competing in eight different divisions. All programs participating in the CSSHL are sanctioned by Hockey Canada or are USA Hockey Accredited Schools, meeting the regulations of not only Hockey Canada and USA Hockey but also of their provincial or district governing bodies.
The CSSHL strives to be a leader in education-based hockey in North America, with objective of providing a competitive environment for young student-athletes that promotes the values of sportsmanship, citizenship, academic excellence and hockey development.
East West Challenge participants include six teams ranked among Western Canada’s top 21, according to the Week 20 MHR Rankings, led by No. 9 Edge School of Calgary and No. 11 South Alberta Hockey Academy. Six of those teams also are ranked among the top 16 Canada Independent Prep programs. The Eastern Division contingent includes three teams ranked among the Canada Independent Prep top 31, led by No. 11 Stanstead College.
Games are being played at the J.S. Perreault Complex and can be viewed live and on-demand via FLOHockey.
CSSHL East West Challenge Participating Teams
Eastern Division
- #22 Bouget College (Rigaud, QC)
- #61 Fort Erie International Academy (Fort Erie, ON)
- #66 Okanagan Hockey Ontario (Whitby, ON)
- #46 Ontario Hockey Academy (Cornwall, ON)
- #31 Rothesay Netherwood School (Rothesay, NB)
- #11 Stanstead College (Stanstead, QC)
- #29 Ulysse Academy (Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, QC)
Western Division
- #21 Burnaby Winter Club Academy (Burnaby, BC)
- #18 Delta Hockey Academy (Delta, BC)
- #9 Edge School (Calgary, AB)
- #20 Okanagan Hockey Academy (Penticton, BC)
- #19 Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (Victoria, BC)
- #48 Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (Pilot Mound, MB)
- #11 South Alberta Hockey Academy (Dunmore, AB)
CLICK HERE for the East West Challenge Schedule
CLICK HERE FOR East West Challenge Standings
CLICK HERE for East West Challenge Player Stats
CLICK HERE for East West Challenge Goalie Stats
CLICK HERE for the Digital Program
One of the top American Tier 1 Boys showcase-style youth hockey leagues, the Northeast Pack will crown its 2025-26 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U champions the weekend of Feb. 6-8 at the Utica University Nexus Enter in Utica, N.Y.
Featuring some of the top Tier 1 clubs in the United States, the NE Pack’s playoff weekend includes Mount St. Charles, the Bishop Kearney Selects, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, the Mid-Fairfield Rangers, the New Jersey Rockets and the Woodbridge Wolfpack all competing in the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U divisions. Little Caesars replaces Mid-Fairfield in the 18U playoffs. There are a total of 24 teams competing across the four age levels in Utica.
The Utica University Nexus Center has a LiveBarn feed, so all games should be available there for live and on-demand viewing.
The Northeast Pack Hockey League is comprised of six youth hockey organizations from the Northeast and Little Caesars from the Midwest. Little Caesars joined the NE Pack as full-time member at the 18U level prior to the 2025-26 season.
The NE Pack was founded prior to the 2019-20 season by six nationally prominent youth hockey organizations that shared a vision for player-focused development. Every member of the league has a track record of success developing players and moving them to higher levels of junior, college and eventually even professional hockey. Many league members compete for USA Hockey national championships at various age levels annually, and at least one NE Pack team has won a national championship every year since the league was founded.
Regular-season play in the NE Pack consists of five showcase weekends held around the Northeast leading up to this weekend’s playoffs. The league recently announced the addition of a 13U division for the 2026-27 season. In addition, the Chicago Reapers and Chicago Mission are joining the Northeast Pack in all age groups next year.
NE Pack 14U Playoffs
The NE Pack 14U Playoffs feature three teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 10 and four among the top 20. Second-ranked Pens Elite dominated the regular season, compiling a 14-1-0 league record to finish 14 points in front of the fifth-ranked Bishop Kearney Selects.
NE Pack 14U Participating Teams
#2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#4 Mount St. Charles
#5 Bishop Kearney Selects
#19 Woodbridge Wolfpack
#41 New Jersey Rockets
#58 Mid-Fairfield Rangers
NE Pack 15O Playoffs
The NE Pack 15O Playoffs include three teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 10, and all six are among the top 30. The No. 2 Woodbridge Wolfpack outlasted sixth-ranked Bishop Kearney Selects to finish the regular season on top with a 12-3-0 league record and 37 points. B.K. finished second with 36 points.
NE Pack 15O Participating Teams
#2 Woodbridge Wolfpack
#6 Bishop Kearney Selects
#10 Mount St. Charles
#12 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#21 New Jersey Rockets
#29 Mid-Fairfield Rangers
NE Pack 16U Playoffs
The NE Pack 16U Playoffs feature five teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 16, and all six are among the top 50. The fourth-ranked Woodbridge Wolfpack finished the regular season 12 points ahead of both No. 13 Mount St. Charles and the 16th-ranked New Jersey Rockets with a league record of 12-3-0, good for 36 points.
NE Pack 16U Participating Teams
#4 Woodbridge Wolfpack
#12 Bishop Kearney Selects
#13 Mount St. Charles
#14 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#16 New Jersey Rockets
#50 Mid-Fairfield Rangers
NE Pack 18U Playoffs
The NE Pack 18U Playoffs include five teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 20, and all six are among the top 26. The Woodbridge Wolfpack, ranked 17th among all USA Boys 18U Tier 1 teams, finished one point ahead of the No. 6 New Jersey Rockets with a 10-5-0 regular-season league record and 29 points.
NE Pack 18U Participating Teams
#6 New Jersey Rockets
#11 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#14 Bishop Kearney Selects
#17 (all teams) Woodbridge Wolfpack
#20 Little Caesars
#26 Mount St. Charles
CLICK HERE for links to Northeast Pack schedules, scores, standings and stats
Ninety USA & Canada Girls teams from ages 10U through 19U are in the Detroit Area for the Motor City Girls Fest, which began the morning of Feb. 6 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 8. Our focus will be on the 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U divisions.
The primary host venues are Buffalo Wild Wings Arena in Troy, Mich., and Lakeland Arena in Waterford, Mich. Other venues include Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich., and John Lindell Ice Arena in Royal Oak, Mich. Most games should be available on LiveBarn for live and on-demand viewing.
The 12U Division includes 14 teams competing in three pools, while there are 26 teams in the 14U Division divided into six pools, 24 teams and six pools in the 16U Division and 20 teams across five pools in the 19U Division.
Games began the morning of Feb. 6, with pool play concluding the afternoon of Feb. 7 and playoffs beginning later that same day. Championship games begin at 1 p.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 8, and continue throughout that afternoon.
Motor City Girls Fest 12U Division
The Girls Fest 12U Division consists of 14 teams competing in three pools. Eight of the teams are ranked among the USA top 23, according to the latest MHR 12U Girls Rankings.
12U Top Participating Teams
#2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#3 Little Caesars
#11 Windy City Storm
#12 Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
#15 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
#16 St. Louis AAA Blues
#21 Biggby Coffee
#23 Fox Motors
Motor City Girls Fest 14U Division
In the Girls Fest 14U Division, there are 26 teams spread out among six pools. Three of the teams are from Ontario, ranking first, 14th and 54th in the Week 20 Canada U15 Tier 1 Rankings. There are five USA 14U Tier 1 top 10 teams in the division, and nine teams are among the top 20.
14U Top Participating Teams
#1 Canada Durham West Lightning
#3 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
#4 Fox Motors
#6 Chicago Mission
#8 Dallas Stars Elite
#9 Little Caesars
#13 Windy City Storm
#14 Canada Toronto Leaside Wildcats
#14 Team Illinois
#17 LA Lions
#19 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
Motor City Girls Fest 16U Division
The Girls Fest 16U Division has 24 teams competing in six pools. Three teams from Ontario are playing, including the Nos. 42 and 43 U18 teams in Canada. Three teams are ranked in the USA 16U Tier 1 top 10 and nine are among the top 25.
16U Top Participating Teams
#7 Chicago Mission
#8 Team Illinois
#9 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
#11 Bishop Kearney Selects
#15 Little Caesars
#17 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#18 Canada Ottawa Lady Senators
#20 Madison Capitols
#22 Belle Tire
#24 Rochester Jr. Americans
Motor City Girls Fest 19U Division
There are 20 teams split into five pools in the Girls Fest 19U Division. Three participating 19U teams are ranked among the Week 20 USA Tier 1 top 10, and 10 are in the top 31. The Nos. 11 and 15 USA Girls Independent Prep teams also are competing.
19U Top Participating Teams
#3 Bishop Kearney Selects
#5 Chicago Mission
#10 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
#11 Prep Nichols School
#14 Little Caesars
#15 Prep St. Mary’s (Calif.)
#18 Madison Capitols
#20 Gilmour Academy
#22 Team Illinois
#21 Belle Tire
#29 St. Louis AAA Blues
#31 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
CLICK HERE for links to Motor City Girls Fest schedules, scores, standings and stats
