Craig Peterson, remote coverage of 16U Nationals
There were still 14 games of pool-play action left to be played at the 16U USA Hockey Nationals. However, Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Chicago Mission had already secured spots in the next round.
Mission’s 9-2 win over Team North Dakota and Shattuck’s 7-1 win over the Boston Little Bruins guaranteed they would finish as the top two seeded teams in the USA Division. Now, the top two teams are slated to play against each other on Friday. The outcome of that game will determine who is the 1-seed and who is the 2-seed, but both clubs can rest easy Thursday night knowing they’ll make it to the weekend regardless of the outcome of Game 3.
Eero Butella’s four-point performance helped fuel Mission to its dominant win over North Dakota. He leads all skaters in the tournament with four goals and eight points. Teammate Frank DeRosa tops all defensemen in scoring as well, with four points.
The top two seeds in the NHL Division are set to play Friday at noon. It may be a bit anticlimactic though, as both Little Caesars and North Jersey Avalanche have secured spots in the playoffs as well. Similar to Shattuck and Mission, the order may not be finalized but the participants are locked in. Caesars is 2-0-0, as are the Avs, and the two teams will break that deadlock at noon.
With both teams comfortably moving on to the quarterfinals, that means four of the eight playoff spots are already spoken for, with eight games left to play.
While Compuware hasn’t yet clinched a spot like the four previously mentioned teams, it has put itself in the driver’s seat heading into Friday. Michael Barron scored the game-winning goal against Mount St. Charles with 70 seconds left in regulation on Wednesday. That win, plus a dominant showing against the Nashville Jr. Predators on Thursday means Compuware controls its own destiny. A third win obviously pushes them on to the playoffs, but even in defeat on Friday, the Detroit-based squad could advance to the elimination rounds.
Craig Peterson, on-site at 14U Nationals
It was less than five minutes into the game between Chicago Mission and Pittsburgh Vengeance. There were just four or five shots on goal recorded on the jumbotron overhead, yet three of them had resulted in goals for Pittsburgh. Two of those goals came off the stick of forward Sean Miller.
Mission came into the matchup — and the 14U USA Hockey Nationals — as heavy favorites. They entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the country, as well as the 2-seed in the field of 16 teams. Mission rolled the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 5-1 on the first day of Nationals. Meanwhile, its Day 2 opponent in Pittsburgh was out-shot, out-chanced and out-played by Bishop Kearney. All signs pointed in favor of Kalder Varga, Abraham Barnett and the Chicago Mission on Thursday.
Mission even controlled much of the play out of the gate. However, two odd-man rushes and a power-play goal allowed Pittsburgh to get on the board first. Miller’s first goal came off a line rush when he wired a wrist shot over Donovan Dunlay’s shoulder. Three minutes later, Jacob Keisel made it 2-0 for Pittsburgh with a shot from the blue line. Then, with 7:34 left in the opening period, Miller scored his second of the game on a power play to put the Vengeance on top 3-0.
Pittsburgh was able to force Mission to play its style of hockey. Much of the game felt like it took place in a phone booth. Tough board battles, scrums for loose pucks and very little time or space for a much more skilled Chicago team. Eventually, Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll — who had a goal and an assist — Varga, Barnett and co., were able to generate some offense and cut into the deficit. However, Mission was unable to overcome, and a third goal from Miller as well as Jacob Gilbert’s first goal of the tournament put the game out of reach at 7-3.
For a USA Hockey Nationals tournament that has basically been all chalk through the first 12 games, the 7-3 win for Pittsburgh is a shock to the system. Miller and teammate Caden Harvery are tied for second in the tournament in scoring with six points apiece. Goalie Giovanni Scally impressed as well with 33 saves in the win. It was his first action of the tournament.
Pittsburgh still needs some things to break its way in order to advance to the elimination rounds. However, Miller’s performance at least keeps them in the hunt heading into Friday.
A regulation win over the Jr. Canes would likely be enough to secure the second spot. Mission and BK go head-to-head on the final day. I believe that BK at 2-0-0 has unofficially secured one of the two spots out of the Olympic Pool. However, if Mission beats Bishop Kearney, it opens the door to the possibility of a three-way tie, and tiebreakers being the deciding factor.
If Shattuck-St. Mary’s doesn’t win the 14U USA Hockey Nationals, the eventual winner will certainly have to go through them to get it.
The forward line of Carson Andrew, Parker Trottier and tournament leader Tynan Lawrence are as good as any here at USA Hockey Arena. Plus, what a luxury it is to follow up that line with the trio of Michael Berchild, Zane Torre and Cooper Soller. Shattuck’s lineup is loaded with talent across the board, evident by their 13 different goal scorers in two games.
They’ve put on an offensive clinic, albeit against the 16-seed and 9-seed in the tournament. But it’s more than just the plus-13 goal differential. They’re sound defensively, constantly in good position, hard on pucks and just playing the game the right way. I think it was John Riffey I saw lay out to block a shot from the point in the game with Dallas Stars Elite. You need those types of little plays that ultimately make the difference in championship runs. In addition to being the most talented team in the building, the group is playing hard, smart and desperate.
There’s two teams I think can really challenge Shattuck in the playoffs. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite looked really sharp in their win against the Boston Jr. Eagles. They’re a talented bunch with really good chemistry off the rush. Give-and-go plays, clean zone entries, etc., make me think PPE can get up and down the ice with Shattuck.
The other team — despite the loss to Pittsburgh Vengeance — is the Chicago Mission. Similar to PPE, Mission has loads of talent on their roster. Kalder Varga is an exceptional forward, as is Abraham Barnett on the back end. Victor Plante, Lukas Zajic and Robin Kuzma can definitely take this team to a level that can compete with a Shattuck or Pens Elite.
Through two games, Bishop Kearney has scored 10 goals with a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh Vengeance and a 5-0 win over the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. Of those goals, five have been scored on the man advantage, including four in Thursday’s game against the Jr. Canes. BK’s power-play unit is converting on 55.6 percent of its opportunities, and forward Rudolfs Berzkalns has fueled much of its efforts. They take on a Chicago Mission team on Friday that is the second-most penalized team in the tournament with 11 minor penalties.
As mentioned before, win or lose on Day 3, Bishop Kearney should already have a spot in the elimination rounds. They’re undefeated with a significant goal differential to boot. Win, and they’re obviously in. Lose, and BK would likely hold any tiebreakers over its fellow Olympic Pool members.
Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
A morning clash between Little Caesars and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite lived up to the hype at 15O USA Hockey Nationals. With both clubs coming in after tournament-opening victories on Day 1, a win for either would all but cement placement in the elimination round games this weekend.
Pens Elite came out strong, realizing its opportunity and task ahead of taking on a powerhouse like Caesars. Jacob Cloutier was on the forecheck early and often. As a collective unit, Caesars struggled with Pittsburgh’s speed, finding themselves on the losing end of board battles, puck scrums and offensive zone time. The trio of Quinn McKenzie, Cloutier and Kieren Dervin was a standout, creating the most scoring opportunities of the period.
As the period wore on, Caesars began to find its legs, but had difficulty getting shots on net as the Pens constantly got in front of any shot they could. Each team was as physical as they could be, with big checks in open ice and along the boards.
Just over one minute into the second frame, Pittsburgh jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Ryan White depositing a rebound chance in front. Shortly after, following a great drive to the net by Luke Menard, Charlton Tretheway banged in a loose puck in the crease to knot things at 1. Menard dipped his shoulder and bullied his way to the net, where Tretheway crashed and slipped the loose puck past Jake Shingles. The goal was originally credited to Nicholas Kosiba, but was changed postgame.
Thretheway was easily one of the standout skaters for Caesars. Constantly jumping in the rush when possible, his ability to get back into position with great speed often surprised Pens Elite players.
Caesars warmed to the task in the second, with a lot of time spent in the Pens Elite defensive zone. Late in the period, Kosiba would put Caesars up 2-1 on the power play thanks to a pretty passing play between Zachary Morin and William Horcoff.
Nicholas Kosiba nets his second goal of the morning on the power play to put @HockeyCaesars up 2-1 against @PghPensElite at 15O @usahockey Nationals. Third period coming up! #USAHNationals pic.twitter.com/j7DsRKk0pn
— World Hockey Hub (@WorldHkyHub) March 30, 2023
Pens Elite understood they needed a win, so they pushed much of the pace in the third period. Tretheway was outstanding, constantly shutting down odd-man rushes with perfect stick position. Pittsburgh managed to find the equalizer at 12:46 when Mark Evans blasted a one-timer off the post and in. With 1:13 left and on a sixth power play of the game, Horcoff sent a low shot that beat the glove of Shingles to put Caesars up 3-2. With Pittsburgh once again searching for a goal, Aiden Janz iced the game with an empty-net goal.
Chicago Mission got their second victory of the round robin in a tight contest against Compuware. Jacob Eilers got Chicago on the board first when he fired a top-shelf wrister while on the penalty kill. Overall, seven penalties were called in the opening frame, with four for Compuware and three for Mission.
Early in the second, Compuware would strike. Isaac Nelson deposited a pass from Travis Hayes from in tight, evening things at 1. It was apparent that Chicago knew they had Compuware beat in terms of overall size, and they rarely shied away from any opportunity to throw the body. After some extended zone time, Nathen Jastrzebski tipped an Andrew Horn shot for a 2-1 Mission lead. Chicago’s ability to cycle in the zone was a strength, aided greatly by the versatility of Asher Barnett on the blue line.
Each team would hit numerous crossbars and posts as regulation continued. Despite numerous attempts at trying to find a tying goal, Mission’s defense quickly smothered any Compuware attack. Egan Beveridge eventually put the game away with an empty-net goal.
WHH will have continued coverage of USA Hockey Nationals this week. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
On Wednesday, USA Hockey unveiled the groupings, schedule and information regarding the 2023 national championships. In doing so, the four at-large teams for each of the 14U, 15O and 16U tournaments were announced, finalizing the field of 16 teams at each age level. Additionally, the groupings for each of the 16 teams were released, accompanied by complete pool-play schedules.
All three age groups will get underway on March 29th, with championship games taking place on April 3rd. The 14U age group will compete in Plymouth, Michigan, while the 15O age group will compete in Wayne, New Jersey. Both the 16U and 18U age groups will bein San Jose, California.
Nine of the Top 10 teams in the U.S. will be in Michigan for the 14U USA Hockey Nationals. Preliminary-round groupings include No. 1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s sharing the USA Pool with No. 4 Dallas Stars Elite. The two teams have yet to meet this season, and will clash for the first time on the second day of the tournament at 10:30 a.m. They’re joined by Little Caesars — who once ranked as high as sixth in the country — and split-season squad Team North Dakota.
The Olympic Pool is loaded with three Top-10 teams, including No. 2 Chicago Mission, No. 5 Bishop Kearney Selects and No. 10 Pittsburgh Vengeance. The fourth and final team is unranked Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, who earned an automatic bid with a Southeastern District championship. Mission won the 14U tournament in 2022. While the ‘07s who brought home gold have graduated to the 15O tournament this year, the 2008s will look to repeat as champions for the program in 2023.
No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite come in as the highest ranked at-large bid in the tournament. They will be joined by No. 8 Boston Jr. Eagles, and again, two top-ranked teams that have yet to meet this season. Unranked Valley Forge Minutemen and split-season Minnesota Lakers will round out the four teams in the NHL Pool.
The Liberty Pool is highlighted by No. 6 Los Angeles Jr. Kings and No. 7 Mount St. Charles. Those two teams won’t meet until the final day of pool play, and in all likelihood, should determine the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to come out of this group. Unranked Oakland Jr. Grizzlies and Team Wisconsin will have their hands full in this four-team group.
| USA #1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s #4 Dallas Stars Elite Little Caesars Team North Dakota | OLYMPIC #2 Chicago Mission #5 Bishop Kearney Selects #10 Pittsburgh Vengeance Carolina Jr. Hurricanes | NHL #3 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite #8 Boston Jr. Eagles Minnesota Lakers Valley Forge Minutemen | LIBERTY #6 Los Angeles Jr. Kings #7 Mount St. Charles Oakland Jr. Grizzlies Team Wisconsin |
They’ve been the No. 1 ranked team in the country for 18 consecutive weeks. Little Caesars’ reward for their dominance in ‘22-23? Arguably the toughest draw in the tournament. Both No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 9 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers will be looking to take down the giant that’s been Caesars this season. Split-season squad Team North Dakota will have its hands full as the only unranked team in the USA Pool.
No. 3 Chicago Mission comes in as defending national champions of the 2007 birth year. They’re joined by No. 5 Long Island Gulls, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and Compuware in the Olympic Pool. Mission and Long Island have yet to meet this season, but are set to do so for the first time on the last day of pool play. That game could potentially determine the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to advance to the quarterfinals.
Shattuck-St. Mary’s came up just short in the national championship last season. This ‘07 group has played with something to prove all season long, entering the tournament ranked No. 4 in the country. They’re joined in the NHL Pool by two teams they have already beaten this season in No. 6 Mount St. Charles and unranked Team Wisconsin. The fourth team in the mix is Dallas Stars Elite, who’s just 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.
The Liberty Pool is headlined by No. 2 Bishop Kearney Selects and No. 7 Los Angeles Jr. Kings. They’ve met twice this season, with each team picking up a win over the other. The swing game in the series comes on the final day of pool play, where they’ll likely determine the top two teams advancing to the next round. Unranked Neponset Valley River Rats and New Jersey Rockets will look to disrupt that narrative.
| USA #1 Little Caesars #8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite #9 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers Team North Dakota | OLYMPIC #3 Little Caesars #5 Long Island Gulls Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Compuware | NHL #4 Shattuck-St. Mary’s #6 Mount St. Charles Dallas Stars Elite Team Wisconsin | LIBERTY #2 Bishop Kearney Selects #7 Los Angeles Jr. Kings Neponset Valley River Rats New Jersey Rockets |
The 2005-born Bishop Kearney Selects won last season’s national championship, and the ‘06s will look to repeat as champions for the program. They come into the Liberty Pool ranked No. 5 in the country, but may not even be the favorite in their own group. No. 3 New Jersey Rockets are ahead of them in the standings. Plus, a pair of West Coast teams look to play spoiler in the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and Phoenix Jr. Coyotes.
Top-ranked Shattuck-St. Mary’s headlines the USA Pool, with No. 8 Chicago Mission and split-season squads Boston Little Bruins and Team North Dakota. Shattuck has been the No. 1 ranked team in the country for 26 consecutive weeks, and will look to go wire-to-wire as the undisputed top team in America. A Friday matchup with Mission may be the only resistance Shattuck sees in pool play. Even then, the Sabres have a 4-0-1 head-to-head record against Chicago and could very easily run the table.
The NHL Pool features No. 6 North Jersey Avalanche and No. 7 Little Caesars. Unranked Cleveland Barons and Seacoast Performance Academy enter the tournament on the heels of automatic bids earned through their respective district playoffs. Caesars enters pool play as the only team with wins over all three of its future opponents, defeating the Avs twice, the Barons twice and splitting with Seacoast.
No. 2 Long Island Gulls, No. 4 Compuware, No. 10 Mount St. Charles and unranked Nashville Jr. Predators make up one of the toughest foursomes in the country in the Olympic Pool. The top three have been among the Top 10 in the country virtually all season. Only Long Island and Mount have played each other this season, clashing four times in close games separated by an average differential of 1.75 goals.
| USA #1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s #8 Chicago Mission Boston Little Bruins Team North Dakota | OLYMPIC #2 Long Island Gulls #4 Compuware #10 Mount St. Charles Nashville Jr. Predators | NHL #6 North Jersey Avalanche #7 Little Caesars Cleveland Barons Seacoast Performance Academy | LIBERTY #3 New Jersey Rockets #5 Bishop Kearney Selects Anaheim Jr. Ducks Phoenix Jr. Coyotes |
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive, on-site coverage of the 2023 USA Hockey Nationals. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!
There’s a new club at the top of the ‘07 rankings in Russia, and it’s the first time they’ve been there since Dec. 21st. Following a solid stretch of play that saw them nab victories over No. 3 CSKA Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Dynamo Moscow is back as No. 1. Mikhail Melikov, the club’s leading scorer, tallied four points in the 9-1 victory over Atlant. This season, he has produced 27 goals and 47 points.
While Dynamo was a familiar name in the No. 1 spot in Russia, a new team cracked the Top 10 among 2007-born teams in the U.S. With a strong 10-2 victory over Compuware, No. 10 Victory Honda’s offensive outburst gave them enough of a jolt to catapult over the previous spot holder. Braden Wade and Nolan Makinski both notched hat tricks and Luc Plante scored a goal and four assists in a five-point night. The victory also continued a nine-game unbeaten streak for the team, which ended the following day with a 3-2 overtime loss to Fox Motors.
The regular season concluded over the weekend, and with it, brought some movement among Top-10 teams. In these final matchups before playoffs, No. 3 Ilves and No. 5 Jokerit experienced some decent boosts from crucial wins. Ilves got its business done in two matchups versus No. 4 Kärpät, winning by scorers of 13-3 and 4-0. In the 13-goal explosion, seven skaters notched two or more points, led by Jalmari Melanen’s one goal and four assists.
Jokerit put forth a solid team effort in a 4-1 victory over No. 6 Lukko. Aapo Niemelä (2G) and Taavi Aarvala (2A) connected for the final two goals of the game, solidifying both the win and two-point performances.
With strong finishes to group play, both Ilves and Jokerit earned spots in the top four of the overall group standings. As a result, they have earned first round byes in the playoffs, along with No. 2 Tappara and No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. They will now await the winners from the first round to see who they will open their playoff schedules against.
The opening round of Sweden’s U16 SM-playoffs has come and gone, and No. 3 MoDo Hockey has raised eyebrows with its performance thus far. The power trio of Elton Hermansson (3G, 3A), Vincent Wedin (2G, 4A) and Erik Häggblad (1G, 5A) have lifted their club to new heights. By securing wins over fellow ranked opponents like No. 1 Nacka HK and No. 4 Djurgårdens IF, its position among the country’s elite has been strengthened.
The road doesn’t get any easier, as entering the second round MoDo finds itself in the dreaded ‘group of death’ along with top-ranked Nacka, No. 2 Täby HC and No. 6 Södertälje SK.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
Last week, eight of USA Hockey’s 12 districts held their respective state tournaments and final qualifier games. This is a crucial step for teams looking to earn automatic bids to compete at the 2023 USA Hockey Nationals.
The final eight automatic bids at each of the four age levels were decided by various tournament structures across the country. Those winners will join a field of 16 teams later this month in pursuit of a national championship.
Central District: No. 14 Chicago Mission and Team Wisconsin met in the championship game after each going 2-0-0 in the preliminary games. Wisconsin held the high-flying offense of Chicago in check to snag a 4-2 victory.
New England District: No. 6 Mount St. Charles defeated Hartford Jr. Wolfpack 4-1.
New York District: No. 23 Bishop Kearney Selects team depth was on display in their 4-0 semifinal win against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. Four different players found the back of the net and goaltender Gavin Weeks was perfect in recording 21 saves. In the championship game, multi-point performances from Luca Cannata, Camden Nimmer and Rocco Afonso led BK Selects to a 6-2 win against CP Dynamo. Weeks was stellar in net once again, stopping 24 shots.
Rocky Mountain District: No. 19 Dallas Stars Elite got the best of the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders in their rematch, defeating them 7-1. In their earlier meeting at qualifiers, Stars Elite put up eight goals, with Jeffrey Hurlbert (3G) and Booker Toninato (2G) leading the charge.
Southeastern District: It wasn’t an easy road for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, but they showed up in the big moments to grab the district championship over Florida Alliance. Both the Jr. Hurricanes and Alliance went 2-1-0 in the preliminary round. The Jr. Canes fell to the Washington Little Capitals, 5-3, before rebounding with a 3-2 victory in the title matchup to earn the trip to Nationals.
Atlantic District: The Valley Forge Minutemen and New Jersey Rockets threw down in a best-of-three series to decide who would represent the Atlantic among ‘08 teams. After the Rockets opened the series with a 3-1 win, the Minutemen would respond with a 1-0 shutout in game 2. That momentum would carry into the deciding game, where they edged the Rockets in a 4-2 final.
Michigan District: With the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies and Little Caesars deadlocked at 2 goals apiece, Joseph Zelenak cued up the heroics. With 11:20 left in the third period, Zelenak tallied the go-ahead goal and eventual game-winner to lift the Jr. Grizzlies to the win. Braden Guolla scored the other two goals for the Jr. Grizzlies, and James Fawaz stopped 18 shots.
Northern Plains District: Team North Dakota prevailed in its championship game, earning a trip to Nationals.
The eight district champions above will join the Boston Jr. Eagles, Pittsburgh Vengeance, Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Los Angeles Jr. Kings as automatic qualifiers for USAH Nationals in Plymouth, Michigan.
Central District: No. 16 Chicago Mission got the better of Team Wisconsin for a 4-2 victory to garner a spot at USA Nationals.
New England District: It was a clash of two U.S. Top-10 clubs for the New England District crown. No. 6 Mount St. Charles and No. 9 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers are no strangers to each other. Squaring off five times in the regular season, Mid-Fairfield got the better of Mount with a 3-2-0 record. Yet, Mount St. Charles got the last laugh and prevailed in the district championship, 4-2.
New York District: Ethan Wyttenbach picked up where he left off after collecting four points in a 8-0 semifinal victory against the PAL Jr. Islanders. Wyttenbach, along with Nathaniel Poole, helped No. 20 Long Island Gulls jump out to a 2-0 lead versus No. 4 Bishop Kearney Selects in the championship tilt. Konner Powell cut into the lead in the second period, but the Gulls’ defense and Ryan Cameron’s 26 saves allowed them to hold onto the 2-1 lead.
Rocky Mountain District: For this district, it was another rematch in the championship game, this time between the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes and Dallas Stars Elite. In the first battle, the Jr. Coyotes earned a 2-1 shootout victory, with Ethan Bryant netting the game-winning goal. He also scored during regulation play, with Blake Patterson putting up the only Dallas goal. The Stars Elite rebounded to win the matchup that mattered most, scoring three consecutive goals after falling behind 1-0 in the opening frame. Brady Turner made things interesting when he cut the lead to 3-2 with a power-play goal early into the third frame. Patterson sealed the deal with an empty-net goal with 1:20 left and sent Dallas through to Nationals.
Southeastern District: Florida Alliance North exploded for six goals in a preliminary round meeting against the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. With the two facing off in the championship, many expected it to be more of the same. However, the Jr. Hurricanes would flip the script and bounce back with a 7-1 win of their own.
Atlantic District: It was a Garden State showdown between the North Jersey Avalanche and New Jersey Rockets to see who would move on to Nationals. After opening the three-game series with a 6-3 win, the Rockets seemed ready to end with a sweep. The Avalanche had other plans, forcing a third and decisive game after taking Game 2, 5-2. The Rockets would rebound in the winner-take-all clash, edging the Avalanche 4-3 with a late-game stunner.
@RocketsHC scores in the final minute of regulation and defeats North Jersey Avalanche by a final score of 4-3. They advance to @usahockey Nationals! pic.twitter.com/0UHvOpgqqt
— LiveBarn (@LiveBarn) March 13, 2023
Michigan District: William Horcoff led No. 1 Little Caesars to a 4-0 shutout win against Fox Motors with two goals. While not the busiest night between the pipes, Joseph Slavick was perfect with 14 saves.
Northern Plains District: Team North Dakota kicked off its three-game series against the Sioux Falls Power in dramatic fashion. With the score locked at two late in regulation, Isaac Thompson slipped a power-play goal home with seven seconds left on the clock to steal a 3-2 win for North Dakota. Sioux Falls would take Game 2, 4-2 but North Dakota would rally for the Game 3 win.
The eight district champions above will join the Neponset Valley River Rats, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Los Angeles Jr. Kings as automatic qualifiers for USAH Nationals in Wayne, New Jersey.
Central District: Chicago Mission bested Team Wisconsin in a low-scoring 1-0 affair.
New England District: After Ronnie Hill increased Seacoast Performance Academy’s lead to 4-2 in the championship game with nine minutes to play, things were looking good. However, their opponent No. 20 Mount St. Charles had other plans. Clawing its way back to even the score, Mount St. Charles forced overtime with a spot to Nationals on the line. With the extra frame underway, Deke Davidson blasted a one-timer into the net, securing the win for SPA and sending their bench into a frenzy of flying gloves and sticks.
Deke Davidson send the U16’s to the Nattie’s!#GoSPA pic.twitter.com/I3IZwaZpcI
— Seacoast Performance Academy (@SPAhockey2023) March 12, 2023
New York District: Thomas Zocco and Grant Young did most of the heavy lifting on offense, each tallying two goals to help lift No. 3 Long Island Gulls past the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 5-1. The Jr. Sabres threw their fair share of rubber on net, but they were bested by Ryan Denes, who finished with 31 saves.
Rocky Mountain District: The Phoenix Jr. Coyotes won their preliminary-round game versus the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, 4-0. Benjamin Vatis made 25 saves to earn the shutout and four different players scored. In the rematch, the Jr. Coyotes won the title tilt by a 4-1 margin, collecting all four goals unanswered in the third period. Carson McGinley put the game away with two empty-net goals.
Southeastern District: Following a 3-1 preliminary round defeat, Florida Alliance had hoped to dish out some revenge in the championship game against the Nashville Jr. Predators. But the Jr. Preds would prevent any chance at that, ending up in the win column yet again with a 5-1 final.
Atlantic District: No. 12 North Jersey Avalanche took care of their business in a timely manner, sweeping the New York Saints in their best-of-three series. The Avs outscored the Saints 13-2, securing a shutout in Game 1.
Michigan District: Brecken Smith‘s first-period goal and Owen Lepak’s 19 saves would be all No. 13 Little Caesars would need in a 1-0 win over HoneyBaked.
Northern Plains District: Despite the best efforts of Sioux Falls, Team North Dakota was victorious in the first two games of its three-game series. After Grant Gardner secured the Game 1 win in overtime, it appeared as if Game 2 was headed to extra time as well. Just as it seemed as if Gardner had played hero once more, scoring a power-play goal with 42 seconds left to play, the goal would be called back after a review. Not phased, Gardner would indeed strike in overtime again for North Dakota, sending them to Nationals.
The eight district champions above will join the Boston Little Bruins, Cleveland Barons, Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Anaheim Jr. Ducks as automatic qualifiers for USAH Nationals in San Jose, California.
The 18U slate of games will begin March 29th in San Jose, California. These teams will join the Boston Jr. Eagles, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Anaheim Jr. Ducks, and Culver Academy as the representatives of their districts.
Central District: Omaha Mastery
New England District: Yale Jr. Bulldogs
New York District: Buffalo Regals
Rocky Mountain District: Colorado Rampage
Southeastern District: Florida Alliance
Atlantic District: Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
Michigan District: Little Caesars
Northern Plains District: Sioux Falls Power
2023 USA Hockey Nationals will begin March 29th. WHH will have continued coverage of each birth year throughout the schedule of games. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
With the 15O, 16U and 18U Massachusetts-based youth hockey teams already securing their spots at USA Hockey Nationals, only the 14U division remained undecided. From March 3-5, the Boston Jr. Eagles, Neponset Valley River Rats, South Shore Kings, Assabet Valley Patriots, Valley Jr. Warriors, East Coast Militia, North Suburban Wings and Top Gun all took part in the state tournament.
Going undefeated, the 2008-born Boston Jr. Eagles earned their spot to represent their state with a thrilling overtime victory in the championship game against Neponset.
The Jr. Eagles kicked the tires off on their pool-play schedule with a big victory over Top Gun. They then went on to collect two more wins against the Jr. Warriors and Patriot Hockey to finish preliminary-round play at 3-0-0. Their incredible ability to score was on display, tallying 29 goals while just allowing two.
Early tournament success led to a semifinal matchup with South Shore. In the regular season, the two teams had previously met three times, with the Jr. Eagles winning twice. It would be a similar script once again as they downed the Kings, 3-1, to move on to the championship game.
The River Rats were waiting for the Jr. Eagles in the title match. Skating to a 3-0-0 record themselves, they outscored their opposition 14-2. The two teams only played each other once before, back in August in a 2-0 win for Neponset. In what would be a close-fought game, overtime was needed following a scoreless regulation frame. Draped by a defender, Noah Survilas skated into the zone and whipped a low shot in from the left circle, securing the victory.
U14 Elite win 1-0 in OT over the @NVRiverRats in the @Mass_Hockey State title game on a Noah Survilas snipe! #GWG #NattyBound @fedhockey pic.twitter.com/60CLKPuikw
— Boston Junior Eagles (@BostonJrEagles) March 6, 2023
They join the following teams who have also earned automatic bids to USAH Nationals:
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Pittsburgh Vengeance (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Neponset Valley River Rats (Massachusetts)
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Boston Little Bruins (Massachusetts)
Cleveland Barons (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Culver Academy (Mid-American)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
The Mid-American districts – consisting of teams from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia – had bids awarded to two teams from Pittsburgh, one from Ohio and one from Indiana.
The Pittsburgh Vengeance went undefeated among fellow ‘08 squads at the Mid-American district playoffs. While they were led by prolific scorers such as Sean Miller (8A), Rhys Medved (4G, 2A) and Caden Harvey (6G), their netminders were the true stars.
Tyler O’Keefe and Giovanni Scally were virtually unbeatable across four games. Alternating time between the pipes, O’Keefe helped the team get off to a hot start in a 7-0 win against the Cleveland Barons. Over the next two games, Scally collected a shutout and O’Keefe notched his second. Setting up a championship game against fellow Steel City foe, No. 15 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
Pens Elite took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission before the Vengeance tallied four unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead after the second. Drew Grasser would score in the third to cut into the lead, but it wasn’t enough to mount a full comeback attempt.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 2007-born roster fared better than their ‘08 counterparts in the championship game, besting the Esmark Stars 4-0. After handling the South Hills Panthers, Ohio Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Vengeance, their final test was Esmark.
Like the Pens Elite, Esmark had skated to a 3-0-0 record in pool play. However, their skill level was no match for that of the Penguins Elite. Through their four games, the Pens Elite were led by Jacob Cloutier’s seven goals and 12 points. Holding onto a 2-0 lead in the third period, Cloutier cemented his club’s win by adding two more goals for the 4-0 lead. Jake Shingles also stopped all 18 shots he faced for the shutout.
15U are MidAm District Champions. Congratulations and good luck @usahockey Nationals! #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/WOH1U8sGMX
— Penguins Elite (@PghPensElite) March 5, 2023
The Cleveland Barons began their road to the championship game at Mid-Atlantic districts against the Esmark Stars. The Barons secured a 4-2 win, their first of four consecutive victories to win the 16U division. The Stars kept things close, erasing a 2-0 deficit with two quick goals in the third period. The Barons would regain their lead shortly after that before Troy Hunka put away any hope of a comeback with a late goal in regulation for a 4-2 lead.
After dispatching the South Hills Panthers and Ohio Blue Jackets, a rematch was in the cards against the Stars for the division championship. It would be another close battle, with both goals coming in the second period from Ryan Rucinski and Mykyta Yalovyi. With overtime underway, Dan Ramirez scored at 13:25 to put the Stars away for good. He would finish as the second leading scorer for the Barons behind Landon Watson (1G, 4A), collecting three goals and four points. Hbleb Subach did all he could for the Stars in net, turning aside 47 of 49 shots that came his way.
Culver Academy and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite have had numerous tilts this season. Entering district playoffs for the 18U division, they had played each other three previous times with Culver coming out on top each time. Those contests were close, so it was not a surprise that overtime was needed to figure out a winner for this matchup.
The story of the game was goaltending, as Culver had a 75-41 shot advantage. Eliott Pratt, goaltender for Pens Elite. Despite the loss, Pratt recorded 71 saves on 75 shots, easily the most impressive goaltending performance of the weekend. Vaughan Makar’s 38 saves in the other crease in Culver’s winning effort was also impressive. Zach Zhang recorded the heroics for Culver in the extra frame, where he netted the game-winning goal, which was also his second of the game.
USA Hockey District playoffs will continue this week. Michigan, New England, Rocky Mountain, Southeastern, Central District, New York District and Atlantic playoffs will take place this week. WHH will have continued coverage of each of the 12 USA Hockey District playoffs, as well as Nationals next month!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
The 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings, fresh off stellar showings at the T1EHL Playoffs and Pacific Districts, enjoyed a pleasant bump in the rankings. Downing some of the best teams their birth year has to offer provided the Jr. Kings a track to maneuver their way up the Top 10 U.S. teams. A run of play highlighted by holding off No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite in the 15O division TIEHL title game.
After falling out of the top spot in our last rankings, No. 1 Little Caesars is back at the top of the ‘07 Top 25 thanks to crucial victories over No. 17 Shattuck-St. Mary’s and No. 10 U.S.-ranked Compuware by a combined 19-0. Since their last loss — a 2-1 overtime defeat to No. 20 Long Island Gulls back on Feb. 2 — they have rattled off six consecutive wins.
But they are not the only team back in first place. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite settled back in as the No. 1 squad among 2011 programs by taking care of business against fellow Top 10 opponents. With recent wins against No. 2 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers, No. 8 Rochester Coalition and a two-game split with No. 5 Little Caesars, Pens Elite has proven once again they are the team to beat in the age group. With an impressive week of their own, the South Shore Kings nabbed the No. 10 spot, having beaten the likes of the Jr. Rangers twice and No. 9 Philadelphia Hockey Club.
No. 9 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 10 Philadelphia Hockey Club are back in the ‘09 Top 10 after extended absences. With wins over No. 8 Dallas Stars Elite and No. 2 St. Louis Blues, the Jr. Ducks bolstered their resume enough to be back among the elite after spending the last rankings out on the bubble. Not seeing a spot in the Top 10 since back on Sept. 28th, Philadelphia slid back in as winners of their last 12 as well.
No. 8 Jokerit held their own in three major ‘07 matchups, including a two-game set against No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. Lauri Kouhia and Rasmus Kämäräinen each collected four points in a 5-2 victory in the first tilt against K-Espoo. In the second, Kouhia and Kämäräinen notched multi-point games once more, but Jokerit dropped a thrilling 6-5 decision in the shootout. The team rebounded with a winning effort against No. 9 Ässät, 6-3 the next time out.
In the 2008 age group, No. 7 Kärpät Musta raised eyebrows with multiple Top 10 victories. First, they dispatched No. 8 Kärpät Valkoinen, 6-3. Next, a 4-1 winning effort against No. 9 KalPa. Taking care of the teams previously ahead of them usually leads to good things, and Musta is a prime example of that fact.
Not to be outdone, but there was one other Finnish club that worked its way back into the Top 10 among ‘08s. KJT Haukat Blue, absent from the Top 10 since Nov. 9th, paved their way back in with three wins; two of them against ranked programs. Handling No. 6 Pelicans Turkoosi and No. 1 HIFK, provided enough of a lift to get them into a No. 10 placement.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
The youth hockey season is nearing its end, and USA Hockey Nationals are on the horizon. Teams from across the U.S. look to win their respective district playoffs in order to earn one of the 12 automatic bids to the national tournament, slated to begin on March 29th.
Two of those bids have already been awarded at each of the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups. And, over this past weekend, four more teams punched their ticket to nationals by winning the Pacific District playoffs.
The Pacific District bids — which consists of youth hockey teams from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington — were awarded to two teams from the Anaheim Jr. Ducks organization and two teams from the Los Angeles Jr. Kings organization.
They join the following teams who have also earned automatic bids to USAH Nationals:
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Neponset Valley River Rats (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Boston Little Bruins (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
The No. 25-ranked ‘08 team in the world, Los Angeles Jr. Kings displayed their talent and depth with a 5-0-0 showing among fellow 2008-born teams. Outscoring opponents in the round-robin stage by a combined 13-2, they continued their torrid pace by besting the California Wave and Team Alaska to cement their championship.
The high-flying trio of Brendan Russell, Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson were standouts. Each collected eight points for the Jr. Kings, with Sparks and Davidson doing most of their damage in the semifinal and championship games.
The ‘07 Los Angeles Jr. Kings made quick work of a four-game schedule that saw them best teams such as the San Jose Jr. Sharks, California Golden Bears and Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights. Luke Norcross led all players with four goals and seven points, tallying three of them on the power play. Additionally, 11 players totaled at least two points across four games. Norcross would also finish first among all players in the division in points.
However, special teams — especially the penalty kill — is where the team really had their time to shine. Killing off 13 of 15 penalties, the penalty killing unit was also able to collect a shorthanded goal as well. On the man advantage, the Jr. Kings found the back of the net four times across 15 opportunities. Seven players recorded at least one power-play point, with Norcross leading the charge with three (2G, 1A).
The power play unit would also secure the team the division championship. In the final game against the Jr. Sharks, the score was knotted at 1-1 in the third period. With Griffin Brown in the box for interference, Timofei Runtso finished off a passing play with Benjamin Kaven to put the Jr. Kings up 2-1 with 8:48 left. The tally would stand as the game-winning goal, as the Jr. Sharks were unable to find the equalizer for the remainder of regulation.
A fitting ending for the No. 7 ranked team in the country.
One team separated themselves from the other 2006-born teams at the Pacific District playoffs. It was the Anaheim Jr. Ducks.
After the round-robin stage of games, the top five scorers all hailed from the Jr. Ducks, with Tanner Hendricks topping the list with eight points. He would add three more points in the semifinal and championship games to push his point total to 11 (3G, 8A). Closely behind him were Ty Ziadi (3G, 7A) and Colin Frank (5G, 4A).
When a team’s penalty kill is better than others power play, odds are that the club is destined for good things. That is what happened with the Jr. Ducks and their run to the 16U division championship. While scoring one power-play goal, they flipped the script on the penalty kill by notching four short-handed goals. Three of which came in their opening game against the Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights.
In the title tilt, they faced off against the Junior Ice Dogs, who they defeated in the round-robin stage by a 3-2 final. The second time around, things would not be as close. Frank and teammate Brendan Dunphy each recorded multi-point performances en route to a 4-0 victory. Goaltender Jack Kavetsky also stopped the 22 shots he faced as well.
After a rocky round-robin performance that saw them go 1-0-2, the Anaheim Jr. Ducks rallied in their semifinal and championship appearances to take the 18U division title.
Opening their schedule with a large win against the Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights, it seemed as if the road to the championship game might be a cakewalk for the Jr. Ducks. However, they proceeded to drop consecutive games in overtime and a shootout. The pendulum quickly shifted to a potentially early exit instead.
They bounced back with a 4-2 win against Team Alaska to put the Jr. Ducks into the finale against the San Jose Jr. Sharks. There, they took a 1-0 lead into the third period before the offense really picked up.
Each side would strike twice in the final frame, with Makar Klochkov notching a goal and an assist. Owen Crudale backstopped his squad with 34 saves to help the Jr. Ducks nab their second district trophy of the weekend.
USA Hockey District playoffs will continue over the next two weeks. Michigan, Mid-American, 14U Massachusetts and Atlantic qualifiers will take place this week. WHH will have continued coverage of each of the 12 USA Hockey District playoffs, as well as Nationals next month!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
The Tier-1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) held its annual playoffs at Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota from Feb. 17-20. Teams from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 birth years were in attendance to battle it out for division supremacy. First, league members competed in three pool-play games. After that, four teams advanced to the semifinals, and then championship games of their respective age groups.
No. 25 Los Angeles Jr. Kings were feeling confident in their play heading into the league playoffs. Fresh off a newly appointed position in the World Rankings, they hoped to continue to make some noise against their fellow U14 T1EHL teams. They made quick work of their first three opponents of the weekend, outscoring the Washington Little Capitals, Cleveland Barons and Nashville Jr. Predators by a combined 19-5 total. That 3-0-0 run set up a semifinals clash with the Sioux Falls Power.
Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson, the two leading point getters for the Jr. Kings continued their playoff dominance in that game. With Davidson tallying three points and Sparks nabbing two of his own, the L.A. defeated Sioux Falls 5-2 to reach the championship. Across five playoff games, Sparks and Davidson each collected 12 points.
The final hurdle for Los Angeles was No. 23 Dallas Stars Elite. Entering the game with extra motivation, the Jr. Kings were bested by Dallas, 3-2 back on Nov. 12. Winning all four games on their schedule, the stage was set for an exciting winner-take-all tilt. Each club would find the back of the net in the first period before the Jr. Kings pulled away in the second. Tallies by Sparks, Sean Burick and Karsten Hirasawa gave their squad a commanding 4-1 lead heading into the final frame.
But Dallas was not going to go away quietly.
Jeff Turcotte led LA Jr. Kings 14U AAA team won the Tier 1 Elite League Championship in Blaine, Minnesota with a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/XD2KQ273n7
— LA Jr. Kings (@JrKingsHockey) February 21, 2023
After two scores by Landon Amrhein and Dennis Emesibe, the Jr. Kings suddenly found their lead dwindle to just one goal. DSE proceeded to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the L.A. net, but were unable to find the equalizer. Then, Jake Brown cemented the 5-3 victory with a late shorthanded goal.
Now winners of their past nine and a fresh division championship to their name, it will be exciting to see what this Jr. Kings group does with the rest of their season.
Heading into the postseason portion of its season, Victory Honda had suffered tough defeats at the hands of two premier U.S. teams. Dropping consecutive decisions to No. 1 Little Caesars and No. 10 Compuware, VH was in search of a spark to get back into the win column. They not only found that spark but caught fire as they rolled their way to a league championship among fellow 2007-born programs.
After taking down the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 6-1, it seemed that Victory Honda got its mojo back by rattling off two more wins to reach the semifinal round. A narrow 5-4 win over Fox Motors put VH into the title game against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. There was some familiarity between the two teams, as they split two games during the regular season. With the score knotted at 1-1 entering the third period, the heroics of Mike Zielinski arrived just in time. He found the back of the net twice about three minutes apart to give VH some breathing room. Two more late tallies would secure the 5-1 final.
What became apparent over their run was that VH had depth that most clubs in the league lacked. Led by Luc Plante’s five goals and seven points, by the end of the weekend, 11 players had two or more points. Plante was also a menace on special teams, notching two power-play goals and a shorthanded one as well.
We have had Cullen Potter and the 2006-born Dallas Stars Elite on our radar all season long. They have shown they are capable of skating with the top-tier clubs of their birth year and can pretty much play in any game situation.
Alexander Dicker got his playoff stretch off on the right foot by backstopping Stars Elite to a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rampage. Connor Addington would take over net-minding duties in their next contest against the Jr. Admirals, a 7-1 victory. In that win, the Dallas blue line showed its strength as well, allowing only 12 shots on net. In fact, across three pool-play matchups, DSE did not give up more than 19 shots on goal in any game.
Potter collected the only hat trick of the playoffs in a come-from-behind 4-2 win against the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. Despite peppering Addington with 31 shots, the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes were unable to get more than one goal past him in a 3-1 defeat, allowing Stars Elite to move on to the title game.
Dallas Stars Elite Hockey Club…16U Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Champions!!!
— Dallas Stars Elite (@DSEHC) February 20, 2023
Congratulations to all the coaches and players!#gostarselite #elitedna #GreenHelmets #t1ehlplayoffs2023 pic.twitter.com/4Aim4ljolZ
Ready to drop the puck against them were the Cleveland Barons, and fans certainly got their money’s worth in this one. After falling into a 2-0 hole in the first period, Jackson Crowder injected some life into the Dallas lineup by cutting into the deficit. Landon Watson responded for the Barons, reinstating the two-goal lead. Shortly after, Potter deposited a sweet pass from Carter Murphy to make it a 3-2 score with his team-leading 10th point of the playoffs. Sent to a late power play, Caleb Mahar tied it up in regulation to send it to overtime.
Both sides traded chances once the extra frame began, but it was Landon Hafele with the late-game heroics for DSE. With 3:43 left in overtime, Hafele notched his first goal of the playoffs, beating Gino Texter to cement the Stars Elite’s championship.
Want more coverage of the Tier-1 Elite Hockey League and other major leagues from around the world of youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
Last weekend, the Northeast Pack Hockey League held its playoffs for teams in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 birth years. There were a fair share of surprises and upsets over the course of three exciting days at the Northford Ice Pavilion. No team that ended the regular season in first place went on to finish as champions.
Let’s take a look at how things shook out when all the dust settled…
When the NE Pack regular season wrapped up on Jan. 22, No. 18 New Jersey Rockets were sitting in second among 2006-born teams. An opportunity to make some noise once the playoffs rolled around, but they would have to continue clawing their way through a packed field. This division housed juggernauts such as No. 3 Long Island Gulls, No. 11 Bishop Kearney Selects, No. 21 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 20 Mount St. Charles.
New Jersey handled business in their first two round-robin matchups, dispatching Mount St. Charles and Pens Elite, 5-3 and 6-4, respectively. After the play-in game, they were tasked once again to take on Pens Elite in the semifinals. Emerging as the victor once more, their lone challenge left was in the form of BK Selects for the championship. A team they had moderate success against in the regular season with a 4-2-0 record.
It would prove to be their toughest game of the postseason. Goals and chances were traded for the duration of regulation before things would end 4-4. With no winner coming in overtime, the game was settled in a shootout, where the Rockets prevailed 5-4 and secured the division.
@RocketsHC are your 2023 NE Pack 16U Champions pic.twitter.com/gcpRRPI6cv
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
The 2007-born division also had its fair share of Top-10 U.S. teams from the World Rankings. No. 5 Long Island Gulls kicked off their run with a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Rockets. After securing a spot in the semifinals with a 4-2 victory against the No. 6 Mount St. Charles, the two sides were slated for a rematch in the semifinals. Despite Mount’s best efforts, it was a familiar script with the Gulls skating to a 5-3 victory.
The road for No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite to get to the championship game was not an easy one. After suffering an opening loss to Mount, they would need to rebound in their next game, or run the risk of having their playoff hopes dashed quite early.
And rebound they did, taking No. 9 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers to task in a 6-2 win. With confidence restored, they took their next game against No. 2 Bishop Kearney Selects, setting the stage for a meeting against Long Island. It was also a chance at redemption for PPE, who went just 1-2-1 against the Gulls in the season series.
Despite the fireworks both clubs endured in their previous games, it was a rather subdued final. The Gulls clamped things down on defense in a tight 2-1 final.
@LIGullsHockey are your 2023 NE Pack 15O Champions pic.twitter.com/3ehU8zF1Sg
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
When the regular season ended, the two teams that stood atop the division table were the Bishop Kearney Selects and Mount St. Charles. It was no surprise then to see both squads in the championship game for 2008-born NE Pack teams.
Ranked No. 4 and No. 9 in the U.S. rankings, both BK and Mount had undefeated runs en route to their title tilt. For Bishop Kearney, the likes of No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers and Long Island Gulls were no match for them. Mount St. Charles had to take care of the New Jersey Rockets and, coincidentally, the Gulls and Penguins as well.
With a 3-1-1 record against BK in the regular season, Mount knew it had the skill to emerge as champions with a concentrated team effort. Their depth was on full display as they cruised to a 7-2 victory for the title.
@RISaintMsHockey are your 2023 NE Pack 14U Champions pic.twitter.com/F4BtCXmgT3
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
Check out the video below for some of the best goals from this division.
This weeks LiveBarn Top 5 features goals from the 14U @nepackhockey Tournament! Check them out! pic.twitter.com/wgPtwV4Egv
— LiveBarn (@LiveBarn) February 15, 2023
There was also a playoff round held for 18U teams of the Long Island Gulls, Mount St. Charles, Penguins Elite, BK Selects and New Jersey Rockets. The lone club standing at the end of it all was the PPE, who defeated the Rockets 6-1 in the final.
@PghPensElite are your 2023 NE Pack 18U Champions pic.twitter.com/zfSY9FYLA5
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
Want more coverage of the top teams and top players in youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
2007-born No. 16 Chicago Mission made a huge statement with a 7-0 takedown of No. 17 Shattuck-St. Mary’s, boosting them up a spot in the U.S. and World Rankings. It was the biggest deficit Shattuck has experienced yet this season, proving that no team in the Top 10 for American programs is safe. After two solid wins against No. 25 Mount St. Charles, No. 20 Long Island Gulls too enjoyed a nice bump in the Top 25 for ‘07 teams.
Two ‘09 programs raised their standing as well in the respective Top 10s of their countries.
No. 12 Boston Jr. Eagles secured victories over No. 13 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 22 New Jersey Rockets. Overseas, No. 7 Dynamo St. Petersburg was led by top scorer Kiril Khristoforov into two matchups against teams directly ahead of them in the Russian standings. They passed with flying colors, defeating No. 8 SKA St. Petersburg and No. 9 SKA Strelna, 5-2 and 6-3, respectively. By passing them, Dynamo also secured the final spot in the Top 25 of ‘09 teams.
No country or birth year experienced more movement than ‘07 Finnish squads. Overall, seven teams switched positions, with the largest move from Lukko from No. 9 to No. 7. Ässät also re-entered the chat and settled into a Top-10 spot after missing out in the last rankings.
Nacka HK recorded a 3-1-0 stretch since the last rankings update, with no win proving more vital than a 6-1 romp of No. 2 Täby HC. The victory propelled Nacka as the new No. 1 among ‘07 Swedes. It was a dominating performance right from puck drop. Täby netminder Vincent Österlund was peppered with 35 shots the entire contest, and three skaters from Nacka recorded multi-point performances. Standing out were Olle Jöstedt (1G, 2A), Olle Därth (1G, 1A) and Matiss Zilitis (2A). Felix Tolke stood firm in his crease, holding back the usually explosive offense of Täby to just the one goal on 25 shots.
The Top 10 of 2011-born U.S. clubs also experienced a shift at the top with the Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers overtaking Pittsburgh Penguins Elite for the No. 1 crown. Both teams faced off against a healthy dose of Canadian competition, often against the same opponents. But when it came time to square off for U.S. bragging rights, Mid-Fairfield edged out a 3-2 win. The victory was the sixth in a row for the Jr. Rangers, while it also snapped the Penguins’ win streak at six.
Hermes Punainen has not been a name frequently heard this season around the ‘08 World Rankings. Playing in Finland, they compete in a stacked group with teams such as No. 4 JYP, No. 7 Kärpät Valkoinen, No. 8 Kärpät Musta and No. 10 KalPa. A bubble team for a majority of this season, a big series or victory could finally allow Hermes to leapfrog into the Top 10. With two crucial wins over KalPa, the time finally came with Hermes making its mark at No. 9. A fellow Finnish team that also played their way into the Top 10 conversation was 2009-born Ilves Florida. They have been off to a pleasant start in the continuation of group play.
Another bubble team hovering around the ‘09 Top 10 for the U.S. has been the Florida Alliance. With two solid showings against No. 4 Penguins Elite and No. 8 Dallas Stars Elite, they squeezed their way into the fray, earning the No. 10 spot.
Two 2011 teams from the U.S. and Russia built up their resumes enough to cross the line from bubble to ranked distinction. No. 10 Chicago Mission defeated the likes of No. 6 Chicago Reapers, former No. 7 Windy City Storm twice and split a two-game set with No. 5 Oakland Jr. Grizzlies. Success that resulted in them taking the No. 10 position. An overtime victory against No. 1 Dynamo St. Petersburg gave No. 10 SKA St. Petersburg enough juice to make it into the top tier of Russia.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.