Weekend Preview Nov. 21-23: NE Pack, NAPHL & T1EHL Showcase Events on Center Stage
As we prepare to enter a busy holiday season packed with youth hockey events all over North America, teams from a few of the top showcase circuits in the United States are in action at various weekend events around the country Nov. 21-23.
The Northeast Pack Hockey League is made up of six Tier 1 youth hockey organizations from the Northeast along with Little Caesars, which became a member at the 18U level for the 2025-26 season, from the Midwest. In addition, the Long Island Gulls have been replaced by the Woodbridge Wolfpack from New Jersey this year. NE Pack Teams from the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups are in Pittsburgh for a showcase weekend that is being hosted by Pens Elite.
Meanwhile, more than 80 USA Boys teams are in Massachusetts from two North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) divisions for the league’s annual East Showcase at the sprawling New England Sports Center in Marlboro Nov. 21-14. Teams from both the NAHPL Tier 1 Hockey League (T1ER Division) and the SHOW Division, including some of the top Tier 1 and 2 programs in the country, are in Marlboro competing at the 14U, 16U and 18U levels.
The NAPHL has a direct affiliation with the North American Hockey League (NAHL), the only USA Hockey-sanctioned tuition-free junior league in the United States, and the North American Tier 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). NAPHL teams come together during their seasons to compete in showcase weekends that provide NAHL coaches and scouts with an opportunity to see hundreds of the nation’s top youth hockey prospects playing in one location.
The third and final event we are highlighting for the weekend of Nov. 21-23 is taking place in Michigan as 18U Boys teams from the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) converge to compete in one of the league’s in-season showcases. Thirty T1EHL teams will be participating in an event that includes 19 of the top 60 USA Boys Tier 1 18U teams, according to our Week 9 MHR Rankings.
Northeast Pack 14U - 18U Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Showcase
Joining Little Caesars and the Woodbridge Wolfpack for the Pittsburgh NE Pack Weekend are the New Jersey Rockets, Mid-Fairfield Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Bishop Kearney Selects and Mount St. Charles. Most of those NE Pack member clubs regularly qualify teams that compete for USA Hockey national championships in multiple age groups. There also are guest steams from strong Tier 1 organizations participating in Pittsburgh.
The seven nationally prominent member organizations share a vision for player-focused development and are consistently some of the top youth hockey organizations in the United States. They all have successfully advanced countless players to the United States Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the North American Hockey League as well as to the NCAA and professional levels.
The NE Pack season consists of six showcase weekends spaced out throughout the member teams’ regular seasons. Showcases are held in the Northeast and are easily accessible to high-level junior and college scouts. The playoffs take place at the Utica University Nexus Center in New York in February, and at least one league member has won a national championship each year since the league NE Pack was founded in 2019.
NE Pack Pittsburgh Showcase games begin Friday, Nov. 21, and conclude Sunday, Nov. 23, and are being played at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Center, Robert Morris University Island Sports Center. All games should be available for live and on-demand viewing via LiveBarn.
CLICK HERE for the links to NE Pack Pens Elite Showcase scores, schedules, stats and standings
CLICK HERE for the NE Pack Pens Elite Showcase master schedule
With the addition of the Ohio Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Jr. Flyers as guest teams for the Pens Elite Showcase weekend, five of the nation’s top 11 14U USA Boys teams are participating in Pittsburgh.
14U NE Pack Pens Elite Showcase Participating Team Rankings & Standings
#2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (6-0-0; 18 pts)
#4 Mount St. Charles (3-0-0; 9 pts)
#5 Bishop Kearney Selects (2-4-0; 8 pts)
#9 Ohio Blue Jackets (guest)
# 11 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (guest)
#19 Woodbridge Wolfpack (3-3-0; 9 pts)
#37 NJ Rockets (2-4-0; 5 pts)
#64 Mid-Fairfield Rangers (0-6-0; 0 pts)
Only Northeast Pack member teams are competing in Pittsburgh at the 15O age level, but that means the field still includes three top five teams, according to the MHR Week 9 Rankings, and four of the nation’s top 20.
15O NE Pack Pens Elite Showcase Participating Team Rankings & Standings
#2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (2-4-0; 6 pts)
#4 Mount St. Charles (4-2-0; 11 pts)
#5 Bishop Kearney Selects (4-2-0; 14 pts)
#19 Woodbridge Wolfpack (4-2-0; 13 pts)
#37 NJ Rockets (1–5-0; 3 pts)
#64 Mid-Fairfield Rangers (1-5-0; 2pts)
The 16U NE Pack field for Pittsburgh includes NorthStar Christian Academy and the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights, who are participating as guest teams. WBS is ranked 16th in the U.S., according to the Week 9 MHR Rankings, which means that seven of the eight participating teams are among the nation’s top 26.
16U NE Pack Pens Elite Showcase Participating Team Rankings & Standings
#3 Woodbridge Wolfpack (5-1-0; 14 pts)
#7 Bishop Kearney Selects (4-2-0; 11 pts)
#10 Mount St. Charles (4-2-0; 12 pts)
#12 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (2-4-0; 7 pts)
#16 Wilkes Barre-Scranton Knights (guest)
#21 NJ Rockets (2-4-0 7 pts)
#26 Mid-Fairfield Rangers (1-5-0; 3 pts)
#41 NorthStar Christian Academy (guest)
Two prep programs - Gilmour Academy and Nichols School - are part of the 18U group participating in Pittsburgh. That means all eight competing teams are ranked among MHR’s Week 9 USA top 30, with four landing among the top 13.
18U NE Pack Pens Elite Showcase Participating Team Rankings & Standings
#7 NJ Rockets (2-3-0; 8 pts)
#11 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (2-4-0; 5 pts)
#12 Bishop Kearney Selects (6-0-0; 16 pts)
#13 (ALL) Woodbridge Wolfpack (2-3-0; 7 pts)
#20 Gilmour Academy (guest)
#25 Nichols School (guest)
#28 Little Caesars (2-4-0; 6 pts)
#29 Mount St. Charles (5-1-0; 15 pts)
The North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) returns to the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass., for the second consecutive season, hosting an event that features competition at both the league’s T1ER and SHOW levels. The showcase field features some of the top USA Boys Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs competing at the 14U, 16U and 18U age levels.
Games begin Friday, Nov. 21, and run through Monday, Nov. 24. All NAPHL games can be viewed live and on-demand at NAHLTV.com.
As with many NAPHL events, the weekend also includes junior hockey matchups from the NA3HL’s East Division on Friday, Nov, 21, as the Maine Nordiques take on the Binghamton Buzz at 4 p.m. EST followed a contest between the Long Beach Sharks and New Hampshire Mountain Kings at 7 p.m. EST.
The combination of these events creates a premier scouting environment, offering unmatched visibility to NAHL and NA3HL coaches while allowing athletes to showcase their abilities to scouts from the levels they aspire to reach in the future.
The NAPHL is divided into three leagues: the T1ER, which is comprised only of USA Boys Tier 1 teams; the SHOW, which includes Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams; and the Fall League, which offers games in September and October.
Now in its 17th year, the NAPHL has established itself as one of the nation’s premier opportunities for player development and exposure. Nearly 100 players with NAPHL ties were drafted or tendered by NAHL clubs in 2023, with 79 more drafted into the NA3HL. The league produced 24 United States Hockey League draft picks and boasted more than 200 alumni in the NAHL, more than 160 in the NA3HL and more than 40 in the USHL. Since 2020, no other USA Tier 1 league has seen more players advance to the NAHL.
CLICK HERE to view the NAPHL SHOW 14U, 16U and 18U schedules.
CLICK HERE to view the T1ER 16U and 18U schedules.
18U SHOW Division Participating Teams
|
TEAM |
|
Capital Flames |
|
Central Storm |
|
Cherry Creek |
|
Chicago Hawks |
|
Dallas Jr. Penguins |
|
Denver Hockey |
|
Lake County Vipers |
|
Midwest Blackbirds |
|
Monument Hockey Academy |
|
New Jersey Jr. Titans |
|
North Broward Prep |
|
Oakland Bears |
|
Orange County Hockey Club |
|
Orland Park Vikings |
|
Pacific Ridge School |
|
St. Louis Sting |
|
Sylvania Northstars |
|
Tampa Bay Crunch |
|
Team Wyoming |
|
Texas Heat |
|
Texas Jr. Brahmas |
|
Texas Tigers |
|
Tri-Valley Bulls |
|
Ogden/Weber County Jr. Mustangs |
|
West Dundee Leafs |
|
California Wave |
18U SHOW Division Guest Teams
|
Genesis Hockey Club |
|
Mckinney North Stars |
|
Seacoast Spartans |
16U SHOW Division Participating Teams
|
TEAM |
|
Anaheim Jr. Ducks |
|
California Heat |
|
California Wave |
|
Chicago Hawks |
|
Texas Heat |
|
Texas Jr. Brahmas |
|
Texas Warriors |
|
Genesis Hockey Club 15U |
|
Genesis Hockey Club 16U |
|
Geneva Cyclones 15U |
|
Jacksonville Jr. Icemen |
|
Jr. Everblades |
|
Lake County Vipers 15U |
|
Mckinney North Stars |
|
Orange County Hockey Club |
|
Orland Park Vikings |
|
San Diego Jr. Gulls |
|
St. Louis Sting |
|
Tampa Bay Crunch 15U |
|
Tampa Bay Crunch 16U |
|
Team Wyoming |
14U SHOW Division Participating Teams
|
Chicago Hawks |
|
Jacksonville Jr. Icemen |
|
Nest Hockey Academy |
|
Northwest Chargers |
|
Oakland Bears |
|
San Diego Jr. Gulls |
|
Santa Clara Blackhawks |
|
SISU Thunderbirds |
|
Team Wyoming |
|
West Dundee Leafs |
|
Golden State Elite |
18U T1ER Participating Teams
East Coast Militia Cats Prep
Long Island Arrows
Mount Academy
New Jersey Jr. Devils
Kings Edgehill School
Wasatch Renegades
Seattle Kraken
Boston Advantage
95 Gians
Fairmont Prep
Danbury Hat Tricks
New Jersey 87s
Boston Hockey Academy
NJ Titans Affilate
16U T1ER Participating Teams
Mount Academy
Boston Advantage
Valley Forge Minutemen
Danbury Hat Tricks
Long Island Arrows
Boston Hockey Academy
Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Detroit 18U Showcase
There are 30 USA Boys Tier 1 teams in the Detroit area for the weekend of Nov. 21-23 competing in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League’s 18U Showcase. Games run from Friday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 23, with 19 of the top 60 USA Boys Tier 1 18U teams competing.
The event is being held outside of Detroit at the Taylor Sportsplex and Dearborn Ice Skating Center. Both rinks have LiveBarn feeds, so games should be available for live and on-demand streaming.
The Tier 1 Elite Hockey League is one of the United States’ premier youth AAA hockey showcase-style leagues, with more than 20 member organizations from both coasts and many states In between. Like the Northeast Pack, the T1EHL has a strong record of advancing players to the highest levels of North American junior hockey and to NCAA college programs. League showcase weekends regularly are attended by scouts from the USHL, NAHL, OHL and NCAA institutions.
CLICK HERE for the T1EHL 18U Detroit Showcase master schedule
CLICK HERE for T1EHL 18U Showcase scores, schedules, stats and standings
T1EHL Detroit 18U Participating Teams
#10 St. Louis AAA Blues
#13 Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets
#19 Fox Motors
#21 Sioux Falls Power
#23 Victory Honda
#24 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes
#30 Chicago Fury
#32 Cleveland Barons
#33 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
#34 Buffalo Jr. Sabres
#38 Anaheim Jr. Ducks
#40 Indiana Elite
#43 Milwaukee Jr. Admirals
#44 North Jersey Avalanche
#47 Florida Alliance
#48 South Hills Panthers
#53 Carolina Jr. Canes
#56 Colorado Rampage
#57 Belle Tire
#62 Dallas Stars Elite
#66 Team Alaska
#68 Nashville Jr. Predators
#71 Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
#72 Washington Little Caps
#73 Colorado Thunderbirds
#88 Compuware
#90 LA Jr. Kings
#98 Soo Indians
#106 San Jose Jr. Sharks
Chicago Phantoms
