Weekend Preview Nov. 7-9: State Titles & Nationals Berths on the Line in New England While Nearly 400 Teams Play in Veterans Cup Tourneys

Hockey is such a big deal in Massachusetts and Minnesota that the Tier 1 state champions from those states earn automatic berths to compete in the USA Hockey National Championship every April. New York and Michigan are the only other states afforded this opportunity at the Tier 1 level; in other parts the United States, the district champions earn the trip to Tier 1 Youth and Girls as well as Tier 2 Girls Nationals.

This is because the USA hockey registered-participant numbers in those states are equal to or exceed the number of registered players from the other USA Hockey districts, which are comprised of teams from multiple states. USA Hockey divides the country into 12 districts: Atlantic, Central, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mid-Am, Minnesota, New England, New York, Northern Plains, Pacific, Rocky Mountain and Southeast.

Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championships are held at the 13O, 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U levels for Youth (or boys) teams, while on the Girls side Tier 1 national champs are crowned at the 14U, 16U and 19U levels. Tier 2 Youth national tournaments are held for 14U, 16U and 18U teams, while the girls compete for 14U, 16U and 19U titles. Because there are so many more Tier 2 Youth teams in the U.S., the national championships at that level include state champions from around the country. The Girls Tier 2 National Championships feature only district champs. 

Massachusetts and Minnesota are unique in that those are the areas of the country in which high school and prep hockey are played at the highest levels and have the most participants. Because of that, the club teams in those states mostly compete in what is known as a split-season format. While the structure is a little bit different in each location, the concept is similar: Most players in Massachusetts and Minnesota compete on split-season club teams between September and early November before heading off to play for their high school or prep school teams from November through March.

Massachusetts and Minnesota club teams often compete in tournaments and showcases or leagues that have a weekend showcase format before the school seasons begin to maximize the number of games they can play during that 2-1/2 month timeframe. In theory, that allows serious high school and prep players to compete in nearly as many games as those who play for full-season club teams. Split-season teams often can play between 25 and 30 games in nine or 10 weeks between September and November.

Also, because of the fervor surrounding the school seasons in these two hockey hotbeds, Massachusetts and Minnesota crown their state champions and award their Nationals bids in the fall, with the winning teams getting back together once school play concludes to practice and prepare to play for a national championship in April. In Minnesota, this an ongoing process that began in October and concluded last week.

 

Minnesota 2026 USA Hockey National Championship Qualifiers

Youth Divisions

13O Tier 1 -  Minnesota Lakers

14U Tier 1 - Shattuck-St. Mary’s

14U Tier 2 - Minnesota Green Giants

15O Tier 1 - Shattuck-St. Mary’s

16U Tier 1 - Shattuck-St. Mary’s

16U Tier 2 - Minnesota Lakers

18U Tier 1 - Shattuck-St. Mary’s

18U Tier 2 - Minnesota Lakers

 

Girls Divisions

14U Tier 1 - Minnesota Lakers

14U Tier 2 - Minnesota Polars

16UTier 1 - Shattuck-St. Mary’s

16U Tier 2 - Minnesota Polars

19U Tier 1 - Minnesota Elite (Vegas)

19U Tier 2 - Minnesota Premier Prep

 

While New York and Michigan will wait until the spring to determine their National Championship qualifiers, all eyes turn to Massachusetts for the weekend of Nov. 7-9 as Youth 1 and Tier 2 state champions will be crowned for various age groups. The Massachusetts Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 tournaments will be played during Thanksgiving weekend.

Massachusetts Youth and Girls State tournaments are played at the sprawling New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass. State champions and Nationals qualifiers will be determined in the following categories Nov. 7-9.

Youth Tier 1 - 18U, 16U, 15O, 14U

Youth Tier 2 - 18U, 16U, 14U

Meanwhile, teams from the states surrounding Massachusetts also will be competing for the opportunity to play for national championships as the New England District will crown its Tier 1 Youth 15O, 16U and 18U champions as well as its Girls 14U Tier 1 champions and Tier 2 champs at the 14U, 16U and 19U levels.

Some New England District Tournaments are being held Nov. 6-9; the Tier 1 Youth event is being held in New Hampshire, with the 16U and 19U Tier 1 Girls competing in Connecticut during Thanksgiving weekend. Girls 14U Tier 2 games are being played Nov. 7-9 in Rhode Island, while the 16U and 19U Tier 2 Girls tournaments are being held in Maine at the same time. 

And finally, it's a huge tournament weekend for our friends at MYHockey Tournaments as they are hosting 398 teams across 12 destinations for the Veterans Cup Series Nov. 7-9. Tournament host locations include: first-time location Boise, Charleston, Fort Collins, Hampton Roads, Holland, MI, Madison, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Tacoma, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

The three-day events feature approximately 850 games at 25 rinks, with teams representing 44 states and Canada, including: Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

Each location hosts between 60 and 100 games. The two largest tournaments are:

• The Congressional Veterans Cup in Washington DC with 13 divisions (10U through 16U)

• The Great Lakes Veterans Cup in Holland, Mich., with 9 total divisions (10U through HS Varsity)

 

 

Massachusetts Youth Tier 1 & Tier 2 State Championship

The Massachusetts Youth Tier 1 and 2 State Championship begins the afternoon of Nov. 7 and runs through the evening of Nov. 9. Tier 1 Youth champions will be crowned and USA Hockey National Championship berths determined for the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups, while Tier 2 teams will compete for titles at the 14U, 16U and 18U levels.

State tournaments for younger divisions will be conducted in March. The 15O age group is comprised only of Tier 1 teams.

There are eight teams competing in each division in a single-elimination format. Semifinals are Saturday, with championship games slated for Sunday.

All games are being played at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass.

CLICK HERE for the tournament program with rosters & schedules

 

Massachusetts 18U Tier 1 State Championship

The Massachusetts 18U Tier 1 field is stacked as usual, with seven of the eight teams ranked among the nation’s top 17, according to the Week 7 MHR Tier 1 USA Boys 18U rankings, and all eight residing in the top 24.

CLICK HERE for the Youth 18U Tier 1 schedule

 

18U Tier 1 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#3 Boston Jr. Eagles

#5 Neponset Valley River Rats

#11 Brookline Whalers

#13 Islanders HC East

#14 Springfield Jr. Thunderbirds

#15 Boston Little Bruins

#17 East Coast Militia

#24 Islanders HC West

The top matchup of the opening round features 13th-ranked Islanders Hockey Club East facing the No. 14 Springfield Jr. Thunderbirds at 8 p.m. ET Nov. 7.

 

Massachusetts 18U Tier 2 State Championship

Considering the hundreds of 18U Tier 2 teams registered around the United States, this division is just about as deep as the Tier 1 group, with six teams ranked among the top 44 in the nation competing. Two of the eight participating teams are in the top 20.

CLICK HERE for the Youth 18U Tier 2 schedule

 

18U Tier 2 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#7 Central Mass Penguins

#18 Boston Jr. Huskies

#26 South Shore Kings

#30 Neponset Valley River Rats

#43 Boston Jr. Eagles

#44 Boston Jr. Terriers (Jordan)

#68 Bay State Breakers

#80 BostonJr. Terriers (Tsanotelis)

The 26th-ranked South Shore Kings face off against the No. 44 Boston Jr. Terriers (Jordan) at 8:30 p.m. ET, while the No. 30 Neponset Valley RiverRats take on the No. 43 Boston Jr. Eagles at 7:50 p.m. ET in a pair intriguing quarterfinal matchups Nov. 7.

 

Massachusetts 16U Tier 1 State Championship

Every team in the 16U Tier 1 tournament is ranked among the nation’s top 65 teams in the MHR Week 7 Rankings. Five teams are in the top 50, with four of those ranking among the top 33.

CLICK HERE for the Youth 16U Tier 1 schedule

 

16U Tier 1 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#14 Neponset Valley River Rats

#23 Boston Jr. Eagles

#31 Cape Cod Whalers

#33 Islanders HC East

#48 South Shore Kings

#51 East Coast Militia

#58 Springfield Jr. Thunderbirds

#65 American Hockey Academy

The No. 31 Cape Cod Whalers play No. 51 East Coast Militia Nov. 7 at 6:20 p.m. ET, with No. 33 Islanders Hockey Club East taking on the 48th-ranked South Shore Kings at 6 p.m. ET.

 

Massachusetts 16U Tier 2 State Championship

There are more than 200 teams listed in the Week 7 MHR 16U Tier 2 rankings, and every team in the Massachusetts State Championship field is ranked among the top third of that group. The tournament features three teams ranked among the top 40, and all eight are in the top 91.

CLICK HERE for the Youth 16U Tier 2 schedule

 

16U Tier 2 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#8 Boston Jr. Huskies

#35 Worcester Jr. Railers

#36 East Coast Militia

#65 Central Mass Penguins

#73 North Shore Shamrocks

#77 Boston Jr. Eagles

#81 Neponset Valley River Rats

#91 North Suburban Wings

The No. 35 Worcester Jr. Railers face the 81st-ranked Neponset Valley River Rats (6:10 p.m. ET), while No. 36 East Coast Militia take on the 77th-ranked Boston Jr. Eagles (6:30 p.m. ET) in quarterfinal action Nov. 7.

 

Massachusetts 15O Tier 1 State Championship

No team in the 15O Tier 1 Massachusetts State Tournament field is ranked lower than No. 72 in a group that includes a pair of top 10 teams, three teams ranked among the. MHR Week 7 top 30 and seven teams that are in the top 44.

CLICK HERE for the 15O Tier 1 schedule

 

15O Tier 1 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#4 Minuteman Flames

#9 Neponset Valley River Rats

#19 Islanders HC East

#27 East Coast Militia

#37 Cape Cod Whalers

#39 Boston Americans

#44 South Shore Kings

#72 American Hockey Academy

Every 15O quarterfinal matchup should be a good one, but the highlights of the Nov. 7 quarterfinal slate include:  No. 9 Neponset Valley River Rats vs. No. 44  South Shore Kings at 4 p.m. ET, No. 19 Islanders Hockey Club East vs. No. 39 Boston Americans at 4:10 p.m. ET and No. 27 East Coast Militia vs. No. 37 Cape Cod Whalers. At 3:5 p.m. ET.

 

Massachusetts 14U Tier 1 State Championship

Each 14U Tier 1 team is ranked among MHR’s Week 7 top 55, with six of the teams ranked among the top 40. Islanders Hockey Club East, the Boston Jr. Eagles and the Cape Cod Whalers all reside within the top 20. 

CLICK HERE for the 14U Tier 1 schedule

 

14U Tier 1 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#5 Islanders HC East

#9 Boston Jr. Eagles

#20 Cape Cod Whalers

#26 Neponset Valley River Rats

#38 Boston Jr. Terriers

#52 Northeast Generals

#55 Boston Americans

#55 East Coast Militia

The Nov. 7 quarterfinal battles between the No. 20 Cape Cod Whalers and No. 52 Northeast Generals at 11:30 a.m. and the No. 26 Neoponset Valley River Rants and No. 38 Boston Jr. Terriers at 10:40 a.m. should be the top games of the opening day.

 

Massachusetts 14U Tier 2 State Championship

With 342 14U Tier 2 currently ranked by MHR, the entire Massachusetts State Championship field in that division ranks among the top 24 percent of teams in the United States. Four teams in the 14U T2 group are ranked among the top 30.   

CLICK HERE for the 14U Tier 2 schedule

 

14U Tier 2 Participating Teams in Seeded Order

#12 South Shore Dynamos

#14 Greater Boston Jr. Bruins

#19 Walpole Express

#29 Bay State Breakers

#57 95 Giants

#68 Boston Jr. Huskies

#73 East Coast Militia

#82 Islanders Hockey Club East

If the quarterfinals hold true to form, we will get a matchup between the No. 12 South Shore Dynamos and No. 29 Bay State Breakers, with the No. 19 Walpole Express also facing the No. 14 Greater Boston Jr. Bruins, in Saturday’s semifinals. Those contests are scheduled for 9:20 and 9:30 a.m. ET.

 

New England District Youth & Girls Tournaments

The New England District of USA Hockey includes Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. District champions and USA Hockey National Championship berths are being determined Nov. 6-9 for the following divisions:

 

New England Tier 1 Boys 15O, 16U and 18U (New Hampshire)

In the Boys 15O Tier 1 Divsion, six teams are broken up into two three-team pools. Round-robin play will determine which teams advance. National-powerhouse Mount St. Charles is ranked 10th and should face stiff competition from the No. 26 Mid-Fairfield Rangers as well as the No. 41 Yale Bulldogs.

The 16U Division has a similar format, with No. 13 Seacoast Performance Academy, the No. 16 Providence Capitals and 19th-ranked Mount St. Charles leading the charge. No. 22 Yale also presents a formidable challenger for those three.

In the 18U Tier 1 Boys Division, the fourth-ranked Northern CT Nor'Easter and No. 7 Yale Junior Bulldogs find themsleves in the same pool, while No. 27 Mount St. Chalres and No. 28 Mid-Fairfield hope to make some noise and give them a run for their money. 

New England Boys TIer 1 Tournament games are being played in Exeter and Hudson, N.H. Games in Hudson likely can be viewed on LiveBarn.

CLICK HERE for links to New England District Tier 1 Boys schedules, results and standings

 

New England Tier 1 Girls 14U (Connecticut)

The New England Tier 1 Girls 14U District Tournament is being played Nov. 7-9 at Northford Ice Pavilion in Connecticut. There are four teams competing, led by the 37th-ranked Hartford Jr. Wolfpack and No. 42 Connecticut Ice Cats. The Mid-Fairfield Stars are ranked 51st and the Vermont Ice Cats are No. 55.

Games should be available for live and on-demand viewing via LiveBarn. 

CLICK HERE for links to the New England District Tier 1 14U Girls schedule, results and standings

 

New England Tier 2 Girls 14U (Rhode Island)

There are six teams divided into two pools competing for the New England 14U Tier 2 Girls championship. The 23rd-ranked Central Vermont Black Bears, No. 22 Mid-Fairfield Stars, No. 39 Rhode Island Sting, No. 43 Connecticut Polar Bears and No. 45 Seacoast Spartans are the top competing teams hoping to earn a trip to Nationals. 

Games are being played at West Warwick Civic Center and should be available for viewing live and on-demand via LiveBarn. 

CLICK HERE for links to the New England District Tier 2 14U Girls schedule, results and standings

 

New England Tier 2 Girls 16U (Maine)

Six teams are competing in the New England 16U Tier 2 Girls tourney, led by the 11th- and 12th-ranked Mid-Fairfield Stars and Connecticut Polar Bears. They will be challenged by the No. 30 Rhode Island Sting and No. 33 Vermont Jr. Catamounts. 

Games are being played at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, Maine and should be streamed on LiveBarn. 

CLICK HERE for links to the New England District Tier 2 16U Girls schedule, results and standings

 

New England Tier 2 Girls 19U (Maine)

There are six teams in the New England 16U Tier 2 Girls District Tournament, with the 12th-ranked Connecticut Polar Bears and No. 16 Mid-Fairfield stars entering the weekend as the favorites. They are being joined by the No. 25 Rhode Island Stings and No. 33 Shoreline Sharks.

Games are being played at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, Maine and should be streamed on LiveBarn. 

CLICK HERE for links to the New England District Tier 2 19U Girls schedule, results and standings