Weekend Preview: Top Western Canada & USA 18U Boys AAA/Tier 1 Teams Gather for Circle K Classic

Updated Wednesday, Thursday, Jan. 1, at 2:45 p.m. EST

As many youth hockey organizations and families continue to enjoy a short holiday break, the puck is about to drop at what has become one of North America’s most-anticipated annual tournaments.

Most of the top U18 Boys AAA teams from Western Canada have gathered in Calgary, Alberta, along with Tier 1 teams from the United States, for the Circle K Classic.

The longest-running U18 AAA hockey tournament in Western Canada, the Circle K Classic has been hosted jointly by the Calgary Buffaloes, Calgary Flames, Calgary Northstars and Calgary Royals, all members of the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL), since 1978. Those organizations have produced six of the past 20 Alberta provincial Boys 18U AAA champions.

This year’s tournament gets underway at 12 p.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 27, with games being played at Max Bell Centre and Seven Chiefs Sportsplex in Calgary.

The Moose Jaw Warriors take on Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna, while Burnaby Winter Club Academy faces the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers to open tournament play Friday, the first two of 16 games on the docket for Day 1. Pool play continues through Monday, Dec. 29, with playoff rounds commencing the following day and culminating Jan. 1.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for Dec. 27 at 9 p.m. EST at Max Bell Centre, followed by OHA Edmonton vs. Thompson Blazers at 9:15 and the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes vs. Calgary Flames at 9:15.

The Circle K Classic includes 32 teams from the AEHL, the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), the British Columbia Elite Hockey League (BCEHL), the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) and USA Hockey grouped into eight four-team pools.

According to the Week 14 MHR Boys 18U AAA Rankings, the tournament field includes each of Western Canada’s top 10 teams, 18 of the top 20 and 23 of the top 30. In addition, the USA’s eighth-ranked St. Louis AAA Blues have made the trip to Calgary along with four other teams ranked among the top 40 in the U.S. (Sioux Falls Power, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, Team Maryland and Chicago Mission).

Pool 5, which includes three of Western Canada’s top 10 teams – the No. 4 Vancouver NE Chiefs, No. 8 Calgary Northstars and No. 10 South Alberta Hockey Academy – appears to be this year’s Pool of Death. Whichever teams advance from that pool surely will be battle tested heading into the playoffs.

This year’s Circle K Classic once again will utilize the “Sweet Sixteen” format, introduced into 2025 to enhance competition and provide more teams with an opportunity to compete for the championship. The top two teams from each of the eight pools will advance past the round-robin stage into the “Sweet Sixteen” bracket, ensuring high-intensity matchups and an elevated level of play throughout the tournament.

Tournament games, which run daily from 12 p.m. EST through midnight, can be watched via web stream at www.flohockey.tv.

2026 Circle K Classic Participating Teams & Pools

Updated Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. EST

Pool 1

#13 Regina Pat Canadians (3-0-0, 9 pts)

#18 Burnaby Winter Club Academy (2-1-0; 5 pts)

#7 Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (2-1-0; 4 pts)

#31 Shawnigan Lake School (0-3-0; 0 pts)

Pool 2

#3 Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna (3-0-0; 9 pts)

#15 Moose Jaw Warriors (2-1-0; 5 pts)

#12 Calgary Buffaloes (1-2-0; 4 pts)