MHR Weekend Wrap Feb. 6-8: SAHA Wins CSSHL Challenge, Northeast Pack Crowns Champs & Motor City Girls Fest Doesn't Disappoint
As we begin to move into youth hockey playoff season around North America, the weekend of February 6-8 gave us a little taste of postseason play along with some other intriguing events one week before the last big tournament weekend of the 2025-26 campaign.
One of the top amateur hockey leagues in North America, the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, hosted a unique event during that weekend in Saint-Rach-de-l’Achigan, Quebec. The 2026 CSSHL East West Challenge brought together 14 total U18 AAA Boys teams from the CSSHL’s Eastern and Western divisions for a showcase-style event. Play began Thursday, Feb. 5, and concluded with the championship game Sunday, Feb. 8.
Meanwhile, another of North America’s top youth leagues, the Northeast Pack, held its annual playoffs for some of the top 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U Tier 1 Boys teams in the United States. The NE Pack Playoffs began the morning of Friday, Feb. 6, and ran through Feb. 8 in Utica, N.Y.
Finally, some of the top North American Tier 1 Girls programs were in the Detroit area for the Motor City Girls Fest, a late-season tuneup for many teams hoping to make a run to USA Hockey Nationals. The tournament included 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U divisions, with 90 teams from the United States and Canada competing.
The CSSHL East West Challenge in Saint-Rach-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, featured 14 school-based teams from across Canada that play in the league’s Eastern and Western Boys U18 divisions.
The teams competed in a showcase-style event, with everyone playing at least four games. Two teams advanced to compete in a fifth game for the tournament championship Sunday, Feb. 8.
Founded in 2009 by five like-minded Hockey Canada Sport Schools, the mission for the CSSHL always has been to establish a league designed specifically for elite level student-athletes, providing them with an opportunity to increase their skills on and off the ice, a high level of competition and exposure. Since then, the CSSHL has grown to include 38 sport schools and 129 teams competing in eight different divisions.
East West Challenge participants included six teams ranked among Western Canada’s top 21, according to the Week 20 MHR Rankings, led by No. 9 Edge School of Calgary and No. 11 South Alberta Hockey Academy. Six of those teams also were ranked among the top 16 Canada Independent Prep programs.
The Eastern Division contingent included three teams ranked among the Canada Independent Prep top 31, led by No. 11 Stanstead College and 21 Bourget College.
Games were played at the J.S. Perreault Complex and can be viewed on-demand via FLOHockey.
CSSHL East West Challenge Participating Team Records
Eastern Division
#22 Prep Bourget College (2-2-0; 18GF, 16GA)
#61 Prep Fort Erie International Academy (0-4-0; 5GF, 21GA)
#66 Prep Okanagan Hockey Ontario (1-3-0; 8GF, 27GA)
#46 Prep Ontario Hockey Academy (0-4-0; 12GF, 31GA)
#31 Rothesay Netherwood School (2-2-0; 17GF, 20GA)
#11 Stanstead College (0-4-0; 6GF, 15GA)
#29 Prep Ulysse Academy (1-3-0; 14GF, 17GA)
Western Division
#21 WC Burnaby Winter Club Academy (4-1-0; 26GF, 12GA)
#18 WC Delta Hockey Academy (3-1-0; 14GF, 6GA)
#9 WC Edge School (3-1-0; 32GF, 16GA)
#20 WC Okanagan Hockey Academy (3-1-0; 18GF, 14GA)
#19 WC Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (3-1-0; 20GF, 15GA)
#48 WC Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (2-2-0; 15GF, 13GA)
#11 WC South Alberta Hockey Academy (5-0-0, 27GF, 9GA)
CSSHL East West Challenge Championship Game
South Alberta Hockey Academy 2, BWC Academy 1 (OT)
Kingston Chisholm potted a highlight-reel goal from his knees at 2:12 of overtime to lift SAHA to the championship. Ryker Classen had tied the game and forced the extra session with his goal in the final four minutes of regulation. Aidan Poulin assisted on that goal, with Kutcher Aquila picking up the helper on the game-winner. Charlie Robinson opened the scoring for Burnaby in the second period. SAHA’s Cash Christie stopped 22 shots to earn the win in goal.
CLICK HERE FOR East West Challenge Standings
CLICK HERE for East West Challenge Player Stats
CLICK HERE for East West Challenge Goalie Stats
CLICK HERE for the Digital Program
One of the top American Tier 1 Boys showcase-style youth hockey leagues, the Northeast Pack crowned its 2025-26 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U champions the weekend of Feb. 6-8 at the Utica University Nexus Cnter in Utica, N.Y.
Featuring some of the top Tier 1 organizations in the United States, the NE Pack’s playoff weekend included Mount St. Charles, the Bishop Kearney Selects, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, the Mid-Fairfield Rangers, the New Jersey Rockets and the Woodbridge Wolfpack all competing in the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U divisions. Little Caesars replaced Mid-Fairfield in the 18U playoffs. There were a total of 24 teams competing across the four age levels in Utica.
The Utica University Nexus Center has a LiveBarn feed, so all games should be available there for on-demand viewing.
The Northeast Pack Hockey League is comprised of six youth hockey organizations from the Northeast and Little Caesars from the Midwest. Little Caesars joined the NE Pack as full-time member at the 18U level prior to the 2025-26 season.
The NE Pack was founded prior to the 2019-20 season by six nationally prominent youth hockey organizations that shared a vision for player-focused development. Regular-season play in the NE Pack consisted of five showcase weekends held around the Northeast leading up to the playoffs.
NE Pack 14U Playoffs
The NE Pack 14U Playoffs featured three teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 10 and four among the top 20. Second-ranked Pens Elite dominated the regular season, compiling a 14-1-0 league record to finish 14 points in front of the fifth-ranked Bishop Kearney Selects.
NE Pack 14U Playoff Records
#2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (4-0-0; 28GF, 9GA)
#4 Mount St. Charles (3-1-0; 17GF, 7GA)
#5 Bishop Kearney Selects (2-1-0; 8GF, 6GA)
#19 Woodbridge Wolfpack (0-3-0; 7GF, 11GA)
#41 New Jersey Rockets (1-2-0; 6GF, 14GA)
#58 Mid-Fairfield Rangers (0-3-0; 2GF, 21GA)
NE Pack 14U Championship Game
Pens Elite 4, Mount St. Charles 3
Dangelo Fluhme scored with 18 seconds left in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give Pens Elite the championship. It was his second goal of the period and completed a hat trick. He also scored his team’s first goal in the opening frame. Cameron Pelle had the other Pens Elite goal and added an assist on Fluhme’s second marker. Winning goalie Brooks Del Signore made 31 saves. Robert McCann scored twice for the Jr. Mounties.
NE Pack 15O Playoffs
The NE Pack 15O Playoffs included three teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 10, and all six were among the top 30. The No. 2 Woodbridge Wolfpack outlasted sixth-ranked Bishop Kearney Selects to finish the regular season on top with a 12-3-0 league record and 37 points. B.K. finished second with 36 points.
NE Pack 15O Playoff Records
#2 Woodbridge Wolfpack (3-1-0; 13GF, 9GA)
#6 Bishop Kearney Selects (1-2-0; 11GF, 10GA)
#10 Mount St. Charles (0-2-0; 4GF, 10GA)
#12 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (4-0-0; 22GF, 8GA)
#21 New Jersey Rockets (0-2-0; 2GF, 7GA)
#29 Mid-Fairfield Rangers (1-2-0; 7GF, 15GA)
NE Pack 150 Championship Game
Pens Elite 3, Woodbridge Wolfpack 1
Brady Parris and Jack Riehl scored to give Pens Elite a 2-0 lead heading into the final period, and Owen LaCoste provided an insurance marker in the game’s final minute as Pittsburgh won the 15O NE Pack championship. Riehl also assisted on Parris’s goal and Preston Clutter made 38 saves to earn the win in goal. Deverin Warner had the lone Wolfpack tally.
NE Pack 16U Playoffs
The NE Pack 16U Playoffs featured five teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 16, and all six were among the top 50. The fourth-ranked Woodbridge Wolfpack finished the regular season 12 points ahead of both No. 13 Mount St. Charles and the 16th-ranked New Jersey Rockets with a league record of 12-3-0, good for 36 points.
NE Pack 16U Playoff Records
#4 Woodbridge Wolfpack (4-0-0; 20GF, 5GA)
#12 Bishop Kearney Selects (2-1-0; 7GF, 7GA)
#13 Mount St. Charles (0-3-0; 8GF, 12GA)
#14 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (1-2-0; 7GF, 13GA)
#16 New Jersey Rockets (2-2-0; 13GF, 9GA)
#50 Mid-Fairfield Rangers (1-2-0; 8GF, 17GA)
NE Pack 16U Championship Game
Woodbridge Wolfpack 3, NJ Rockets 1
Reese Tracy scored twice and Norman Greene tallied once as the Wolfpack took a 3-0 lead in the first two periods and cruised to victory. Avery Fixman scored late in the second period for the Rockets to cut the margin to 3-1 leading into a scoreless third period. Winning goalie Mason Hriczov made 19 assists, and Greene added an assist to go along with his goal.
NE Pack 18U Playoffs
The NE Pack 18U Playoffs included five teams ranked among the Week 20 MHR top 20, and all six were among the top 26. The Woodbridge Wolfpack, ranked 17th among all USA Boys 18U Tier 1 teams, finished one point ahead of the No. 6 New Jersey Rockets with a 10-5-0 regular-season league record and 29 points.
NE Pack 18U Playoff Records
#6 New Jersey Rockets (4-0-0; 18GF, 8GA)
#11 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (1-2-0; 7GF, 9GA)
#14 Bishop Kearney Selects (0-3-0; 9GF, 17GA)
#17 (all teams) Woodbridge Wolfpack (3-1-0; 12GF, 6GA)
#20 Little Caesars (1-2-0; 6GF, 13GA)
#26 Mount St. Charles (1-2-0; 11GF, 10GA)
NE Pack 18U Championship Game
NJ Rockets 4, Woodbridge Wolfpack 3
Aidan Wilson scored on the power play with 32 seconds left in the third period to give the Rockets the title after Woodbridge had rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game with 3:39 remaining. Lucas Salvatore, Nico Smilovic and Nikita Bogatyrev scored the other goals for New Jersey. Matthew Portz, Ryan Murphy and Aiden Stamm tallied for the Wolfpack. Winning netminder Roman Leonardi made 24 saves.
CLICK HERE for links to Northeast Pack scores, standings and stats
Ninety USA and Canada Girls teams from ages 10U through 19U were in the Detroit Area for the Motor City Girls Fest, which began the morning of Feb. 6 and ran through Sunday, Feb. 8. Our focus is on the 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U divisions.
The primary host venues were Buffalo Wild Wings Arena in Troy, Mich., and Lakeland Arena in Waterford, Mich. Other venues included Big Boy Arena in Fraser, Mich., and John Lindell Ice Arena in Royal Oak, Mich. Most games should be available on LiveBarn for on-demand viewing.
The 12U Division included 14 teams competing in three pools, while there were 26 teams in the 14U Division divided into six pools, 24 teams and six pools in the 16U Division and 20 teams across five pools in the 19U Division.
Games began the morning of Feb. 6, with pool play concluding the afternoon of Feb. 7 and playoffs beginning later that same day. Championship games were played Sunday, Feb. 8.
Motor City Girls Fest 12U Division
The Girls Fest 12U Division consisted of 14 teams competing in three pools. Eight of the teams were ranked among the USA top 23, according to the latest MHR 12U Girls Rankings.
12U Top Participating Team Records
#2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (5-1-0; 22GF, 9GA)
#3 Little Caesars (6-0-0; 34GF, 8GA)
#11 Windy City Storm (3-1-0; 5GF, 4GA)
#12 Milwaukee Jr. Admirals (3-1-0; 15GF, 10GA)
#15 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (2-1-0; 9GF, 5GA)
#16 St. Louis AAA Blues (3-2-0; 11GF, 9GA)
#21 Biggby Coffee (1-3-0; 7GF, 10GA)
#23 Fox Motors (1-2-1; 3GF, 7GA)
12U Motor City Championship Game
Little Caesars 3, Pens Elite 2
LC completed a perfect 6-0 weekend thanks to goals from Sutton Metzger, Margaret Bergin and Camryn Kay. Monica Romary and Brynn Godon scored for Pens Elite. Megan Stempien was the winning goalie.
Motor City Girls Fest 14U Division
In the Girls Fest 14U Division there were 26 teams spread out among six pools. Three of the teams were from Ontario, ranking first, 14th and 54th in the Week 20 Canada U15 Tier 1 Rankings. There were five USA 14U Tier 1 top 10 teams in the division, and nine teams were ranked among the top 20.
14U Top Participating Team Records
#1 Canada Durham West Lightning (6-0-0; 24GF, 2GA)
#3 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (5-0-0; 22GF, 8GA)
#4 Fox Motors (4-1-0; 16GF, 6GA)
#6 Chicago Mission (2-2-0; 11GF, 7GA)
#8 Dallas Stars Elite (3-1-0; 13GF, 4GA)
#9 Little Caesars (3-1-0; 15GF, 7GA)
#13 Windy City Storm (2-2-0; 12GF, 8GA)
#14 Canada Toronto Leaside Wildcats (1-3-0; 9GF, 14GA)
#14 Team Illinois (2-2-0; 10GF, 9GA)
#17 LA Lions (4-1-0; 13GF 7GA)
#19 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (2-2-0; 10GF, 8GA)
14U Motor City Championship Game
Durham West Lightning 2, Jr. Flyers 1 (OT)
Durham West allowed just its second goal of the weekend and needed overtime, but the Lighting skated away with the championship after Macy Ziskinder scored in the extra session for a 2-1 victory. Leah McLean had the other Durham West goal, while Madeline Staffieri scored for the Jr. Flyers. Winning goalie Teaghan Maxwell made 19 saves.
Motor City Girls Fest 16U Division
The Girls Fest 16U Division had 24 teams competing in six pools. Three teams from Ontario played, including the Nos. 42 and 43 U18 teams in Canada. Three teams were ranked in the USA 16U Tier 1 top 10 and nine were among the top 25.
16U Top Participating Team Records
#7 Chicago Mission (5-1-0; 24GF, 6GA)
#8 Team Illinois (4-1-0; 24GF, 6GA)
#9 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (6-0-0; 21GF, 6GA)
#11 Bishop Kearney Selects (3-1-0; 11GF, 5GA)
#15 Little Caesars (5-0-0; 20GF, 10GA)
#17 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (3-1-0; 11GF, 7GA)
#18 Canada Ottawa Lady Senators (2-2-0; 8GF, 7GA)
#20 Madison Capitols (2-1-1; 7GF, 6GA)
#22 Belle Tire (1-2-1; 11GF, 11GA)
#24 Rochester Jr. Americans (2-2-0; 12GF, 9GA)
16U Motor City Championship Game
Jr. Flyers 2, Chicago Mission 1 (OT)
In another overtime thriller, Rachel Steward scored in the extra session after Alexis Bornhoeft had tied the game for the Mission in the third period. Steward’s OT GGW was assisted by Ashlyn Jacobs and Meredith Swavely, while Giuliana Pizzichillo scored the Jr. Flyers’ other goal. Ella Rajnys was the winning goalie.
Motor City Girls Fest 19U Division
There were 20 teams split into five pools in the Girls Fest 19U Division. Three participating 19U teams were ranked among the Week 20 USA Tier 1 top 10, and 10 were in the top 31. The Nos. 11 and 15 USA Girls Independent Prep teams also competed.
19U Top Participating Team Records
#3 Bishop Kearney Selects (4-1-0; 21GF, 2GA)
#5 Chicago Mission (6-0-0; 24GF, 7GA)
#10 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (3-1-0; 11GF, 7GA)
#11 Prep Nichols School (2-2-0; 11GF, 11GA)
#14 Little Caesars (2-2-0; 8GF, 6GA)
#15 Prep St. Mary’s, Calif. (0-4-0; 2GF, 21GA)
#18 Madison Capitols (2-2-0; 9GF, 6GA)
#20 Gilmour Academy (2-2-0; 15GF, 10GA)
#22 Team Illinois (2-1-1; 9GF, 8GA)
#21 Belle Tire (4-1-0; 17GF, 5GA)
#29 St. Louis AAA Blues (2-2-0; 8GF, 6GA)
#31 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (1-2-1; 6GF, 12GA)
Motor City 19U Championship Game (OT)
Chicago Mission 3, Pens Elite 2
There was more bonus hockey in the 19U title game as Chicago’s Addison Stewart netted the overtime game-winner to lift the Mission to the championship after Kendra Raypholtz had tied it for Pens Elite in the third period. Iris Cheng and Laine Rettel also scored for the Mission, with Kendra Comer potting the other Pens Elite goal. Stewart and Cheng also contributed single assists, and Lillian Myers dished out a pair of helpers for the winners. Caroline Hurst earned the win in goal with 20 saves.
CLICK HERE for links to Motor City Girls Fest scores, standings and stats
