Weekend Preview: Back to Stoney Creek, CSSHL Play Begins & Two USA Boys Showcases
It’s hard to believe that we are about to enter the fifth weekend of the 2025-26 North American youth hockey season, but here we are.
Even the junior leagues are getting back into the swing of things. A pair of CJHL leagues got going last weekend along with the North American Tier 3 Hockey League, and two more CJHL circuits start up this weekend as does the North American Hockey League.
On the youth side, one of the top leagues in Canada begins play Friday, Sept. 12, with opening-weekend contests continuing through Sept. 14, as the puck drops on the ’25-26 Canadian School Sport Hockey League (CSSHL) campaign.
In addition, we head back to Ontario for the second of three Stoney Creek showcases to be held in September. This weekend, the Sabres host more of North America’s top girls programs for the Stoney Creek University Showcase. Top Canadian Girls U22 teams are being joined by teams representing some of the best American 19U programs for this high-end 68-team event that runs from Sept. 12-14.
Moving to the other side of the border, we move to Nashville for the Music City Tier 1 Showcase as 15 AAA Boys teams from around the United States compete Sept. 12-15. The tournament includes USA Boys Tier 1 teams playing at the 15O, 16U and 18U age levels.
And finally, more than 90 USA Boys Tier 1 programs have traveled to Rochester, N.Y., for the Just Get Good Kickoff Classic Sept. 12-14. Teams are competing in 10U, 11U, 12U, 13O, 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U divisions, and as always, our focus will be on 12U and older.
Stoney Creek University Showcase
Every September, the Stoney Creek Girls Hockey Association in Ontario hosts three high-end showcases that attract top Tier 1 Girls programs from all over Canada and the United States. Last weekend, the Stoney Creek U18 AA Showcase was held, while this weekend its the University Showcase and next weekend brings the U15 AA Showcase.
Tier 1 Girls teams in Ontario and Quebec usually are classified as AA, while teams from other parts of the country are labeled AAA, hence the “AA showcase” label. In the United States, for the most part, girls programs are labeled either Tier 1 or Tier 2.
The U18 event includes Canadian U18 teams as well as 16U clubs from the U.S., while the University Showcase includes U22 Canadian and 19U American teams. Next weekend’s tournament showcases Canada’s top U15 Girls teams and some of the best 14U programs from the U.S.
When all is said and done, 200 of the best North American Tier 1 Girls programs will have competed during the three weekends. The tournaments give us a preview of which teams might be contending for district, provincial and national championships this year.
For the University Showcase, the 68 teams are divided into eight divisions for pool play, with games starting Friday, Sept. 12, and running through Sunday, Sept. 14. More than 60 college and university scouts from both sides of the border are expected to attend.
From the Stoney Creek website:
The University Showcase honors former Stoney Creek players who excelled at the NCAA or U SPORTS level and became standout college athletes before transitioning to professional and international competition.
University Showcase divisions are named after the following players:
- Elaine Chuli – University of Connecticut all-time saves leader, PWHL Toronto
- Laura Fortino – Olympic Gold Medalist, Former All-American at Cornell University
- Brianne Jenner – Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Team Canada Captain, PWHL Ottawa
- Sydney McKibbon – Former Wisconsin University Captain, 4x NCAA Frozen Four appearances
- Sarah Nurse – Olympic Gold Medalist, All-American at the University of Wisconsin, PWHL Vancouver
- Kristin O’Neill – Former Cornell University Captain, Team Canada, PWHL New York
- Sarah Quaranta – Team Canada U18, Robert Morris University standout
- Kelly Sabatine – St. Lawrence University Captain, PWHL (U22) all-time leading scorer
Games are being played at Gateway Ice Arena, and Liuna! 4 Ice Centre. Both venues are serviced by LiveBarn, with Liuna! 4 Ice Center listed on the LiveBarn website as Mohawk 4 Ice Centre.
Teams will be seeded for the playoffs based on round-robin points, with the top four No. 1 seeds competing for the Gold championship, while pool-winning seeds 5-8 will play for the Silver title
The second-place teams in each pool also will be seeded 1-8, with Nos. 1-4 playing for the Bronze championship and Nos. 5-8 playing in the Brass playoff bracket. Remaining teams will play in consolation games Sunday.
CLICK HERE for the complete schedule and all game results
CLICK HERE for updated showcase standings
CLICK HERE for the team rosters
CLICK HERE for showcase rules, including playoff tiebreakers
The Chuli Division includes traditionally strong programs such as Little Caesars, Mount Academy, the Nepean Wildcats and the Bluewater Hawks.
One of the host teams from Stoney Creek headlines the Fortino Division along with the Quebec-powerhouse Limoilou Titans, the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, the Central York Panthers and HoneyBaked.
In the Jenner Division, the USA-powerhouse Chicago Mission are joined by the Ottawa Lady 67s, the Ottawa Senators and the Winnipeg Avros.
Traditionally one of the premier programs in Ontario, the Durham West Lighting lead the way in the McKibbon Division and should be tested by Quebec’s John Abbott College, the London Devilettes, the Toronto Leaside Wildcats and the North American Hockey Academy from Massachusetts.
The Nurse Division includes the powerful Etobicoke Dolphins and North York Storm along with the Barrie Sharks, Whitby Wolves, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Lovell Academy.
Western Canada’s Balmoral Hall will have to battle it out with Belle Tire, the Waterloo Ravens, the Burlington Barracudas and Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna in the O’Neill Division.
The 10-team Quaranta Division includes strong American sides representing Team Illinois, Culver Academy and the St. Louis Lady Blues along with the Kingston Ice Wolves, Cambridge Rivulettes, Delta Hockey Academy Green, Ridley College Tigers, Pacific Steelers and Edge School of Calgary.
And finally, in the 10-team Sabatine Division, the Bishop Kearney Selects, traditional USA national-championship contenders, should be challenged by the Oakville Hornets, Stoney Creek Sabres, Mississauga Jr. Hurricanes and East Ottawa Stars.
One of the top North American amateur hockey circuits, the Canadian School Sport Hockey League opens play the weekend of Sept. 12-14 with AAA Canadian Boys teams competing at the U17 and 15 levels.
The CSSHL was formed in 2009 with the mission of being “National leaders in education-based hockey.” That year, five like-minded Canada accredited schools came together with the vision “to establish a league designed specifically for elite-level student-athletes, give these athletes an opportunity to increase their skills on and off the ice, and provide athletes with a high level of competition as well as exposure.”
The inaugural 2009-10 season featured five sport schools and eight total teams spread across two divisions. For the 2024-25 season, the CSSHL will feature 38 accredited schools and schools with residence and a total of 124 teams in eight divisions. The league will crown Western Boys champions at the U15 U17 and U18 levels as well as U17 and U18 Boys Eastern champs. There also is a U18 Girls division.
The CSSHL strives to be a leader in education-based hockey in North America and includes Hockey Canada accredited schools, schools with resident students and school-based programs sanctioned by USA Hockey. The objective of the league is to provide a competitive environment for young student-athletes who share similar values of sportsmanship, citizenship, academic excellence and hockey development.
The CSSHL’s 2025-25 season officially begins Friday, Sept. 12, with a U17 East Boys matchup between Kuper Academy Prep and Mount Academy Prep. U15 and U17 West Boys play starts Saturday, with traditionally strong programs from Yale Hockey Academy, Delta Hockey Academy and Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna in action.
CSSHL games can be seen on FloHockey.TV
CLICK HERE for CSSHL Boys schedules & results
CSSHL U18 Girls teams open their seasons Friday, Sept. 19.
CLICk HERE for the CSSHL Girls schedule
Tier 1 Boys teams from various regions of the United States and Canada are in Nashville Sept. 12-14 for the Music City Tier 1 Showcase. The tournament includes 15O, 16U and 18U divisions, with 15 total teams competing.
There are four teams in the 15O Division, five in the 16U Division and six in there 18U Division.
Music City Tier 1 Showcase Participating Clubs
Colorado Thunderbirds
Nashville Jr. Predators
North Bay Trappers (15U only)
Ohio AAA Blue Jackets
Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (16U only)
Wasatch Renegades
Dallas Stars Elite (18U only)
Pittsburgh Predators
While a full schedule is not available on the tournament information page, it appears as though games are being played at the Ford Ice Center facilities in suburban Nashville. Ford Ice Center Bellevue has a LiveBarn feed.
More than 90 USA Boys Tier 1 and 2 teams from 10U through 18U are in Rochester, N.Y., for the Just Get Good Kickoff Classic Sept. 12-14. The tournament features mostly clubs from the Northeast, with teams traveling from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, Massachusetts and Ohio to compete.
Kickoff Classic games will be played at five facilities in the greater Rochester area, with all but one providing LiveBarn feeds.
As always, our focus will be on the 12U and older age groups. Games begin the morning of Sept. 12 and run through Sept. 14.
The 12U Division includes 14 teams broken down into two seven-team pools. There are nine teams in the 12O Division, 12 teams in three 14U pools, eight 15O teams, 14 teams in the four 16U pools and nine 18U teams.
JGG Kickoff Classic Participating Clubs
Westchester Express
Atlantic Coast Academy
Bishop Kearney Selects
Elite Hockey Academy
Gilmour Academy
Mercer Chiefs
Nichols School
New York Dynamo
South Hills Panthers
Rochester Jr. Americans
Troy Albany Titans
Elmira Jr. Aviators
Red Bank Generals
Black Bear Academy
Rochester Coalition
Upland Country Day School
Buffalo Regals
Team Philadelphia
Palmyra Black Knights
Long Island Arrows
Pittsburgh Predators
Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Syracuse Nationals
New York Saints
Islanders Hockey Club
Little Caesars
Mid-Fairfield Rangers
Victory Honda
PAL Jr. Islanders
