Well, we made it through the winter holidays and into the new year, and now just behind us is the biggest and busiest American youth hockey tournament weekend of the season.

Thousands of players flocked to all corners of the United States to participate in Martin Luther King Day Weekend tournaments Jan. 17-20. Some of the weekend’s biggest events were for Tier 2 teams, so that’s the level we have chosen to highlight.

While it’s impossible with a small staff for us to be everywhere and cover all levels of play every week, the abundance of Tier 2 events across the country Jan. 17-20 provided us with an excellent opportunity to promote some of the great teams and tournaments that exist for Tier 2 teams and players.

One of the largest events was the 19^th annual Grizz Cup in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area. The Grizz Cup is run by MYHockey Tournaments in conjunction with Wasatch Mountain Amateur Hockey Association. MHT came on board to manage the tournament in 2021, and this year the field grew to 159 Tier 2 Boys teams ranging in age from 10U through 18U. That’s just one of 15 tournaments featuring 929 teams that were run by MHT on MLK Weekend.

Also on the docket was the fifth annual Mid-Atlantic Winer Showcase, an invitation-only event featuring 22 Boys Tier 2 teams, many which had high national rankings, from 12 states. The showcase included 14U AA, 16U AA and 18U AA teams and ran Saturday, Jan. 18, through Monday, Jan. 20, in Hatfield, Pa.

The annual Moose Goheen Tournament also was hosted by the White Bear Lake Area Hockey Association in Minnesota Jan. 17-19. It included many of the top-ranked teams in our Week 17 Minn-Kota Peewee and Bantam AA Boys rankings. Sixteen Bantam and 12 Peewee teams competed at rinks in the White Bear Lake, Minn., area. Teams played three pool-play games each to determine seedings and pairings for the playoffs.

Finally, we turned our attention to a USA Tier 2 Girls tournament being hosted in the Pittsburgh area by the nationally acclaimed Tier 2 Steel City Selects program. The annual Steel City Girls Invitational ran Jan. 17-20 at the Baierl Ice Complex in Warrendale, Pa., and the Roy McKnight Ice Center on the campus of Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh. The tournament featured nearly 40 Tier 2 USA Girls teams from around the United States competing at the 12U through 19U age levels.

Let’s take a closer look at each tournament:

 

19^th Annual Grizz Cup

The Grizz Cup has grown to become one of the largest youth tournaments west of the Mississippi, with nearly 160 USA Boys Tier 2 teams participating in better than 930 games this year in Utah. The tournament provides young players ranging in age from 10U through 18U a unique opportunity to play in ice rinks that were used for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Some of the same facilities also will host events during the 2034 Winter Olympics. 

This year’s field included teams from 14 states and Alberta. Youth hockey associations from as far away as North Carolina and Florida in the Southeast, Texas and Arizona in the Southwest, Southern California on the West Coast and Alaska were represented. Games were played at nine different venues on 10 different ice sheets.

This year’s tournament included AA divisions at all age levels: 18U, 16U, 14U, 12U and 10U. As always, our focus is on ages 12U through 18U.

The 12U AA Division featured Utah’s top-ranked Utah Jr. Grizzlies, who were the fifth-ranked team overall in the Pacific District and No. 71 overall in the U.S. The San Antonio Jr. Rampage were ranked sixth overall among Texas 12U teams, while the Gulf Coast Flames were No. 4 in Florida and ninth in the Southeast District.

The 14U AA Division included the USA Tier 2 No. 14 Utah Jr. Grizzlies and the 54^th-ranked Arizona Jr. Sun Devils, who were No. 7 in the Rocky Mountain District.

In the 16U AA Division, the Los Angeles Jr. Kings were ranked among the top 10 in the Pacific District, while the California Heat and Anchorage Stars were ranked 17^th and 19^th, respectively, there. They were joined by Alberta’s Bow Valley Timberwolves in the top 16U group.

The 18U AA Oregon Selects were ranked 11^th in the Pacific District.

Several of the rinks that hosted the Grizz Cup have LiveBarn feeds, so games still should be available for on-demand viewing.

 

CLICK HERE for the Grizz Cup scores, schedules, standings & stats

 

12U AA 1 Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

Utah Jr. Mustangs (3), Gulf Coast Flames (2)

Quentin Hersch scored twice, including the game-winning goal, with 7:11 left in the third period, as the host-state Mustangs captured the title. Zane Madsen stopped 12 shots to earn the win in goal.

 

12U AA 2 Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

Wasatch Wild (4), Anchorage North Stars (3) OT

Caleb Sheffield scored with 19 seconds left in overtime as the Wild rallied from a 3-0 deficit with three goals over the final two periods. Colson Aho scored twice for the winners, while willing goalie Thayne Long made 17 saves.

 

14U AA 1 Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

Utah Jr. Mustangs (2), Arvada (0)

Landon Schulte recorded an 11-save shutout, while Brooks Milliron and Krew Krieger scored the goals as Utah skated to the title.

 

14U AA 2 Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

Flagstaff Northstars (6), Bakersfield Jr. Condors (3)

Callen Joralmon and Mason Walsh scored twice as Flagstaff potted three third-period goals so earn the championship. Winning netminder Isaac Palmer stopped nine shots for the winners.

 

16U AA 1 Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

California Heat (3), Bow Valley Timberwolves (0)

James Reusch stopped all 21 shots he faced as the Heat shut out Alberta’s Timberwolves to capture the title. Alexander Davoodi scored second- and third-period goals, with Logan Smith adding an empty-net goal in the final minute.

16U AA 2 Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

California Wave (1), Orange County HC (0) SO

In a battle of California, the Wave and Orange County needed a shootout to determine the champion after skating to a scoreless tie through regulation and overtime. Jaden Garcia and Nathaniel Henderson scored for California in the shootout to make a winner of netminder Makayla Homiston who thwarted four of the five shooters she faced after making 17 saves during the game. Connor Medley stopped 22 shots for Orange County.

 

18U AA Grizz Cup Championship Game Jan. 20

Oregon Selects (2), North Carolina Golden Bears (0)

Silas Waller and Beck Meneghini scored third-period goals to make a winner of Oregon goalie Bodie Dimmig, who recorded a 35-save shutout.

 

 

Mid-Atlantic Winter Showcase

Part of the Mid-Atlantic Showcase Series, the fifth annual Mid-Atlantic Winter Showcase featured 22 strong Tier 2 USA Boys programs competing in 14U AA, 16U AA and 18U AA divisions. It is one of four Showcase Series events run throughout the season.

This year’s Mid-Atlantic Winter Showcase ran Saturday, Jan. 18, though Monday, Jan. 20, and was held at Hatfield Ice in Pennsylvania. All games should be available for on-demand viewing via LiveBarn.

There were six teams in the 14U AA and 18U AA divisions, while the 16U AA Division had 10 participants.

The 14U Division featured the third- and fourth-ranked USA Tier 2 Boys 14U teams, according to the MHR Week 17 Rankings. Those teams, the Plymouth Flyers and Northwest Chargers, were joined by the Atlantic District’s top-ranked North Jersey Avalanche and No. 3 Genesis Hockey Club.   

A stacked 16U Division included three top 10 teams – the No. 4 Affton Americans, No. 7 Ashburn Xtreme and No. 10 Long Beach Lighting – and all 10 were ranked among the top 31. More than half of the 16U participants were in the most recent MHR Tier 2 USA top 20.

And moving on to the 18U Division, five of the six teams in the showcase’s oldest age group were ranked among the nation’s top 37.

 

CLICK HERE for the Winter Showcase scores, schedules, standings & stats

 

Mid-Atlantic Winter Showcase 14U AA Team Records

#3 Plymouth Flyers (2-2-1; 16GF, 14GA)

#4 Northwest Chargers (5-0-0; 24 GF, 7GA)

#16 Ashburn Xtreme (4-1-0; 23GF, 14GA)

#53 North Jersey Avalanche (1-3-1; 13GF, 17GA)

#68 Genesis Hockey Club (0-5-0; 4GF, 23GA)

#87 Pittsburgh Aviators (2-3-0; 9GF, 14GA)

 

Top 14U AA Matchup – Jan. 20

#4 Northwest Chargers (4), #3 Plymouth Flyers (2)

Chase Austen scored twice in the final 6:53 to put the Chargers in front and ice the game. Nathan Janavitz made 21 saves to earn the win in goal.

 

Mid-Atlantic Winter Showcase 16U AA Team Records

#4 Affton Americans (2-2-1; 11GA, 9GA)

#7 Ashburn Xtreme (4-0-1; 20GF, 9GA)

#10 Long Beach Lightning (0-1-4; 10GF, 15GA)

#15 Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (1-2-2; 11GF, 11GA)

#17 Long Island Rebels (2-2-1; 10GF, 9GA)

#19 Carolina Jr. Hurricanes (0-3-2; 8GF, 15GA)

#21 Montclair Blues (1-2-2; 10GF, 14GA)

#24 Dallas Penguins (1-1-3; 6GF, 8GA)

#26 Littleton Hawks (3-1-1; 14GF, 10GA)

#31 Pittsburgh Vengeance (1-1-3; 8GF, 8GA)

 

Top 16U AA Matchup – Jan. 20

#7 Ashburn Xtreme (3), #4 Affton Americans (2) SO

Aidan O’Neill scored on Ashburn’s third attempt of the shootout and goalie Carson Ramsey thwarted all three Affton attempts as the Xtreme earned the victory after Jake Lauterstein had forced overtime by scoring with 1:21 left in regulation for Ashburn. Ramsey and Affton netminder Vincent Majino each stopped 38 shots, and Lauterstein scored both Xtreme goals.

 

Mid-Atlantic Winter Showcase 18U AA Team Records

#9 Montclair Blues (4-1-0; 19GF, 11GA)

#17 Montgomery Ice Devils (3-2-0; 16GF, 17GA)

#23 Pittsburgh Vengeance (1-4-0; 16GF, 22GA)

#27 McKinney North Stars (2-3-0; 15GF, 12GA)

#36 Wilmington Nighthawks (3-1-1; 12GF, 10GA)

#37 Pittsburgh Vengeance (1-4-0; 16GF, 22GA)

#71 Genesis Hockey Club (1-3-1; 7GF, 13GA)

 

Top 18U AA Matchup – Jan. 20

#9 Montclair Blues (5), #17 Montgomery Ice Devils (3)

Keegan and Shane Melly scored two goals apiece, with Shane also dishing out a pair of assists as the Blues knocked off the Ice Devils. Nathan Rodrigues stopped 21 shots to earn the win in goal.

 

 

Moose Goheen Tournament

The White Bear Lake Area Hockey Association hosted many of the top Minn-Kota Peewee and Bantam AA teams for the annual Moose Goheen Tournament Jan. 17-19. Play began the morning of Friday, Jan. 17, with playoff seedings and matchups to be determined by the end of play Saturday, Jan. 18. Playoff and consolation games begin at 8 a.m. EST Jan. 19, with puck drop for the final playoff game slated for 5:30 p.m. EST that day.

Games were played at White Bear Lake Sports Center and TCO Sports Garden. Both venues have LiveBarn feeds.

There were a total of 28 teams competing in the 2025 Moose Goheen Tournament, 12 in the Peewee Division and 16 in the Bantam Division. Each division was divided into pools of four teams for round-robin play.

There were two of the top 10 Minn-Kota Boys Peewee AA teams, according to the Week 17 MHR Rankings, in the younger age group. Five of the 12 participants were ranked among the top 20. No. 7 Chaska Chanhassen faced No. 13 Blaine in pool play, while fourth-ranked Woodbury tackles 12^th-ranked Prior Lake Savage in another top preliminary-round matchup.

In the Bantam Division, each of the four pools had at least one team ranked among the Week 17 Minn-Kota top 10. The Pool of Death, however, was the Orange Pool, which included No. 4 White Bear Lake, No. 7 Woodbury and No. 8 Rogers. The White Pool only had one top 10 team, sixth-ranked Osseo Maple Grove, while the other two pools had two apiece. Third-ranked Minnetonka and No. 10 Rochester were in they Gray Pool, while top-ranked Moorhead and No. 5 Edina faced off in Black Pool action.

 

CLICK HERE for the Goheen Tournament scores, schedules, standings and stats

 

Top 20 Minn-Kota Peewee Team Records

#4 Woodbury Predators (5-0-0; 34 GF, 13GA)

#7 Chaska Chanhassen Stormhawks (4-1-0; 32GF, 11GA)

#12 Prior Lake Savage Lakers (1-2-1; 16GF, 18GA)

#13 Blaine Bengals (2-2-0; 15GF, 16GA)

#17 Hermantown Hawks (3-2-0; 22GF, 23GA)

#20 Stillwater Ponies (2-2-0; 13GF, 16GA)

 

Peewee Championship Game – Jan. 19

#4 Woodbury (6), #7 Chaska Chanhassen (4)

Woodbury broke open a tight game with four second-period goals and held off the Stormhawks to capture the Moose Goheen championship. Tyeson Salscheider recorded a hat trick for the champs, with CJ Dornfeld notching two goals and an assist and Wendel Fougner adding a goal and two assists. Alex Pierce stopped 15 shots to earn the win in goal.

 

Top 20 Minn-Kota Bantam Teams

#1 Moorhead Spuds (5-0-0; 27GF, 5GA)

#3 Minnetonka Skippers 4-1-0; 22GF, 11GA)

#4 White Bear Lake Bears (1-2-1; 11GF, 10GA)

#5 Edina Hornets (2-2-0; 11GF, 13GA)

#6 Osseo Maple Grove (3-1-0; 18GF, 11GA)

#7 Woodbury Predators (2-1-1; 16GF, 11GA)

#8 Rogers Royals (4-1-0; 21GF, 9GA)

#10 Rochester Mustangs (0-3-1; 7GF, 17GA)

#11 Hermantown Hawks (3-2-0; 15GF, 15GA)

#12 Rosemount Irish (3-1-0; 13GF, 13GA)

#14 Stillwater Ponies (1-3-0; 10GF, 19GA)

#15 Andover Huskies (2-2-0; 18GF, 14GA)

#18 Wayzata Trojans (1-3-0; 9GF, 17GA)

 

Bantam Championship Game – Jan. 19

#1 Moorhead (5), #3 Minnetonka (4) OT

Minnetonka scored three times in the final 6:55 of regulation to force overtime. Dean Stevens netted his second in that span with just 15 seconds left in regulation to force the extra session, but the Spuds got the game-winning goal from Brooks Suter with 1:53 remaining in OT. Winning goalie Will Arnold made 23 saves. Five different players scored for the Spuds. Stevens and Colten Crook notched three points apiece for the Skippers.

 

 

The Steel City Girls Invitational

Play began at the Steel City Girls Invitational the morning of Friday, Jan. 17 and ran through Jan. 20 at Baierl Ice Complex in Warrendale, Pa., and Roy McKnight Ice Center in Pittsburgh. Both rinks have LiveBarn feeds.

The tournament featured a total of 32 Girls Tier 2 teams competing across four age groups. There were five 12U teams, seven 14U teams, 12 16U teams and eight 19U teams. Teams representing 14 states and one Canadian province participated.

Steel City had teams playing in each age bracket. Selects teams were ranked No. 7 in the USA Girls 14U Tier 2 rankings, 21^st in 16U and 13^th in 19U.

Joining the Selects in the 14U Division were the No. 39 West Dundee Leafs, while the seventh-ranked West Seneca Wings, 13^th-ranked Philadelphia Jr. Flyers and 11^th-ranked South Pittsburgh Rebellion sent their 16U teams. The 19U field included the No. 11 Amherst Lady Knights, No. 9 Badger City, No. 27 Princeton Tiger Lillies, No. 29 North Shore Warhawks and No. 37 Grand Rapids Griffins.

 

CLICK HERE for the Steel City Girls Invitational scores, schedules, standings & stats

 

12U Championship Game – Jan. 20

Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (2), Steel City Selects (0)

Allyson Willison and Gabriella Wilson each scored first-period goals, while Carlin Difilippo and Kira Sheridan split time in goal to record a shutout for the Jr. Flyers.

 

14U Championship Game – Jan. 20

Steel City Selects Black (6), Steel City Selects Stanton (2)

Six different players scored for Steel City Black, led by Kylie Makusenka with a goal and an assist, as the Selects captured the 14U crown. Lily Coulter made nine saves to notch the win in goal.

 

16U Championship Game – Jan. 20

West Seneca Wings (4), Idaho Jr. Steelheads (3)

West Seneca scored the game’s first four goals in just over a period and a half and held on for the victory as Idaho’s Willow Rohweder cut the margin to 4-3 with 5:41 left in the third period. Brynn Cafferty scored all four goals for the Wings, with Jocelyn Smaczniak, Allison Besancon and Rosslyn Miller each picking up two helpers on her tallies. Katherine Kelley earned the win in goal.

 

19U Championship Game – Jan. 20

Amherst Lady Knights (5), Steel City Selects (1)

Amherst build a 3-0 lead through two periods and never looked back. Abby Zimmerman scored twice for the Lady Knights, while goalie Ella Celej made 17 saves to earn the win. The score was 3-1 after Nora Walkauskas scored for the Selects with 3:22 left, but Maya Griffin and Zimmerman potted empty-net goals to ice the win for Amherst.