MYHockey News
Weekend Preview for Jan. 30 - Feb. 2: Tournaments Lead Us Into the Homestretch
As we say goodbye to January and officially enter the homestretch of the 2024-25 North American youth hockey season, the weekend of Jan. 30 through Feb. 2 provides some high-level tournament action as teams begin final preparations for league, state, district and provincial playoffs. Our MHR Weekend Preview straddles the border to highlight Tier 1/AAA Boys events in both the United States and Canada.
This weekend we are covering the 41st annual MacPherson Hockey Tournament, hosted in Ontario by St. Andrew’s College; the Florida Exposure Cup; and the Alberta Elite Hockey League U15 AAA Leduc Showcase.
Now in its 41st year, the annual MacPherson Hockey Tournament has become a highly anticipated tradition at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario. The tournament, a creation of retired hockey coach and teacher Al Dunford, has become one of the top annual 18U Boys hockey events in North America.
As usual, this year’s field is stacked, with Northwood School, Brunswick School, the Bishop Kearney Selects, Victory Honda 18U, Culver Academy and the Long Island Gulls crossing the border from the United States to compete against the hosts and an all-star team of U18 players from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The GOJHL team won the 2023 tournament, while St. Andrew’s captured last year’s championship. United States-powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary’s won the 2022 and 2023 events.
CLICK HERE for a full rundown of every MacPherson Tournament Champion.
The 7 p.m. EST game Friday, Jan. 31, is the traditional opening-ceremony contest. It will be attended by the St. Andrew’s school community and families, alumni and friends of the school.
In addition to the tournament, the weekend’s festivities include a pair of alumni games and other activities. Since the first tournament in 1984, SAC has welcomed teams from Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as a variety of regions in Ontario.
The tournament and its two divisions are named for Lloyd MacPherson, Jim Hamilton and Bob Meagher, each of whom devoted many years to St. Andrew’s and its hockey program. MacPherson served as the St. Andrew’s assistant to the headmaster from 1957 to 1982.
Hamilton graduated from St. Andrew’s in 1933, served as president of the school’s Association and in 1965 joined the St. Andrew’s College staff as executive director of the SAC Foundation. Under his leadership, St. Andrew’s added the McLaughlin Science Building and the Bedard Athletic Complex.
Meagher brought a strong academic background to SAC when he was appointed academic head of the lower school in 1972. He was an ardent supporter of the U14 hockey team and an advisor to many students who were living away from home for the first time until his retirement in 1987.
All MacPherson Tournament games that are played at LaBrier Family Arena can be viewed on the St. Andrew’s Hockey YouTube Channel. Additional contests are being played at Aurora Community Centre and Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex, both of which offer LiveBarn feeds.
Games began the morning of Friday, Jan. 31, and run through Sunday’s 1:15 p.m. EST championship game. The third-place game is Sunday at 11 a.m.
CLICK HERE for the full MacPherson Tournament schedule
CLICK HERE for tournament game results
CLICK HERE for the tournament standings
CLICK HERE for tournament skater stats
CLICK HERE for tournament goalie stats
The MacPherson Tournament is broken down into two four-team divisions. The teams play every other team in their division during the preliminary round to determine the seeds for Saturday evening’s semifinals.
This year’s tournament field includes host St. Andrew’s, the top-ranked Canada Boys Independent Prep team, as well as USA Tier 1 18U Boys No. 3 Culver Academies, No. 4 Long Island Gulls, No. 27 Victory Honda and No. 9 Bishop Kearney Selects. They are joined by the Brunswick School, MHR’s third-ranked New England Prep team, and Northwood School, ranked fourth in the USA Boys Independent Prep category, along with the GOJHL U18 all-stars.
Hamilton Division Teams
St. Andrew’s College (Canada Boys Independent Prep #1)
Culver Academies (USA 18U Tier 1 Boys #3)
Long Island Gulls (USA #4)
Victory Honda (USA #27)
Meagher Division Teams
Brunswick School (New England Prep Boys #3)
Northwood School (USA Boys Independent Prep #4)
BK Selects (USA #9)
GOJHL U18 All-Stars
The Florida Exposure Cup made its debut in 2023 and since that inaugural event has become one of most-anticipated tournaments on the USA Boys Tier 1 annual calendar. It is hosted in the Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Clearwater Beach areas by the Exposure Hockey Group and includes top teams from the United States and Canada competing in 2008 (16U), 2009 (15O), 2010 (14U) and 2011 (13O) divisions.
The 16U Division includes a pair of USA top 26 teams, with all four competing teams ranking among the nation’s top 75. In the 15O Division, there are three teams ranked among the USA’s top 35, and all seven are in the top 85. The strong 24-team 14U group features three top 10 teams from the U.S. and eight of the top 40 along with Ontario’s sixth-ranked U15 side. Top-ranked Little Caesars and No. 3 Mount St. Charles are in the 14U Elite Division. There are 32 teams competing in the 13O Division, with 15 of those ranked among the U.S. top 40 and another ranked 23rd in Ontario.
Games began Thursday, Jan. 30, and run through Sunday, Feb. 2. The host venues, Florida Panthers IceDen, Palm Beach SkateZone and Tampa Bay Ice, all have LiveBarn feeds.
CLICK HERE for the Exposure Cup complete schedule
CLICK HERE for Exposure Cup game results
CLICK HERE for the Exposure Cup standings
CLICK HERE for Exposure Cup skater stats
CLICK HERE for Exposure Cup goalie stats
CLICK HERE for the Exposure Cup tournament program
16U Top Exposure Cup Teams
#20 Team Illinois
#26 Black Bear Academy
#44 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes
15O Top Exposure Cup Teams
#21 Florida Alliance South
#29 Florida Alliance North
#35 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes
#53 Washington Little Caps
16U Top Exposure Cup Teams
#1 Little Caesars
#3 Mount St. Charles
#6 Hill Academy (Ontario)
#9 Dallas Stars Elite
#22 Woodbridge Wolfpack
#23 HoneyBaked
#26 Mid-Fairfield Rangers
#31 Islanders Hockey Club
#39 Victory Honda
13O Top Exposure Cup Teams
#10 Dallas Stars Elite
#12 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
#14 Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
#20 Long Island Gulls
#22 Top Gun
#23 North Jersey Avalanche
#23 Sun County Panthers (Ontario)
#25 Boston Advantage
#27 New Jersey Colonials
#28 Florida Alliance
#31 PAL Jr. Islanders
#32 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes
#37 Nashville Jr. Predators
#38 Woodbridge Wolfpack
#39 Seacoast Performance Academy
#40 Madison Capitols
The Alberta Elite Hockey League is the lone governing body for Boys AAA play in Alberta. It is a sanctioned league of Hockey Alberta and includes U18, U17 and U15 Divisions. Every year, the U15 teams gather in Leduc, Alberta, for a showcase event.
The 2025 AEHL U15 AAA Showcase began Thursday, Jan. 30, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 2, with games being played at Chemco Arena and Wilhauk Beef Jerky Arena in Leduc.
All 20 AEHL U15 AAA Boys teams are scheduled to compete in 30 contests. Showcase games can be viewed via FloHockey.
Four of Western Canada’s top 10 teams compete in the AEHL’s U15 AAA league, with three of those clubs playing in the South Division. The South Division is home to eight teams ranked among the Western Canada top 20. There are four of Western Canada’s top 31 teams in the North Division.
The sixth-ranked Calgary Northstars, eighth-ranked Red Deer Rebels and 10th-ranked Calgary Bisons all play in the South, while the No. 9 St. Albert Sabres are in the North. Calgary, Red Deer and St. Albert all rank among the top 20 nationally as well.
CLICK HERE for the Complete AEHL 15U AAA Leduc Showcase Schedule
CLICK HERE for the listing of live and upcoming showcase webstreams
CLICK HERE for the AEHL U15 AAA standings
CLICK HERE for the AEHL U15 AAA rosters
Top AEHL U15 AAA Showcase Weekend Matchups
Saturday, Feb. 1
4:00 p.m. EST at Wilhauk Beef Jerky Arena – #8 Red Deer Rebels vs. #9 St. Albert Sabres
9:00 p.m. EST at Wilhauk Beef Jerky Arena – #32 Parkland Saints vs. #18 Okotoks Oilers
11:00 p.m. EST at Chemco Arena - #6 Calgary Northstars vs. #22 Leduc Oil Kings
Sunday, Feb. 2
1:30 p.m.EST at Wilhauk Beef Jerky Arena – #29 South East Tigers vs. #16 Grand Peace Storm
TBD at Wilhauk Beef Jerky Arena – #14 Calgary NWCAA Flames vs. #9 St. Albert Sabres
6:30 p.m. EST at Wilhauk Beef Jerky Arena – #10 Calgary Bisons vs. #32 Parkland Saints
