MYHockey News
O Canada: Playoffs Push on as Teams Navigate the Road to Esso & Telus
Updated Friday, March 7, at 11:17 a.m.
Note: This page will continue to be updated as the Canadian youth hockey playoffs progress from league to provinicial, regional and national-championship tournaments. Ontario, Quebec and Eastern Canada to be added throughout the current weekend.
March Mayhem has arrived, but the weekend of Feb. 27-March 1 began with one last dose of the February Frenzy as the youth hockey playoffs in Canada heated up.
On the night of Thursday, Feb. 27, the first round of the Manitoba Female Hockey League Playoffs continued, with the fourth-seeded Yellowhead Chiefs getting a second-period goal from Presley Hodson and 26 saves from Clair Merckx in a 1-0 shutout victory that evened their series against the Brandon Wheat Kings at two games apiece. The fifth and deciding game was played at Shoal Lake Communiplex March 1, and Emma Pollock’s goal with 2:32 left in overtime propelled the Chiefs to a 3-2 victory and sent them into the semifinals.
Elsewhere in the MFHL, the top-seeded Eastman Selects, second-seeded Winnipeg Avros and third-place Winnipeg Ice also advanced to the semis as they continue their quest for the U18 AAA Manitoba provincial championship.
Eastman is ranked ninth in our latest MHR Canada Girls U18 Tier 1 rankings, while the Avros are No. 4 and the Ice are No. 14. The semifinals got underway March 4, with the Ice and Avros facing off in Game 1 that night and Eastman taking on Yellowhead the following evening. Eastman and the Winnipeg Ice have 1-0 leads heading into the weekend of March 7-9, with games scheduled all three days. Sunday’s contests will be played if necessary.
MFHL Playoffs Round 1 Matchups (best of five):
#1 Eastman Selects def. #8 Interlake Lightning, 3-0
#2 Winnipeg Avros def #7 Westman Wildcats, 3-1
#3 Winnipeg Ice def #6 Pembina Valley Hawks, 3-1
#4 Yellowhead Chiefs def. #5 Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2
MHFL Semifinals (best of five):
#1 Eastman leads #4 Yellowhead, 1-0
#3 Winnipeg Ice lead #2 Winnipeg Avros, 1-0
That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far the Canadian youth hockey playoffs are concerned, however. This document will continue to be updated as teams advance through the postseason in Canada.
Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League Playoffs
The MBU18 AAA Playoffs (boys) began Saturday, March 1. MBU18 AAA is a 13-team league operating in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. Each rural minor hockey region in Manitoba operates one U18 AAA team, Hockey Winnipeg operates three teams, and Kenora operates one.
The top eight regular-season teams advanced to the playoffs and are competing in best-of-five series. Play got underway on Saturday, March 1, was scheduled to run through March 8 or 9, pending any necessary deciding fifth games.
All four first-round series resulted in three-game sweeps.
CLICK HERE for the final MBU18 AAA standings.
CLICK HERE for the MBU18 playoff schedule
MBU18 AAA Quarterfinal Matchups (best of five)
#1 Brandon Wheat Kings def. #8 Eastman Selects, 3-0
#2 Winnipeg Wild def. #7 Interlake Lightning, 3-0
#3 Winnipeg Bruins def. #6 Pembina Valley Hawks, 3-0
#5 Southwest Cougars def. #5 Winnipeg Thrashers, 3-0
The best-of-five semifinals are scheduled to begin March 11 and run through March 19 or 20 if any fifth games are necessary.
MBU18 AAA Semifinal Matchups (best of five)
#1 Brandon Wheat Kings def. #5 Winnipeg Thrashers
#2 Winnipeg Wild def. #3 Winnipeg Bruins
The Winnipeg Wild are ranked 25th in Western Canada, while the Brandon Wheat Kings are No. 31 and the Winnipeg Bruins are No. 36.
British Columbia Elite Hockey League Playoffs
Playoffs for some age groups of the British Columbia Elite Hockey League, which includes boys U15, U17 and U18 AAA and girls U18 AAA teams, began Thursday, Feb. 27, at Twin Rinks in Langley, B.C., as 15U AAA pool play got underway.
Here is a breakdown of the BECHL postseason schedule:
BCEHL U15 Boys AAA
All eight teams in the U15 league were at Langley Twin Rinks the weekend of March 1 to take part in the U15 BCEHL Championship, which began Feb. 27 and ran through March 2. Teams were divided into two pools, with four teams in each.
Following the end of the group stage, the teams were re-seeded for quarterfinal play, with quarterfinals and semifinals both scheduled for March 1 and the championship game set for March 2. In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded team in each group crossed over and play the fourth-seeded team from the opposite group, with the second and third seeds doing the same.
The Okanagan Rockets captured the championship and are ranked 27th in our Week 23 MHR Western Canada Boys U15 AAA Rankings, while the Vancouver North West Hawks are No. 49, the Cariboo Cougars are No. 56 and the Thompson Blazers are No. 59.
BCEHL U15 AAA Pool A Standings
(1) Okanagan Rockets
(2) Vancouver North West Hawks
(3) Vancouver North East Chiefs
(4) Greater Vancouver Canadians
BCEHL U15 AAA Pool B
(1) Cariboo Cougars
(2) Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
(3) Thompson Blazers
(4) Valley West Giants
Quarterfinals – March 1
Okanagan Rockets def. Valley West Giants
North East Chiefs def. Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Cariboo Cougars def. Greater Vancouver Canadians
Thompson Blazers def. Vancouver North West Hawks
Semifinals – March 1
Okanagan Rockets def. Vancouver North East Chiefs
Cariboo Cougars def. Thompson Blazers
Championship – March 2
Okanagan Rockets def. Cariboo Cougars
CLICK HERE for the complete BCEHL U15 playoff results
BCEHL Boys U17 AAA
The BCEHL U17 AAA playoffs began Friday, Feb. 28, with four quarterfinal matchups. Teams play in a best-of-three series, with the first two games taking place on Friday and Saturday. If necessary, a third and deciding game will be played on Sunday to determine the series winner.
The Okanagan Rockets are ranked ninth in the latest MHR Western Canada Boys U17 AAA Rankings. The Fraser Valley Thunderbirds are No. 31, the North West Hawks are No. 36 and the North East Chiefs are No. 38.
Boys U17 AAA Playoff Format
Quarterfinals – Feb. 28-March 2 (best of three)
(1) Okanagan Rockets def. (8) Thompson Blazers, 2-1
(7) Greater Vancouver Canadians def. (2) Fraser Valley Thunderbirds, 2-0
(3) Vancouver North West Hawks def. (6) Cariboo Cougars, 2-1
(5) Valley West Giants def. (4) Vancouver North East Chiefs, 2-1
Semifinals – March 7-9 (best of three)
(1) Okanagan Rockets vs. (7) Greater Vancouver Canadians
(3) Vancouver North West Hawks vs. (5) Valley West Giants
Championship Series – March 14-16 (best of three)
Winners of the two semifinals, hosted by the highest remaining seed
CLICK HERE for the complete BCEHL U17 playoff schedule
BCEHL Boys U18 AAA Playoffs
The U18 playoffs get underway on Friday, March 7, with four quarterfinal matchups. Teams will compete in a best-of-three series, with the first two games scheduled for Friday and Saturday. If necessary, Sunday and Monday will be used deciding third games to determine the series winners.
The Cariboo Cougars are ranked 20th in Canada, while the Valley West Giants are No. 19, the Okanagan Rockets are No. 34 and the North East Chiefs are No. 40.
Quarterfinals - March 7-10 (best of three)
(1) Cariboo Cougars vs. (8) Thompson Blazers
(2) Valley West Giants vs. (7) Greater Vancouver Canadians
(3) Okanagan Rockets vs. (6) Vancouver North East Chiefs
(4) Vancouver North West Hawks vs. (5) Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Semifinals - March 14-16 (best of three)
Highest remaining seed hosting the lowest remaining seed
Second-highest remaining seed hosting the third-highest remaining seed
Championship - March 21-23 (best of three)
Winners of the two semifinals, hosted by the highest remaining seed
CLICK HERE for the complete BCEHL U18 Boys playoff schedule
BCEHL Girls U18 AAA Playoffs
The puck drops March 7 on the best-of-three “Survivor Series” between the fourth-seeded Thompson-Okanagan Lakers and the fifth-seeded Vancouver Island Seals. The winner advances to the semifinals to take on the top-ranked Greater Vancouver Comets.
The Comets are ranked seventh in Canada and the Fraser Valley Rush are 44th, while the Northern Capitals are No. 67 and the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers are No. 68.
Survivor Series – March 7-9 (best of three)
(5) Vancouver Island Seals vs. (4) Thompson-Okanagan Lakers
Semifinals – March 14-16 (best of three)
(1) Greater Vancouver Comets hosting winner of series between (4) Thompson-Okanagan Lakers and (5) Vancouver Island Seals
(2) Fraser Valley Rush hosting the (3) Northern Capitals
Championship – March 21-22 (best of three)
Winners of the two semifinals, hosted by the highest remaining seed
CLICK HERE for the complete BCEHL Girls U18 playoff schedule
Alberta Elite Hockey League Playoffs
The 12-team Alberta Elite Hockey League U18 AAA Boys playoffs began Wednesday, Feb. 26, with the opening game of one first-round series, while the puck dropped on the remaining three series Feb. 27.
Four teams earned first-round byes and automatically advanced to the quarterfinals after finishing among the top two regular-season teams in each division. The league-leading Calgary Flames went 27-6-4-1 to pace the South Division with 59 points. The Calgary Northstars finished second in the South with 49 points and a 21-10-2-5 record. In our latest MHR U18 AAA Western Canada Rankings, the flames are No. 12 and the Northstars are ranked 26th.
The third-ranked St. Albert Raiders finished first in the North Division, scoring the most goals this season (192) finishing with a league-best goal differential of plus-84. St. Albert finished with a record of 27-7-1-3 for 58 points, six better than the No. 17 Sherwood Park Kings (23-9-2-4).
CLICK HERE for the final AEHL U18 AAA standings
North Division AEHL U18 Quarterfinals (best of three)
(3) Edmonton Jr. Oilers Blue def. (6) LJAC Oil Kings, 2-1
(4) Edmonton Jr. Oilers Orange def. Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, 2-1
South Division AEHL U18 Quarterfinals (best of three)
(6) Calgary Royals def. (3) Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers, 2-0
(4) Calgary Buffaloes def. (5) Airdrie Bisons, 2-1
AEHL U18 Division Semifinals (best of three)
Edmonton Jr. Oilers Blue lead Sherwood Park Kings, 1-0
St. Albert Raiders lead Edmonton Jr. Oilers Orange, 1-0
Calgary Flames def. Calgary Royals, 2-0
Calgary Buffaloes lead Calgary Northstars, 1-0
CLICK HERE for complete AEHL U18 playoff schedules & results
The AEHL U17 AAA Playoffs have yet to begin. The bracket and results can be found here once the tournament begins.
The AEHL U15 AAA Playoffs began March 6, with best-of-three division quarterfinals running through March 8. The bracket and results can be found here.
Alberta Female U18 AAA Hockey League Playoffs
The AFHL U18 AAA playoffs began Tuesday, March 4.
Regular-season play concluded Saturday, March 1, and the best-of-three quarterfinals got underway Tuesday, March 4, as the second-seeded St. Albert Slash took on the seventh-seeded Rocky Mountain Raiders.
The AFHL is made up of eight teams: the Lloydminster Steelers, Red Deer Chiefs, Rocky Mountain Raiders, St. Alber Raiders, Edmonton Jr. Oilers, Calgary Fire Red, Calgary Fire Black and SPKAC Revolution Hockey Reign. It is one of Canda’s top U18 Girls leagues, with two teams – the Edmonton Jr. Oilers White and St. Albert Slash – ranked among the most recent MHR Canada Girls U18 Tier 1 top 10. Edmonton currently the top-ranked team in Canada, while the Slash are third, Lloydminster is 12th and Red Deer is 15th.
All eight teams participate in the best-of-three quarterfinals. The opening round will conclude no later than Sunday, March 9, with games scheduled for March 7 and 8.
AEFHL Quarterfinal Matchups
(1) Edmonton Jr. Oilers White def. (8) SPKAC Reign, 2-0
(2) St. Albert Slash lead (7) Rocky Mountain Raiders, 1-0
(3) Red Deer Chiefs lead (6) Calgary Fire Black, 1-0
(4) Lloydminster Steelers vs. (5)Calgary Fire Red
CLICK HERE for the AFHL U18 AAA standings
CLICK HERE for the complete AFHL U18 AAA playoff schedule
Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League Playoffs
SMU18AAAHL Playoffs got underway Sunday, March 2, as the puck dropped on three best-of-five quarterfinal series. The fourth series begins began March 3.
The SMAAAHL has 12 teams from 10 communities across Saskatchewan. Each team is a member of its local hockey association, which serves as the governing body for Midget AAA teams in that community.
Eight of the 12 teams advance to the league’s best-of-five quarterfinals, with seedings based on the final regular-season standings.
The top-seeded Regina Pat Canadians are ranked second in the Week 24 MHR Western Canada U18 Boys AAA Rankings. Other highly ranked teams include the Moose Jaw Warriors (8th), the Swift Current Legionnaires (11th), Saskatoon Blazers (13th) and Warman Wildcats (15th).
CLICK HERE for the final SMU18AAAHL standings
CLICK HERE for the SMU18AAAHL playoff schedule
SMU18AAAHL Quarterfinal Matchups (best of five)
#1 Regina Pat Canadians vs. #8 Prince Albert Mintos, 2-0
#7 Estevan Bears lead #2 Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-1
#3 Swift Current Legionnaires lead #6 Warman Wildcats, 2-1
#4 Saskatoon Blazers lead #5 Tisdale Trojans, 2-0
Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League Playoffs
SFU18AAAHL Playoffs begin Saturday, March 8, with all seven teams participating in postseason play.
The seven participants compete in the best-of-three quarterfinals, with the first-place team earning a bye to the semifinals. The Battlefords Sharks, No. 2 in our Week 23 Canada Girls U18 Tier 1 Rankings, have clinched the top seed with 69 standings points, seven better than the second-place Saskatoon Stars.
Saskatoon, ranked No. 8 in Canada, is locked into second place with a 19-point advantage over the third-place Regina Rebels, who are ranked 19th. Regina has 43 points, one more than fourth-place and No. 22 Swift Current.
CLICK HERE for the SFU18AAAHL regular-season standings
CLICK HERE for the SFU18AAAHL playoff schedule
Canadian Sport School Hockey League Western Championships
The 2025 CSSHL Western Championships feature 104 teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Idaho and Washington playing in 192 games from March 2-16, 2025, in Penticton, B.C.
Champions will be crowned in the Boys U15, U15 Prep, U17, U17 Prep, U18 Prep and Girls U18 Prep divisions. Each division will be split into Division I & Division 2 prior to the championship tournaments based on our official MHR CSSHL rankings.
CLICK HERE for the CSSHL Western Championships Digital Program
Schedule of CSSHL Prep & Girls Western Championships
U15 Boys Prep – March 6-11
U17 Boys Prep – March 2-7
U18 Boys Prep – March 11-16
U18 Girls Prep – March 7-12
This will be the ninth time the City of Penticton has hosted the CSSHL Western Championships
CLICK HERE for CSSHL Western Championship scores & schedules
CLIK HERE for CSSHL Championship daily updates & recaps
Canadian Sport School Hockey League Eastern Championships
The 2025 CSSHL Eastern Championships will be hosted by Ulysse Academie and take place in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, from March 18-23. There will be 36 totals games across the U17 and U18 Boys divisions.
For stats, schedules, and more, click on the links below:
