Weekend Preview: Youth Hockey's Unofficial Opening Weekend is Here
Long known as the unofficial start of the youth hockey season, Labor Day Weekend also is one of the busiest hockey weekends every year. That certainly is the case this year as we head into the third official weekend of the 2025-26 season in the United States.
And as if there isn’t usually enough going on, games can begin counting toward team ratings in some parts of Canada as well this weekend with the impending arrival of September.
It doesn’t take long for the hockey season to ramp up, and we will do our best to keep you informed about some of the bigger events taking place the Weekend of Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
One of the early season highlights every year for many top U.S. Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs is the North American Hockey Academy’s Labor Day Tournament in Massachusetts. This year’s event runs Saturday through Monday and includes nearly 100 teams competing in the 14U, 16U and 19U age groups.
A second big early-season Girls tournament, the Premier Ice Prospects Labor Day Girls Fest, is being held Friday through Monday in Pittsburgh. Featuring both USA Tier 1 Girls and Canadian AA Girls teams, this event annually is attended by nearly 50 college coaches and scouts as they flock to see some of the top 14U/U15 16U/U18 and 19U/U22 players in North America.
For U.S. Boys Tier 1 teams, the Chicago Mission, traditionally one of the nation’s top programs in most age groups, are hosting the Mission Labor Day Showcase Friday through Monday. More than 70 teams. many representing top U.S. Tier 1 organizations, will be competing there at eight age levels.
Moving back to the East Coast, another large Tier 1 and 2 Boys tournament is being held in 20 Massachusetts and Rhode Island Rinks. The Eastern Alliance Kickoff boasts more than 250 teams spread out across 18 divisions competing at the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age levels. This tournament runs Friday through Monday.
Meanwhile, everything may not be bigger in Texas when it comes to hockey tournaments, but this weekend the Dallas Stars are hosting 120-plus boys Tier 2 teams for its Texas Hockey Tournament Series Labor Day Kickoff. Those teams will compete in the 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 18JU age groups from Friday through Monday.
The puck doesn’t drop until Saturday at the NAHL Labor Day Tournament in Massachusetts, but between then and Monday nearly 100 Tier 1 and Tier 2 Girls teams representing some of the top youth organizations in the United States will face off in one of the highest-quality events of the year.
There are 29 14U teams, 32 16U teams and 38 19U teams attending the tournament, which is being held at seven suburban Boston ice rinks. Six of the seven rinks being used are serviced by LiveBarn, so most games should be available for live and on-demand viewing.
CLICK HERE for tournament information, the schedule, scores, stats and standings.
The NAHA Labor Day tournament includes teams from as far away as California, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois to the west and from New Jersey, Maryland and Florida to the south.
Nationally recognized organizations such as Team Wisconsin, Team Illinois, Team Colorado, Florida Alliance, the Arizona Kachinas, the LA Lions, the Valley Jr. Warriors, the Massachusetts Spitfires, the Boston Jr. Eagles, the Bay State Breakers, Assabet Valley, the Mid-Fairfield Stars, the St. Louis AAA Blues, the Anaheim Lady Ducks, the Washington Pride, Lovell Academy, the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps, the Northeast Generals, the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals, Northwood School, the Syracuse Valley Eagles, the San Jose Jr. Sharks, Islanders Hockey Club and the Amherst Lady Knights are sending teams.
In addition, the host North American Hockey Academy program’s teams are in contention for bids to USA Hockey Nationals annually.
Premier Ice Prospects Labor Day Girls Fest
There will be 66 teams in Pittsburgh Friday through Monday for the PIP Labor Day Girls Fest, with some of Canada's top programs making the trip for their first official action of the season.
Threre are 20 teams from both countries in five pools competing at the 14U/U15 level, 24 U.S. and Canadian teams playing in six pools in the 16U/U18 group and 22 U.S. teams competing in five pools in the 19U Division.
Many of the perennial top USA Girls Tier 1 prgrams are participating, including Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Connecticut Polar Bears, East Coast Wizards, Little Caesars, Bishop Kearney Selects, HoneyBaked, Massachusetts Spitfires, Chicago Mission, Minnesota Northern Elite, Mid-Fairfield Stars, Minnesota Whitecaps, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Boston Jr. Eagles, Assabet Valley, LA Lions, Belle Tire and Philadelphia Jr. Flyers,
Canadian teams competing in the 14U/U15 and 16U/U18 divisions include the Oakville Hornets, Burlington Barracudas, Nepean Wildcats, Stoney Creek Sabres, Ottawa Lady Senators and North York Storm,
Games are being played at four Pittsburgh-area rinks, and most contests should be availble for live and on-demand viewing via LiveBarn.
CLICK HERE for the complete Labor Day Girls Fest schedule and scores
CLICK HERE for Labor Day Girls Fest standings
More than 70 Tier 1 USA Boys teams representing some of the top youth hockey programs in America will be in the Chicago competing in the Mission Labor Day Showcase Aug. 29 through Sept. 1. Teams at the 9U, 11U, 12U, 13O, 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age levels will be participating. As always, our focus is on ages 12U-18U.
There are five teams entered in the 12U Division, while the 13U Division features 10 teams, 14U has 11, 15O boasts 12, 16U includes 14 and 18U has 12.
Most participating teams are based in the Midwest, but there are teams from as far away as New York, Texas, New Jersey, Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Los Angeles attending. In addition to the Mission, traditional national-powerhouse clubs such as the Chicago Reapers, New Jersey Rockets, St. Louis AAA Blues, Windy City Storm. Chicago Fury, Minnesota Lakers, HoneyBaked, Team Wisconsin, Team Illinois and the Buffalo Jr. Sabres have entered teams along with many other strong Tier 1 programs.
The tournament is being played at five different Chicago-area venues, each of which is serviced by LiveBarn, so most games should be available for live and on-demand viewing.
CLICK HERE for the Mission Labor Day Showcase schedule, scores, standings and stats.
More than 250 teams playing in 20 different rinks in an American hockey hot bed? Not a big deal.
On top of that, all of those Tier 1 and 2 Boys teams are competing in 18 different divisions encompassing the 13O, 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups, with games running Friday through Monday.
This is the Eastern Alliance Kickoff, an annual Labor Day Weekend event that includes teams from the Eastern Hockey Federation, BEAST Tournament Series, United States Premier Hockey League and East Coast Elite League among others.
The Red divisions in each age group include some of the nation’s traditional powerhouse programs such as Boston Jr. Eagles, Mid-Fairfield Rangers, East Coast Militia, Northern CT Nor’Easter, Cape Cod Whalers, Yale Jr. Bulldogs, Neponset Valley River Rats, New Jersey Rockets and North Jersey Avalanche.
CLICK HERE for the Eastern Alliance Kickoff home page.
CLICK HERE for the Eastern Alliance Kickoff schedule, results, stats & standings.
CLICK HERE for a list of rinks that will be streaming EAK games,
Texas Hockey Tournament Series Labor Day Kickoff
Part of the Dallas Stars Texas Hockey Tournament Series, the Labor Day kickoff is one of the early season’s largest Tier 2 tournaments, featuring more than 120 Boys teams competing in 12 divisions across five age groups. There even are some Tier 2 Girls teams mixed in and playing against the boys.
Top Texas programs such as the Dallas Penguins, Texas Tigers and McKinney Northstars have entered teams, with other clubs traveling from Florida, Oklahoma and California to participate.
Teams are competing at the 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U age levels, with AA, A and A2 divisions offered. The tournament runs Friday through Monday.
Dallas Stars youth tournaments are held in the various Children’s Health StarCenters located throughout the Dallas metropolitan area as well as the Comerica Center in Frisco. These facilities mostly are located within a 20-mile radius.
Most games should be available for live and on-demand viewing on LiveBarn.
CLICK HERE for the complete Labor Day Kickoff schedule and links to scores, standings and stats.
