Road to Nationals: Central & Eastern Canada Playoff Roundup
Updated April 13 at 9:45 a.m. EDT
In Canada, the Road to Nationals starts a little earlier and lasts a little bit longer than it does in the United States for minor hockey teams. But for the lucky ones that have managed to stay on the track since February or early March, the end is almost here.
The Esso Cup and Telus Cup U18 Club National Championships are scheduled to begin April 19 and 20, respectively.
Postseason play north of the border began for some Canadian minor hockey leagues as early as mid-February, with U18 teams for both genders embarking on what they hoped would be a long journey down the Road to Nationals. Meanwhile, teams in younger age groups participated in local playdowns and playoffs, hoping to advance to championship weekend for their leagues with the goal of competing for a provincial championship.
With April here, many champions have been crowned at the league and provincial levels while surviving U18 teams have competed or are competing in regional tournaments in hopes of advancing to play for a club national championship.
As the end of the Road to Nationals nears, regional U18 Girls champions (West, Quebec, Ontario, Pacific, Atlantic) advance to compete in New Brunswick along with the host Moncton Rockets at the 2026 Esso Cup April 19-25. With the qualification of the Quebec A's April 12, the field for the tournament now is completely set.
Likewise, five regional Boys champions (West, Pacific, Central, Atlantic, Quebec) will compete in Ontario along with the host Peterborough Petes at the 2026 Telus Cup April 20-26. The Levis Chevaliers captured the Quebec title April 12 to finalize the Telus Cup field for 2026.
While the Road to Nationals progresses at the U18 level, minor hockey teams in most other age groups around Canada have completed postseason play.
Below is a summary of some of the more noteworthy happenings from postseason play in the Central and Eastern parts of Canada.
CLICK HERE for our Western Canada Playoff Roundup
CLICK HERE for the Boys U18 AAA Atlantic Regional Championship results
Congratulations to the Halifax McDonald’s, Atlantic Region Boys U18 champions!
CLICK HERE for the Girls U18 Tier 1 Atlantic Regional Championship results
Congratulations to the Northern Selects, who will represent the Atlantic Region along with the champion and host Moncton Rockets!
CLICK HERE for Boys U18 AAA Central Regional Championship results
Congratulations to the Waterloo Wolves, Central Region Boys U18 champions!
CLICK HERE for the Girls U18 Tier 1 Ontario Regional Championship results
Congratulations to the Stoney Creek Sabres, Ontario Region Girls U18 champions!
CLICK HERE for Boys U18 AAA Quebec Regional Championship results
Congratulations to the Levis Chevaliers, Quebec Region Boys U18 champions!
CLICK HERE for the Girls U18 Tier 1 Quebec Regional Championship results
Congratulations to the Quebec A's, Quebec Region Girls U18 champions!
Canadian Sport School Hockey League Eastern Championships
The 2026 CSSHL Eastern Championships were hosted by Ulysse Academie and took place in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, from March 18-22. The event saw 39 total games contested by teams in the U17 Prep and U18 Prep Boys divisions.
Founded in 2009 by five like-minded Hockey Canada Sport Schools, the mission for the CSSHL always has been to establish a league designed specifically for elite level student-athletes, providing them with an opportunity to increase their skills on and off the ice, a high level of competition and exposure.
The inaugural 2009-10 season featured five sport schools and eight total teams competing in two divisions. Since then, the CSSHL has grown to include Eastern and Western divisions, with 38 sport schools and 129 teams competing in eight different categories.
For CSSHL Eastern Playoff stats, schedules and other info, click on the links below:
East U17:
CSSHL Eastern Boys U17 Semifinals – March 21
Bishop’s College 5, Kuper Academy 4 (SO)
Lower Canada College 7, Ontario Hockey Academy 3
CSSHL Eastern Boys U17 Championship – March 22
Lower Canada College 7, Bishop’s College 4
Bishop’s College rebounded after allowing an early goal to Williiam Lynam by scoring three times in the opening 9:34 of the second period to take a 3-1 lead. But LCC responded almost immediately, with Harry Miller and Alex Gervasi scoring 15 seconds apart as part of a surge that saw the Lions record six of the game’s final seven goals on their way to the CSSHL Eastern U17 championship. Gervasi and Miller each tallied twice during the decisive outburst, and winning goalie Alessandro Sforza stopped 34 shots.
CSSHL Eastern Boys U18 Semifinals – March 21
Bishop’s College 6, Ontario Hockey Academy 5 (OT)
Bourget College 4, Stanstead College 3
CSSHL Eastern Boys U18 Championship - March 22
Bishop’s College 5, Bourget College 1
Bishop’s College scored the game’s first four goals in the opening two periods and cruised to the U18 Eastern title. Zach Jockers and Kayden Robitaille each scored twice during that run, with Jockers and Luca Stasi picking up a pair of assists apiece. Elliot Bertrand concluded the scoring in the final minute of the game after Keifer Pion-Robin had cut the margin to 4-1 early in the final frame. Winning netminder Tyler Fuicelli made 23 saves.
Ontario Boys Provincial Playoffs
At the AAA level, heavily populated Ontario is divided into six Boys leagues: Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO), the Great North U18 League, the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario (ALLIANCE), Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA). Champions from five of those U18 AAA Boys leagues come together for the Central Region Championship, from which one team emerges and advances to the Telus Cup.
The only Ontario-based league that isn't included in the Central Region is Hockey Northwestern Ontario, which sends its champs to compete in the West Region.
Most of those leagues also crown champions for younger age groups, and many of those playoffs concluded recently.
Greater Toronto Hockey League Playoffs
The GTHL Board of Directors annually approves the teams that compete in the Greater Toronto Hockey League. Ahead of the 2025-26 playoffs, the GTHL consulted with Member Associations to provide players with the best possible post-season experience. With the success of the 2025 GTHL Playoffs, the following formats returned for the 2025-26 postseason.
In the U10 to U12 age groups, the GTHL held a qualification round for teams to join the first round of the playoffs. The qualification round provided every team with a postseason experience.
The U10 to U13 age groups followed the Hockey Canada pathways, incorporating round-robin play to provide teams with an equal playing opportunity in the group phases.
The U14 to U18 divisions continued with the traditional format of a playoff-series style bracket.
The Toronto Titans captured the 2026 GTHL Under-18 AAA championship, defeating the Vaughan Kings in a tightly contested five-game championship series.
Vaughan won the first two games, taking Game 1 by a 2-1 score and Game 2 by a 3-1 margin to move within one win of the title. The Titans responded by shutting out the Kings, 4-0, in Game 3 before winning Game 4, 2-1 in a shootout, to even the series at two games apiece.
In a deciding Game 5, the Titans delivered their strongest offensive performance of the series, earning the championship with a 5-2 victory.
CLICK HERE for Game 5 highlights
2026 GTHL U18 Boys AAA Championship Series Results
- GAME 1:2-1 Vaughan Kings
- GAME 2:3-1 Vaughan Kings
- GAME 3: 4-0 Toronto Titans
- GAME 4:2-1 (SO) Toronto Titans
- GAME 5:5-2 Toronto Titans
There are 12 GTHL U18 AAA Boys teams, and the top eight qualified for the league playoffs. Those eight teams were seeded according to their regular-season records for the quarterfinals, competing in a first-to-six-points format to advance to the semifinals.
The GTHL U18 AAA playoffs featured four teams ranked among the top 10 in the MHR Week 29 Ontario Rankings, and five teams that were in the top 15. It was the third-ranked Toronto Titans vs. the No. 6 Vaughan Kings in the championship series. Other participating teams included the fifth-ranked Toronto Jr. Canadiens, the No. 8 Toronto Nationals and the 15th-ranked Toronto Marlboros.
CLICK HERE for access to final standings for all GTHL AAA Boys leagues
CLICK HERE for access to playoff brackets for all GTHL AAA Boys leagues
GTHL U16 AAA Boys Playoffs
GTHL U16 Boys AAA Playoffs followed a similar format to the U18 Division, with the top eight teams in the league's regular-season standings earning quarterfinal berths.
The league featured six of Ontario's top eight teams, according to MHR's Week 29 Rankings, and all eight playoff qualifiers were ranked among the top 23. The second-ranked Vaughan Kings advanced to the championship game and defeated the No. 1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens, 6 points to 4, earning a 6-3 victory in the decisive fifth game.
Other participants included the fourth-ranked Mississauga Senators, sixth-ranked Toronto Marlboros and No. 8 Don Mills. Flyers.
2026 GTHL U16 Boys AAA Championship Series Results
- GAME 1:2-1 Vaughan Kings
- GAME 2:3-2 Vaughan Kings
- GAME 3: 1-0 Toronto Jr. Canadiens
- GAME 4:5-1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens
- GAME 5:6-3 Vaughan Kings
CLICK HERE for Game 5 highlights
GTHL U15 AAA Boys Playoffs
Similar to the U18 and U16 divisions, the top eight U15 AAA GTHL regular-season clubs advanced to the postseason to compete in the quarterfinals. The U15 playoffs included the top three teams in Ontario, according to the Week 29 MHR Rankings, and five of the top 10. All eight participating teams were ranked among the top 19.
The top-ranked Vaughn Kings needed four games to eliminate the No. 3 Toronto Jr. Canadians in them U15 finals. Also participating were the second-ranked Toronto Marlboros, No. 8 Toronto Nationals and 10th-ranked Toronto Titans.
2026 GTHL U15 Boys AAA Championship Series Results
- GAME 1:6-3 Vaughan Kings
- GAME 2:4-3 Toronto Jr. Canadiens
- GAME 3: 8-4 Vaughan Kings
- GAME 4:3-1 Vaughan Kings
CLICK HERE for Game 4 highlights
Hockey Eastern Ontario Playoffs
Formerly known as the Ottawa District Hockey Association, Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) is the governing body of amateur hockey in Eastern Ontario. HEO has jurisdiction over that part of Ontario lying east of and including the counties of Lanark, Renfrew and all of Leeds except the town of Gananoque and the portion west of Highway No. 32, and south of Highway No. 15 in the province of Ontario.
HEO is comprised of 11 districts. Each district may have multiple minor hockey associations consisting of both house league and competitive hockey programs.
The HEO U18 AAA Boys division is comprised of six teams, including regular-season champion Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA, which was ranked 13th in the Week 29 MHR Rankings. The second-place Upper Canada Cyclones were ranked 28th, followed by the No. 31 Ottawa Jr. 67s, the No. 36 Ottawa Valley Titans, No. 38 Ontario Hockey Academy and No. 42 Eastern Ontario Wild.
Ottawa Myers took on the fourth-seeded Jr. 67s in one semifinal, needing five games to be the first team to 7 points. Myers won twice, with three other games ending in ties, and the final goal differential was just 14-12. The third-seeded Titans needed all seven games to eliminate second-seeded Upper Canada, capturing the deciding contest by a 3-2 margin. Ottawa Valley rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to advance.
The Titans emptied the tank in the semifinals, however, and fell to the top seeds in a championship series that only required four games. Myers won three of the contests, with one ending in a tie, outscoring Ottawa Valley by a 17-12 margin.
CLICK HERE for the HEO U18 AAA semifinal & championship results
CLICK HERE for the HEO U18AAA regular-season standings
The HEO U16 AAA Boys division is comprised of five teams, including the regular-season-champion Upper Canada Cyclones, ranked 22nd in the MHR Week 29 U16 AAA Rankings, the second-place No. 18 Eastern Ontario Wild and the third-place Ottawa Valley Titans, who were No. 17.
The fourth-seeded Ottawa Jr. 67s needed six games to be the first team to 7 points in one semifinal, upsetting the top-seeded Upper Canada Cyclones. The teams tied three games in the series, with the Cyclones winning two of the other three contests. The other semifinal between the second-seeded Wild and No. 3-seed Ottawa Valley needed all seven games, with the Wild skating to a 4-1 Game 7 victory after the teams had tied the previous two contests.
Ottawa’s Cinderella run ended just short in the finals, however, as Eastern Ontario won three of the six games, with one ending in a tie. The Wild won Game 6, 5-3, after Ottawa had earned a 3-1 Game 5 victory.
CLICK HERE for the HEO U16 AAA semifinal & championship results
CLICK HERE for the HEO U16AAA regular-season standings
Ontario Minor Hockey Association Playoffs
The OMHA oversees programming and events for players aged 4 to 20 in communities across the province that service a participant base of nearly 100,000. Skill levels of the participating players range from entry level to high performance.
Ontario Minor Hockey works with stakeholders – players, coaches, trainers, game officials, hockey volunteers and parents – across 200-plus associations and more than 25 leagues to provide access to hockey and ensure a meaningful experience for players of all ages and levels of play.
This year, the OMHA crowned 44 champions between the ages of U10 and U21 by the time the dust had settled in Peterborough, Ontario. It took four weekends to determine all the champs, with more than 320 teams competing across nine age groups in eight venues on 25 different sheets of ice.
The OMHA U18 AAA Playoffs featured eight teams divided into two pools of four. After round-robin play, the top two finishers in each pool advanced to the semifinals. The semifinals and championship game were played March 15. All eight participating teams were ranked among Ontario’s top 23, according to the MHR Week 29 Rankings, with four falling among the top 11. All four teams in Group 1 were in the top 20.
The fourth-ranked North Shore Whitecaps faced off against the No. 1 Ajax-Pickering Raiders in one semifinal, with the Whitecaps pulling off a 5-2 upset on the strength of a pair of Rocco Williams goals. The No. 11 Markham Waxers defeated the ninth-ranked Burlington Eagles in the other semifinal, 3-1, with Justin Anselmo providing a goal and an assist.
The championship game needed an extra period to determine the winner, with the Waxers prevailing, 3-2, when Gavin Whitson scored with 9:15 left in the first overtime period.
CLICK HERE for OMHA U18 AAA Playoff scores, schedules & standings
The OMHA U16 AAA Playoffs featured eight teams divided into two pools, with semifinalists determined during pool play. Group 1 included three teams ranked among the MHR Week 29 top 15, while all four of the teams in Group 2 fell in the top 22.
The No. 15 Niagara North Stars earned the top seed from Group 1, with the 10th-ranked Quinte Red Devils also advancing. Group 2 sent the seventh-ranked Credit River Capitals and No. 9 York-Simcoe Express through, setting up a staked penultimate round. The Express defeated the North Stars, 3-1, in one semifinal, with Joshua Miles notching a goal and an assist. The other semifinal required overtime, with Evan Bannister scoring for Credit River to send the Caps to the championship game with a 5-4 victory.
Credit River captured the title later that same day, 4-2, over York-Simcoe, scoring four straight times in the game’s final 20:18 after falling behind, 2-0. Jonah Tagliarino scored the first of those two goals and assisted on the third for the champs, with Ben Legros handing out a pair of assists and Evan Bannister recording 1-1-2.
CLICK HERE for OMHA U16 AAA Playoff scores, schedules & standings
Championship Weekend for the OMHA U15 AAA Playoffs was held March 27-29 in Kingston, Ontario. The U13 and U11 playoffs were being held there at the same time.
At the 15U level, OMHA Championship Weekend featured eight teams in two groups competing in round-robin play to determine the semifinal seedings. The field included six teams ranked among the MHR Week 29 Ontario top 14. Group 1 featured the Nos. 4, 5 and 7 teams, while Group 2 included Nos. 6, 12 and 14. The fourth-ranked Hamilton Steele and No. 5 York-Simcoe Express advanced to the semifinals out of Group 1, while the No. 14 Greater Kingston Jr. Gales and No. 6 Halton Hurricanes moved on from Group 2.
The Express handled Greater Kingston, 4-0, in one semifinal, with Halton holding on for a 3-2 victory against Hamilton in the second semi. In the championship game, York-Simcoe captured the title in a 2-1 thriller against Halton that required overtime.
CLICK HERE for OMHA U15 AAA Playoff scores, schedules & standings
CLICK HERE for access to all OMHA Playoff results
Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario Boys AAA Playoffs
The Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario (ALLIANCE) is a community of youth hockey associations that collaborate to foster a lifelong love of and connection to the game of hockey by providing members and players with a challenging environment that is fun, safe and inclusive. The ALLIANCE consists of more than 20 member organizations and provides opportunities for players of all skill levels from house to AAA in the U9 through U18 age groups.
ALLIANCE Boys U18 AAA Playoffs
Eight teams participated in the ALLIANCE U18 AAA Playoffs, which featured best-of-three quarterfinals (first to 4 points), best-of-five semifinals (first to 6 points) and a best-of-seven (first to 7 points) championship series. The tournament included the Nos. 2 and 7 teams in Ontario, according to the Week 29 MHR Rankings, as well as No. 14. Four teams were ranked among the top 23 and six were in the top 32.
The top-seeded and second-ranked Waterloo Wolves rolled to the championship game to face the No. 7 Elgin-Middlesex Canucks without dropping a game. Elgin-Middlesex’s only blemish on the way to the finals was a 4-4 tie vs. the 14th-ranked London Jr. Knights, but each of the other three games in that semifinal series was decided by a single goal.
Waterloo needed six games to capture the league title against the Canucks, winning three while dropping two with one ending deadlocked.
CLICK HERE for the complete ALLIANCE U18 AAA Playoff results
ALLIANCE Boys U16 AAA Playoffs
Ten teams competed in the postseason for the ALLIANCE U16 AAA championship, with the top-seeded London Jr. Knights and second-seeded Huron-Perth Lakers receiving byes into the quarterfinals. Three teams in the field were ranked among the MHR Week 29 Ontario top 13, including the No. 3 London Knights, the No. 12 Brantford 99ers and the No. 13 Huron-Perth Lakers.
London went 8-0-0 in the postseason, outscoring its three opponents by a 45-11 margin to claim the ALLIANCE championship. The Jr. Knights swept Brantford in two games, piling up an 11-4 scoring advantage, to win the title.
CLICK HERE for the complete ALLIANCE U16 AAA Playoff results
ALLIANCE Boys U15 AAA Playoffs
Eight teams opened play in the ALLIANCE U15 AAA Playoffs Feb. 19. There were four best-of-seven series to determine who would advance to Championship Weekend, which was hosted by the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks March 27-29 in Komoka, Ontario.
The Canucks were joined by four other teams in Komoka. Elgin-Middlesex was the highest-ranked team, according to the Week 29 MHR U15 Ontario AAA Rankings, checking in at No. 9. The Waterloo Wolves were 22nd, the Windsor Jr. Spitfires were 27th, the Brantford 99ers were 30th and the Chatham-Kent Cyclones were 32nd.
Elgin-Middlesex finished first in the round-robin standings with a 4-0-0 record to earn a bye into the championship game while the Cyclones and Wolves faced off in the semifinals. Chatham-Kent advanced to the finals with a 2-1 overtime victory before falling to the Canucks, 4-2, with the title at stake.
CLICK HERE for the complete ALLIANCE U15 AAA Championship Weekend schedule & results
Great North Hockey League Playoffs
Founded in 1986, the Great North U18 AAA league has earned a reputation as a developmental league for young players interested in improving their skills and possibly moving on to junior or college hockey.
The league currently operates with 10 teams representing seven organizations from North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, New Liskeard, Timmins, Thunder Bay and Kapuskasing.
Nearly 2,000 young men have participated in league play since its inception, with many moving on to play at the junior, college and professional levels. At the same time, Great North Hockey League teams have captured several regional championships and gone on to compete for the Canadian national club championship.
The GNHL U18 AAA Playoffs began March 11, with five teams competing for the championship. Advancing through round-robin play to the semifinals were the North Bay Trappers (6-0), the Soo Jr. Greyhounds (4-2), the Sudbury Wolves (1-4) and the New Liskeard Cubs (1-3). North Bay and Soo were ranked 16th and 17th, respectively, in the Week 29 MHR U18 AAA Ontario Rankings.
North Bay knocked off Sudbury, 6-4, in one semifinal, while the Jr. Greyhounds beat New Liskeard, 4-2, in the other. Phillippe Lafontaine and Scott Szcygiel each scored twice for the Trappers, with Francis Popkie handing out three assists. For Soo, Hunter Thorkilson led the way with a pair of markers.
North Bay held off Soo, 5-4, in the March 15 championship game. The Trappers trailed, 2-1, 7:23 into the second period after Frankie Reda and Makks Demidovich had scored for the Jr. Greyhounds before getting goals from Cedar Montreuil, Lafontaine and Popkie in the final 5:27 of the second period. Demidovich struck again early in the final frame and Espen Escasa tied the game with 8:18 left, but Wiliam Fournier potted the game-winner for North Bay with 2:33 left.
CLICK HERE for complete GNHL U18 AAA Boys playoff standings and results
CLICK HERE for the GNHL U18 AAA boys regular-season standings
Hockey Northwest Ontario Championship
Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO) is one of 13 member branches of Hockey Canada and one of three in Ontario (Ontario Hockey Federation, Hockey Eastern Ontario). HNO is directly responsible for governing minor, junior and senior hockey from the Manitoba border to the 85th meridian (White River). The U18 AAA champion from HNO advances to the West Region Tournament to compete against teams from Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the right to play for the Telus Cup, which is awarded to Canada's national champion.
The HNO U18 AAA Boys championship was held March 19-21 in Kenora and Thunder Bay, Ontario, with the Thunder Bay Kings, ranked 50th in Ontario according to the MHR Week 29 U18 AAA Rankings, sweeping the No. 54 Kenora Thistles with 4-2 and 3-1 victories to advance to the West Regional Championship. Thunder Bay went 0-3 at Western Regionals, falling to Canada’s top ranked Regina Pat Canadians (13-1), the Winnipeg Bruins (7-2) and the third-ranked Moose Jaw Warriors (6-1).
Ontario Hockey League Cup (U16)
The 2026 OHL Cup featured 25 top U16 AAA teams from Ontario and 15U Tier 1 teams from the United States. The showcase began March 30 and ran through April 4, with all games being played at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto except the championship game, which was played at Mattamy Athletic Centre Friday, April 4.
Champions and semifinalists from the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) and Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario (ALLIANCE) along with the top four teams from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) were joined by the champion and finalist from Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO) along with a representative from the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA), Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO), three entries from the United States and a pair of teams chosen by an OHL Cup Selection Committee.
All teams played four round-robin games to determine who would advance to the quarterfinals. Each group winner and the three next-best teams overall advanced to the playoff round.
OHL Cup Participating Team Records
Lindros Division
Little Caesars (4-1-0, 8 PTS)
Markham Majors (3-2-0, 6 PTS)
Credit River Capitals (2-2-0, 4 PTS)
Ottawa Jr. 67s (1-3-0, 2 PTS)
Upper. Canada Cyclones (0-4-0, 0 PTS)
McDavid Division
London Jr. Knights (4-2-0, 8 PTS)
TPH Academy (3-2-0, 6PTS)
Don Mills Flyers (3-2-0, 6PTS)
Barrie Colts (1-3-0, 2 PTS)
Thunder Bay Kings (0-4-0, 0 PTS)
Nash Division
Upper Canada College Blues (5-1-0, 10 PTS)
Quinte Red Devils (2-2-0, 4PTS)
Vaughan Kings (2-1-0, 4 PTS)
NOHA (1-3-0, 2 PTS)
Brantford 99ers (1-3-0, 2 PTS)
Shanahan Division
HoneyBaked (7-0-0, 14 PTS)
Toronto Marlboros (3-1-0, 6PTS)
Hill Academy (1-0-3, 3PTS)
York-Simcoe Express (1-2-0, 3PTS)
Huron-Perth Lakers (0-4-0, 0 PTS)
Subban Division
Toronto Jr. Canadiens (6-1-0, 12 PTS)
Niagara North Stars (2-1-0, 5 PTS)
Eastern Ontario Wild (2-2-0, 4PTS)
Ajax-Pickering Raiders (1-3-0, 2PTS)
Sun County Panthers (0-3-1, 1 PT)
OHL Cup Quarterfinals – April 2
Toronto Jr. Canadiens 4, TPH Academy 1’
Upper Canada College Blues 4, Don Mills Flyers 2
London Jr. Knights 8, Little Caesars 6
HoneyBaked 8, Markham Majors 3
OHL Cup Semifinals – April 3
HoneyBaked 5, London Jr. Knights 3
Toronto Jr. Canadiens 3, Upper Canada College 2
OHL Cup Championship Game – April 4
HoneyBaked 3, Toronto Jr. Canadiens 1
CLICK HERE for complete Championship Game recap
CLICK HERE for complete Championship Game highlights
CLICK HERE for complete OHL Cup standings
CLICK HERE for all OHL Cup scores
CLICK HERE for the OHL Cup All-Star Team
Ontario Women's Hockey Association Playoffs
The OWHA promotes, provides and develops opportunities for girls and women to play hockey in Ontario. The OWHA administers hockey for girls and women throughout Ontario, coordinating league play and provincial championships for all age groups from U9 through U22.
In past years, more than 15,000 players and staff have participated in the OWHA Provincial Championships. The number of competing teams in seven divisions and 29 different categories has exceeded 650.
The 2026 OWHA Championships were played April 9-12 at locations around the province. Games in the 15U and 18U AA (Tier 1) divisions were held in Etobicoke and Mississauga, while the U22 tournament was played exclusively in Mississauga.
OWHA U18 AA (Tier 1) Championship
The OWHA U18 AA Championship included 32 teams spread out among eight pools of four teams each. Round-robin play got underway April 9, with each team playing three games and the top team from each pool moving into the quarterfinals. Quarterfinal games were played the afternoon of April 11, with semifinals contested that evening. The championship game was scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT April 12 at Iceland Arena in Mississauga.
Three teams ranked among Canada’s top 18 in the MHR Week 29 U18 Girls rankings advanced to the semifinals, but two of them suffered upset losses. The 10th-ranked East Ottawa Stars fell to the No. 29. Thunder Bay Queens, 1-0, and the No. 13 North York Storm suffered the exact same fate against the 32nd-ranked Cambridge Roadrunners. The No. 12 Stoney Creek Sabres survived their 1-0 decision vs. the 43rd-ranked Oakville Hornets.
OWHA U18 AA Semifinals – April 11
#12 Stoney Creek Sabres 1, #32 Cambridge Roadrunners 0
#23 Durham West. Lightning 3, #29 Thunder Bay Queens 2
OWHA U18 AA Championship – April 12
#12 Stoney Creek Sabres 4, #23 Durham West Lightning 1
CLICK HERE for all OWHA U18AA Championship results
Stoney Creek Sabres advance to the Esso Cup!
OWHA U22 AA (Tier 1) Championship
The OWHA U22 AA Championship featured 22 teams spread out among six pools of either three or four teams. Round-robin play got underway April 9, with each team playing the others in its pool once to determine who would advance to the quarterfinals. Six teams advanced to play in the quarterfinals, which were held the afternoon of April 11. The top two seeds received byes into the semifinals, which were played that same evening. The championship game was scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT April 12 at Iceland Arena in Mississauga.
The Etobicoke Dolphins, ranked No. 1 in the Week 29 MHR U22 Canada Rankings, and the third-ranked Durham West Lightning earned byes into the semis. The 12th-ranked Central York Panthers defeated the No. 5 Stoney Creek Sabres, 3-2, in one quarterfinal, while the fourth-ranked Mississauga Hurricanes beat the 16th-ranked Cambridge Rivulettes, 4-0, in the other.
OWHA U22 AA Semifinals – April 11
#1 Etobicoke Dolphins 3, #4 Mississauga Hurricanes 1
#3 Durham West Lightning 3, #12 Central York Panthers 2
OWHA U22 AA Championship – April 12
#1 Etobicoke Dolphins 7, #3 Durham West Lighting 4
CLICK HERE for all OWHA U22 AA Championship results
OWHA U15 AA (Tier 1) Championship
The OWHA U15 AA Championship featured 32 teams spread out among eight pools of four teams each. Round-robin play got underway April 10, with each team playing the other teams in its group once. The top finisher in each pool advanced to the quarterfinals, which took place the afternoon of April 11. Semifinals were the morning of April 12, and the championship game was contested April 12 at 2 p.m. EDT at Iceland Arena in Mississauga.
Six of Canada’s top 10 teams, according to the MHR Week 29 U15 Tier 1 Rankings, advanced to the quarterfinals. The top-ranked Durham West Lighting and No. 2 Mississauga Hurricanes won their quarterfinal matchups, but the third-ranked Burlington Barracudas fell to the No. 8 Nepean Wildcats, 2-1. The sixth-ranked Waterloo Ravens knocked out the No. 19 Sudbury Lady Wolves in the other quarterfinal.
OWHA U15 AA Semifinals – April 12
#1 Durham West Lightning 2, #8 Nepean Wildcats 1
#2 Mississauga Hurricanes 3, #6 Waterloo Ravens 0
OWHA U15 AA Championship – April 12
#2 Mississauga Hurricanes 2, #1 Durham West Lightning 1
CLICK HERE for all OWHA U15 AA Championship results
CLICK HERE for links to all OWHA Championship results
Maritime Major Girls Hockey League Playoffs
The MMGHL is a U18 league for girls that plays under the sanction of Hockey Nova Scotia and Hockey Canada. Its three provincial champions advanced to the Atlantic Regional Championship tournament qualifier for the Esso Cup.
This year's Atlantic Championship was held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, April 2-5.
There are nine teams in the league, with the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick represented. There also are U15 and U13 divisions.
The Moncton Rockets, who spent most of the season ranked among the MHR Canada Girls U18 Tier top 10, won the MMFHL regular-season championship with a record of 34-4-2. As the host team, the Rockets automatically received a spot in the Esso Cup, so even though they beat the third-place Northern Selects for the Atlantic Region championship, both teams will get an opportunity to play for the national championship.
The Selects have been a regular Esso Cup participant in recent years. They posted a 31-9-0 regular-season record, finishing six points behind the second-place Lindsay Surge (33-5-2) and eight back of the Rockets. Moncton was ranked ninth in the Week 29 MHR Canada Girls U18 Rankings, while the Surge were 16th and the selects were 18th.
CLICK HERE for the final MMGHL U18 AAA regular-season standings
Postseason play began in the U18 MMGHL in late February, with the teams branching off to compete against other league teams from their home provinces to determine provincial champions and Atlantic Region Championship participants.
New Brunswick Girls U18 AAA Semifinals (best of five)
Western Flames def Fundy Kraken, 3-0
Moncton Rockets - BYE
New Brunswick Girls U18 AAA Championship (best of five)
Moncton Rockets def. Western Flames, 3-0
Moncton Rockets advance to Atlantic Championship!
Nova Scotia Girls U18 AAA Semifinals (best of five)
Cape Breton Lynx def Lindsay Surge, 3-1
Northern Selects def Greenfoot Capitals, 3-2
Nova Scotia Girls U18 AAA Championship (best of five)
Northern Selects def Cape Breton Lynx, 3-0
Northern Selects advance to Atlantic Championship!
Prince Edward Island Girls U18 AAA Championship (best of seven)
Eastern Stars def Western Wolves, 4-1
Eastern Stars advance to Atlantic Championship!
New Brunswick/PEI Major U18 AAA Boys Hockey League Playoffs
The New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island Major Midget AAA Hockey League was formed in 2002 when Hockey New Brunswick and Hockey Prince Edward Island decided there should be one top developmental midget league for the two provinces.
Currently known as the NBPEI Major U18 AAA Hockey League, it includes four of its original members: Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John and Charlottetown, along with Bathurst and Kensington. The league is fed by U18 developmental leagues in both provinces as well as U15 and U16 AAA leagues.
There are six teams in the NBPEI Major U18 AAA Hockey League, with the team that captures the regular-season championship being named the league champion. For the postseason, the teams split into separate New Brunswick and PEI tournaments to determine provincial champions and Atlantic Region Championship berths.
The Fredericton Caps won the league title this year with a record of 27-7-3-0, finishing eight points in front of the Moncton Flyers (23-10-4-1). Fredericton was ranked fourth in Eastern Canada and 63rd in Canada, according to the MHR Week 29 U18 AAA Rankings. Fredericton was No. 5 in Eastern Canada and 71st overall.
Fredericton swept the Northern Moose in one best-of-seven New Brunswick semifinal series, while the Flyers also swept their series vs. the St. John Vitos.
The Caps needed all seven games to knock off Moncton and advance to Atlantic Regionals as the New Brunswick provincial champions. Liam Moore won Game 7 March 29 by scoring with 6:03 left in overtime after assisting on the third-period goal by Carter McIllwraith that tied the score and forced the extra session.
PEI U18 AAA Championship Series (best of seven)
Kensington Wild def Charlottetown Knights, 4-2
With the PEI provincial championship series tied at two games apiece, the Kensington Wild came up big with a pair of one-goal victories to advance to the Atlantic Region Championship. Ayden MacKay and Jake Kelly scored for the Wild in a 2-1 Game 6 victory, while goalie Jake MacPherson made 43 saves. Riley Cormier scored with 6:53 left in the third period of Game 7, and MacPherson stopped 38 more shots as Kensington skated to a 3-2 victory to capture the PEI title.
Nova Scotia U18 AAA Boys Major Hockey League Playoffs
The 2026 NSU18MHL Phil Herritt Cup Final paired the Halifax McDonalds against Pictou Weeks Major for the Nova Scotia provincial championship. Halifax captured the provincial title and earned a trip to Atlantic Regionals April 1-5 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, with a 4-1 series victory.
Halifax finished on top of the regular-season standings with a record of 32-1-1 and 65 points, eight better than Dartmouth Steele Subaru (27-4-3). Pictou was third with 50 points at 24-8-2. The Macs went 61-7-0 overall and were ranked first in Eastern Canada and 29th in the nation, according to MHR’s Week 29 U18 AAA Rankings. Dartmouth was second in Eastern Canada and 46th overall, while Pictou was third and 61st.
Halifax won the first two and last two games of the championship series and outscored Pictou, 24-11, in the five contests. Sam Flemming was named Playoff MVP after scoring 14 postseason points on 8 goals and 6 assists. He had 4-4-8 in the championship series.
The top-seeded Macs outscored the Sydney Rush 25-3 in their best-of-five quarterfinal sweep before sweeping the Cape Breton West Islanders by a combined 19-8 margin in the best-of-seven semifinals.
CLICK HERE for the final NSU18MHL regular-season standings
CLICK HERE to see all of the NSU18MHL Playoff results
Newfoundland/Labrador U18 Boys Major Hockey League Playoffs
The NLU18MHL is the provincial U18 AAA Boys league for the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador. The league was formerly known as the Newfoundland and Labrador Major Midget Hockey League until Hockey Canada renamed the age class U18 from Midget. The league formed in 2002 and currently includes five teams: the Central Impact, Pinnacle Growlers, Western Kings, East Coast Blizzard and Tri Pen Osprey.
Despite finishing third in the regular-season standings at 20-8-3, 15 points behind the first-place East Coast Blizzard and eight back of the Central Impact, Pinnacle captured its fourth provincial championship in five years.
The Growlers went 8-1 in postseason play, knocking off the Impact in five games and sweeping the Blizzard to win the Kubota Cup and advance to the Atlantic Regional Championship. Pinnacle is 32-23-0 overall and was ranked 13th in Eastern Canada and 117th overall in Canada in the MHR Week 29 Rankings. The Impact finished 26-18-0, while the Blizzard went 38-16-0. They were ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in Eastern Canada and 107th and 110th in Canada.
Growlers goaltender Dace Gruchy won the President’s Trophy as Playoff MVP after posting a 2.54 postseason goals-against average and a league-best .931 save percentage. Pinnacle’s Jaden Smith led all players with 14 playoff points and 8 goals. Teammate Reed Chafe contributed 7-6-13.
CLICK HERE for the final NLU18MHL regular-season standings
CLICK HERE for all NLU18MHL Playoff results
