Weekend Preview Sept. 19-22: USHL Fall Classic, Stoney Creek Part 3 & Central Plains Caps Showcase
The sixth weekend of the young 2025-26 Youth Hockey season brings us the final installment of the Stoney Creek Girls Hockey Association’s three September showcases in Ontario along with one of the most-anticipated USA Boys Tier 1 events of the fall in Pittsburgh. In addition, we get our first glimpse of some of the top U18 Girls teams in Western Canada.
After hosting U18 and University showcases the past two weekends, the Stoney Creek Sabres welcome 64 more of the continent’s top Tier 1 Girls programs for its U15 AA Showcase Sept. 19-21. The event includes 14U Tier 1 Girls teams from the United States, U15 Ontario AA and Quebec AA teams and U15 AAA teams from Western Canada.
Meanwhile, in conjunction with the start of its Tier 1 junior season, the United States Hockey League (USHL) is hosting its annual USHL Fall Classic youth tournament in Pittsburgh. More than 90 of the top 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U USA Tier 1 Boys teams will be participating in the youth tournament from Sept. 19-22.
As part of the Fall Classic Weekend, the USHL season began Wednesday, Sept. 17, with a pair of games at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Center. The Dubuque Fighting Saints opened their 2025-26 campaign with a 10-2 drubbing of the Sioux City Musketeers as Colin Frank, Eetu Orpana and Teddy Merrill each netted a pair of goals.
The other contest was a tad more exciting, with the Muskegon Lumberjacks outlasting the Waterloo Black Hawks in a 4-3 shootout victory. The shootout lasted six rounds before Ethan Drabicki buried the game-winning goal. Muskegon’s Carter Sanderson scored twice for the winners.
Four more USHL games are on tap Sept. 18 and 10 more contests will be played throughout the remainder of the weekend. All USHL games can be viewed on FloHockey.
Here is a look at the remaining USHL schedule for the weekend:
Thursday, Sept. 18
- Green Bay Gamblers at Omaha Lancers – 3:30 p.m. – Covestro Rink
- Chicago Steel at Sioux Falls Stampede – 4:30 p.m. – FedEx Rink
- Sioux City Musketeers at Muskegon Lumberjacks - 7 p.m. – Covestro Rink
- Waterloo Black Hawks at Dubuque Fighting Saints - 8 p.m. – FedEx Rink
Friday, Sept. 19
- Cedar Rapids RoughRiders at Des Moines Buccaneers – 3:30 p.m. – Covestro Rink
- Sioux Falls Stampede at Green Bay Gamblers – 4:30 p.m. – FedEx Rink
- Tri-City Storm at Youngstown Phantoms – 7:00 p.m. – Covestro Rink
- Omaha Lancers at Chicago Steel – 8 p.m. – FedEx Rink
Saturday, Sept. 20
- Madison Capitols at Lincoln Stars – 3:30 p.m. – Covestro Rink
- NTDP at Fargo Force – 4:30 p.m. – FedEx Rink
- Youngstown Phantoms at Cedar Rapids RoughRiders – 7 p.m.- Covestro Rink
- Des Moines Buccaneers at Tri-City Storm – 8 p.m. – FedEx Rink
Sunday, Sept. 21
- Fargo Force at Madison Capitols – 11:30 p.m. – Covestro Rink
- Lincoln Stars at NTDP – 2:30 p.m. – FedEx Rink
In addition to the USHL, the remaining Canadian Jr. Hockey League (CJHL) Jr. A leagues that have yet to begin play drop the puck on their seasons this week. Play begins in the Central Canadian Hockey League (CCHL), the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), the Manitoba Jr. Hockey League (MJHL), the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).
The CCHL opened play Sept. 17 with the Nepean Raiders defeating the Renfrew Wolves, 4-2. Meanwhile, the AJHL, SJHL, SIJHL and MJHL all start up Sept. 19.
The CJHL is comprised of nine leagues and nearly 120 teams spread out across Canada competing at the Jr. A level. The nine league champions along with a host team compete for the national championship at the Centennial Cup in May.
Other CJHL leagues include the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Quebec AAA Junior Hockey League (LHJAAAQ), Maritime Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). Those leagues began their seasons earlier this month.
Also taking place this weekend north of the border, but a little farther to the west, is the Central Plains Capitals Preseason Showcase, featuring most of the U18 teams from the Manitoba Female Hockey League. Eleven teams will be participating, including eight of nine MFHLU18AAA member clubs as well as the Weyburn Gold Wings and Prince Albert Northern Bears from Saskatchewan and the Pilot Mound Buffaloes (Manitoba) of the Canadian School Sport Hockey League (CSSHL). The showcase runs Sept. 19-21.
Every September, the Stoney Creek Girls Hockey Association in Ontario hosts three high-end showcases that attract top Tier 1 Girls programs from all over Canada and the United States.
Sept. 5-7 the Stoney Creek U18 AA Showcase was held, while the weekend of Sept. 12-14 brought the University Showcase. The U15 AA Showcase is up next and is set for Sept. 19-21.
This weekend’s event includes U15 AA Girls teams from Ontario and Quebec, U15 AAA Girls teams from Western Canada and Tier 1 Girls teams from the United Sates.
The 64 teams are divided into eight divisions of eight teams for pool play, with games starting Friday, Sept. 19, and running through Sunday, Sept. 21.
Stoney Creek U15 AA Showcase divisions were named after the following past Stony Creek players:
- Brooke Becker – Providence College standout, PWHL Minnesota
- Megan Carter – Team Canada U18, Former Northeastern University Captain, PWHL Seattle
- Elaine Chuli – University of Connecticut all-time saves leader, PWHL Toronto
- Brianne Jenner – Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Team Canada Captain, PWHL Ottawa
- Sarah Nurse – Olympic Gold Medalist, All-American at the University of Wisconsin, PWHL Vancouver
- Kristin O’Neill – Former Cornell University Captain, Team Canada, PWHL New York
- Vanessa Upson – Mercyhurst University standout, PWHL Minnesota
- Kayla Vespa – Former St. Lawrence Assistant Captain, PWHL New York
Games are being played at Gateway Ice Arena, and Liuna! 4 Ice Centre. Both venues are serviced by LiveBarn, with Liuna! 4 Ice Center listed on the LiveBarn website as Mohawk 4 Ice Centre, so tournament games should be available for live and on-demand viewing.
Teams will be seeded for the playoffs based on round-robin points, with the top four No. 1 seeds competing for the Gold championship, while pool-winning seeds 5-8 will play for the Silver title
The second-place teams in each pool also were seeded 1-8, with Nos. 1-4 playing for the Bronze championship and Nos. 5-8 playing in the Brass playoff bracket. Remaining teams skated in consolation games Sunday.
CLICK HERE for the complete schedule and all game results
CLICK HERE for the showcase standings
CLICK HERE for the team rosters
Becker Division
Traditionally strong programs such as the Nepean Wildcats, Team Illinois, Whitby Wolves, Windy City Storm and Scarborough Sharks should see their teams compete for supremacy in the Becker Division.
Carter Division
Some of the names readers might be familiar with in the Carter Division are Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, the Burlington Barracudas, Delta Hockey Academy, Clarington Flames, East Ottawa Stars and Etobicoke Dolphins.
Chuli Division
Chuli Division headliners include Belle Tire, Little Caesars, the Ottawa Senators, Kingston Ice Wolves, Bluewater Hawks and Kitchener Lady Rangers.
Jenner Division
The deep Jenner Division includes usually strong teams representing the Barrie Sharks, Peterborough Ice Kats, Stoney Creek Sabres, Sudbury Lady Wolves and Connecticut Jr. Rangers.
Nurse Division
Traditional top teams battling it out in the Nurse Division include the Chicago Mission, Connecticut Polar Bears, London Devilettes, North York Storm, Markham-Stouffville Stars and Quebec’s Saugeen-Maitland Lightning.
O’Neill Division
It doesn’t get any easier in the O’Neill Division, with the likes of the Central York Panthers, Durham West Lightning, Lovell Academy, North American Hockey Academy, Ottawa Lady 67s and Toronto Leaside Wildcats all looking to make a run at the top seed.
Upson Division
Will there be upsets in the Upson Division? That will be tough with teams such as the Oakville Hornets, North Halton Twisters, Waterloo Ravens and Team Colorado in the mix.
Vespa Division
And finally in the Vespa Division, the Cambridge Roadrunners, Mississauga Jr. Hurricanes, Lac St Louis Warriors, Guelph Jr. Gryphons and Brampton Canadettes all hope to challenge to be at the top of the heap.
About 40 top clubs are sending more than 90 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U USA Tier 1 Boys teams to participate in the USHL Fall Classic Sept. 19-12. The tournament is being held in conjunction with the opening of the USHL season at a handful of rinks around the Pittsburgh metro area.
Fall Classic youth tournament games begin Friday, Sept. 19, and run through Monday, Sept. 22. All of the host rinks are serviced by LiveBarn, so games should be available there for live and on-demand viewing.
The United States Hockey League (USHL), with its 16 member teams, is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier 1 tuition-free junior league in the United States.
During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni earned more than 50 percent of all NCAA Division I roster spots, while better than 25 percent of the National Hockey League’s players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.
Holding the Fall Classic youth tournament in conjunction with the opening weekend of USHL league play for the 2025-26 season provides coaches, scouts and hockey-operations staff members from each member organization with a convenient opportunity to watch some of the nation’s top 14U-18U players compete in person. In addition, with each USHL team scheduled to play two games in Pittsburgh during the weekend, the youth players are presented with an opportunity to see firsthand what it takes to play in the best junior league in the U.S.
CLICK HERE for the Fall Classic Program with team rosters
CLICK HERE for links to the Fall Classic schedule, results, stats & standings
CLICK HERE for the Fall Classic Hub
14U USHL Fall Classic Participating Teams
Yale Jr. Bulldogs
Team Minnesota Red
Hill Academy
Team Minnesota Blue
Boston Jr. Eagles
HoneyBaked
Windy City
Team Illinois
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Seacoast Performance Academy
Islanders Hockey Club
Palmyra Black Knights
Cape Cod Whalers
Rocky Mountain RoughRiders
Okanagan Colorado
PAL Jr. Islanders
Dallas Stars Elite
Florida Surf
Pittsburgh Predators
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
15O USHL Fall Classic Participating Teams
Hill Academy
Team Illinois
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
Little Caesars
Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
Windy City Storm
Madison Capitals
Victory Honda
Chicago Reapers
Florida Alliance
Indiana Elite
Seacoast Performance Academy
Islanders Hockey Club
Fox Motors
Okanagan Colorado
New Jersey Rockets
Dallas Stars Elite
South Kent School
North Jersey Avalanche
Team Minnesota Red
Team Minnesota Blue
HoneyBaked
Team Maryland
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
16U USHL Fall Classic Participating Teams
Team Illinois
Fox Motors
Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
Bishop Kearney Selects
Pittsburgh Predators
Dallas Stars Elite
Oakland Jr. Grizzlies
Madison Capitols
PAL Jr. Islanders
Providence Capitals
Seacoast Performance Academy
Chicago Reapers
Islanders Hockey Club
New Jersey Rockets
Nashville Jr. Predators
HoneyBaked
Rocky Mountain RoughRiders
Okanagan Colorado
Team Minnesota
Boston Jr. Eagles
South Kent School
North Jersey Avalanche
Little Caesars
Windy City Storm
Team Maryland
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
18U USHL Fall Classic Participating Teams
PAL Jr. Islanders
Windy City Storm
Indiana Elite
Seacoast Performance Academy
Islanders Hockey Club
Mercer Chiefs
Northwood School
New Jersey Rockets
Brookline Whalers
Rocky Mountain RoughRiders
Okanagan Colorado
Dallas Stars Elite
South Kent School
North Jersey Avalanche
Team Maryland
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Wilkes Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
Team Illinois
Atlantic Coast Academy
Central Plains Capitals U18 Preseason Showcase
The Central Plains Capitals of the Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League (MFHLU18AAA) are hosting 11 Western Canada Girls teams for a preseason Showcase. There are eight teams from the MFHL scheduled to participate along with the Weyburn Gold Wings and Prince Albert Northern Bears from Saskatchewan and the CSSHL’s Pilot Mount Buffaloes.
Games are being played at Portage Mutual Arena and Stride Credit Union Arena in Winnipeg. Contests played at Stride Arena can be viewed live and on-demand via GSHow Productions.
It is the MFHL's continuing goal to promote elite U18 Girls AAA hockey within Hockey Manitoba's designated regions. The league strives to provide the players within the MFHL an opportunity to improve their skills by participating in a competitive league in which they receive strong coaching and are supported in both their athletic and academic endeavors in hopes of helping them move on to higher-level hockey and academic opportunities.
Central Plains Capitals Preseason Showcase Participating Teams
Interlake Lightning
Central Plains Capitals
Westman Wildcats
Yellowed Chiefs
Eastman Selects
Pembina Valley Hawks
Pilot Mount Buffaloes
Winnipeg Ice
Weyburn Gold Wings
Prince Albert Northern Bears
Winnipeg Avros
