Practice opened Monday across Michigan, and the 2026-27 MHSAA boys ice hockey season is one week from its first puck drop. All three divisions begin the winter with a returning champion, and each of those programs carries a different kind of target into November.
Last season’s Finals
The 2025-26 season ended March 7 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, and the three title games produced three very different champions.
- Division 1: Detroit Catholic Central (29-1-1) defeated Northville (23-9), 6-0, for its seventh consecutive Division 1 title. The Shamrocks outshot Northville 47-15, and six different players scored.
- Division 2: Flint Powers Catholic (27-5) defeated Livonia Stevenson (20-10-1), 4-1, to repeat as champion. The MHSAA’s Finals story pointed to the Chargers’ special teams as the difference.
- Division 3: Houghton (25-6-1) scored four goals in the third period to defeat Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (25-5), 5-2. It was the Gremlins’ first Finals title since 1982 and the first for an Upper Peninsula program since Hancock in 2016.
Key dates for 2026-27
- Practice began: Oct. 26
- First games: Nov. 2
- Regionals: Feb. 15-24, 2027
- Quarterfinals: Feb. 27
- Semifinals: March 4-5 at USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth
- Finals: March 6 at USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth
Preseason rankings and coaching changes
No established statewide preseason poll for 2026-27 had been published as of Tuesday morning; the weekly post will carry the first one once it is released. Mitten Hockey also could not confirm any head coaching changes announced by schools for this season as of publication, and any that are announced will be noted in the weekly post.
Storylines to watch
Catholic Central and the number eight. The Shamrocks have won 17 of the 26 Division 1 titles since the division was established in 2000 and have reached 20 Finals. Across their seven straight championships, they allowed four goals combined in title games, never more than one in any of them. Coach Brandon Kaleniecki has been behind the bench for eight titles, starting in 2016. Every Division 1 contender’s season will be measured against the Shamrocks.
Powers Catholic and a possible third straight. The Chargers have won the last two Division 2 titles. Livonia Stevenson, last season’s runner-up, heads a Division 2 field that will try to close the gap; Caledonia, Trenton, and Alpena were among the other Division 2 teams highlighted in Petey’s Picks’ February tournament preview.
Houghton defends a title for the first time in decades. Coach Micah Stipech’s Gremlins open a season as defending champions for the first time since the early 1980s. Calumet and Marquette joined Houghton in that same preview’s Division 3 top 10, so the Upper Peninsula will be worth watching again.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Northville look to return. The Eaglets, the 2025 Division 3 champion, made it back to the Finals last March. Northville reached the Division 1 title game and will try to return to Plymouth through one of the state’s deepest divisions.
The Division 1 chase pack. Howell, Hartland, and Brighton were among the Division 1 programs that drew attention heading into last season’s tournament, and the first months of this season will show which of them is positioned to push Catholic Central.
What’s next
Games begin Monday, Nov. 2. The Mitten Hockey High School Scoreboard will track notable results after game nights, and the weekly post returns next Tuesday with rankings, storylines, and games to watch.
Leave a Reply