2025–26 MHL season
| 2025–26 MHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Maritime Junior Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | Preseason August – September Regular season September – March Post-season March – April |
| Games | 312 |
| Teams | 12 |
| Total attendance | 307,184 |
| TV partner | Eastlink Community TV |
| Streaming partner | FloSports |
| 2025 MHL entry draft | |
| Top draft pick | Ethan Jones |
| Picked by | Valley Wildcats |
| Metalfab Cup | |
The 2025–26 MHL season is the 58th season of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL).
The Summerside Western Capitals were selected to host the 2026 Centennial Cup national championship tournament.[1] Summerside also hosted national championships in 1989, 1997, and 2013.[2]
The Edmundston Blizzard appointed Michael Ward as Head Coach.[3] The Miramichi Timberwolves appointed Shawn Evans as Head Coach.[4] The Chaleur Lightning appointed Matt Wright as Head Coach, replacing Kyle McAllister, and George MacIntyre as General Manager.[5]
The MHL and Hockey Canada launched the Aligned Rules pilot project, according to which the league adopted the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) rule book and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Rule 202 on facial protection.[6]
Regular season
The regular season ran from 11 September 2025 through 8 March 2026.[7] Each of the twelve teams played 52 regular season games, including eight against teams in the same division and two against teams in the other division. The top four teams in each division advanced to the playoffs.[7]
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Summerside Western Capitals | 52 | 32 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 72 |
| 2 | Truro Bearcats | 52 | 34 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 72 |
| 3 | Pictou County Crushers | 52 | 31 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 67 |
| 4 | Amherst Ramblers | 52 | 32 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 65 |
| 5 | Yarmouth Mariners | 52 | 19 | 25 | 4 | 4 | 46 |
| 6 | Valley Wildcats | 52 | 12 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 26 |
Source: "2024–25 MHL standings". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Falls Rapids | 52 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 68 |
| 2 | West Kent Steamers | 52 | 30 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 68 |
| 3 | Edmundston Blizzard | 52 | 30 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 66 |
| 4 | Chaleur Lightning | 52 | 31 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 65 |
| 5 | Campbellton Tigers | 52 | 15 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 38 |
| 6 | Miramichi Timberwolves | 52 | 15 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 34 |
Source: "2024–25 MHL standings". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
References
- ^ Gardiner, Kristin (2 October 2025). "Summerside to host Canada's National Junior A Hockey Championship in 2026". saltwire.com. Postmedia. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Summerside, P.E.I., to host 2026 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons". hockeycanada.ca. Calgary, AB: Hockey Canada. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Michael Ward becomes Blizzard's fourth head coach". themhl.ca. Edmundston, NB: Maritime Junior Hockey League. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Miramichi names Shawn Evans as Head Coach". themhl.ca (Press release). Miramichi, NB: Maritime Junior Hockey League. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Chaleur Lightning announce coaching and management updates". themhl.ca (Press release). Bathurst, NB: Maritime Junior Hockey League. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Maritime Junior Hockey League launches Aligned Rules Pilot Project". themhl.ca (Press release). Calgary, AB: Maritime Junior Hockey League. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ a b "MHL releases 2025-26 regular season schedule". themhl.ca (Press release). Maritime Junior Hockey League. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
Sources
- "Road to the RBC Cup: Summerside Western Capitals". hockeycanada.ca. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- "2026 Centennial Cup bid guidelines" (PDF). Hockey Canada. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- "2025 Centennial Cup Guide & Record Book" (PDF). hockeycanada.ca. Hockey Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- "2025-26 MHL Exhibition schedule kicks off Friday". themhl.ca (Press release). Maritime Junior Hockey League. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- "Northshore Cup: A New Rivalry Begins". themhl.ca (Press release). Bathurst, NB: Maritime Junior Hockey League. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- DiRisio, Haeley (1 October 2025). "Summerside, P.E.I., to host 2026 Canadian Junior Hockey League Centennial Cup". CTV News Atlantic. Bell Media. Retrieved 25 October 2025.