South Shore Kings Win 2026 Dineen Cup Championship
The South Shore Kings won the 2026 Dineen Cup Championship with a 1-0 overtime victory against the Grand Junction River Hawks on Tuesday at the Mountain America Center.
After a scoreless regulation, Jake Kavanagh scored at 16:19 of overtime to secure the title for South Shore.
Goaltender Patrick Muller posted a shutout, stopping all 18 shots he faced. He was named Playoff MVP and received an additional $4,000.
In the postseason, the Kings went 13-1, capturing the New England East and New England Conference titles, along with the regular season Founders Cup, awarded to the team with the best record in the league.
With the championship, each player on the South Shore roster receives $5,000, totaling $130,000.
The Kings have now won two Dineen Cup Championships.
About the Dineen Cup
The Dineen Cup earned its namesake after the late coach Gary Dineen, a driving force in raising the profile of U.S. junior hockey, especially in the northeastern U.S. that had traditionally been dominated by prep school hockey. The Dineen Cup began with the National Collegiate Development Conference's inception in 2017-18. Learn more at ncdchockey.com/playoffs.
Championship History
Past Champions
- 2018 Islanders Hockey Club
- 2019 Boston Junior Bruins
- 2020 No event; COVID-19
- 2021 Jersey Hitmen
- 2022 Jersey Hitmen
- 2023 P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
- 2024 South Shore Kings
- 2025 Idaho Falls Spud Kings
- 2026 South Shore Kings
Past Hosts
- 2018 Lawler Rink, Merrimack College, North Andover, Mass.
- 2019 New England Sports Center, Marlborough, Mass.
- 2020 No event; COVID-19
- 2021 Revolution Ice Centre, Pittston, Penn.
- 2022 Ice Vault, Wayne, N.J.
- 2023 Northwell Health Ice Center, East Meadow, N.Y.
- 2024 Foxboro Sports Center, Foxboro, Mass.
- 2025 Ice Vault, Wayne, N.J.
- 2026 Mountain America Center