USPHL Premier Weekend Preview: Perfect Starts And Division Races Go On The Line | Oct. 23-25, 2026

Three perfect records, the league’s longest active winning streak and several direct battles between division contenders headline the USPHL Premier schedule from Oct. 23-25.

Long Beach enters the weekend 11-0, P.A.L. is 10-0 and Kinni Spirit has won its first three games. Metro leads the Great Lakes after earning points in all 11 of its games, Cincinnati has won eight straight and only one point separates the two leaders in the St. Lawrence Division.

 

Atlantic Division – P.A.L. Takes Its Perfect Start On The Road

P.A.L. has collected all 20 available points through a 10-0 start, but the Rockets Hockey Club and Mercer Chiefs remain within striking distance.

The Junior Islanders’ only game this weekend comes Saturday night against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers. P.A.L. has scored 59 goals through 10 games while allowing 23.

Several teams behind the leaders face cross-divisional tests. West Chester meets the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Friday before facing Northern Cyclones on Sunday. Jersey hosts Northern on Saturday, while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton welcomes Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Saturday.

Red Bank, currently tied with Jersey and WBS at 12 points, plays Utica on Friday and Saturday.

 

New England Division – Four Teams Within One Point

Boston Jr. Rangers, Northern Cyclones and Worcester Railers JHC share the lead with 10 points, while Utica sits directly behind them with nine.

Northern plays Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Friday, Jersey on Saturday and West Chester on Sunday. Worcester faces South Shore on Friday and New England Wolves on Saturday. Boston Jr. Rangers’ lone game comes Sunday against New England.

Utica’s two-game series against Red Bank gives the Jr. Comets an opportunity to keep pace while the three teams above them take on opponents from outside the division.

 

Great Lakes Division – Metro’s Ten-Game Run Continues

The Metro Jets have won 10 consecutive games and earned points in all 11 of their contests, building a seven-point advantage atop the Great Lakes.

Metro faces Fort Wayne on Friday. The Spacemen enter with three straight losses but have allowed only 17 goals through five games, giving the division leader a different kind of test.

Columbus sits second with 14 points and visits Midwest-leading Cincinnati on Friday in one of the weekend’s strongest cross-divisional matchups. Chicago Crush, one point behind Columbus, plays undefeated Kinni Spirit on Friday and Saturday.

Toledo and Red River also meet twice, beginning Friday before completing the series Saturday.

 

Midwest Division – Cincinnati Puts Eight-Game Streak On The Line

Cincinnati has won eight straight since dropping its opener and leads the Midwest with 16 points.

The Cyclones face Columbus on Friday, second-place MJDP on Saturday and Danville on Sunday. Saturday’s meeting carries the largest direct standings implications: MJDP enters four points behind Cincinnati with one game in hand.

MJDP first faces Flint on Friday. Flint then meets Fresh Coast Freeze on Sunday, while Danville gets its opportunity against the division leader to close the weekend.

 

North Division – Kinni’s Perfect Start Meets Chicago

Dells Ducks lead the North with 14 points, but undefeated Kinni Spirit is climbing quickly. Kinni is 3-0 with 25 goals scored and nine allowed.

The Spirit face Chicago Crush on both Friday and Saturday. Chicago begins the weekend third in the Great Lakes with a 6-3-1 record, making this Kinni’s strongest early measuring stick.

Dells hosts Hudson Havoc twice. Minnesota Mullets meet Northwest Express on Friday in the other North matchup.

 

Pacific Division – Long Beach’s 11-0 Record Heads To Salt Lake

Long Beach owns the Premier’s longest perfect start at 11-0, outscoring its opponents 85-17 and collecting 22 points.

The Bombers face Salt Lake Ghost Riders on Friday and Saturday. Salt Lake has dropped three straight, but enters third in the Pacific with 13 points and has scored 60 goals.

Bremerton and Rogue Valley play three times over the weekend. Iron County and San Diego meet Saturday and Sunday, giving both clubs a chance to gain ground at the bottom of the division.

Santa Clarita, sitting second with 17 points, is idle.

 

Florida Division – First Place Is Shared

Coral Springs and Tampa Bay begin the weekend tied for first with 10 points. The Jr. Cats hold the position on games played, while Tampa enters looking to end a three-game skid.

The Juniors face Florida Surge on Friday and Typhoon Hockey Club on Sunday. Surge also plays Typhoon on Saturday.

Coral Springs hosts Florida Eels on Sunday. The Eels and Florida Jr. Blades are tied at nine points, just one behind the leaders, leaving four teams separated by a single point at the top of the division.

 

Southeast Division – The Leaders Face Separate Two-Game Tests

Charleston and Charlotte share first place with matching 8-1-1 records and 17 points.

The Colonials meet third-place Yorktown on Saturday and Sunday. The Admirals have won four straight and sit four points behind the leaders with two games in hand, making that series especially important.

Charlotte faces Carolina Jr. Hurricanes twice. The Rush have scored 49 goals, second-most in the division, while Carolina will be looking to close a nine-point gap.

Hampton Roads, five points behind first place with two games in hand, plays Potomac on Saturday and Sunday.

 

St. Lawrence Division – One Point Separates The Top Two

Deux-Montagnes leads the St. Lawrence with 16 points after six consecutive victories. Universel Sherbrooke sits one point back.

Both leaders play Friday. The Ravens meet Universel Sherbrooke directly, giving first place immediate head-to-head stakes.

Deux-Montagnes returns Saturday against Somang Hockey. Somang then hosts St-Lazare on Sunday.

Montreal plays Kingston on Saturday before hosting New York Dynamo on Sunday. Hudson Knights visit New York on Saturday, while Universel Collège Gatineau hosts Kingston in Sunday’s final game.

 

Alberta Division – The Chase Behind OLCN

OLCN Scouts lead Alberta with 11 points but are idle, giving the teams behind them a chance to close the gap.

Hanna, one point behind the Scouts, hosts Bassano on Saturday and Chestermere on Sunday. Chestermere enters on a three-game winning streak and sits three points out of first with two games in hand.

Chestermere first faces Claresholm on Friday. Claresholm also meets Three Hills on Saturday and Bassano on Sunday, giving the Cowboys three games with which to build on their eight-point total.

Three Hills and Bassano open the divisional schedule Friday.

 

Five Matchups That Could Define The Weekend

1. Deux-Montagnes Ravens vs. Universel Sherbrooke — Friday: First and second place in the St. Lawrence are separated by one point.
2. Cincinnati Cyclones vs. MJDP — Saturday: The Midwest leader faces the second-place team, which begins the weekend four points back with a game in hand.
3. Yorktown Admirals vs. Charleston Colonials — Saturday and Sunday: Yorktown’s four-game winning streak meets a division co-leader in a two-game series.
4. Chicago Crush vs. Kinni Spirit — Friday and Saturday: The undefeated Spirit face a Chicago team sitting one point out of second place in the Great Lakes.
5. Salt Lake Ghost Riders vs. Long Beach Bombers — Friday and Saturday: Long Beach’s 11-0 start goes on the road against the Pacific’s third-place team.

By The Numbers

• Long Beach has opened the season 11-0 and outscored its opponents 85-17.
• P.A.L. is 10-0 with eight regulation wins, one overtime victory and one shootout victory.
• Metro has won 10 straight and earned 21 of a possible 22 points.
• Cincinnati brings an eight-game winning streak into a three-game weekend.
• Deux-Montagnes has won six straight.
• Charleston and Charlotte have identical 8-1-1 records atop the Southeast.
• Four Florida teams are separated by one point.
• Kinni Spirit has scored 25 goals through only three games.