Elite League opener set for Saturday

The Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League begins its season on Saturday, Sept. 4 at New Hope Ice Arena, with representative from 28 of the 32 NHL teams and an estimated 40 college scouts expected be in attendance during the league’s opening weekend.

Eight games are set for Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with four morning-session matchups. The evening session, which includes four more games, starts at 5:30 p.m. The first of Sunday’s four games starts at 9 a.m.

For the second straight year, the Elite League, in its 23rd season, is hosting back-to-back games against USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s Under-17 squad. A league all-star team will be selected to play the Under-17 team. Games are set for noon on Saturday, Oct. 5 and 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. 

The Elite League, regarded as one of the nation’s premiere leagues for high school hockey players, will feature a full slate of games in New Hope on most weekends in September and October. The league playoffs are set for Oct. 25-27 in New Hope. TDS Transportation is the defending league playoff champion. Click here for the full league schedule.

Four of the league’s top 12 scorers from last season return in what projects to be one of the most competitive and challenging seasons in recent history. Eight league players have committed to Division I colleges, with several more expected to do the same in the coming weeks. 

Games will be streamed live on MNHockey.TV, and select Tuesday night games will include play-by-play commentary, starting with the two games set for Sept. 10 in New Hope.

Action and feature photos will be available for parents and players to purchase at LegacyHockeyPhotography.com. In-game updates and photos will be posted on the league’s social media accounts, including the site formerly known as Twitter.

The Upper Midwest High School Elite League was founded in 2002 and is model program for player development in North America. It provides the region’s top players with an opportunity to play with and against top competition while maintaining their eligibility to play high school hockey in their respective communities.