A new season. A defending champion. Five programs determined to take the crown. The race for the 2026–27 Prep Hockey Conference Championship starts now.
After three consecutive appearances in the PHC final, Northwood School finally broke through last February. Three wins in three days over St. Andrew's College, Culver Academies, and Shattuck-St. Mary's delivered the Huskies their first conference championship.
Now, the target is on their backs.
The PHC returns for a sixth season with no shortage of challengers. Culver and South Kent finished atop the West and East Divisions last year, Shattuck came within one victory of the title, and former champions St. Andrew's are looking to reclaim their place at the summit. Meanwhile, a retooled Mount St. Charles squad enters with an opportunity to shake up the conference standings.
With competition opening on October 31st and the championship awaiting in February, six of North America's established prep hockey programs are preparing for another season of high-stakes competition.
Here's what to expect from each program in 2026–27.
Northwood School | Defending the Crown
Lake Placid, New York
Northwood enter as defending champions following an impressive postseason run. Despite finishing second in the East Division with 23 points, the Huskies elevated their game when it mattered most, defeating St. Andrew's 1–0, Culver 3–2, and Shattuck-St. Mary's 5–1 to claim their first PHC title.
Charles Pigeon was instrumental in that run, scoring the winner against St. Andrew's and twice against Culver. The Huskies will now look to replace their former leading scorer, who recorded 21 points in conference play last season.
Among the players returning from Northwood's championship-winning group are forwards Casey Morrissey, Hunter Chadbourne, Peter Amigh, and Jack Pitts, alongside defencemen Mark Tverskoy and Miles Van Mullen. Newcomer Colton Sommer adds another notable prospect with a reported NCAA Division I commitment to St. Lawrence University.
Head coach Stephen Mallaro leads the title defence, joined by newly appointed assistant Casey Boone. Northwood open conference play on October 31st against South Kent, last season's East Division leaders.
Shattuck-St. Mary's | One Step From the Summit
FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA
Shattuck-St. Mary's came within one victory of the PHC championship last season, finishing second in the West Division with 30 points before advancing to the final. Their postseason ended with a 5–1 defeat against Northwood, leaving the Sabres determined to take the next step.
The team's early 2026–27 results have been encouraging, with a 12–1 overall record entering conference play. Emilio Bedoya has led the offence with 12 goals and 20 points through 11 games, supported by Ryan Hanutke, Tyler Kunz, Owen Moulton, and defenceman Logan Urben.
Three players with reported NCAA Division I commitments headline Tom Ward's roster: Bedoya (Yale), Rennick Hendrickson (Minnesota Duluth), and goaltender Cade Nystrom (Arizona State). With another talented group assembled, the Sabres will be looking to build on last season's championship appearance.
Culver Academies | Building on Regular-Season Success
CULVER, INDIANA
Culver was among the PHC's strongest regular-season teams in 2025–26, finishing atop the West Division with 31 points in 16 games. The Eagles scored 63 goals while allowing just 37, producing a conference-best plus-26 goal differential before falling 3–2 to Northwood in the semifinals.
Replacing the production of Austin Brekelmans will be a key challenge after he led the PHC with 27 points and 14 goals last season.
Head coach Kevin Patrick returns with an experienced roster featuring senior forwards Gavin Black, Beckett Fleming, Levi Shephard, and Brayden Kurtz. Defencemen Philip Zurn, Alexi Sawaya, and Ray Chen strengthen the veteran core, while younger players Cormac Jarvis and Quint Benson add developing talent.
Culver will look to translate their regular-season success into a deeper playoff run, with additional motivation as hosts of February's PHC championship weekend.
South Kent School | Taking the Next Step
South Kent, Connecticut
South Kent established themselves as the East Division's leading regular-season program in 2025–26, collecting 29 points in 16 games while scoring 57 goals. Their championship hopes ended in the semifinals, where Shattuck-St. Mary's handed the Cardinals a 5–2 defeat.
The Cardinals will look to replace the offensive contributions of Maksims Saperins, who led the team with 20 points in conference competition last season.
The current roster provides head coach Ryan Bliss with several offensive options, including forwards Brian Vega, Svit Ravnik, Ryan Rhéaume, and Luke Hartman. Defenceman T.J. Tullock adds another notable presence from the blue line, while Tyler Fuicelli and Mateo Soldo will hold down the crease.
After leading the division but falling short of the championship game, South Kent will look to build on last season's success, beginning with an opening-weekend series against defending champions Northwood.
St. Andrew's College | A Return to Championship Contention
Aurora, Ontario
St. Andrew's College aim to reclaim the PHC championship after capturing the title in 2024–25. The Saints finished third in the West Division last season with 26 points, before their title defence ended with a narrow 1–0 opening-round defeat to eventual champions Northwood. They subsequently competed in the postseason placement games.
Head coach David Manning returns with an experienced group highlighted by four players with reported NCAA Division I commitments: James Roy (Harvard), Tucker Sinclair (Princeton), Marcus Magri (Univ. of Massachusetts), and Charlie Sullivan (Cornell). Roy and Sinclair were among the conference's most productive players last season, recording 23 and 18 points, respectively, with Roy leading the PHC in assists (16).
Senior defencemen Hayden Stroud, Jack Young, and Evan Pahanich provide additional experience alongside forwards Nate Feiner, Andy Huang, and Ryan Murray. The junior class features former Florida Alliance forwards Alec Walker and Spencer Greenhalgh, alongside Cole Cartan, Michael Warner, and Ryder Nobes. Brayden Jaravata and Colin MacCormack add depth on defence, while junior Luke Lawson and senior Andrew Menlove form the goaltending tandem.
The Saints enter conference competition with momentum, carrying a 15-2-1 record on their season so far as they look to return to the top of the PHC.
Mount St. Charles Academy | A New-Look Group
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Mount St. Charles enter the season looking to improve on a difficult 2025–26 campaign that saw them finish third in the East Division with 10 points in 17 games. Their championship hopes ended with a 4–1 opening-round defeat against Shattuck-St. Mary's, followed by placement competition.
The Mounties return just four players from their listed 2025–26 18U AAA roster: forward Jake D'Ancona and defencemen Ayden Badrikian, Kajus Kazlauskas, and Noah Williamson. However, several players have progressed through the academy's U16 program, including forwards Sidney Allen, Colin Goding, and Harrison Hecker, providing additional familiarity within a significantly reshaped lineup.
Tristan Hagerman led Mount St. Charles with 13 points in PHC competition last season but has since aged out of the league. The Mounties will now look to a restructured offensive group, with D'Ancona among their early contributors alongside Justyce Johnson, Luke Bricker, and Allen. Defencemen Tayvin Frongello and Mitchell Lai provide additional depth, while Jérémy Lemieux and Zander Rasmussen are tasked with defending the crease.
Co-head coaches Blake Bellefeuille and Peter Cronin will look to establish chemistry and consistency within their new-look group as the Mounties aim to close the gap on the conference's leading programs.
The Road to Culver
Three major events highlight the 2026–27 PHC calendar:
Eastern Showcase | November 13–15, 2026
Conference competition heads to Boston, Massachusetts, with games at Warrior Arena and Dexter School.
Western Showcase | January 15–17, 2027
Shattuck-St. Mary's hosts the conference in Faribault, Minnesota, for a crucial midseason showcase.
PHC Playoffs | February 19–21, 2027
The season culminates at Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, where the next PHC champion will be crowned.
A New Championship Race Begins
Northwood head into the season with the title to defend, but last season proved that regular-season success guarantees nothing once the playoffs begin. Five challengers are preparing to make their mark, with established contenders seeking another opportunity at the crown and new-look rosters looking to establish themselves.
As rivalries resume, emerging prospects step into larger roles, and the championship picture begins to take shape, every matchup will help determine the road to Culver in February.
Six programs. One trophy. The race is on.
