Previewing the 2026 CSSHL U15 Prep Western Championships: Everything you need to know
Starting tomorrow in Penticton, the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) playoffs will settle what the regular season couldn't.
Three teams are separated by less than three-tenths of a MYHockey Rankings (MHR) rating point. The program with the best win-loss record in the entire division sits third.
Before getting into the teams, it's worth explaining how this all works, because the CSSHL's playoff structure is genuinely unlike most hockey leagues.
There's no traditional bracket seeded by wins and losses alone. Instead, every team in the division is assigned an MHR rating throughout the season, a mathematical score generated by MYHockey Rankings that accounts not just for wins and losses, but for the quality of opposition faced and the margins of those results. Beat a weak team by ten goals, and the algorithm doesn't reward you the same way it rewards a narrow win over the division's best program. It's designed to measure the full body of work, not just the record.
At the end of the regular season, those ratings determine everything. The top ten teams in the MHR standings are placed into Division I, competing for the division title. The bottom eight are placed into Division II, which runs as a separate bracket with its own champion. From there, both divisions run as a short tournament format in Penticton, meaning every game carries enormous weight; a bad night doesn't just cost you a seed, it can end your run entirely.
What that creates is a regular season where schedule strength matters as much as winning. A team can go 28–2 and still not be the one-seed if their opponents weren't strong enough to move the needle. This season, that's not hypothetical.
OHA Edmonton has done something unusual
OHA Edmonton enters the tournament rated 99.99 by MHR, earned due to a 25–4–1 record against the division's toughest schedule. Northern Alberta Xtreme checks in at 99.74. Yale Hockey Academy, despite posting the best win-loss record in the entire division at 28–2–0, sits third at 99.73.
That's the MHR formula working exactly as designed. Yale's record is better. OHA's competition was harder, and the algorithm reflects that. Northern Alberta Xtreme and Yale are separated by 0.01 of a rating point, with three teams holding a legitimate claim to the championship, separated by less than three-tenths of a rating point. The standings won't matter much once the puck drops.
The offensive numbers at the top are in a category of their own
Yale scores 8.3 goals per game. OHA Edmonton is at 7.4. Northern Alberta Xtreme sits at 7.0. The gap between these three programs and everyone else in Division I isn't close. It shows up in expected goals (xG) too: Yale at 5.7 xG, Edmonton at 5.4, Northern Alberta Xtreme at 5.1. When these teams meet in Penticton, the margins will be tight, the goaltending will matter, and the team that manages the game, not just attacks in it, will advance.
Division I
1) OHA Edmonton U15 Prep (25–4–1, 99.99)
OHA Edmonton doesn't need one line to win games, and that might be the scariest thing about them. Micah Montgomery leads the team at 63 points in 30 games, but his value isn't really about the totals. He's a cerebral, two-way centre who outthinks opponents rather than outpacing them, using deceptive routes, well-timed fakes, and a genuine understanding of defensive gaps to manufacture chances that most players at this age don't see, let alone execute. He wins positioning before the puck arrives, reads plays early, and acts on them faster. He projects as a potential No. 1 centre in the WHL draft class.
He's not carrying this team alone, though. Artello Forestal, at 46 points in just 21 games, may be the single most electric talent in the division when healthy. His feet and hands are both exceptional, but what sets him apart is how fast his brain runs alongside them. He makes decisions in space at a pace that routinely leaves opponents flatfooted, and his ability to create and score in tight is unlike anyone else in this field. Jaxson Weisgerber (53 points), Kobe Pellack (52 points), Deacon Gillespie (48 points from the defensive end), Kelson Hawreluik (44 points), Steven Leavitt (43 points), and Ian Kim (41 points) round out a roster where any line can win a game on any given night. Braydon Lynam (41 points) provides the kind of smooth, efficient transition work from the blue line that keeps Edmonton's offence flowing without forcing anything.
Connor Phillips went 14–2 in goal at .882. That number sits below the division's top goaltenders, but in context it doesn't tell the full story; Edmonton's offence means he rarely needs to be exceptional to win. The real question in Penticton isn't whether this team can score. It's whether they can manage close games in a compressed format where one bad night ends everything. Nothing in their season suggests they can't.
2) Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep (21–6–2, 99.74)
Northern Alberta Xtreme's one-tenth of a rating point over Yale didn't come from an easy schedule. Their 21–6–2 record was built against some of the toughest competition in the division, and that context is what earns them the two-seed. Danel Ramazanov (58 points in 29 games) is their engine. He's a high-paced, high-intelligence player who combines genuine skating ability with deceptive playmaking and consistent compete level. He rarely loses the puck, processes plays at full speed, and has enough physical presence to work through pressure rather than around it. He dictates tempo and projects as a legitimate top-six forward in the WHL draft class.
Northern Alberta Xtreme is not a one-line team, either. Liam Bordt (48 points), Jett Evans (48 points), Rylan Edwards (43 points), and Emmett Abel (41 points) give them real forward depth. Brady Leinenweber (35 pts) is the most complete defenceman on the roster: a smooth, mobile two-way presence who makes reliable first passes, executes under pressure, and jumps into the play with the timing and shooting mechanics to be a legitimate point threat. He plays the game with a poise that reads older than his age and has top-four WHL potential.
In goal, Kash Andersen (11–1–2, .908) and Zayden Maclean (9–3, .904, three shutouts) form one of the stronger tandems in the division. Northern Alberta Xtreme has been beaten this season, and teams in this field know that. But the schedule they've handled all year has prepared them for exactly the kind of pressure this tournament demands.
3) Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep (28–2–0, 99.73)
Yale's record is the best in the division. Their offence is the best in the division. Their goaltending might be the best tandem at this level in recent memory. The three-seed is a product of schedule, not performance, and Penticton is where that gets settled.
The player driving all of it is Parker McMillan. At 3.64 points per game over 25 games, he sits second in CSSHL U15 Prep history in points-per-game pace, behind only Cole Reschny. That context matters. This isn't a player putting up numbers in a weak environment against light competition. He's doing it on a team where every line can score, in a division with the best collection of talent in recent memory, and he's still operating at a historic rate. He's physically dominant for the age group, and his game has evolved this season to include genuine playmaking dimensions alongside the speed and power that have always been there. He's one of the most projectable forwards in this draft class, and his best performances this season have looked like a player operating a level above his competition.
Teagan Dernisky (96 points in 29 games) is the other half of an elite duo, and his production doesn't capture how he actually plays. He's relentless. He wins battles he has no right to win, protects pucks with a physicality beyond his size, and makes decisions in transition that consistently put teammates in better situations than the play originally offered. He forechecks with purpose and processes what's ahead before he arrives. The fact that he trails McMillan in the conversation despite leading the league in points tells you everything about how good McMillan has been.
What makes Yale genuinely hard to plan against is the blue line. Jacson Bradbeer has 61 points from the defensive end, 52 of them assists, which means opposing coaches have to account for him as a primary offensive threat, not an afterthought. Tyson Wolanski (47 points) and Killian Wall (37 points) give Yale additional production from the blueline that most teams can't match. Connor Baines (54 points) and Ryker Stevens (43 points) provide real forward depth beyond the top pair. In goal, Logan Hwang is 13–0 with a 1.59 GAA and .926 save percentage. Gavin Craig is 15–2 at .935 with four shutouts. Both can start any game. Both have been tested. That kind of depth between the pipes, in a tournament where one bad outing ends a run, is a real structural advantage.
4) Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep (26–2–2, 99.10)
Delta is a dangerous early draw. Their 26–2–2 record is the second-best in the division, and the four-seed is a scheduling artifact, not a talent one. Jace Zemanek finished 14–1 with a 1.52 GAA, .933 save percentage, and four shutouts, the most efficient starter in the division. Brayden Allan went 12–1–2 at .896 behind him. Having two goalies of that calibre in a tournament means a single rough outing doesn't have to sink you.
Up front, Eli Vickers (62 points) is the kind of player a team is built around. He controls games quietly, moving through receptions efficiently, defending the rush with calm footwork, and making first passes that keep Delta's structure intact rather than just clearing the zone. His decisions are clean and intentional, and he reads the game at a level that already looks like a WHL top-pair defenceman. Ronan Gow (52 points), Carson Brown (48 points), Mazen Green (46 points), and Braelyn Nunley (45 points) give Delta a balanced, capable forward attack where no single line has to take over to win a game.
5) Calgary International Hockey Academy U15 Prep (19–8–2, 98.58)
A 98.58 MHR rating on a 19–8–2 record means one thing: Calgary International Hockey Academy has been tested all season, and they've held up. Kai Dingwall (46 points) is their centrepiece, a true 200-foot centre who plays with equal parts physicality and vision. He wins battles on the forecheck, drives transition effectively, and delivers the kind of detail work in his own zone that coaches at every level value. He also makes some high-end plays with the puck that remind you the skill is real. Cole Chudyk (32 points), George Matheos (32 points), Liam Nycholat (31 points), and Cohen St. Louis (31 points as a defenceman) give them functional depth throughout the lineup. Alexandre Montembeault finished 9–5–1 at .891 in goal. Calgary International Hockey Academy is the kind of team that won't generate pre-tournament headlines, and that's a comfortable spot for a program with their pedigree.
6) Edge School U15 Prep (15–13–2, 97.91)
Everything runs through Brody Antignani, and that's not a knock; it's just reality. His 66 points in 30 games make him the third-leading scorer in the entire league, but the numbers don't fully capture how he plays. He slows games down when needed, manipulates defenders with deceptive passing angles, and executes in tight spaces with a backhand shot that's genuinely advanced for this level. He's precise, patient, and very difficult to force into a rushed decision. The question for Edge School is whether the depth around him, James Butterwick (35 points), Matteo Dufour (35 points), Luke Bodtker (33 points), and Cruz Schwabe (32 points), is enough to win games on nights when opponents focus their entire attention on shutting him down. Caden Stanley (.883) and Cohen Spencer (.881) have been functional in goal. Edge School's ceiling is tied to Antignani's, and his ceiling is high.
7) RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg U15 Prep (16–12–2, 97.08)
Easton Pitz is the reason RINK Winnipeg has been this successful. His 56 points in 28 games represent one of the more dynamic individual seasons in the division, producing a player who uses pace changes, creative handle combinations, and genuine problem-solving in traffic to generate chances that no defensive system fully accounts for. He's not a straightforward speed player, but he produces the same results through creativity and persistence. He also competes hard in his own end, which makes him a real two-way threat in short bursts. The gap between Pitz and the rest of the lineup is real: Eli Wasylyk (31 points), Marko Malbasa (31 points from defence), David Ring (26 points), and Moe Garcia (26 points) are capable contributors. Haize Brightnose (.901) and Nick Buhay (.900) share goaltending competently. How far this team goes depends heavily on how much ground Pitz can cover when the lineup needs him most.
8) BWC Academy U15 Prep (19–9–2, 96.90)
Kenzo Gibson's 58 points came in 23 games, and that pace undersells his physical impact. He's a power forward who already owns a WHL-calibre shot, skates with a deep and powerful stance, and absorbs or generates contact without losing effectiveness. He goes to the net hard, wins inside positioning, and plays with a motor that shows up in all three zones when he's fully engaged. The question is health; a full, healthy tournament is something his season hasn't fully answered yet. Kristian Lima (51 points) gives them a genuine second option, Logan Chang (37 points) contributes from the defensive end, and Jordan Bigelow went 10–2–2 at .904 in goal. BWC's ceiling is real when Gibson is driving play.
9) South Alberta Hockey Academy U15 Prep (15–15–0, 96.64)
South Alberta Hockey Academy's Division I status is a reflection of who they've played, not just how they've fared. Their –0.06 average goal differential tells the story of a team that's been in a lot of close games against good competition all season. Carter Jarvis (38 points) and Mason Bryksa (36 points) lead the attack, with Kyan VanSandt providing an efficient per-game presence in the lineup. Nelson Sonna Soufo, a forward who played a meaningful role for this program earned a call-up to CSSHL U17, embodied the team identity well: physical, proactive, and consistently ahead of the play. Patrick Curtis and Cole Anderson have shared goaltending through a genuinely competitive season. South Alberta Hockey Academy will compete in every game they play.
10) St. George's School U15 Prep (21–9–0, 96.30)
This is the ten-seed no one wants to play. Jayden Ni (59 points in 30 games) is the kind of player who makes the game uncomfortable for opponents regardless of the score. He's physical, technically sound, and confident in contested situations; the kind of player who draws attention, absorbs contact, and keeps coming. He's a legitimate penalty kill threat and a consistent scorer, and he handles rough play with poise. Luca Rogers (42 points), Nick Hill (35 points), Max Hoeft (34 points), and Theo Wesik (32 points) give St. George's real forward depth beyond their best player. Hudson Waddell (11–5, .906) and Cohen Wood (10–4, .908) form the best goaltending pair any ten-seed has brought to this tournament in recent memory. St. George's has everything they need to make things uncomfortable for someone in Penticton.
Division II
11) Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep (13–15–2, 94.41)
Okanagan Hockey Academy plays this tournament in their home building every year, and that advantage is real. Cohen Short (36 points) is a skilled, well-rounded scorer with a pace advantage over most of his peers and legitimate shooting mechanics. Oakley Speckman (8–6, .903) gives them a capable starter for a short tournament. Okanagan Hockey Academy enters as the Division II favourite.
12) Pilot Mound Hockey Academy U15 Prep (11–19–0, 94.03)
Brock Vodden leads the team with 39 points, and the 15-point gap between him and his nearest teammate tells you everything you need to know about how this team scores. Nash Ramage (29 points) offers support. Vodden has developed the off-puck habits that come from playing in a heavy defensive environment all season, and on a good night, his individual ability gives Pilot Mound a credible case.
13) RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U15 Prep (13–16–1, 94.01)
Benjamin Tyssen (30 points), Jaxon Lodge (29 points), and Nixon Mclean (26 points) lead a capable top group. The most intriguing player on the roster may be Rayman Sall, a right-shooting defenceman whose skating is his defining attribute: explosive, mechanically refined, and laterally dynamic in ways that are genuinely rare at this age. His production doesn't reflect his overall impact, and he profiles as a name to track leading up to the WHL draft.
14) North Shore Warriors U15 Prep (9–20–1, 93.40)
William Thompson (50 points) is the most productive player in the Division II field, and the most interesting prospect in it. He's a big, detailed forward who leverages his frame effectively in battles, wins positioning off the cycle, and drives play through angles, weight shifts, and crossovers rather than straight-line speed. His scoring totals understate his value. Scouts in the building for Division I games will make time to see him. Donovan Kuhn (5–11–1, .879) has won when the offence has given him support. North Shore has the individual talent to win this bracket.
15) STAR Hockey Academy U15 Prep (4–25–1, 92.46)
A tough season by the record. ET Kennedy (24 points) has been a consistent individual presence throughout. They arrive in Penticton with nothing to lose.
16) Notre Dame Hounds U15 Prep (3–23–2, 92.15)
Marceli Stepien (36 points) and Jax Baumuller (36 points) represent genuine offensive ability at the top of the lineup, even if the record doesn't reflect it.
17) Pacific Coast Hockey Academy U15 Prep (7–23–0, 91.86)
Braydon Lindsay (36 points) has been a consistent producer through a difficult season. The experience of competing against Division I-calibre competition all year has value that goes beyond the win column.
18) Shawnigan Lake School U15 Prep (3–25–2, 91.10)
A season built around development. Bryce Roache and Carter Burgi have logged heavy goaltending workloads all year. The work has been put in. Penticton is the destination.