Minor Ice Hockey - United States

United States

In the United States, USA Hockey designates the following levels:

• Mite (ages 8 & under) (Levels AA, A, B)
• Squirt (ages 9–10) (Levels AAA, AA, A, B)
• Peewee (ages 11–12) (Levels AAA, AA, A, B)
• Bantam (ages 13–14) (Levels AAA, AA, A, B)
• Midget Minor 16 and Under (ages 15–16) (Levels AAA, AA, junior varsity high school-A)
• Midget Major 18 and Under (ages 15–18) (Levels AAA, AA, varsity high school-AA and AAA)
• Juniors (ages 16 and up) (Cut-off age varies depending on the league)

Many organizations and leagues that have larger numbers of registered players tend to delineate within the two year window allowed for each age group. In these situations, teams composed entirely or primarily of players in their second year of eligibility are designated 'major' teams, while those with players in their 1st year of eligibility are designated 'minor' teams. (For example, ten year olds would be 'squirt majors' while nine year olds would be 'squirt minors.') This is especially true in "AAA".

Some leagues separate six year old and younger players into their own group, often referred to using names like "Mini-Mites," "Mosquitoes," or "Microns."

USA Hockey designates four skill levels:

Tier 1: The Highest Level of Competition (http://myhockeyrankings.com/), commonly called "AAA", following the Canadian system.

Tier 2: The Next Higher Level of Competition (http://www.csdhl.org/) (http://myhockeyrankings.com/), commonly called "AA" or "A", following the Canadian system.

Tier 3: The Next Higher Level of Competition (Not all districts use this designation), may also be called "A", the lowest level of competitive hockey.

Recreational/Developmental: Includes House League and Select (House All-Star) Teams. May be called "B", "C", etc.