The Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL), formerly Midwest Elite Hockey League, is located primarily in the Midwest United States and is the premier amateur youth hockey league in the United States. Players from all over the country move to the area where the teams are located to gain exposure and skill development needed for higher levels. Many of the league's top players go on to compete at the Major Junior, NCAA, and NHL level. The T1EHL showcase tournaments and games are heavily scouted by scouts from the USHL, NCAA schools, and the OHL due to the convenience of seeing many top players in one game or weekend.
A widely syndicated article published in The New York Times in 1998 described one family's move from Dallas, Texas, to Madison, Connecticut, so that he could train with a top coach in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League.
League format The T1EHL acts as an umbrella organization for the league's teams which compete at various levels of youth hockey from Squirt Minor to Midget Major 18U. The league also operates three girls levels. The T1EHL is sanctioned by USA Hockey and acts as a development system for the country's top youth players.
League History The Midwest Elite Hockey league launched a new Midget Major league, the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League for the 2008–2009 season. The T1EHL also re-aligned the league and will consist of 6 divisions of and 32 teams:
Each team will play 46 games with 2 home and 2 away inter division games as well as 6 showcases with each division hosting 3 showcases and travel to each other's showcase once.
As well as providing excellent competition for the teams within the league, the new format will also reduce the travel costs for the organizations. The Midget Major (U18) teams play a rigorous tournament schedule that will now be in part replaced by the showcases that are included in the league schedule. The new Midget league will fly under the T1EHL banner using its rules and policies. USA Hockey will monitor the new league and its development.
For the 2010–2011 season the league added an Eastern Division with the addition of five teams from the northeast US. The Pittsburgh Hornets moved from the Mid-Am division to the new East division and joined new teams: Boston Advantage, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, Team Comcast, and Buffalo Regals. The Ohio AAA Blue Jackets replaced Pittsburgh in the Mid-Am division, and the Cleveland Barons swapped spots with the Madison Capitols in the Chicago division.
After the 2010–2011 season, six T1EHL teams left to form a new league called the High Performance Hockey League (HPHL). The teams that left included Chicago Young Americans (CYA), Chicago Mission, Team Illinois, Detroit Compuware, Detroit Honeybaked, and Detroit Little Caesars.
Tier 1 expanded the league for the 2015–2016 season. At this point it is still unknown whether this expansion will just occur at the U16 Midget Minor and U18 Midget Major levels, or if all levels will expand with these clubs. The clubs joining Tier 1 next year will be the Omaha AAA Hockey Club, the New Jersey Avalanche, the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, and the Michigan Nationals. It is unclear whether there will be a division realignment for the Midget levels at this point.
Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Teams Chicago Division: Chicago Fury Milwaukee Jr. Admirals St. Louis AAA Blues Thunder AAA Hockey Chicago Mission Team Illinois Chicago Reapers Windy City Storm
Detroit Division: Belle Tire Fox Motors Victory Honda HoneyBaked
East Division: Boston Advantage New Hampshire Junior Monarchs North Jersey Avalanche Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Washington Little Capitals
Ohio Division Buffalo Jr. Sabres Cleveland Barons Ohio Blue Jackets Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
Rocky Mountain Division Colorado Rampage Colorado Thunderbirds Dallas Stars Elite Iowa Wild
West Division: Anaheim Jr. Ducks LA Jr. Kings Phoenix Jr. Coyotes San Jose Jr. Sharks
Guest Teams:
With the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies leaving the T1EHL for the HPHL beginning the 2017-18 season, these teams fill in the Detroit Division at showcases. They are not considered full members of the league.
Tri-State Spartans (named the Indy Jr. Fuel for the 2018-19 season) Detroit Little Caesars
Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Champions Boys Divisions Midget MajorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Cleveland Barons2012–13Pittsburgh Penguins Elite2011–12Detroit Victory Honda2010–11St. Louis Amateur Blues2009–10Detroit Belle Tire2008–09Cleveland Barons, St. Louis Amateur Blues2007–08Pittsburgh Hornets2006–07Team Illinois2005–06Team Illinois Midget MinorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14St. Louis AAA Blues2012–13St. Louis AAA Blues2011–12Colorado Thunderbirds2010–11LA Selects2009–10Chicago Mission2008–09Detroit Compuware2007–08Detroit Compuware2006–07Detroit Honeybaked2005–06Detroit Honeybaked2004–05Detroit Honeybaked Bantam MajorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Detroit Belle Tire2012–13Milwaukee Jr. Admirals2011–12Detroit Belle Tire2010–11Detroit Belle Tire2009–10Detroit Honeybaked2008–09Chicago Mission2007–08Detroit Little Caesars2006–07Chicago Mission2005–06Detroit Little Caesars2004–05Team Illinois, Detroit Honeybaked Bantam MinorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Milwaukee Jr. Admirals2012–13Oakland Jr. Grizzlies2011–12Madison Capitols2010–11Detroit Compuware2009–10Detroit Belle Tire2008–09Detroit Honeybaked2007–08Detroit Compuware2006–07Chicago Mission2005–06Detroit Honeybaked2004–05Detroit Honeybaked Peewee MajorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Pittsburgh Penguins Elite2012–13Cleveland Barons2011–12Detroit Belle Tire2010–11Detroit Little Caesars2009–10Detroit Compuware2008–09Detroit Belle Tire2007–08Detroit Honeybaked2006–07Chicago Mission2005–06Detroit Compuware2004–05Detroit Compuware Peewee MinorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Detroit Belle Tire2012–13St. Louis AAA Blues2011–12Cleveland Barons2010–11Chicago Mission2009–10Detroit Little Caesars2008–09Detroit Belle Tire2007–08Detroit Belle Tire2006–07Detroit Honeybaked2005–06Detroit Compuware2004–05Detroit Compuware Squirt MajorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Pittsburgh Penguins Elite2012–13Chicago Fury2011–12Detroit Belle Tire2010–11Detroit Little Caesars2009–10Chicago Mission2008–09Team Illinois2007–08Detroit Compuware2006–07Detroit Little Caesars2005–06Detroit Honeybaked2004–05Detroit Compuware Squirt MinorSeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Detroit Belle Tire Warriors2012–13N/A2011–12N/A2010–11Detroit Little Caesars2009–10Detroit Little Caesars2008–09Detroit Honeybaked2007–08Detroit Compuware2006–07Detroit Compuware2005–06Kensington Valley Renegades
Girls Divisions U19SeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Shaftsbury Titans2012–13St. Louis Lady Blues2011–12Madison Capitols2010–11Detroit Belle Tire2009–10Chicago Mission2008–09Chicago Mission2007–08Shattuck-St. Mary's2006–07Team Illinois2005–06Shattuck-St. Mary's2004–05Detroit Honeybaked U16SeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Milwaukee Jr. Admirals2012–13Colorado Selects2011–12St. Louis Lady Blues, Detroit Belle Tire2010–11Detroit Honeybaked2009–10Detroit Little Caesars2008–09Detroit Belle Tire2007–08Colorado Selects2006–07Chicago Young Americans2005–06Team Illinois2004–05Team Illinois, Detroit Honeybaked, Colorado Selects U14SeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Milwaukee Jr. Admirals2012–13Pittsburgh Penguins Elite2011–12St. Louis Lady Blues2010–11Chicago Mission2009–10Chicago Mission2008–09Detroit Honeybaked2007–08Detroit Little Caesars2006–07Team Illinois2005–06Detroit Honeybaked, Team Illinois2004–05Team Illinois U12SeasonLeague Champion(s)2013–14Pittsburgh Penguins Elite2012–13St. Louis Lady Blues2011–12Detroit Belle Tire
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