Tier I
Approved Tier I (AAA) Associations for the 2025-26 Season
CAHA has approved the following Tier I AAA hockey associations for the 2025-2026 season: the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, Carolina Premier Hockey (CPH), NC Golden Bears and Queen City Royals. The Associations and teams listed below are the ONLY Tier I AAA programs/teams that are approved to operate in the Carolinas.
For those looking for a Tier I AAA program, details for these programs can be found on their websites by Clicking on their logo.
2025-2026 Season
CAHA has approved the following Tier I teams for the 2025-2026 Season. Teams are approved to field these birth year teams only.
Carolina Jr Hurricanes
Youth 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 18U
Girls 14U, 16U, 19U
Carolina Premier Hockey (CPH)
Youth 13U, 14U
NC Golden Bears
Youth 16U
Queen City Royals
Youth 12U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 18U
Carolina Jr. Hurricanes
Carolina Premier Hockey
Golden Bears
Queen City Royals
Frequently Asked Questions: The Concept of USA Hockey’s National Development League
At the 2025 USA Winter Meeting, the concept of a USA Hockey National Development League was presented at a Town Hall meeting. It was emphasized that the concept was “under construction” and that continued conversations with constituent groups would be taking place ahead of formal legislation being submitted. Below we attempt to answer some of the common questions that have already been asked about what is being called the next step in the evolution of player development in youth hockey in the United States.
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