East West Challenge: Team by Team Breakdown

By Jordan Martin

The inaugural Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) East West Challenge kicks-off in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Quebec next week and will see seven U18 teams from the East take on seven U18 teams in the West. Ahead of the event, we spoke with the coaches and crunched the numbers to give you an in-depth look at each team’s strengths and keys to success.

East 1 Seed: Stanstead College – Stanstead QC

Stanstead sits first in the East with an 11-2-0 record thanks to a talented roster, which has led to an unfortunate problem for the Spartans as Aaron Chipp (Rimouski Oceanic), Charles Généreux (Rimouski Oceanic) and Clément Landry (Gatienau Olympiques) have all made the jump midseason to join their respective QMJHL teams. And while the ultimate goal of CSSHL teams is promoting players to the next level, it has left the East juggernauts without three key pieces. With the change Stanstead has had in their lineup with promotion and unfortunate injuries, the team is redefining their best ways to be successful. At the core of their success is establishing their ‘F1’ on the forecheck and staying within their structure. Captain Brody Molloy (7-10-17) leads Stanstead in all that they do and there is strong optimism he will back in the lineup for the East West Challenge. Stanstead still sits with seven QMJHL draft picks and could lean on a handful of highly touted QMJHL prospects in Sean Dwyer and Mathieu Généreux to join the weekend as affiliate players if needed. This season Stanstead has given up a division low 22 goals with a penalty kill that sits third at an impressive 91.7%. Their power play has been extremely effective, converting at a rate of 27%, 6.1% higher than anyone else in the East. A common theme you’ll see with most of the teams attending is the need for the special teams’ units to show up if you want to have any success in a short term competition like this.

East 2 Seed: Ulysse Academie – Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, QC

At 11-4-0-0 the hosts come into the event as the third ranked team in the East. The oldest team at the event with six 2007 and 14 2008 born players, Ulysse will lean on their experienced roster to find success against some of the younger western teams. With 74 goals Ulysse is the second highest scoring team in the East, and their 4.93 GF/GP trails only BWC Academy (4.96) among teams at the event. The offence is led by Maddox Guerin (9-11-20) who sits seventh in East division, scoring with 20 points. Ten skaters, including three defensemen, have all hit double digit point totals, doing so in just 15 games, providing them depth throughout the lineup. Despite their high-octane offence, Ulysse enters the East West Challenge with the third ranked power play (11.3%) among in the East Division, last among all teams at the event. Only 7 of the teams 74 goals this season have come on the man advantage. The Ulysse power play will have favorable matchups as they take on the 10th, 11th and 13th ranked penalty kills at the event, and if Head Coach Denis Chalifoux and his team can find power play success on the weekend, the team will have as good a chance as any to advance. Defensively, Ulysse gives up 3.27 GAA per game, 10th most among teams at the event. They will face the number one and five offences, meaning we could expect some high scoring affairs. Ulysse will look to outscore their problems while leaning on veteran netminders Benjamin Pilon (3.25GAA, .901SV%) and Samuel Bourgoin (3.27GAA, .896SV%) to shore up their defense. One small advantage Ulysse will have at this event is that of home field. While this may seem minor, something as simple as sleeping in your own bed, eating home cooked meals, and knowing the bounces of the boards in the rink could provide that slight edge in what will be some highly contested matchups.

East 3 Seed: Bourget College – Rigaud, QC

It was a slow start for the defending CSSHL East Champions as Bourget College (7-7-0-0) started the season 2-6-0-0. Head Coach Martin Gascon has righted the ship as of late with his team going 5-1-0-0 in their last six, bringing them to fourth in the East division standings. Bourget is a high compete level team that relies on collective game day buy in and their depth to attack their opponents in waves. A veteran roster with nine 2008 born players, a pair of them in forwards Xavier Martin (8-9-17) and Elie Robert (9-7-16) lead the team offensively. Bourget sits fourth in the division with 64 goals scored in 14 games. 10 of those goals have come on the man advantage, giving them the fifth ranked power play (19.6%). On the other side of the rink the Bourget penalty kill has allowed just five goals and sits second in the division at 91.7%. This penalty kill will need to continue to operate at this rate, as Bourget’s 203 penalty minutes are fifth most in the division. 2026 QMJHL prospect Zachary Botelho (2.33GAA, .938SV%) and Saint John Sea Dogs prospect Samuel Pitcher (2.76 GAA, .910SV%) both sit inside the top 10 in both GAA and SV%. With games on tap against the second and fourth highest scoring offences in the west, both netminders will need to be in top form. Bourget leads the East division with a +21 goal differential when they’re the home team and sits seventh with an even rating while the away side. As the three seed, Bourget will be the home squad in two of their three games and will need to use this and ‘last change’ to their advantage, while finding a way to have success as the away side in their matchup against South Alberta Hockey Academy (17-6-0-1)

East 4 Seed: Ontario Hockey Academy – Cornwall, ON

Ontario Hockey Academy holds just a 5-7-1-0 record but sits fifth in the East and have made back-to-back appearances in the East U18 Championship finals, winning in 2024. While this version of OHA might not be as strong on paper as previous versions, especially with the mid-season losses of Owen Kelly and Vinny Potvin to Junior A, Head Coach Brent Loney has always found a way to get the most out of his teams. The forward unit is led by returning players Nathaniel Noah (10-4-14) and Mathis-Cael Aurelius (7-7-14) along with newcomer Matvei Maklakov (4-4-8). Captain Kaemon Tran (1-13-14) leads blueline, with Simon Leblanc (1-8-9) joining him inside the top five for points among OHA skaters. Last season OHA relied heavily on star netminders Oliver Kiraly and Rafael Treblay for a lot of their success. And while Kye Johnson (3.66GAA, .890SV%) and Nicolas Arcilla (4.37GAA and, .882SV%) will have a tough task to shut down the offensive fire power in the West, they will have a hard-working unit in front of them. For OHA, they will be one of the few teams in this event with some familiarity of the western teams, having attended the Delta Showcase back in October. While they went 1-2-0 with losses to BWC Academy and Delta Hockey Academy, OHA will have a better understanding of what is needed from them to come out ahead.

East 5 Seed: Rothesay Netherwood School – Rothesay, NB

Brand new to the league for the 2025/26 season, Rothesay Netherwood School (6-5-0) comes into the East West Challenge as the sixth ranked team in the Eastern Division. The strength of the RNS team lies within their defensive game as their 33 goals against is the third fewest in the east. Cesare Della Santina (2.06GAA, .928SV%) and Marty Hackenberg (3.71GAA, .905SV%) have split the work in between the pipes with Della Santina ranking third in GAA and fourth in SV% in the division. Their strong penalty kill contributes to their defensive success, having allowed just four power play goals this season while killing off 87.5% of the attempts. That penalty kill is rarely in use as they average less than three power play attempts against (32) per game, having recorded 107 penalty minutes, second fewest in the division. The majority of the RNS offence comes 5-on-5 where they have scored 35 of their 41 goals. While their 41 goals scored ranks second fewest among teams attending the event, their plus eight goal differential gives reason for optimism. Gavin Smith (0-1-1), a 2023 Charlottetown Islanders QMJHL Draft pick joined the team three games ago and looks to boast the offence alongside leading scorer Brody Dawson. A good chunk of the RNS offence comes from the blueline where QMJHL Draft picks Dylan Pelletier (5-4-9) and Jesse Dunlap (3-5-8) have teamed up with 2007 born Seth Lawless (1-7-8) to combine for 25 points. 2026 QMJHL Prospects William Cole (5-3-8) and Nash Gorman (1-1-2) will be two players to keep an eye on.

East 6 Seed: Fort Erie International Academy – Fort Erie, ON

Fort Erie finds themselves as the eighth-place team in the East this season with an 8-4-0-1 record. Head Coach Derek Bachynski praises his team’s ability to play tight defensively, which is evident with the team having given up 31 goals in 13 games, the second fewest in the division. When Fort Erie stays connected and structured, they are tough to play against, giving their opponents little breathing room. A big key for Fort Erie will be balancing being difficult to play against, while remaining disciplined. Fort Erie has 276 penalty minutes this season, second most in the division, and an average of more than 21 a game. Fort Erie has been shorthanded more than anyone else in the division this season at a whopping 88 times. And while Fort Erie has killed off a division best 92% of those power plays, they will need to stay disciplined in order to avoid the high skilled power plays of the western teams. Offensively the team will lean on a pair of Russians as George Tagirov (5-12-17) leads the team with 17 points and Yuri Baunov (12-3-15) has a team high 12 goals.

East 7 Seed: Okanagan Hockey Ontario – Whitby, ON

OHO (4-7-1-0) comes into the East West Challenge with the fewest wins among all 14 teams, placing them ninth in the East division. Three of those four wins have come against the bottom two ranked teams in Mount Academy (0-10-1-0) and King Heights Academy (1-6-1-0), with the other coming over eighth ranked Fort Erie (8-4-0-1). OHO has the third fewest goals scored (32) and third most goals (62) this season. However, one potential bright spot is they are only -4 as the away team, compared to -26 when they are the home side. Whether that’s pure coincidence or they manage to play better as the road side, OHO will be the visitors in all three games at the East West Challenge. While OHO has struggled to score this season, their power play accounts for 43.8% of their goals this season and operates at 20.9%, second best in the division. Kenton Wong (5-5-10) and Anthony-James Bailey (4-1-5) each have three power play goals while Tom Boudet (2-11-13) leads the teams with seven power play points. Boudet leads the entire division with 2.17 points-per-game and teammate Adam Clark (10-8-18) is fresh off being named the Eastern U18 Prep Player of the Month for December after tallying six points. OHO has shown great team discipline this season, averaging the second fewest penalty minutes (9.5) per game, having been shorthanded 51 times through 12 games. That discipline will need to be on full display, as their 76.5% penalty kill goes against some lethal western power plays.

West 1 Seed: Edge School – Calgary, AB

With a 12-9-1-2 record Edge School has won just as many games as they have lost this season but sit third in the CSSHL MYHockey Rankings, having the second hardest strength of schedule in the division. Edge is a well-rounded team that takes a committee approach to their game. Offensively, they are led by a pair of Swift Current Broncos prospects in Ashton McCann (15-22-37), who sits seventh in league scoring, and Luke Huska (8-21-29). 2025 WHL U.S. Priority Draft fifth overall pick Drew Wilkinson (6-15-21) and Antonio Cazac (7-13-20) both sit on the plus side of 20 points. On the back end, Saskatoon Blades prospect Julian Revel (4-16-20) leads the unit in points while Kelowna Rockets prospect Remy Koch (2-14-16) is their key guy. Head Coach Adam Stuart sees Wenatchee Wild prospect Carsten Leyerzapf (1.91GAA, .935SV%) as the best netminder in the league, and with the most shutouts (3), second best GAA, and fourth best SV%, it’s hard to argue against this. Edge sits top five for fewest goals allowed (65) through 24 games, with Leyerzapf and Kamloops Blazers prospect Lane Bullee (3.14GAA, .882SV%) combining for a 2.53GAA, fourth best in the division. Edge ranks sixth in the west with 98 goals scored and their 26.2% power play sits fifth, having scored the second most goals with 33. The Edge penalty kill sits mid-pack at 82.4%. Discipline has been the one low spot for Edge this season as they have been shorthanded 125 times, third most in the west and most of any team attending the event. While Edge may not have any numbers that jump out to you as an overall strength, there are few if any weaknesses with this well-rounded group.

West 2 Seed: South Alberta Hockey Academy – Dunmore, AB

SAHA (17-6-0-1) comes into the event trending in the wrong direction in the CSSHL MYHockey Rankings, sitting fifth after being as high as second two weeks ago. This is still a very strong roster that consists of an event high 11 players currently on WHL Protected Lists, and Head Coach Brayden Desjardins has plenty of experience in short term competitions, taking SAHA to back-to-back Circle K Classic wins in 2021 and 2022. SAHA is a fast team with a heavy forecheck, resulting in an offence that sits fourth in the west with 105 goals scored this season. That offence is led by Calgary Hitmen prospect Kutcher Aquila (19-20-39), an undrafted forward who sits third in the west with 19 goals, and fifth with 39 points. Forward Damen Vanderberg (11-20-31) is SAHA’s most complete player and sits second in team scoring. SAHA’s power play ranks sixth at 22.5%, but has taken off lately, capitalizing 16 times in 9 games and operating at a 28% rate since the beginning of December. An area for concern for SAHA has been their lack of discipline, which has seen them shorthanded 124 times this season, third most in the division and first most of west teams attending the event. However, their penalty kill ranks fourth (83.1%) in the division having given up 21 goals, and their 9 shorthanded goals rank second in the division, making them a real threat while a man down. Ty Wasyluk (7-8-15) has three of those shorthanded markers and Braden Hordichuk, the first overall pick by the Regina Pats at the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, is tied for the team lead with three shorthanded points. Medicine Hat Tigers 2024 fourth round WHL pick Cash Chrisite (2.30GAA, .925SV%) sits inside the top 10 in GAA, SV% and wins and will be the backbone to SAHA’s success at the event.

West 3 Seed: BWC Academy – Burnaby, BC

At 18-5-0-0 BWC Academy comes into the East West Challenge as the fourth ranked team in the West U18 Prep Division. Head Coach Mike Santorelli says his BWC Academy squad is at their best when they play as a cohesive five-man unit with consistency throughout the lineup, play fast and with pace both with and without the puck, and commit to a full 200-foot game. Their success depends on contributions from their entire line-up, which is evident by the fact that they lead the league with 114 goals scored but do not have a forward inside the top 12 among point leaders. Instead, the offence is driven by Everett Silvertips prospect Logan Lepinski (6-32-38), arguably the best player at the event. A smooth skating offensive defenseman, Lepinski leads all defensemen in assists and points, tallying 9 and 11 more than any other defender. Having recently made his WHL debut with the Silvertips, his 32 assists rank second among all skaters, while his 38 points rank fifth. Kadyn O’Brien (15-17-32) and Dominic Seminoff (11-21-32) both sit on the plus-side of 30, and just outside the top 10. A trio of 2010 born WHL Draft picks in forward Justin Moon (7-19-26), defenseman Elias Papadatos (3-11-14) and Regina Pats first rounder Logan Henry (8-5-13) provide BWC Academy with some high end, freshman talent. While BWC Academy has no issues putting the puck in the net 5-on-5, their power play ranks seventh but is 8-13% lower than the top 5 teams, while their penalty kill ranks bottom eight at 79.2%. If Josh Wu (3.15GAA, .910SV%) and James Fitzpatrick (3.28GAA, .901SV%) can lift the penalty kill into the 85-90% range for the week, BWC Academy will have a real chance to do damage at the event.

West 4 Seed: Okanagan Hockey Academy – Penticton, BC

At 10-7-1-2, OHA Penticton is at their best when they are defensively responsible and out skating their opponents. Both netminders in Charlie Peppinck (3.00GAA, .909SV) and Kelowna Rockets prospect Linden Sobocan (2.86GAA, .922SV%) give their team a chance to win every night, having given up the fourth fewest goals (64) on the season. OHA Penticton’s top line consists of the CSSHL’s second all-time career goal scorer in Maxx Parfitt (18-15-33), Kamloops Blazers first round WHL pick Eli Tverdovsky (13-17-30) and veteran center Landon Nagle (7-24-31). When that trio is clicking, the rest of the team follows suit. A key to OHA Penticton’s success this season has been their power play, which is clicking at a rate of 28.2%, third best in the division, and averaging one power play goal per game. On the other side of the rink, the OHA Penticton penalty kill sits just under 80% and near the bottom of the division, meaning their continued discipline of second fewest penalty minutes (245) will be needed to limit their opponents power play opportunities. In short term competition like this, special teams often play a key role and could be the difference between upsetting a team like Stanstead or heading home at the end of the round robin.

West 5 Seed: Delta Hockey Academy – Delta, BC

Delta (17-5-1-0) underperformed in the regular season last year, entering the 2025 West Championships as the 16th and final seed but made it all the way to the finals, before falling just short to RHA Kelowna. This year, former Florida Panthers draft pick and Head Coach Steven Hodges has the team firing on all cylinders. Delta is physical on the forecheck and utilizes the combination of skill and work ethic to drive their offensive play. They excel at in-tight puck movement, and their breakout connectivity allows them to play fast and simplified, creating scoring opportunities off the rush thanks to their execution of a triple drive structure. Their 95 goals rank seventh in the division, with Kelowna Rockets prospect Jack Morgan (12-19-31) and Wenatchee Wild prospect Kishan Saggu (11-20-31) leading the way offensively. A high commitment to blocking shots and sacrificing for the team allows them to have a strong defensive zone and penalty kill. Delta ranks third in the division, and first among west teams attending the event, with a 2.39GAA, thanks in large part to Matthew Wong (2.05, .939SV%) and Vancouver Giants prospect Oliver Bryks (2.83GAA, .918SV%). Their combined .930SV% sits second behind RHA Kelowna (.931SV%), with Wong leading the entire division. Strong goaltending has led to the second-best penalty kill (89%) in the division, and best among west teams attending the event. However, the penalty kill is rarely needed as Delta’s 248 penalty minutes in 23 games gives them the second fewest (10.8) per game in the division.

West 6 Seed: Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – Victoria, BC

Pacific Coast (13-9-0-1) comes into the East West Challenge as the number six seed and ninth ranked team in a highly contested West division. Head Coach Mark Kosick noted this team has already exceeded expectations this season, and they certainly have the potential to do that again at this event. After starting the season with three straight losses, PCHA has shown tremendous development and improvement, playing tight games against all the top teams in the division including wins over the top three seeds in the west. There’s no question where the strength of this team lies as their 108 goals trail only the 114 by BWC Academy. Elliot Hill (22-27-49), Roman Lavery (23-25-48), Seattle Thunderbirds prospect Kane Nicholas (8-36-44) and Parson Shahi (18-22-40) occupy the top four spots in the entire CSSHL scoring race. With 15 power play goals, Lavery leads the league’s best power play which clicks at 33.3%, scoring 42 goals, 9 more than anyone else in the west. However, on the other end of the spectrum is a penalty kill that sits third last at 75%, having given up the second most power play goals with 28. In net, Parker Parrish (2.97GAA, .922SV%) and Prince George Cougars Prospect Kole Anderosov (4.10GAA, .915SV%) have combined for a very respectable .919SV%, but a 3.46 GAA, second highest among west teams attending the event. With games against two of the highest scoring teams in the East, expect the offence to be firing on all cylinders in PCHA’s round robin games.

West 7 Seed: Pilot Mound Hockey Academy – Pilot Mound, MB

Pilot Mound (6-11-3-1) might come into the event as the 7 seed and 16th ranked team in the west but wins against second ranked Northern Alberta Xtreme (17-6-0-1) and third ranked Edge School (12-9-1-2) prove that they can compete with anyone. Those upsets have taken team unity with all 18 players on the same page, competing, and staying disciplined both within system and structure, as well as in the eyes of the refs. Adam Courchesne (3.75GAA, .913SV%) has been the key in many of the Pilot Mound upsets and tight contests, stopping 53 shots against Edge, 57 against Calgary International Hockey Academy (14-8-1-0), and 40 against NAX. Courchesne will be vital to any Pilot Mound success as offensively the team ranks second last with 59 goals scored on the season. Knox Burton (17-13-30), who was recently a key piece in a trade sending him to the Seattle Thunderbirds, has been involved in more than 50% of his team’s goals this season. Edmonton Oil Kings 2025 WHL Draft second round pick Cole Landreville (8-10-18), 2025 CSSHL U17 Prep Tier II Championships MVP Collin Friedrich (12-6-18), Dutch forward Hector Kapitonov (6-12-18) and German forward Max Schütz (4-14-18) all sit tied for second in team scoring, giving Pilot Mound consistent scoring at the top of the lineup. Head Coach Anthony Florentino highlighted the importance of team discipline, something Pilot Mound has excelled at this season, sitting with the fourth fewest penalty minutes in the division. With a penalty kill that sits mid-pack at 80.0%, staying out of the box in matchups against high end teams such as Stanstead will be the key to survival.

Recap

With this being the first time East and West teams will play each other in a CSSHL event, it’s a great opportunity for each side of the country to see how they stack up against one another There are plenty of examples this season and in the past, that on any given day, anyone in the U18 division has a chance to win if they bring their ‘A’ game. Short-term competitions, like this event, only need you to dial it in for a few days, leaving the smallest room for error. Something as simple as jet leg for the west teams, a long bus trip for an east team, or hydration and preparation could be the difference. Needing to play five games in just four days to win the event, Championship Sunday will come down to health and discipline, with the margins for victory very narrow. Whichever team best executes their strengths and covers their weaknesses will come out on top. Regardless of who that might be, we should be in for an exciting four days of hockey, with some of the best U18 talent in North America on display.