Texas Hockey League | 2025–26 Season in Review

A Historic Inaugural Season: The THL Closes the Books on 2025–26
The Texas Hockey League is proud to announce the official close of its inaugural 2025–26 season, and what a season it was.
From the first puck drop to the final horn of the 2026 THL Playoffs, the THL delivered something this region's youth hockey community has long deserved: a thoughtfully designed, competitively rigorous league, built by and for the clubs of Texas and Oklahoma. With nearly 200 community members responding to our end-of-season survey, an average overall experience rating of 4 out of 5, and memories that will last a lifetime, the THL's first chapter is one to be proud of.
National Champions. National Recognition.
The crowning achievement of the 2025–26 season belongs to the players, coaches, and families who took the THL all the way to the national stage.
The 14U Texas Tigers and the 18U McKinney North Stars each brought home National Championships, a remarkable statement for a first-year league. Two additional THL clubs advanced to National Semi-Final rounds, and five THL organizations in total were represented at the National Tournament. The THL's debut on the national stage was nothing short of extraordinary, reflecting the caliber of hockey being played right here in Texas and Oklahoma.
Congratulations to every player, coach, parent, and volunteer who made those runs possible. You represented the THL with class and excellence.
A Season Built on a Strong Foundation
Launching a new hockey league is no small undertaking. The 2025–26 season required an enormous amount of work behind the scenes: work that is worth acknowledging.
The THL launched with one of the most thoughtful leveling and scheduling processes the region has seen in recent memory. Through deep collaboration with hockey directors and league volunteers, the league prioritized competitive integrity, reduced operational friction, and significantly improved the scheduling experience for clubs from day one.
Key infrastructure milestones achieved this season include:
  • Formation of a dedicated Playoff Committee to govern postseason structure and integrity
  • Improvements to registrar and rostering processes for greater accuracy and accountability
  • Refinement of disciplinary and player safety protocols to strengthen consistency across all divisions
  • Launch of an updated THL league website and a structured communications calendar
  • Introduction of regular social media communications to better connect with families and coaches
The 2026 THL Playoffs served as a fitting exclamation point on the season, an overwhelmingly competitive, well-received event featuring eight division champions.
What You Told Us: Community Feedback
Nearly 200 community members, parents, players, coaches, and team managers took time to share their honest feedback at the close of the season. We are grateful for every response, and we take this input seriously as we plan for 2026–27.
What the community celebrated:
  • Competitiveness of THL play rated 4 out of 5
  • Respondents consistently pointed to community engagement, scheduling format, and the overall launch of a new league as the season's biggest successes
What we heard and are committed to addressing:
Competitive balance was the area that generated the most feedback, with 45% of respondents satisfied, even though it was our lowest-rated category. We hear you. 
The decisions we made on leveling and divisional structure this season were intentional and tailored to each age group to deliver the most competitive experience possible. The results speak for themselves: four THL teams reached national championship games at the 14U, 16U, and 18U Tier II levels. That said, we know the approach was not universally understood, and we are committed to communicating those decisions more clearly and transparently in the season ahead.
Additional themes from community feedback that will shape our 2026–27 planning:
  • Communication and transparency — More proactive, earlier communication on scheduling, leveling decisions, and playoff timelines
  • Officiating — Clearer, more consistent enforcement of rules across all divisions
  • Scheduling — Maximizing travel and balancing matchups over the course of the entire season. 
We launched THL to build something real, something lasting, and something worthy of this community's trust. Every piece of feedback moves us closer to that goal.
Looking Ahead: The Road to 2026–27
Pre-season planning for the 2026–27 THL season is already underway. Key priorities as we move forward include:
  • Early and expanded collaboration with Hockey Directors on leveling and scheduling
  • Longer-term facility planning and ice access solutions with our partners
  • Expansion of sponsorship and community partnership opportunities
  • Structured communications calendar beginning well in advance of the season
  • Summer 2026 programming to keep our community connected in the offseason
More details on the 2026–27 pre-season timeline, registration, and leveling process will be communicated to all member clubs in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Thank You
None of this happens without you.
To every player who laced up their skates and competed with everything they had, thank you. To every parent who traveled, volunteered, cheered, and supported your child through every game, thank you. To our Hockey Directors, Club Administrators, and League Volunteers who helped build this from the ground up, thank you.
Year one is in the books. Year two starts now.
See you on the ice!
Andy Gibson
THL Commissioner