Junior Hockey League - first domestic U21 event since 2019 marked a big step forward
The first-ever Junior Hockey League wrapped up just before Easter, bringing together the country’s most promising U21 talent.
The Junior League was created following the Premier Hockey League — Aotearoa’s elite domestic competition, which involved the top open Men’s and Women’s players competing for national supremacy at the end of 2024. PHL matches were played across the country, with all 28 games televised nationwide on TVNZ+.
The Junior Hockey League aimed to emulate this on a smaller scale. Designed to bridge the gap between U18 and high-performance hockey, its first year was a great success. Over 140 players gathered at King’s College across the course of a week, all representing their respective franchises:
Mavericks (covering the region from Taranaki right across the North Island, through Waikato and the Bay of Plenty to the East Coast)
Tridents (the region from the Bombays through to the Far North)
Falcons (the central and lower North Island region, from Hawke’s Bay across to Manawatū)
Alpiners (representing the South Island).
"Our first domestic U21 event since 2019 marked a big step forward for us. It was a great way to kickstart the winter hockey season and to help build momentum for an exciting year ahead, with both the Men’s and Women’s Junior World Cups taking place in December."
– Aaron Ford, Tournament Lead
The week served as a development opportunity not only for the players but also for the coaching staff, officials, and commentary teams. Coaching Lead, Ben Owers, added:
"Having everyone in one place for the week meant we could create a learning environment where all of the coaches could come together at the end of each day and bounce off each other's energy. It was the perfect blend of competitiveness and learning from one another."
The week wrapped up with some tightly contested finals day matches and standout performances by notable mentions below.
Results:
2025 JHL Champions
Men: Alpiners
Women: Tridents
Runners-up
Men: Mavericks
Women: Alpiners
Third Place
Men: Tridents
Women: Falcons
Fourth Place
Men: Falcons
Women: Mavericks
Special Awards:
Most Valuable Players
Men: Dean Clarkson
Women: Nina Murphy
Top Goal Scorers
Men: Jakarta Klebert
Women: Sorell Shand
Top Goalkeepers
Men: Hugh Nixon
Women: Kate Fraser
A big shoutout must go to all coaches, staff, officials and volunteers who brought the JHL to life in its first year and we look forward to seeing how this one develops further.