High school ice hockey in Missouri

History

Originally known as the Area High School Club Hockey League, MSCHA was founded in 1971 with significant seed money and sponsorship from Union Electric, as well as support from the St. Louis Blues, including the donation of the Challenge Cup for the league's winner and free use of the Arena for the final. At the time, organized youth hockey was experiencing a boom in the St. Louis area, mostly caused by the Blues' arrival and subsequent appearance in three Stanley Cup Finals. Eight teams contested that first season, with DeSmet winning the first championship. Of the eight teams that played that first year, only three can claim to have been in every Mid-States season: CBC, DeSmet, and SLUH. The league grew quickly, achieving a high of over 50 teams in its second year, when it also changed its name to the current MSCHA. It also experienced a high rate of attrition, as clubs were disbanded because of loss of players or removal of school support. Nevertheless, throughout the 1970s the league enjoyed considerable success. Plans were made for expansion to Kansas City and Columbia, but they were dropped following a dispute over travel costs and the loss of Columbia's ice rinks.

During the 1980s, the league went through several periods of change. A junior varsity league was established for younger players, and schools from new population centers such as West St. Louis County and St. Charles County joined. The playoff format was also changed after the 1984 season to the current system.

During the 1990s, the balance of power shifted from North County teams such as the Hazelwood Schools to newer West County sides, as well as those in St. Charles. In addition to new schools quickly forming teams, resulting in a brief experiment in tiered competition, several former clubs rejoined, including charter member Whitfield. Police presence at games was increased, alcohol was barred from the bleachers, and the league began to cooperate further with schools and encourage faculty and administrative presence at games to curb problems in student sections.

The new millennium presented MSCHA with a large set of opportunities. The St. Louis hockey scene was booming, with players such as the Stastny brothers Paul and Yan and goaltender Ben Bishop honing their NHL-bound skills on high school teams. The league had signed a television contract with local cable provider Charter Communications through its CCIN channel, allowing both league and playoff games, including finals, to be seen in homes around the area. However, a series of incidents cast a shadow on this success, including a Priory skater being concussed from a late hit against Affton, further brawls among fans, and a game in which a Zumwalt South player physically assaulted a referee, only to be struck back by the official. Two new postseason competitions were introduced, the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Cup and Founders Cup, each for teams that finished lower on the league ladder.

League champions

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top seven ranked teams play in a traditional playoff format leading up to the Challenge Cup championship game. The next 16 ranked teams play a round-robin playoff for the Wickenheiser Memorial Cup. The remaining teams play in a traditional playoff format for the Founders Cup.^[3]

Divisions

Teams

• Kansas City Icehawks (Kansas)
• Kansas City Knights
• Kansas City Fighting Saints
• Kansas City Stars (Kansas)
• Mid-Missouri Tigers
• Northwest Arkansas Ice Hogs (Arkansas)
• Rockhurst Hawklets
• Saint Joseph Griffons
• Springfield Spirit
• Wichita Jr Thunder (Kansas)

Former teams

The closure of numerous teams in the Kansas City area over a short period was primarily driven by the loss of all sheets of ice in the southern portion of the metropolitan area. The King Louie West Ice Chateau on Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, Kansas, closed in 2007. In January 2011, Pepsi Ice Midwest on 135th Street in Overland Park also closed, resulting in the loss of the remaining three sheets of ice in the southern Kansas City area. With the loss of King Louie and Pepsi Ice Midwest, there were no longer conveniently located rinks for many of the high school teams that had once been part of the Kansas City Metro Area High School Hockey League.

• Blue Valley Tigers
• Blue Valley North Mustangs
• Blue Valley Northwest Huskies
• Blue Valley West Jaguars
• Carriage Club
• Des Moines Jr Buccaneers (Iowa)
• Jefferson City Capitals
• Jefferson City Eagles
• Kansas City Jr Mavs
• Lee's Summit/Shawnee Mission Storm
• Oak Park Northmen
• Oklahoma City Oil Kings
• Oklahoma Jr Warriors
• Olathe East Hawks
• Park Hill South Panthers
• Pembroke Hill Raiders
• Saint Pius X Warriors
• Saint Thomas Aquinas Saints
• Shawnee Mission East Lancers
• Shawnee Mission Northwest Cougars
• Shawnee Mission South Raiders
• Topeka
• Tulsa Flames
• Tulsa Jr Oilers
• Wichita Warriors

League champions

All-Conference selections

During the 2020–21 season, the MAHSHL Board of Directors convened to hold its inaugural MAHSHL All-Conference selections. At the varsity level, each coach nominated players from their representative teams at each position (center, left and right wings, defensemen, and goaltenders), and the other coaches voted on those nominations to fill the 20 selections. No coach was allowed to vote for their own nominations.

Player selections by year:

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