Showcase showdowns across the state for ‘Hockey Day’

Three separate events highlight a weekend in which 111 of 123 teams are in action

Craig Peterson

December 9, 2025

Photo from MLive

It’s a busy day of Michigan high school hockey action this Saturday. With the season in full swing, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the game across the state, with 11 of the 123 programs in the state in action. I figured with this many teams and this many showcases taking place, why not take the opportunity to highlight our biggest slate of picks for our Games of the Week? A list of 36 games taking place across three separate locations across the state, featuring 44 different high school hockey programs.

A quick update of the records and we’ll get into this week’s picks!

Petey: 13-7-0
Public: 16-4-0

Bay City hockey hosts 16-team, two-day event at Bay County Ice Arena

The fifth annual Bay City Showcase gets underway Friday afternoon when Saginaw Heritage takes on St. Clair Shores Unified. This 16-team event features five programs from host Bay City’s Saginaw Valley League (SVL). Plus, travelling teams from all corners of the state including Kingsford from the upper peninsula, Mona Shores, Reeths-Puffer and Hudsonville from the west side, and Chippewa Valley, L’Anse Creuse Unified and SCS Unified from metro Detroit. Each participant draws two games at the showcase, with a couple particularly intriguing matchups like BU and Genesee as well as the game between Lakes Area and Hudsonville.

Saginaw Heritage vs. St. Clair Shores

Saginaw Heritage wins if it can keep the game low scoring. If goalie Landon Hayward can make some key saves, and the Hawks stay out of the box, they’d have a chance in a 2-1 type of game.

St. Clair Shores wins if they don’t overlook the opponent. Lakers have handled business, with an 8-0-0 record. But if this high-powered offense thinks it can just go through the motions, Heritage could end the win streak.

Petey’s Pick: St. Clair Shores

Birmingham Unified vs. Genesee

Birmingham Unified wins if Ryan Brand and Ethan Goel can get going early. The Kings’ only two losses this season are at the hands of ranked opponents. This is a team playing with confidence.

Genesee wins if the defensive effort matches the offensive output. The Generals can score goals! Logan Beckwith and Brennan Bernard are already in double figures, but defense has gotta be tight against a BU team that can push the pace too.

Petey’s Pick: Birmingham Unified

L’Anse Creuse Unified vs. Midland

L’Anse Creuse Unified wins if Joe Tringali can stay hot. He’s on a six-game point streak, factoring in on 12 of the team’s last 17 goals scored. A sixth multi-point game this season might be enough to push LCU past the Chemics.

Midland wins if it can keep the puck out of its net. Six games into the season, and the Chemics allowed fewer than four goals just one time. I don’t think they can win a run-and-gun, fast-paced game with LCU, so if coach Steve Witt’s squad can slow it down, they’ve got a chance.

Petey’s Pick: L’Anse Creuse Unified

Chippewa Valley United vs. Mona Shores

Chippewa Valley United wins if it can score six or more goals. And even then, I’m not sure. CVU has surrendered a lot of offense lately — 26 goals against in the last three games — and Mona Shores won’t just score, it’ll defend well too.

Mona Shores wins if Eli Habetler gets on the score sheet. The Sailors are 4-0-0 this season in the four games he’s recorded a point and winless in the other two games. He shouldn’t have much trouble impacting this game at both ends of the rink.

Petey’s Pick: Mona Shores

Lakes Area United vs. Hudsonville

Lakes Area United wins if it can get out to a fast start. Lakes is 4-0-0 in games it held a lead after the first period. Can Logan Scheidt and Gavin Grondin secure a lead through the first 17 minutes of action?

Hudsonville wins if Lucas Brandow can get some others involved in the offense. I like the Eagles chances here, and Brandow hasn’t been held scoreless since Feb. 19th. He’ll get his, but it may take offense from elsewhere to get a ‘W’ here.

Petey’s Pick: Hudsonville

Kingsford vs. Tri-Valley

Kingsford wins if an offensive threat can emerge. Five different Flivvers are averaging a point per game, but I still feel like they’re in need of a go-to guy; someone to step up when a big play is needed. Who’s going to deliver?

Tri-Valley wins if the defense shows up. Shouldn’t be a problem with Jake Rau and Max Miller leading the charge, but Kingsford has scored more than three goals just once this season. So as long as the Thunder keep things under control, they should cruise.

Petey’s Pick: Tri-Valley

Jackson United vs. Bay City

Jackson United wins if Tyler Dwyer can keep producing. Eight of his nine points have come in the last four games, and JU is 3-1-0 in that span. Him and Brennan Forward are in a good rhythm but host Bay City presents a challenge they’ve yet to face.

Bay City wins if its top line can stay focused. The Wolves are averaging 5.0 goals scored per game, and I don’t think Jackson can keep pace with that. But Kaid DuRussel, Carter Richard and Max Johnston gotta stay out of the box.

Petey’s Pick: Bay City

Midland Dow vs. Reeths-Puffer

Midland Dow wins if it gets a strong performance in net. Both J.P. Salogar and Aesa Jingles are capable of earning a win for the Chargers in this matchup, but it could take upwards of 30 saves to get it.

Reeths-Puffer wins if the offense breaks through. The Rockets thrive when Eli Cuti and company can push the pace, but Dow’s defensive effort could present a frustrating obstacle. Might be 1-1 through two periods but the RP offense won’t be kept quiet for too long.

Petey’s Pick: Reeths-Puffer

Kingsford vs. Midland

Kingsford wins if it can score four goals. The Flivvers offense isn’t a high-flying act but if Casey Clisch and Paolo Lenzi can find their way to the four-goal plateau they might be able to do what five other teams have managed to do against the Chemics.

Midland wins if Rusty Boyle and Tucker Spaulding can push the pace. I don’t see Kingsford producing a ton of offense in this one, and I like the Chemics’ chances of getting to three goals more than the Flivvers getting to four.

Petey’s Pick: Midland

Genesee vs. L’Anse Creuse Unified

Genesee wins if it can play 5-on-5 hockey. The Generals have gotten into some trouble when it comes to the man advantage. Even-strength hockey may be the ticket to their success here as LCU has some scoring threats who could take advantage of the extra ice.

L’Anse Creuse Unified wins if it can play some defense. They’ve given up 30 or more shots on goal in five games this season, and if you give the Generals that many scoring opportunities, they will make you pay.

Petey’s Pick: Genesee

Hudsonville vs. Jackson United

Hudsonville wins if it stops giving up so many damn shots! In four losses this season, the Eagles have given up at least 35 shots on goal in each game. This is an opponent they should be able to control the pace and limit chances.

Jackson United wins if it capitalizes on its chances. I like the Eagles to be a superior team in this matchup, but all it takes it 2-3 scoring opportunities to completely change the game. If Brennan Forward gets a breakaway or an odd-man rush, him and others must find a way to finish.

Petey’s Pick: Hudsonville

Tri-Valley Thunder vs. Lakes Area United

Tri-Vally wins if it’s low scoring. It hasn’t been a gauntlet thus far, but in four wins this season the Thunder have held opponents to just 1.50 goals against. Scheidt and Grondin won’t be easy to contain but a 3-2 type game certainly favors TVT.

Lakes Area United wins if it’s high scoring. Duh, right? But I like their chances of making this a shootout more so than Tri-Valley’s odds of keeping it a defensive struggle. Particularly because of the scoring depth they get from Conner Twentyman and Nick Falkowski.

Petey’s Picks: Lakes Area United

Mona Shores vs. Saginaw Heritage

Mona Shores wins if it’s fresh in net. The Sailors are 2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs. Both Will Nolan and Landon Kanaar have won the second game of a weekend stint with the team on short rest. I don’t know who goes, but I’m confident in either option here.

Saginaw Heritage wins if freshman Rieley Bamberger has a breakout game. He has four points in four games this season It’ll be no easy task but if he may be the most capable threat the Hawks have for a three- or four-point performance.

Petey’s Pick: Mona Shores

Bay City vs. Birmingham Unified

Bay City wins if its best players play like it. The Wolves top three or four offensive threats are better than any one skater for BU. But the Kings play strong as a unit and if BC gets sucked into selfish 1-on-1 hockey, it could spell trouble.

Birmingham Unified wins if it’s tight defensively. Pack it in in the D-zone, keep puck carriers to the perimeter and limit shots from the inside. Kings are very capable of winning this game despite not being as talented as their counterpart.

Petey’s Pick: Bay City

St. Clair Shores Unified vs. Midland Dow

St. Clair Shores Unified wins if it stays out of the box. The Chargers are significantly out-gunned in this one, as the Lakers have seven guys averaging a point per game. But a special teams festival would open the door for anything to happen.

Midland Dow wins if secondary scorers can get involved. The Chargers will need more than Zane Rastello and Caden Nemeth to win a track meet with SCS. Can Caden Hill and others help produce five or six goals en route to a win in this one?

Petey’s Pick: St. Clair Shores Unified

10 Division-III programs in action at the D3 Challenge

One of the more unique showcases you’ll see all season, as it’s almost a direct prepper for playoffs later on. Ten of the 12 teams in attendance are as the name of the D3 Challenge suggests… Division-III playoff teams. The other two — Flint Powers and Alpena — were at a time, previously classified as D-III as well. Drawing regular-season matchups at the showcase between the likes of Country Day and Chelsea or Manistique and Big Rapids, among others, could quite possibly happen later on in the playoffs. Not to mention, as a coach it’s a great opportunity to scout a bunch of playoff teams all in one spot.

Country Day vs. Chelsea

Country Day wins if Bonner Upshaw gets the start. That’s no shade towards the Yellowjackets’ other goalie Dylan Davila, just highlighting how good Upshaw has been. He’s 5-1-0 in six starts, with the lone defeat coming in overtime.

Chelsea wins if someone other than Jacob Corcoran can score. He has six goals, but in the Bulldogs’ last three games — their best three — five other skaters have contributed offensively. Jacob Brant, Brady Crawford and Chase Porter are the key to victory here.

Petey’s Pick: Country Day

Grosse Ile vs. Alpena

Grosse Ile wins if defense is great. Nathan Taulbee and Colten Dwarzski are a formidable 1-2 on the back end. But Alpena has plenty of elite offensive threats that should produce in this matchup, unless the Red Devils have an answer.

Alpena wins if it can avoid a hot goalie. Get traffic to the net front, shoot for rebounds and send passes across the royal road. This offense is creative enough; don’t force the puck into tough spots and the goals will come.

Petey’s Pick: Alpena

Flint Powers vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central

Flint Powers wins if it doesn’t look ahead. Saturday’s matchup with No. 13 Alpena is the sexy, fun one. But GRCC has a stout goalie in Jakob Aron, capable of making 40-plus saves. Mistake this for a cakewalk and you could end up on the wrong side of a 2-1 game.

Grand Rapids Catholic Central wins if Aron answers his biggest test of the season. He’s only faced 25 or more shots once so far, but I expect Powers’ potent offense to damn near double that total. Cougars could play stingy defense too, but the Chargers are just too much.

Petey’s Pick: Flint Powers

Manistique vs. Big Rapids

Manistique wins if Jarrett Zellar can spark the offense. The Emeralds are winless thus far and lost to Big Rapids last month. They only 15 shots on the Cardinals’ Cash Ziska, and it’ll take a lot more than that to expect different results than last time.

Big Rapids wins if Wyatt Skiera and Wyatt Welch can produce. Leading scorer Brody Ososki has a point in every game so far for the Cardinals, but factored in on just one of the team’s five goals against Manistique last time.

Petey’s Pick: Big Rapids

Divine Child vs. Jeffers

Divine Child wins if it gets out to an early lead. Jeffers has a wealth of experience in this matchup, but I like the Falcons’ chances better if they’re defending a lead as opposed to chasing one. Start fast, and you’ve got a chance.

Jeffers wins if it doesn’t play Houghton. The Jets have won six in a row and I see little resistance standing in their way until mid-January. Brogan Turner and Cam Anderson should make good on their trip downstate.

Petey’s Pick: Jeffers

Gibraltar Carlson vs. Gaylord

Gibraltar Carlson wins if it can out-shoot Gaylord. The Marauders have played four games decided by just one goal, and a fifth game was a tie. Owen Wright and his crew are used to close games, but winning the war on shots would certainly tip the scales in their favor.

Gaylord wins if it can score. The Blue Devils are winless, and scoreless in three of their four games. Can’t win if you don’t score, so someone’s gotta find a way to create chances against a Carlson team that plays opponents tough.

Petey’s Pick: Gibraltar Carlson

Country Day vs. Grosse Ile

Country Day wins if it keeps things rolling. It won’t be easy, but a sweep of the weekend would put the Yellowjackets at 9-2-0, with a chance to string together a lot of wins between now and their matchup with Gabriel Richard on Jan. 24th.

Grosse Ile wins if it can find some consistency. New coaching staff. Position changes. There’s a lot of moving pieces going on with the Red Devils, but the sooner they can get things squared away, the better!

Petey’s Pick: Country Day

Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Jeffers

Grand Rapids Catholic Central wins if they stay out of the hotel hot tub. Yes, the old youth hockey tournament wives tale! The Cougars are 2-0 with impressive wins over Lumen Christi and Huron Valley in the second game of back-to-backs.

Jeffers wins if the offense can get to Jakob Aron early. The longer he keeps the Jets scoreless, the more confident GRCC will become. Turner, Anderson or someone else has to strike quickly in this one and set the tone.

Petey’s Pick: Jeffers

Divine Child vs. Chelsea

Divine Child wins if the defense is great. And it’s been great as of late, allowing just four goals against in the Falcons’ last four games. This young team will go as far as the defensive zone takes them.

Chelsea wins if it can one-up DC defensively. Both teams are capable of scoring, but this matchup will be about who allows fewer goals, not who can score more. Buckle down in the D-zone and you got a chance.

Petey’s Pick: Divine Child

Gibraltar Carlson vs. Big Rapids

Gibraltar Carlson wins if it’s low scoring. Four goals or fewer, and this team is 3-1 in four games. Slow it down, grind it out and play this game along the walls. Carlson has a chance to sweep the weekend.

Big Rapids wins if Brody Ososki eats in this one. Leading scorers for Country Day and Liggett have had big games in victory over Carlson. If he goes off too, the Cards will win this matchup as well.

Petey’s Pick: Big Rapids

Alpena vs. Flint Powers

Alpena wins if Clark Weir and Trevor Worth have a big game. They don’t have to score, but the second and third lines for the Wildcats have to win every shift, and a 0-0 shift is a win. Gavin Winterstein’s line will go shot for shot with Powers’ top. Can the depth get it done?

Flint Powers wins if Hunter Clark has a big night. Top-v-top, this is an exciting matchup, but the Chargers’ biggest advantage in this game is their state championship winning goalie in net. Powers has just enough in a 4-3 win.

Petey’s Pick: Flint Powers

Manistique vs. Gaylord

Manistique wins if it can score just two goals. I expect more offense than this, but in a game between two winless teams, it may not take much. Zellar, Kade Schroeder and Joe Noble capitalize on a couple chances.

Gaylord wins if the offense wakes up. They’ve got a great opportunity in this matchup against an Emeralds team giving up 6.5 goals against per game. Blue Devils will be under that average, but even three or four goals in this one could be enough.

Petey’s Pick: Manistique

Top two conferences in Michigan high school hockey square off

High school hockey’s equivalent of college basketball’s Big Ten-ACC Challenge. The top two conferences in the sport, the Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) and Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League (MIHL) go head-to-head in a series of nine games for hockey supremacy. The KLAA won this event for the first time last December, and a preliminary look at this year’s matchups may very well suggest it’s the favorite to win this time around as well.

Livonia United vs. Port Huron Northern

Livonia United wins if it can end the skid. On a four-game skid that could be five by the time they take the ice Saturday. Dezmond Medina, Tyler Pagel and Dominik Medina will have to try and stop the bleeding with a scrappy win over PHN.

Port Huron Northern wins if it’s responsible defensively. Sawyer Kemp and Chris Herms can generate offense, I’m not worried about that. But can they be hard on pucks, take space away and avoid blue-line turnovers in their own end?

Petey’s Pick: Port Huron Northern

Salem vs. U of D Jesuit

Salem wins if Nolan Kaminski has eligibility left. I don’t like the Rocks’ chances in this matchup, and the offense needs a spark having scored just five goals in the last four games. Get the power play going a little bit and the confidence could snowball.

U of D Jesuit wins if Will Balasia can find the back of the net. He had a goal in each of the Cubs’ first three wins of the season, and two goals in a 4-3 overtime loss to De La Salle. He scores, Cubs have a chance.

Petey’s Pick: U of D Jesuit

Novi vs. Riverview Gabriel Richard

Novi wins if it was a little older. The Wildcats are young, and I believe there’s a ton of potential with this group. But a freshman in net, sophomores on the back end, and you’re taking on an experienced buzzsaw in Gabriel Richard. Good learning experience for Novi here.

Gabriel Richard wins if it shows up on time. Welcome to the Alphabet Showcase! The Pioneers’ first season in the MIHL is off to a good start, and a win from Michael Taucher and Connor Forster would be another nice feather in the cap.

Petey’s Pick: Gabriel Richard

Plymouth vs. Cranbrook

Plymouth wins if I pick against them. I swear, I count the Wildcats out in the Alphabet Showcase every year and they play whoever’s in front of them tough every time. They’ve won outright or lost by just one goal each of the last five seasons.

Cranbrook wins if it doesn’t cheat for offense. Play smart, defensive hockey and don’t let Plymouth hang around. Flying the zone and home-run passes get the Cranes into trouble in a matchup like this.

Petey’s Pick: Cranbrook

Northville vs. De La Salle

Northville wins if it has last change. Mustangs have more talent, but both coaches in this one play a chess game on the bench, looking to exploit matchups. The difference could be coach Ryan Ossenmacher sneaking his top line out for an extra O-zone face-off.

De La Salle wins if it can hold Northville to less than 25 shots on goal. This may be the biggest surprise of the showcase because the Pilots are outgunned in this matchup, but find a way to steal a win for the MIHL.

Petey’s Pick: De La Salle

Hartland vs. Brother Rice

Hartland wins if Brayden Stephens scores, and he’s scored a lot. The Eagles are 7-0-0 in games Stephens finds the back of the net, and I expect him to do it again in this matchup. Hartland with a dominant win.

Brother Rice wins if Drake England stands on his head. He gave the Warriors a chance in a 2-0 loss to U of D last week, making 32 saves. He should see a similar workload in this matchup as well.

Petey’s Pick: Hartland

Livonia Stevenson vs. Trenton

Stevenson wins if Dawson Wallis and Colin Stroble log a lot of minutes. The Spartans will have their hands full with a potent offense, and I’d be tempted to play these two on opposite pairs just to have one on the ice at all times.

Trenton wins if it can play with a lead. The Trojans fell behind early to East Grand Rapids last weekend and had to play catch-up. Be the first to score because otherwise, Stevenson could be equally hard to chase down.

Petey’s Pick: Trenton

Howell vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

Howell wins if Chase Rayburn can answer his biggest test yet. He has a 1.13 goals-against average and 93.3 save percentage overall, but stopped just 32-of-38 total shots in his two toughest tests so far against DCC and Hartland.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s wins if secondary scoring produces. The Eaglets may very well have the edge when it comes to lines two, three and four up front. A goal or two from the likes of Dominic Pizzo or Brandon Kondrat could be the difference.

Petey’s Pick: Howell

Brighton vs. DCC

Brighton wins if it shuts out CC. The Bulldogs have pitched three straight shutouts and haven’t allowed a goal against since the 50:22 mark of the Clarkston game on Nov. 28th. I don’t see Brighton shutting out the No. 1 team in the state but they’ve been very good defensively as of late.

Detroit Catholic Central wins if the ref drops the puck. Everyone thought the Shamrocks were dead because they dropped one game to Hartland — and maybe should’ve lost to Howell — but the top dog is still the top dog. CC stays undefeated at the showcase all-time.

Petey’s Pick: Detroit Catholic Central