Winter 2026 State Championship Lookahead: Ice Hockey

Championship Sunday once again will be the conclusion of the MIAA winter season in 2025, as TD Garden in Boston will play host to the usual slate of six title games. Two girls champions will be crowned, beginning with the Division 2 final at 9 a.m., and the last of four boys winners will be determined in the day/night’s final faceoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Three schools are in a state final for the first time, while four others are returning to the TD Garden after appearing a year ago.

Here is a look at what is ahead:

Division 2 Girls

Milton High School vs. King Philip Regional High School
9 a.m.

The first of six games, this is one of two that will guarantee a first-time champion.

No. 2 seed Milton is the veteran of the group, having been on this stage a year ago, when the Wildcats dropped a 3-0 decision to Medfield. Milton also made back-to-back appearances in the Division 2 final in 2007 and 2008 when they played at Harvard’s Bright Center.

King Philip, the No. 5 seed, has made by far the deepest run in program history. Before this season, the Warriors had never even made it to the state semifinal stage.

ROAD TO TD GARDEN: Milton – beat Ashland (6-1), Wakefield Memorial (2-0), Scituate (2-0), Duxbury (2-1) … King Philip – beat Whitman-Hanson Regional (6-0), Canton (2-1 in 2 ot), Pembroke (1-0 in 2 ot), Medfield (2-0).

Division 3 Boys

Hanover High School vs. Medfield High School
11 a.m.

If it’s an even-numbered year, then expect to see Hanover playing on the final day. The No. 1 seed Hawks will be playing for the 10th time on Causeway Street, most recently dropping a 5-1 decision to Dover-Sherborn/Weston in 2024 (Division 4). Hanover’s last championship was a 5-3 victory over Marlborough High School in 2022.

The Hawks were declared co-champions in 2020 when the final games were canceled because of COVID, and also played in state finals in 2018, 2016 and 2014. Hanover is 5-4 all-time in championship games.

Medfield, the No. 3 seed, was on this stage a year ago when the Warriors dropped a 4-1 decision to Nauset Regional. Medfield got its revenge in this year’s state semifinals to punch its ticket to the Garden for the fourth time. The Warriors are looking to even their all-time record at 2-2, with the only championship coming in 2016 (Division 2, 3-1 over Lincoln-Sudbury Regional).

ROAD TO TD GARDEN: Hanover – beat Easthampton (5-0), Lynnfield (6-1), Essex North Shore (4-3), Shawsheen Tech (3-1) … Medfield – beat North Middlesex Regional (8-3), Wakefield Memorial (5-2), Dracut/Tyngsborough (7-3), Nauset Regional (5-0).

Division 1 Boys

Pope Francis Preparatory School vs. St. John’s High School
1 p.m.

Both programs enter with the most championship experience of any team competing on the final day, and also with some history on their side.

This matchup will be the first state final on TD Garden ice without an Eastern Mass. school since 2003 – when these same two programs battled for the Division 1 crown. The school previously known as Springfield Cathedral prevailed in that one, 2-1, after St. John’s won the previous matchup between the programs in 1999.

In all, Pope Francis/Cathedral is competing in its 12th state final dating back to 1976. No. 7 seed Pope Francis won the fourth title in program history in 2023 (3-2 over Xaverian Brothers), while Cathedral also captured Division 1 in 2009 and Division 2 in 1996.

For No. 8 St. John’s, it’s a return to the Garden ice after a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Catholic Memorial School a year ago. The Pioneers have made 12 previous appearances in all dating back to 1972 and are shooting for the program’s third championship overall and first since 2004 (4-0 over Framingham in Division 1).

Pope Francis already scored a 3-2 win over St. John’s during the regular season, but that was nearly three months ago (December 17).

ROAD TO TD GARDEN: Pope Francis – beat Belmont (5-1), St. Mary’s (4-0), Marshfield (5-0), Hingham (5-4) … St. John’s – beat Acton-Boxborough Regional (2-1 in 2 ot), Boston College High (2-1), Catholic Memorial (4-3), Arlington (3-2 in 2 ot).

Division 2 Boys

Canton High School vs. Tewksbury Memorial High School
3 p.m.

Every Division 2 championship game since 2018 has featured one of these two teams – if not both.

This will be the third time since 2019 the two teams have squared off for all the marbles, with each school having won one of the previous meetings. Tewksbury prevailed in the 2022 matchup (3-1) after Canton took home the title in 2019 (6-2).

No. 1 seed Canton was here a year ago, dropping a double-overtime heartbreaker to Billerica Memorial (3-2). The Bulldogs did win in 2023 (4-1 over Hopkinton) and will be playing on Garden ice for the fifth time since 2019. Canton is 3-4 all-time in state finals, and also was declared co-champion in 2020 (with Lincoln-Sudbury) when the final was canceled because of COVID.

No. 2 seed Tewksbury played here in 2024, dropping a 4-2 decision to Boston Latin School. The Redmen are 3-2 all-time in state title games, also winning Division 2 crowns in 1995 (over Whitman-Hanson) and 2011 (over Franklin).

ROAD TO TD GARDEN: Canton – beat Somerset Berkley Regional (9-0), Hopkinton (5-0), Walpole (5-0), Burlington (6-2) … Tewksbury – beat Westborough (9-2), North Attleborough (5-0), Milton (8-0), Westwood (5-3).

Division 1 Girls

Archbishop Williams High School vs. Methuen High School/Tewksbury High School
5:30 p.m.

This matchup pits the two teams with the least amount of combined championship game experience.

No. 5 seed Archbishop Williams will be making its debut in a state final. The Bishops reached the state semifinal round in 2023, and the Round of 8 in 2025 and 2022.

Methuen/Tewksbury is back for the first time since back-to-back appearances in 2018-19. The Red Rangers brought home their only championship in 2019 (2-1 in overtime over Austin Prep) after dropping a tight 1-0 decision to Woburn the year before.

ROAD TO TD GARDEN: Archbishop Williams – beat Boston Latin (4-0), Billerica/Chelmsford (7-0), Bishop Feehan (5-0), Notre Dame Academy (1-0) … Methuen/Tewksbury – beat Winthrop (2-0), Woburn Memorial (4-1), Algonquin (2-1, ot), St. Mary’s (2-1, ot).

Division 4 Boys

Littleton High School/Bromfield School vs. St. Bernard’s High School
7:30 p.m.

The final game of the night is the bookend of games featuring two teams each seeking their first championship in program history. It’s also another rare championship matchup that doesn’t include a team from Eastern Mass.

No. 2 seed Littleton/Bromfield, which also has a pair of players from Parker Charter Essentials School as part of its co-op, is playing in a state final for the first time. The Tigers advanced to the Round of 8 last season, falling short to eventual champion Winthrop.

St. Bernard’s made the last of its three championship appearances in 2000, falling to Duxbury in the Division 2 final. The Bernardians also played in 1986 (Division 3, 5-3 loss to Minuteman) and 1977 (Division 2, 15-2 loss to Billerica).

ROAD TO TD GARDEN: Littleton/Bromfield – beat Nantucket (10-0), Pentucket Regional (5-2), Martha’s Vineyard Regional (6-1), Dover-Sherborn/Weston (5-1) … St. Bernard’s – beat Rockland (4-1), Sandwich (4-1), Monomoy/Mashpee (6-3), Winthrop (6-3).