Pittsburgh, PA - The Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey Program, proud members of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAT1HL) and the Tier I Hockey Federation (T1HF), return to the ice this weekend, Sept 26 - 29, for exciting  AAA hockey action as they continue to celebrate the Star's 40th season.

The Star's Midget age teams (U18, U16 and U15) will all be in Blaine, MN, Sept 26 - 29, for the NAT1HL opening league showcase.

Dubbed the "Greatest Show on Ice" ... the first event of the season for the T1ER League will be played in conjunction with the NAHL Showcase, which features all 35 North American Hockey League Junior A teams and the U.S. National Development Program (NTDP), and will include play in the U18, U16 and U15 divisions.

The weekend offers participants the unique opportunity to play in an event attended by more than 300 professional, college and junior scouts, including scouts and representatives from every NCAA School in the country.

Over the course of the four-day event, the NAHL Showcase will attract over 9,000 people in overall attendance.

For scouting purposes, the NAHL Showcase is the premier event of its kind and is a yearly gathering for every NCAA program and NHL team as they get their first look at some of the best and brightest hockey talent North America has to offer.

The NAT1HL showcase will feature all NAT1HL Midget AAA teams (U15, U16 and & U18) as well as guest clubs from across the United States for four-days of exciting Midget AAA Showcase action.

The U15 (only) Midget Minor Stars will open the NAHL Showcase Event on Thursday, Sept 26, against the Philadelphia Little Flyers, 6:00 p.m., at the Super Rink. On Friday, Sept 27, the U15 Stars will face the Valley Forge Minutemen, 4:00 p.m., at the Fogerty Ice Arena in Blaine.  On Saturday, Sept 28, the U15 Stars will face Elite Hockey Academy at 8:00 a.m., back at the Super Rink. The U15 Stars will close the Showcase against the U15 Queen City Royals on Sunday, Sept 29, 8:00 a.m., back at the Fogerty Ice Arena.

The U16 Midget Minor Stars will open the NAHL Showcase Event on Thursday, Sept 26, against the U16 Nashville Jr Predators, 4:00 p.m. On Friday, Sept 27, the U16 Stars will face the U16 Lincoln Stars, 10:00 a.m.  On Saturday, Sept 28, the U16 Stars will face the U16 Minnesota Walleye at 12:00 p.m. The U16 Stars will close the Showcase against the U16 Windy City Storm on Sunday, Sept 29, 7:30 a.m. All of the U16 Pittsburgh Stars’ Midget Minor NAT1HL Showcase games will be played at the NSC Super Rink in Blaine.

The U18 Midget Major Stars will open the NAHL Showcase Event on Thursday, Sept 26, against U18 CarShield AAA, 10:15 a.m. On Friday, Sept 27, the U18 Stars will face U18 Biggby Coffee AAA, 6:30 p.m.  On Saturday, Sept 28, the U18 Stars will face the U18 Belle Tire AAA at 6:15 p.m. The U18 Stars will close the Showcase against the U18 Windy City Storm on Sunday, Sept 29, 9:30 a.m. All of the U18 Pittsburgh Stars’ Midget Major NAT1HL Showcase games will be played at the NSC Super Rink in Blaine.

Entering its 16th season in 2024-25, the NAPHL T1ER League is made up of USA Hockey-sanctioned teams that compete at the 18U, 16U, 15U and 14U levels.

The NAPHL T1ER League continues to be the premier destination for players looking to advance to the NAHL. During the 2023-24 season, the NAHL featured 190 NAPHL alumni, with an additional 95 T1ER players either tendered or drafted by an NAHL team.

All Showcase games will be broadcast live through NATV (NAHLTV.com).

The Super Rink in Blaine, MN, is the largest ice arena of its kind in the world. The state-of-the-art facility, a $21 million project totaling over 300,000 square feet, features eight sheets of ice under one roof. With all its varied amenities and services, the Super Rink is absolutely unique in the world of ice sport facilities.

Elsewhere, the U12 AAA Pee Wee Major Stars, U13 White AAA Bantam Minor Stars and U14 AAA Bantam Major Stars will all be in T1HF league action at home at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in New Kensington, PA.

The U12 AAA Pee Wee Major Pittsburgh Stars will welcome the U12 Philadelphia Revolution Elite to Pittsburgh and the friendly confines of Pittsburgh Ice Arena for the backend of a home and home weekend THF league series this weekend. Games are set for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Likewise, the U13 White AAA Bantam Minor Pittsburgh Stars will welcome the U13 Philadelphia Revolution Elite to Pittsburgh and the friendly confines of Pittsburgh Ice Arena for the backend of a home and home weekend THF league series this weekend. Games are set for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

And the U14 AAA Bantam Major Pittsburgh Stars welcome the U14 Connecticut Jr Rangers to Pittsburgh and the friendly confines of Pittsburgh Ice Arena for a three-game THF league series this weekend. Games are set for 11:20 a.m.  and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.

The U13 Red AAA Bantam Minor Pittsburgh Stars will enjoy a scheduled off weekend.

Celebrating their 40th season during the 2024-25 season, the Pittsburgh Stars program is the oldest Tier I program in the Mid-American District of USA Hockey and one of the oldest Tier I programs under the USA Hockey umbrella.

Game schedules for the '24-'25 season as well as team rosters, have all been posted to the various Pittsburgh Stars team pages on the Stars website (www.pittsburghstarshockey.com).