Marquette, MI – February 16th, 2026 – Last week, high school hockey teams across the Upper Peninsula wrapped up their regular seasons and now shift their focus to the postseason. Regions 17 and 18 in Division 3 will be represented entirely by U.P. programs, setting up an exciting road with plenty of local rivalries along the way.
Region 17 features four Copper Country teams: Houghton, Hancock, Calumet, and Painesdale Jeffers, with all games being played at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena on the campus of Michigan Technological University. The regional semifinals begin Wednesday, February 18, as Calumet faces Painesdale Jeffers at 5:30 p.m., followed by Hancock taking on Houghton at 7:30 p.m. The winners will return on February 25, at 7:00 p.m., to compete for the regional championship and a chance to advance further in the state tournament.
Over in Region 18, six other U.P. programs headline the bracket: Escanaba, Marquette, Manistique, Kingsford, Negaunee, and Sault Ste. Marie. The opening round begins Tuesday, February 17th, with Kingsford battling Manistique at 5:30 p.m. at Mountain View Ice Arena in Kingsford. The winner will advance to face Marquette on February 19th, at 6:00 p.m. at Lakeview Arena in Marquette for the regional semifinal.
On the other side of the bracket, Sault Ste. Marie will square off against Negaunee at 7:00 p.m., Febrary 17th, at Big Bear Arena in the Sault. That winner will move on to play Escanaba on February 20th at 6:30 p.m. at Wells Sports Complex in Escanaba. The two semifinal winners will meet February 25th at Lakeview Arena in Marquette for the Region 18 championship and a berth in the quarterfinals.
The champions of Regions 17 and 18 will collide on February 28th at the Berry Events Center, on the campus of Northern Michigan University, with puck drop set for 6:30 p.m. That matchup guarantees one Upper Peninsula team will move on to the Division 3 state semifinals on March 6th at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth. A win there would send the U.P. representative to the Division 3 State Championship game on March 7th.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as teams battle throughout the playoffs right here on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 and 99.9, including live coverage of the Marquette Sentinels postseason run. Good luck to all of the Upper Peninsula teams as they begin their quest for a state title.
