What are the youth hockey levels? New hockey parents have probably heard the terms Midget, Squirt, Peewee, and a host of other words that may or may not indicate what level of youth ice hockey their child is supposed to join. "Tyke," for example, is a term often used to size youth ice skates but was never an age classification. If you thought it was, though, who could blame you? After all, one dad's squirt is another mom's tyke.

For many, the old terms were confusing: is a squirt older than a peewee? Is a bantam younger or older than a midget? The nomenclature seemed more decorative than meaningful. As of 2016, however, USA Hockey no longer uses the old terms to designate hockey age groups—to the chagrin of many nostalgic and seasoned hockey parents and to the relief of almost everyone else.

USA YOUTH HOCKEY LEVELS

Since the changes were made official in 2016, many parents may already be up to speed with the current classifications. The new youth hockey levels are essentially the same—only the names are different. For those who might not know what they missed out on, here's a quick rundown of the youth hockey age groups and the names formerly associated with them:

PRE-2016 USA HOCKEY YOUTH LEVELS

• Mini Mite (ages 5-6)
• Mite (ages 7-8)
• Squirt (ages 9-10)
• Peewee (ages 11-12)
• Bantam (ages 13-14)
• Minor Midget 16 and Under (ages 15-16) (high school junior varsity)
• Major Midget 18 and Under (ages 15-18) (high school varsity)

It's hard to deny the charm of the old terms, even if it's counterintuitive to think of a "midget" as the oldest age group. It required a certain amount of rote learning to master the classifications because there was no obvious correlation between the name and the age group.

Now USA Hockey has boldly broken with tradition and made the classifications more rational.

CURRENT USA HOCKEY YOUTH HOCKEY AGE GROUPS

The new age classifications are as follows:

• Age Category: 8 - Age Division: 8 or Under (8U)
• Age Category: 9-10 - Age Division: 10 or Under (10U)
• Age Category: 11-12 - Age Division: 12 or Under (12U)
• Age Category: 13-14 - Age Division: 14 or Under (14U)
• Age Category: 15-16 - Age Division: 16 & Under (16U)
• Age Category: 17-18 - Age Division: 18 & Under (18U)

Girls' and women's teams also now use similar classifications—the difference is that the oldest category tops out at 19 years old instead of 18:

• Age Category: 8 & Under - Age Division: 8 or Under (8U)
• Age Category: 9-10 - Age Division: 10 or Under (10U)
• Age Category: 11-12 - Age Division: 12 or Under (12U)
• Age Category: 13-14 - Age Division: 14 or Under (14U)
• Age Category: 15-16 - Age Division: 16 or Under (16U)
• Age Category: 17-19 - Age Division: 19 or Under (19U)

Each age division is subdivided into skill levels: A, AA, and AAA, with single-A being the lowest and triple-A the highest levels. Level classifications are not changed from the previous system. What the new system loses in color, it gains in clarity. And clarity is a good thing, particularly in the world of youth ice hockey and youth sports generally that have grown increasingly complex and professionalized.

Note that the youth hockey levels are based on age—everyone in 14U is 14 or under. But kids’ hockey equipment categories are based on size—a player on a 14 U team might wear junior,intermediate, or senior skates.

CANADIAN YOUTH HOCKEY LEVELS

Our neighbors to the north take their hockey seriously, too. Their classification system, like USA Hockey, has been updated in recent years to be more age specific, with some provinces, like Quebec, using their own classifications.

MINOR HOCKEY

Minor hockey is for every child who plays for a local association. Their classifications are:

• Under 7 (U7): Age 6 or under
• Under 9 (U9): Age 7-8
• Under 11 (U11): Age 9-10
• Under 13 (U13): Age 11-12
• Under 15 (U15): Age 13-14
• Under 18 (U18): Age 15-17
• Under 21 (U21): Age 18-20

Additionally, elite youth players ages 16-20 can play in the following Junior leagues:

• Major Junior (WHL, OHL QMJHL): Most top players choose this league. They are paid a small compensation and live mostly in small, provincial towns where they play only hockey and do little else. They travel throughout the country, playing other Major Junior teams in the three leagues. Because these players are paid, they're not eligible to play NCAA hockey.
• Junior A: In this unpaid level of play, players mostly play throughout their province and can still play college hockey if they choose to.
• Junior B: Another choice for players who might choose to play college hockey; players in Junior B generally play closer to their homes.

Other hockey-playing countries around the world have their own classifications. Today's youth hockey is a highly organized and competitive pursuit, particularly at the upper levels. It's not any less competitive thanks to USA Hockey's classification changes, but now parents should have a much easier time signing up their child for the correct age division.