What the U16 / Midget Minor age bracket means, and how it differs from U18 / Midget Major.
U16 is commonly called "Midget Minor" in traditional USA Hockey terminology — the age bracket below U18 ("Midget Major"). The Midget tier splits into two: Midget Minor (U16) and Midget Major (U18), distinguished by age, not competitive level — both can field AAA, AA, or House teams. Exact birth-year cutoffs are set annually by USA Hockey and can shift a player between brackets year to year, so always confirm the current cutoff with your association rather than assuming based on age alone.
"Midget" is the traditional USA Hockey name for the two oldest youth age brackets, split by age rather than skill level: Midget Minor covers U16, and Midget Major covers U18. A club's "midget" program can include AAA, AA, or House teams at either age — the Minor/Major split just separates the two birth-year groups so players compete against similarly-aged opponents. See our U18 / Midget Major guide for the older bracket.
Like every youth age bracket, U16 / Midget Minor hockey is offered at AAA (tryout-based, most competitive), AA (tryout-based, competitive travel), and House League (recreational, no tryouts) — see our AAA, AA, and House League directories to browse by competitive level directly.
U16 is the age bracket for players roughly 15-16, traditionally called "Midget Minor" — the younger half of the Midget tier, with Midget Major (U18) above it.
Both fall under the traditional "Midget" tier, split by age: U16 is Midget Minor, U18 is Midget Major. Both can field AAA, AA, or House teams — the split is about age, not competitive level.
Yes — Midget Minor is the traditional name for the U16 age bracket in USA Hockey's club structure.
Use the age filter on our clubs directory, or browse our dedicated AAA, AA, and House League directories if you already know which competitive tier you're targeting.