The oldest youth bracket — what it means, how it differs from U16, and what comes next.
U18 is commonly called "Midget Major" — the oldest bracket in traditional USA Hockey youth club terminology, above U16 ("Midget Minor"). It's the final club-level age group before players typically move to junior hockey or, for some elite players, directly to NCAA D1. If you're looking for the IIHF World U18 Championship (international national-team competition), that's a separate topic from domestic club U18 hockey — see our World Juniors & IIHF U18 guide.
U18 is "Midget Major" — the older half of the traditional "Midget" tier, with U16 ("Midget Minor") below it. The split is by age, not competitive level: both brackets can field AAA, AA, or House teams. See our U16 / Midget Minor guide for the younger bracket.
U18 / Midget Major hockey is offered at AAA (tryout-based, most competitive), AA (tryout-based, competitive travel), and House League (recreational) — see our AAA, AA, and House League directories to browse by competitive level.
U18 is generally the last age bracket within the youth club structure. From here, players typically move to junior hockey (see our junior hockey guide for the USHL, NAHL, CHL, and the NCAA eligibility rules that come with each), or in some cases directly to NCAA D1 for especially advanced players. If you're looking for the IIHF World U18 Championship — an international under-18 national-team tournament, separate from domestic club hockey — see our World Juniors & IIHF U18 guide.
U18 is the oldest bracket in traditional youth club hockey, roughly ages 17-18, called "Midget Major" — above U16 ("Midget Minor").
No — those are completely different things. U18 club hockey is domestic, club-based hockey at the oldest youth bracket. The IIHF World U18 Championship is an international tournament for national under-18 teams. See our World Juniors & IIHF U18 guide for the international event.
Most players move to junior hockey (USHL, NAHL, CHL, or other Junior A/major junior leagues) after U18, with some especially advanced players moving directly to NCAA D1.
Both are part of the traditional "Midget" tier, split by age: U16 is Midget Minor, U18 is Midget Major. Competitive tier (AAA/AA/House) is separate from this age split.