What is the Difference between Tier I and AAA?
If you are confused by, or do not understand the meaning of the terms Tier I and AAA, they are not the same thing, and many people within the DFW hockey community believe they mean the same thing they do not. USA Hockey does not recognize letter designations such as AAA, AA, A, B, except at the Junior Hockey Level (Texas Tornado is Junior A), nor do they recognize the terms Major and Minor as they relate to a specific birth year within an age group. Midget Minor U16 and Midget Major U18 are still 2-year age groups. Many leagues and tournaments use these terms quite often for various reasons, but when it comes to USA Hockey and National bound competition, these terms are meaningless. USA Hockey does not have “Major” or “Minor” divisions, only 2-year age groups such as U12, U14, U16, and U18 as indicated below. USA Hockey uses two designations with which to classify teams for National bound competition. One is level of play, and the other is age classification. Excerpt from USA Hockey pu
