THE TOHL IS BACK — 2026–27 SEASON PREVIEW

🏒 THE TOHL IS BACK — 2026–27 SEASON PREVIEW

The wait is over.

The skates have been sharpened. The group chats are active. Everyone has spent the summer getting into the best shape of their lives… or at least thinking about it while golfing.

The 2026–27 TOHL season officially gets underway Monday, October 5th, and five teams are back chasing the Brad Little Cup.

Before the puck drops, let’s take a completely serious and professionally researched look at this year’s field.

⚡ T-BIRDS — 15-8-2 | 109 GF | 75 GA

The T-Birds enter the season after putting together the best record of these five teams last year, winning 15 of 25 and finishing +34 in goal differential.

They could score. They could defend. And annoyingly for everyone else, they were pretty good at both at the same time.

They finished last season on a three-game winning streak, so expectations should be high. Of course, this is the TOHL, where six months off can turn a 30-goal scorer into a guy asking which dressing room we're in.

🔵 BLUE JACKETS — 13-9-3 | 116 GF | 91 GA

If you're looking for offence, start here.

The Blue Jackets pumped in 116 goals last season, the most among this year's five teams, while posting a healthy +25 goal differential.

They also came painfully close to finishing the job in the playoffs before falling to the Pistols in the Brad Little Cup Final.

So naturally, the schedule makers showed absolutely no mercy.

Game #1: Blue Jackets vs. Pistols.

A rematch of last year's championship to start the season.

No easing into things. No preseason. Just straight into unresolved issues.

🖤 EMO — 10-11-4 | 88 GF | 90 GA

Perhaps the most interesting team coming into the new season.

EMO finished almost perfectly even last year: 88 goals for, 90 against and a -2 differential.

Basically, every night was a coin flip.

They were right around .500 all season, which makes them exactly the kind of team nobody wants to see improve by 10%.

If they find a few more goals this season, EMO could go from middle of the pack to a serious problem very quickly.

And yes, we're assuming the pregame playlist remains appropriately depressing.

🔫 PISTOLS — 8-12-5 | DEFENDING CHAMPIONS 🏆

And here's your annual reminder that the regular season only matters until it doesn't.

The Pistols finished last year 8-12-5 with a -10 goal differential.

Then the playoffs started.

Apparently nobody told them they weren't supposed to win.

The Pistols caught fire when it mattered, ran through the postseason and ended the year by lifting the Brad Little Cup.

So while everyone else can talk about last year's standings, the Pistols can simply point at the trophy.

They enter 2026–27 as the defending TOHL champions — and everybody gets a shot at them now.

🔴 STIFF STIXX — 3-20-2 | 72 GF | 146 GA

There are two ways to look at last season.

One involves the numbers.

We're choosing the other one.

The Stiff Stixx come into 2026–27 with absolutely nothing to lose and nowhere to go but up.

And that's actually what makes them interesting.

A couple new faces, a few more saves, a few more goals and suddenly the team everyone pencilled in for an easy two points isn't quite so easy anymore.

Besides, every great sports movie starts with a team nobody believes in.

We assume the montage begins Monday.

🏆 SO WHO WINS IT?

That's what we're about to find out.

The T-Birds come in after a 15-win season.

The Blue Jackets bring the league's most dangerous offence and unfinished business.

EMO sits right on the edge of breaking through.

The Pistols have the trophy.

And the Stiff Stixx have the opportunity to ruin everyone's predictions.

Twenty-five games told us plenty about these teams last year.

They won't mean much once the puck drops Monday.

🔥 OPENING NIGHT — MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH

BLUE JACKETS vs. PISTOLS

A rematch of last year's Brad Little Cup Final kicks off the 2026–27 TOHL season.

Five teams.

One Cup.

Hundreds of questionable line changes.

At least a few guys who will claim they haven't touched the ice since March after scoring twice.

And another season of TOHL hockey.

Welcome back. 🏒

👇 Let's hear the predictions — who's winning the Brad Little Cup this season?