Wellington Hockey is excited to share the key season dates for 2026, giving our community an early look at another big year of hockey ahead.

These dates provide a helpful overview for players, families, clubs, officials, and volunteers to begin planning across summer, winter, school, and representative hockey. While all dates are expected to be final, they remain subject to change and any updates will be communicated promptly.

Key Dates at a Glance

Summer Season

Summer Hockey

• Term 1 Summer Hockey (Sixes and Elevens): 27–28 January – 3–4 March

• Hockey Nines Tournament: 7–8 March

• Term 4 Summer Hockey (Sixes and Elevens): 27–28 October – 1–2 December

• Local Masters Competition: 15 October – 3 December

Winter Season

Open Grade Hockey

• Opening Weekend: No earlier than 21–22 March

• Intercity Competition Starts: 9 May

• Intercity Finals: 13 June

• Finals Weekend (All Grades): No later than 22–23 August

Secondary School Hockey

• P1 & P2 Grades Start: 1 May

• Junior Grades Start: 6 May

• P3 & P4 Grades Start: 7 May

• College Finals Week: 19–21 August

• Winter Tournament Week: 31 August – 5 September

Junior Hockey

• Junior Hockey Starts: 2 May

• No Play (Public / School Holidays): 30 May, 4 July, 11 July

• Junior Hockey Concludes: 12 September

Tournaments & Events

Hosted in Wellington

• Educare Under 21 Invitational Tournament: 3–5 July

• National Hockey Championship (NHC): 13–19 September

• Jenny Hair Cup (Tier 3 Secondary School Tournament): 31 August – 4 September

Other Key Tournaments

• National Masters: 22–28 February

• National Under 18 Championships: 5–11 July

• National Under 16 Championships: 3–7 October

Other Important Dates

WHA & Governance

• WHA Office Re-opens: 12 January

• Special General Meeting: 16 February

• Annual General Meeting: 30 March

• WHA Awards Evening: 20 October

Download the Full 2026 Key Dates

For a full breakdown of competitions, tournaments, and key deadlines, download the complete 2026 Key Season Dates document below.

We look forward to another exciting year of hockey in 2026 and can’t wait to share more details as the season approaches.