Windy City Clubs Set Early Pace as MIHA Opens Weekend Play at Salt Creek

SALT CREEK, Ill. — The MIHA 2026-27 season opened this weekend with 25 games across the King Division and the 5iveHole Division, all played Saturday and Sunday at Salt Creek. Two Windy City clubs set the early tone while several other matchups stayed close from start to finish.

In the 5iveHole Division, the Windy City Syndicate went a perfect 4-0 and looked sharp throughout the weekend, following up Saturday wins with another pair of victories on Sunday. The Windy City Pigeons and the Michigan Mad Dogs each finished 3-1, with Mad Dogs grinding out a shootout win and an overtime win to close their weekend on a high note.

The King Division offered more back-and-forth hockey. Wisconsin Kill Squad went 3-1, including a 6-5 shootout loss to the Chicago Salty Ducks on Saturday and a 4-3 overtime win on Sunday. Chicago Salty Ducks finished 2-2, Windy City Syndicate King went 2-1 after a Sunday defeat to the Michigan Mallards, and the Mallards closed at 2-3 after several one-goal games.

Tight finishes defined much of the weekend. Beyond Kill Squad's shootout with the Salty Ducks, Floss & Sauce, Mad Town Monsters and the Mallards each traded narrow results through Sunday, and several 5iveHole Division games also needed overtime or a shootout to decide a winner.

With Ice opening Oct. 10, Chicago weekend one leaves Syndicate in the 5iveHole Division as the early frontrunner and a slate of King Division games that showed how competitive the field can be when the scores stay close.