Some prominent entities in the United States’ east coast hockey community are joining forces.
It was announced this week that Black Bear Sports Group, the United States Premier Hockey League and the Tier-1 Hockey Federation are entering into a new collaboration for their youth hockey programs.
Teams of all ages from across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania will now play in the THF-USPHL South Division (shortened to “THF South”). Meanwhile, 18U, 16U and 15O teams in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts will play in the USPHL-THF North Division (“USPHL North”), which will be administered by the THF. The youth teams of the USPHL North Member clubs will remain in their current leagues.
The two divisions discussed above will compete at season’s end for a USPHL Championship.
“Through our collaboration with the USPHL, the THF is now a one-of-a-kind organization in that we are the only group with clubs that operate from ‘cradle to college,’ from Mite through Midget at the youth level and every level of junior hockey developing players for NCAA Division-I, II and III schools,” said Murry N. Gunty, Founder and CEO of Black Bear Sports Group. “We are honored to collaborate with the USPHL and their member clubs, and look forward to building upon all of their successes to date.”
The power of 1️⃣ @USPHL https://t.co/jfdCnjwSPw pic.twitter.com/9R770g2rve
— T1HockeyFed (@T1HockeyFed) March 7, 2022
Tony Zasowski, previously the director of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL), has been named commissioner of the THF. Zasowski brings a wealth of experience to the new role, having led one of the largest youth hockey leagues in the U.S., in addition to his work with the NAHL Central Scouting, prospects tournaments and combines initiatives.
“I am excited to work with all of our member clubs in the THF and USPHL to build one of the top Tier-1 organizations in the country,” said Tony Zasowski, Commissioner of the THF. “We have an amazing group of operators that will support the growth and placement of all our hockey players to the highest levels.”
The Mercer Chiefs will also be purchasing a Tier-2 NCDC junior hockey franchise, and field a team in the 2022-23 season.
“The Mercer Chiefs have a long history of success at the youth level so we are thrilled to have them join us in the NCDC,” said Bob Turow, Commissioner of the USPHL. “We believe this association at the Midget and youth levels will strengthen both of our organizations.”
For more information regarding the latest youth hockey news from around the world, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube!
March is the final month of competition in all eight districts of the Russian Hockey Federation (FHR). Each district recognizes champions at each of the age groups between 2005 and 2011 birth years. District play spans throughout the entire season with a round-robin format in which teams played one another. The team with the most points in the standings after all games are completed would earn the title as champion of their respective district.
District champions of three oldest age groups – 2005, 2006 and 2007 – earn an automatic bid to the 2022 Championships of Russia, slated to begin in late April. This is a similar format to that of USA Hockey and its 12 districts.
The FHR is broken up into nine districts across the country:
With district championships nearing their conclusions, first-place finishers will advance to their respective national tournaments.
The 2006 age group will be the first to take the ice, when teams come together in St. Petersburg from April 28 to May 8. After that, the 2007s will compete in Sochi at the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics from May 14 – 24. The oldest group, the 2005s, will overlap a bit with the U15s as their tournament will run from May 16 – 26 in Chelyabinsk.
All three tournaments will follow a similar format to that of district championships. Teams will play a round-robin format schedule. The team with the most points in the standings at the end of the tournament will once again be crowned as national champion.
World Hockey Hub will have continued coverage of all three Russian national championships, featuring top players, highlights, recaps and more. Be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest regarding Russia youth hockey.
Some of the best 2009-born teams collided in Florida this past weekend for a star-studded tournament in Clearwater.
The Paradise Cup – a collaborative effort between Exposure Hockey and Eastside Elite Hockey – brought together 26 of the best ’09 teams, including six of the World Hockey Hub’s top 10 American teams, as well as a tournament team from Massachusetts.
It was a whole lot of fun at the rink, and probably just as much off of it. Participants had the opportunity to learn from Stanley Cup champions Kris Versteeg, Trevor Daley and Steven Oleksy before a kickoff party at Hogan’s Hangout – which featured appearances from WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, and his daughter Brooke, as well as fellow wrestling entertainment icon Ric Flair.
Champions were crowned in three divisions – the Warrior Division, the GELSTX Division and the LiveBarn Division – at the end of a wild weekend on the Gulf of Mexico.
TP3 Hockey, the Massachusetts team mentioned above, won the 12-team Warrior Division, while Florida Alliance took the eight-team GELSTX bracket and Team Maryland claimed the six-team LiveBarn group.
The TP3 boys – coached by former NHL defenseman Tom Poti – played to an undefeated weekend, registering four wins and two ties in a stacked Warrior division.
They started things off with a 4-2 win over the No. 8 ranked Pittsburgh Penguins Elite on Wednesday morning, before posting a dominating 8-1 win over HoneyBaked a few hours later. On Thursday, TP3 played to a pair of 4-4 ties, first against the Dallas Stars Elite and then against the St. Louis AAA Blues.
That was enough to put TP3 comfortably in the elimination rounds. There, they started with a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in their lone Friday game. On Saturday, they muscled out a 5-4 win over the Blues in a semifinal rematch, and TP3 capped things off with a title on Championship Sunday in another rematch, this time with the Penguins Elite.
Massimo Santa Maria recorded six goals and seven assists for 13 points in the six games for TP3 to lead the tournament in scoring. Braiden Scuderi and Rocco Pelosi both had eight points apiece. James Bronson and Maddox Franks took care of business between the pipes for TP3, as well.
The hometown Florida Alliance squad ended up with the GELSTX crown. They heated up when it came to the elimination rounds, as the Alliance beat the Colorado Thunderbirds 7-4 in the quarters before registering a 3-2 overtime thriller against HoneyBaked in the semifinals.
In the finals, Florida took down the No. 9 ranked Los Angeles Jr. Kings to drive back to their respective homes with some hardware.
Trevor Daley Jr. led the team in scoring, recording six goals and six assists for 12 total points in six games. Reese Tracy was just behind Daley with 10 points on the weekend. Leo Carvahlo and Cole Brindley were in charge of crease duties for the Alliance at the Paradise Cup.
Team Maryland thrived in the LiveBarn division, recording a 5-0-1 record during their stay in Florida. TM posted a 6-2 win over Florida Alliance Blue to start things off on Thursday, and they followed that up with a 7-0 blanking of Belle Tire later in the day. On Friday, they posted a 4-2 win over the Nashville Warriors before tying the Jersey Shore Whalers 2-2.
On Saturday, they took care of the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 3-0 in the semifinals, before finishing things off on Sunday with a 2-1 win over the Connecticut Jr. Rangers in the LiveBarn division championship.
Robert Johanson led the way for TM, racking up three goals and seven assists for 10 points in six games despite lining up as a defenseman. Brayden Godon chipped in nine points, while Christian Kolodziej had seven and Tyler Hall had six.
Other standout performances included Enzo Didomenicantonio of Little Caesars, who matched TP3’s Santa Maria for the scoring title with 13 total points. Isaac Davis of the Boston Jr. Terriers led all Paradise Cup blue liners in scoring with 12 points.
Colin Varady of the St. Louis AAA Blues, Jaydon Wrzosek of the Minutemen Flames, Ethan Sung of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings and Beckett Ertel of the Green Bay Gamblers all reached the 10-point mark in tournament play.
We’re in the home stretch of the winter season! Teams are making the final push, and World Hockey Hub will have coverage from all major youth hockey markets around the world. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest news and updates.
The boys come together to record a mailbag episode from the Paradise Cup tournament in sunny Florida! In addition to Brian’s sons’ games, The Shrinks were asked to join a few NHLers for a Q&A at the opening ceremony. Before they hit the stage, they answered your mailbag questions on: Complex tiers of club hockey-does anyone know what’s going on? Hypotheticals and philosophicals. Harry from HP and much more!!
Known globally as the premier international event in youth hockey, the World Selects Invitational (WSI) tournament series is slated to begin April 12th, and returns with high expectations for all 11 events scheduled for the 2022 spring season. From 18U girls to 2010-born boys, the mountains of Chamonix to the honky tonks of Nashville, the lineup of events is second to none for this world-class spectacle. For five consecutive weeks, elite youth hockey athletes of various age groups and genders will compete in exotic cities in the ultimate clash of culture and competition.
14U Girls Elite in Chamonix, France
April 12 – 16, 2022
Some of the best amateur girls hockey players on the planet will be in the resort area where France, Switzerland and Italy all come together in the heart of Europe. Near the base of Mont Blanc — the highest summit in the Alps — the only thing more unique than the scenic landscape is the backdrop at the Courmayeur Ice Rink. This event is typically the first opportunity for girls athletes to experience the WSI; a starting point for future events and locations in the years that follow.
15U Girls Elite in Chamonix, France
April 19 – 23, 2022
Less than 48 hours after the 14U girls vacate the rink, hotels, local shops and restaurants, the 15U girls pick up right where their younger counterparts leave off. More exciting action, more sight-seeing and another world champion crowned after the older girls take their turn on the ice. Current NCAA standout and Canadian native, Katie Chan holds the all-time tournament scoring record with 23; a mark that hasn’t been touched since 2015.
12U Boys Elite in Bolzano, Italy
April 26 – 30, 2022
A team from Canada or Russia has accounted for each of the last five 12U Elite championships. The best boys from the 2010-birth year and below will take to the ice in the South Tyrol city of Bolzano. PalaOnda Ice Arena has hosted several WSIs in previous years, and will do so once again with teams from around the world expected to be in attendance. In 2016, Matthew Savoie (28), Ivan Miroshnichenko (27) and Shane Wright (22) finished one, two and three in scoring in what proved to be one of the highest-scoring events in the tournaments’ history. Six years later, that trio of names is slated to be high first-round picks in this summer’s NHL Draft.
14U Boys Elite in Bolzano, Italy
May 3 – 7, 2022
The boys go back-to-back in Bolzano, with the 14U Elites stepping in the very next week. The 2008s were supposed to make their WSI debut in the spring of 2020, before COVID-19 shut down — or restricted — international travel for the next 18 months. So two years later, the world will get its first look at top-level 14U talent. The past five teams to win the 14U tournament have come from five different countries: East Coast Selects (USA), DraftDay (CAN), RUSS Moscow (RUS), Finland Selects (FIN) and Czech Selects (CZE). The 2022 event is anyone’s to win.
2009 Boys AAA in Chamonix, France
May 4 – 7, 2022
The AAA series of WSI tournaments is unique, in that it works similar to that of relegation and promotion in soccer leagues. If a team wins the AAA tournament, they could find themselves competing in the elite event the following season. It’s a way for any AAA-level player to enjoy the same experience as the elite events, while potentially earning a spot in the following season’s premier field of teams. One of four WSI events — joining 14U and 15U girls, and 13U boys elite — slated to be in Chamonix, it is the most WSI tournaments hosted in one location in a single season.
2010 Boys AAA in Prague, Czech Republic
May 4 – 7, 2022
The first event of the spring in the city of Prague, this field of teams will have a heavy European contingent. In fact, it will be the most diverse group out of all WSI events with representatives from Alps, Austria, Czech, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Ukraine. The week will be filled with the beautiful sights of medieval castles and gothic cathedrals, as well as an competitive champion looking to climb the WSI ladder to greater heights in the years to come.
15U Boys Elite in Nashville, Tennessee, USA
May 10 – 15, 2022
DraftDay is the reigning, defending, two-time champion of the 15U Elite tournament. The event moved to the Music City for the first time last summer, and will return again this May. The best 2007-born athletes on the planet will be on-hand to compete for the world championship in one of the most highly-scouted events of the summer. Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Adam Fox, Andrei Svechnikov, Miro Heiskanen, Moritz Seider, Trevor Zegras… More than 400 current, former, and soon-to-be NHL players first competed in this very tournament. Get your first look at the next wave of elite hockey talent right here.
13U Boys Elite in Chamonix, France
May 10 – 14, 2022
Running parallel to the ‘07s, the best ‘09s will be competing at the same time, just on the other end of the globe. With great coordination, the team at World Hockey Group is able to plan and execute multiple events in multiple countries, seamlessly. European teams have won three of the last four 13U world championships, and will once again feature a heavy contingent of nearby teams. Belarus, Czech, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden are expected to be represented, among others. A 13-year-old Connor Bedard once led this tournament in scoring with 32 points in seven games and didn’t win the championship.
2008 Boys AAA in Prague, Czech Republic
May 11 – 14, 2022
The last boys event in Europe for 2022, it will run concurrently to the 13U Elite event which will be happening less than 1,000 kilometers away from each other. The Letňany Ice Rink has been home to several WSI champions in years past, and 12 teams will have a shot at being the next to do so in 2022. “The City of A Hundred Spires” has breath-taking sight lines of old architecture and beautiful bridges that span across the Vltava River. The boys’ European finale should feature plenty of fireworks with teams from as many as 11 different countries.
16U Boys Elite in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
May 26 – 30, 2022
The United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection are slated to take place just days before this event. Many of the 2006-born participants in this tournament will be fresh off having their names called in one or both leagues, and should be one of the biggest events of the summer for the age group. Hosted in the heart of college hockey country, it’s an easy destination for nearby scouts to get to, with more than a dozen Division-I universities within an hour drive of the venue.
18U Girls Elite in Prague, Czech Republic
July 27 – 30, 2022
The finale of the World Selects tournament series, the oldest age group of girls has closed things out as the final event of the season for the last several years. Hosted in one of the most historic and colorful cities in Europe, Prague is filled with old architecture, beautiful scenery and excellent hockey at the nearby ice arena. Typically one of the smaller fields of teams, the 18U group only consists of eight-to-ten teams, providing for a very intimate and exclusive experience for participating players.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage of all the action, highlights, recaps, top performers and more from all 11 World Selects events. Be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest regarding WSI, and learn more to get involved in future events.
To some extent we all understand that confidence is a helpful approach to success. Confident folks show up ready to take on the day’s challenges. Confident athletes show up ready to compete. They fully believe in their abilities. They know that they will give their opponent a run for their money.
Myth: Confidence Is For The Few
Some believe that confidence is reserved for only a small group of people. They believe that confidence is something a person is born with, like a personality trait. There are traits like charisma and being outgoing that are at times thought of as confidence. But those traits do not equal confidence.
We have seen stories and known of people who have a quiet confidence who would not fit the description of a highly social person. Essentially, confidence is not limited to extroverts or those who can walk into a room and command attention, but for introverts and those who fly under the radar of mass attention.
Confidence is not a trait. A person is not born confident. Confidence is a mindset.
Myth: You Have To Be Winning To Be Confident
Others believe that in order to be confident you have to have won; that you have to have a winning record to be confident or that you have to have some sort of proof to be confident. Confidence is not just given to a person.
Just because you have won does not mean you are automatically confident.
Winning helps. Knowing that you have the skill to win in competition, beat out opponents, and you have what it takes to reach your goals does build confidence. But winning is not necessary to be confident. You can be an underdog and be confident. You can be a backup goalie or be on the fourth line and still be confident. Confidence is a mindset.
Confidence Is A Choice
When I first learned that confidence could be a choice, I didn’t believe it. If confidence was a choice then I would be confident, why wouldn’t I choose to be confident all the time. Why aren’t all people automatically confident if we can just choose it? I didn’t buy into the idea that a person could actively choose to be confident.
However, if you break it down you can begin to see how a person, athlete, or coach can choose confidence. Confidence is the unshakable belief in your ability. The belief in yourself is a thought process. Our minds can choose what thoughts to repeat, what thoughts to listen to, and what thoughts to interrupt. The constant self-talk statement of doubt or unworthiness certainly is not going to help a person be confident when the pressure is up. In fact, not only will it lead to a decrease in personal confidence but it also leads to poor performance. The athlete who is constantly questioning their ability will completely shut down after a mistake.
But a confident athlete can choose their thoughts to say, “I’m ready,” “I’ve trained for this,” and “No one will outwork me.” An athlete who tells themselves confident statements is going to be better prepared for competition and bounce back more quickly if they make a mistake. The more confident thoughts an athlete has, the stronger his or her belief becomes in their ability to perform. As this belief is continuously reinforced by confident thinking, the athlete builds and maintains a sense of confidence.
Start Choosing Confidence
Make a list of at least 10 positive confidence-building statements. The idea of 10 may seem like it’s not too many, but it can be tough to think of statements that actually mean something to you.
If you get 10 easily, push for 15–20. Once you have the list, read and reread it again. Build the reading this list into your routines. The more you go over the list the more the statements will ring true to you. Your pattern of thoughts will develop your mindset. Thinking specific confidence boosting thoughts will strengthen specific neural-pathways in your brain. The statements will become an automatic response when you’re faced with difficult or challenging times. You will maintain a sense of belief and confidence by choosing a confident mindset. This mindset determines your behavior and subsequently your performance.
By Blaise Fayolle, EdD, CMPC, LLPC
Blaise Fayolle holds a doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology and is credentialed as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® through the Associated for Applied Sport Psychology. Blaise is also a licensed mental health professional in Michigan.
World Hockey Events is headed to Hockeytown, USA for the first ever AAA Spring Invite. Eighty Elite and AAA programs from all across North America are headed to the Motor City on April 22nd for a tournament that’s guaranteed to be an instant classic. Bragging rights are on the line for Michigan programs as they look to defend their home turf against teams from New Jersey, Tennessee, Nebraska, New York, and New Hampshire. Nobody does hockey better than the city of Detroit, and this tournament better be on your spring team’s to-do list.
“The World Hockey Events team is chomping at the bit to kick this thing off,” said Jason Deskins, National Director of Recruitment at Total Package Hockey. “This is the first tournament we’ve developed under the newly formed World Hockey Events umbrella, and we can already tell that we’ve got a recipe for success. Our team has over 20 years of tournament experience, so it only made sense to host our first event in America’s favorite hockey city. We can’t wait for you and your team to experience the inaugural AAA Spring Invite.”
All of the action is going down at two of the metro area’s premier hockey venues; Troy Sports Center and Viking Ice Arena. Combined, the two facilities feature six full-sized rinks, which is more than enough ice for the 200-plus games taking place over the tournament’s three-day span. Not to mention, each venue is conveniently located near plenty of places to grab a bite, pick up a new stick, or take your mind off the game for a bit.
Already looking for things to do in the area? You came to the right spot! Detroit has no shortage of off-ice activities, whether you’re looking for team bonding experiences or some plain, old R&R. The AAA Spring Invite takes place just a quick ride away from the Arena District, which is home to four professional sports teams. Plus, you can’t forget about all of the spots to grab a team dinner on Detroit’s renowned Monroe Street. All parents and coaches are highly encouraged to round out the weekend by sharing a pint at the home of All Day IPA, Founders Brewing Company.
A tournament built by the best in the game, for the best in the game. What more could you ask for? Click HERE to register for the AAA Spring Invite!
Want more from World Hockey Events? Check out our complete lineup of tournaments HERE.
The 60th edition of the Silver Sticks tournament took on a new look this season. Due to challenges regarding international travel and commuting across the U.S.-Canada border, the 2021-22 tournament was split into two events, with one crowning a Canadian champion and the other anointing an American champion.
While Canadian victors were determined in the fall, the American half of the tournament took place in Port Huron, Mich., over this past weekend. Teams from across the country showed up on a mission to leave the Great Lakes State with a shiny silver stick and banner.
The 2007 and 2009 birth-years in the United States had a big weekend, as teams converged in metro Detroit to battle for one of the coolest trophies in youth hockey.
For the 12U team that captured the title, the drive home’s pretty short. The 14U team had a bit more of a commute, but still manageable.
Little Caesars won the 2009 birth year division, while Chicago Mission won the 2007 division. They both did so in convincing fashion amongst intimidating fields of competition.
Mission, specifically, had to navigate a field with three other teams ranked in the top 10 of the country. They ran into two of those during their trip to the top, but Mission — ranked No. 2 in the country — made sure to live up to their billing.
The Chicago contingent put the 16-team field on notice when they posted a 7-1 win over the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers on Jan. 6 to open the tournament in impressive fashion.
The following day, they scored 11 goals in two games, while only allowing two. Mission started with a 6-2 win over the No. 8 Northeast Wisconsin Jr. Gamblers before shutting out the Colorado Thunderbirds 5-0 in their nightcap.
To wrap up the preliminary round on Jan. 8, Mission muscled through to a 3-1 win over Victory Honda, securing top billing in the elimination rounds. In the quarters later that night, they posted a 4-1 win over Cleveland Barons Elite.
On Championship Sunday, Mission started things off with a 3-1 win over No. 6 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, which locked them in for a date with the Long Island Gulls in the final. The Gulls had eliminated No. 10 Compuware in the semifinals, but their luck ran out against Mission, as the black and neon green-clad squad skated away with the Silver Stick in a 5-2 championship matchup.
With the victory, the Mission ‘07s gave their parent club a Silver Stick winning streak, after they had also captured the Bantam AAA championship the last time the tournament was played in 2020.
At the 12U level, the ‘hometown’ Little Caesars bunch emerged victorious from a 12-team collection in Port Huron.
It was a familiar collection of Michigan and Illinois teams, as five of the eight Michigan AAA programs — Little Caesars, Compuware, HoneyBaked, Belle Tire and the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies — competed with Chicago Mission, Windy City Storm and Chicago Fury. The three outliers were the Northeast Wisconsin Jr. Gamblers, Arizona Jr. Sun Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
Caesars started things off with a 5-2 win over the Gamblers in their Thursday night opener. On Friday, they woke up bright and early to beat Mission 4-1 in an 8 a.m. contest before wrapping up the day in the afternoon with a 2-1 win over the Sun Devils.
A 6-3 win over rival Compuware gave Caesars a spot in the semifinals, where they dominated the Windy City Storm 6-0.
In the championship contest, they ignored the Penguins’ No. 10 U.S. ranking and beat them handedly, capturing the Silver Stick hardware with a 4-1 win.
It wasn’t the usual size and scale, but it was great to see that the U.S. Silver Stick Finals were able to take place this past weekend. Over the following weekends, the tournament will crown champions at the 10U A, 10U AA, 12U A, 12U AA, 14U A, 14U AA, 16U A and 16U AA levels.
Want more coverage of youth hockey events like Silver Sticks? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest up-to-date news, highlights, rankings and more from the world of youth hockey!
It’s a good news, bad news type of situation for the young players who thought they would be having the opportunity to participate in one of hockey’s most prestigious tournaments in February.
Organizers for the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament announced on Thursday that their event will not be played next month.
However, the tournament will still take place — barring any future setbacks — in May.
With Canada’s provinces entering into various forms of lockdowns to combat the latest spread of COVID-19, the Quebec tournament is the latest casualty.
“It is highly unlikely that the situation will resolve itself to such an extent that the tournament can be held in February,” said Patrick Dom, general manager of the Pee-Wee Tournament, in a press release. “We believed in it until the end, but now it’s better to move forward with another solution. We have evaluated the different alternatives over the last few days and the best option for us is really to postpone early May.”
The press release went on to state that the organizers held discussions with various teams, volunteers, partners, funders and others in coming to the conclusion to reschedule the tournament.
Last year, the Quebec-based premiere youth hockey event was cancelled entirely as Canada’s youth hockey community missed an entire season due to COVID-19.
The revamped tournament will now take place May 1-15 with a new structure. From May 1-8, the AA-Elites, AA and A divisions will play their games, and from May 9-15 the AAA, BB and school divisions will play. It will be the first time that the tournament is played in the spring.
“It wasn’t a simple task to move the tournament,” Dom said. “Our biggest challenge was the availability of the Videotron Center. It is between shows and games of the Remparts de Québec that the schedule will be built. We have no choice but to hold the event over two weeks to get it all together.”
As the announcement has just been made, it’s unclear what it will mean for the teams originally slated to participate, as well as if this will offer an opportunity for more teams to participate. The announced field for the 2021 tournament had 32 teams from six countries committed; all of the players had to have two vaccination shots by a Feb. 2 cut-off date.
You can read more about what was expected for the February edition of the tournament here.
For more updates regarding PeeWee Quebec, and other news from the world of youth hockey, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.
With the province of Ontario entering a lockdown reminiscent of the initial COVID-19 wave in 2020, Canada’s largest hockey league has hit pause once again.
The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) officially announced a halt in operations Monday, following the announcement from the Ontario government that youth hockey — like most everything else — would be put on the shelves until further notice.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is sweeping through North America and causing another round of disruptions for normal activities in the youth hockey community.
Per the Government of Ontario’s new temporary restrictions, the province moves to a ‘Stage Two of the Roadmap to Reopen’ plan. That means indoor sports are paused for a period of at least 21 days beginning on Jan. 5 at 12:01 a.m. Indoor sports facilities are closed until at least Jan. 26.
Similar lockdown measures are being enforced in British Columbia and Quebec, the latter of which has a strict 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. complete curfew.
An ominous photo of hockey nets padlocked together on an outdoor rink in Quebec has been making the rounds on social media as a statement about the severity of the lockdown.
The Quebec government has locked together hockey goals to prevent children from playing outdoor hockey. pic.twitter.com/7XyF0sPFyq
— Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) January 2, 2022
The GTHL Top Prospects Game, originally scheduled to take place on Jan. 13, has been postponed, and a new date will be announced when the lockdown measures are lifted.
The Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic, an annual tournament that brings top talent from both Canada and the U.S. together, was a recent casualty, as well.
No official word yet on the status of the Quebec International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament; the iconic event was slated to proceed as usual after some heavy lifting by tournament organizers to secure fully vaccinated teams from six different countries.
“As we continue with our provincial vaccine booster efforts, we must look at every option to slow the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant,” Ontario premier Doug Ford said in the official release from the province announcing the new policies. “Putting these targeted and time-limited measures in place will give us more opportunity to deliver vaccines to all Ontarians and ensure everyone has maximum protection against this virus.”
Canadian youth hockey players lost the entire 2020-21 hockey season, and the hope was that it would be the only time a youth hockey generation would have to experience something so drastic. With the IIHF World Junior Championship canceled, NHL games being postponed, it’s hard to know when Canadian hockey players will be able to get back onto the ice, but we hope it will be as soon as possible.
For more news from the world of youth hockey, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.