This week, eight teams from eight countries will lace up the skates at the 2011 Elite World Selects Invitational in Bolzano, Italy. The Czech Knights will have their sights set on repeating as 12U champions, as their 2010 squad won the championship last year. But they will not be the only ones with aspirations of adding to their trophy case. Pro Hockey, a collection of North American players, will be in search of its third championship. They won back-to-back in 2015 and 2016, and most recently 2019. Finland Selects, winners in 2013, will also be on the hunt to be the last team standing.
Making things interesting will be that all three teams will play one another during pool play. The Knights open their schedule against Finland before taking on Pro Hockey on Thursday. Finland will cash with Pro Hockey on Wednesday, which is the third game for each squad out of five pool play contests. Joining them will be Sweden Selects, Slovakia Selects, Südtirol, ALPS Selects and Latvia Selects. Following the opening round, all eight teams will be seeded 1-8 for the playoff rounds which begins on Friday. The semifinals and championship game will both take place on Saturday.
Pro Hockey will consist of some of the best 2011-born talent in Canada. Tyson Orr, defenseman for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Rouhi Assal of the Vaughan Kings bring their talents to the team. Both the Jr. Canadiens and Kings are among the premier teams in the World Rankings.
Finland Selects roster will consist of numerous teammates from various Finnish programs. Defenseman Justus Liikanen, forward Viljam Huuskonen and goaltender Alex Oliver Maslov all hail from KJT Hockey. Manu Vähäsöyrinki and Richard WEI, a pair of forwards from Kiekko-Espoo Blues, will bolster scoring depth. Joining them will be K-Espoo Blues teammate Eemeli Salminen, whose task it will be to help patrol the blue line.
The Czechs have two pairs of players from the same team. Goaltender Nikita Kuzin and defenseman Kirill Rudenko from Slavia Praha. Coming from BK Mlada Boleslav are defenseman David Skořepa and goaltender Milan Kobrle. Viggbyholms IK and Värmdö will have multiple representatives on Sweden. Latvia’s roster will largely be made up of players from HS Riga and Prizma. These are collectively the skaters on each team with experience playing with each other in competitive action. Chemistry that should lead to thrilling plays and exciting matchups throughout the duration of the showcase.
Want more coverage of the 2023 World Selects Invitational series? WHH is the exclusive media provider of all 12 WSI events, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news!
The 2023 12U World Selects Trophy was held this week in Bolzano, Italy. Eight teams from seven different countries participated in the annual tournament. The players were not distracted from the stunning views and food of the host city, as the games were action–packed with great talent on display. In the end, Toronto Elite emerged victorious over Pro Hockey after getting hot once the playoff round kicked off on Saturday. Here’s how they got to the final contest, and who were the biggest performers.
Despite scoring first in its introductory matchup of the tournament, Toronto was unable to keep the Czech Knights at bay for the rest of the contest. The Knights went on to score three unanswered goals. Despite a heroic performance in net by Ethan Rodrigues, where he made 32 saves on 35 shots, Toronto was unable to claw its way back. It was a difficult game for Elite to stay out of the penalty box as well, as they were whistled for six infractions. The Czechs were able to take advantage of two of those power plays.
Following that loss, Toronto regrouped and posted wins against Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Latvia to close out pool play. In total, they out-scored their opponents in that run 21-6. The squad displayed great depth as well, with 12 of its 14 skaters recording at least one point across the preliminary round. Finishing first among the team were Liam Kozlowski and Adrian Leung, who had identical stat lines of four goals and three assists. Numbers that were good enough to tie with five other players for fifth overall among all skaters. Goaltending also played a crucial role in Toronto’s pool play performance. While Rodrigues continued to get playing time, Jordan Strathlee emerged as a valuable asset to form a dynamic tandem. He would finish with a 1.00 goals-against average and .931 save percentage over the club’s first five games. The two also each recorded a shutout.
Finishing with a 4-1-0 record, Toronto secured the No. 2-seed heading into the playoff round, which gave them a bye into the semifinals. Joining them with a straight ticket to round 2 was the No. 1-seeded Knights. No. 3-seed Slovakia guaranteed a matchup with Toronto with a victory over Latvia in the quarterfinals. The Czechs were positioned to battle No. 5-seed Pro Hockey in their quarterfinal clash.
Caden Down finished pool play with two goals and five points, and didn’t miss a beat once the playoffs began. His goal in the first period against Slovakia ignited a three-goal opening frame for Toronto. In the second, Jordan Hussain emerged as a secondary scoring threat. With Toronto holding to a 4-2 lead, Hussain struck twice in just over a minute to open up a 6-2 lead in the second period. He added a third point with an assist on Cameron Steven’s late goal in regulation to wrap up a 7-2 win. Pro Hockey defeated Finland in the semifinals, which set up a tilt with the heavily-favored Knights. After the Czechs scored first, Finn Helminen responded quickly for Pro Hockey and tied the game at 1.
Pro Hockey scored twice more early in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Showing their resolve, the Knights found their way back to evening the score with two goals from Petr Potač. Lachlan McGuire stunned the Czechs when he put home a shot with just over a minute left in regulation. A win that set up a championship game meeting with Toronto.
The opening frame was a statement from Toronto, where they opened up a 4-1 lead by its end. Down scored twice, and Hussein notched another assist on a goal from Leung. Lachlan McGuire managed to get Pro Hockey on the board to make it a 2-1 game before Toronto redoubled the lead. Despite numerous attempts to cut into the deficit, Pro Hockey was unable to get back in the game. A big reason for that was the team’s ability to keep McGuire in check for the second period. As a result, they were crowned 2011-born champions with a 5-2 final. McGuire finished pool play second overall in scoring with four goals and nine points. He had six goals and seven points to his name heading into the championship game. Hussein and Down ended up tied for second in playoff scoring with Pro Hockey’s Brendan Rogers with four points each.
Want more coverage of the 2023 World Selects Invitational series? WHH is the exclusive media provider of all 12 WSI events, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news!
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN — Today, PLAY Hockey announced the acquisition of the World Hockey Group’s (WHG) North American and European events. The acquisition expands PLAY Hockey’s global youth hockey events in Europe and North America. With the addition of the WHG, PLAY Hockey is now proud to host guests at over 90 events each year in addition to operating over 400 youth hockey teams.
“This strategic acquisition allows us to align the two most prestigious youth hockey brands.” said Josh Thiem, President of PLAY Hockey. “This could not have been completed without the excellent work of our corporate development team that is constantly looking for opportunities to enhance our portfolio of hockey events, and by extension, the opportunities and experiences we are able to provide to players and families.”
The addition of the WHG will merge two prominent youth hockey tournaments hosted in Europe, the World Youth Championships and World Selects Invitational (WSI), creating the most elite youth hockey event in the world. PLAY Hockey is also proud to add the North American WSI hockey events to its roster.
“This allows us to expand global opportunities for elite youth hockey players and scale up experiences for players,” said Sergai Zak, World Selects Invitational general manager. “We will now be able to deliver even more valuable opportunities for players and their families across the world.”
About PLAY Hockey
PLAY Hockey Canada and its solely owned subsidiary PLAY Hockey USA which operates as PLAY Hockey owns and operates youth hockey events in countries worldwide including Canada, USA and Europe.
About the World Hockey Group
World Hockey Group specializes in sports tours and travel throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. We offer a wide variety of experiences which includes organizing a tailored sports tour for your specific needs. Players practice, compete against, and participate in fun activities with players from many different countries. Guests also tour their destination cities, taking in area attractions including museums, historic sites, and natural wonders.
Some of the top young prospects in youth hockey will converge on Toronto for the HHOF Future Legends Invitational. Established in 2017, this invite-only event was designed to showcase some of the top talent at the boys U12 age level and girls U13 age level.
The tournament is unique to youth hockey for a multitude of reasons. The main one being that upon arrival, individual players are unaware of what team they will be competing for in the tournament. It’s not until the opening ceremonies on Thursday afternoon, when players are ‘drafted’ onto evenly balanced teams. Those teams are named after iconic Hockey Hall of Famers such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, among others.
Once assigned to a tournament team, players compete in four pool-play games before a single-elimination tournament starts on Saturday. In addition to playing high-level hockey against top competition, players are thrust into a locker room with new teammates. Former winter club teammates also transition to foes, as they compete against one another for the weekend.
The weekend’s festivities include a private viewing of the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto. Participants can get an up close, intimate look at the Stanley Cup, and other historical pieces.
The Future Legends Invitational is still in its infancy, compared to the rich histories of The Brick Invitational (33 years) and PeeWee Quebec (62 years). In fact, some of the earliest participants from the Future Legends tournament have yet to reach NHL Entry Draft eligibility. However, that hasn’t stopped participants such as Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer, Will Horcoff and Christian Humphries from forging a future in hockey.
After receiving exceptional status, Misa was selected first overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection as an ‘07 selected amongst players from the ‘06 birth year. One year later, Schaefer went first overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. Both were standouts from the Future Legends Invitational in 2018. Another notable alumni from that year was the first overall pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft, Gavin McKenna. The Yukon Territories native most recently set the record for most points scored in the Canada Winter Games. He’s scored 18 points in 16 WHL games already, and will play his first full season of junior hockey next fall.
In the States, Humphries was one of the top scorers this season for the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP). He was also a part of the inaugural Future Legends Invitational in 2017. One year later, Detroit native Will Horcoff would follow that path to Toronto for the invite-only showcase and compete against Misa, Schaefer, McKenna and others. More recently, one year later, Horcoff is set to follow in Humphries’ wake again to the USNTDP next fall.
Almost 200 of the top 2011-born boys youth hockey players will be in Toronto for the Future Legends Invitational. Roughly 100 girls from the same birth year, and 160 boys from the 2012 birth year will also compete in their respective age groups. Draft ceremonies are slated to begin Thursday, with off-ice combine testing and games to start shortly after.
Girls division games begin at 8 a.m. EST on Friday, while both boys divisions get underway on Thursday afternoon. All games are available to watch on HNLive.ca. Players will participate in on- and off-ice testing, meant to replicate the experience that prospects undergo during the NHL Combine. The Future Legends Invitational is an all-encompassing experience for youth hockey players to feel like the pros. Draft ceremonies, combine testing, elite-level games and exclusive tours of the Hockey Hall of Fame make this a must for top-level youth hockey players.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage of the HHOF Future Legends Invitational throughout the weekend. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
Following a solid showing at the U15 Ontario Hockey Federation championships, the 2008-born Soo Jr. Greyhounds carved out a spot in the Top 10 for the first time this season. Skating to a 6-1-1 record, they handled most teams they faced, including No. 3 Elgin-Middlesex Canucks. But it was two matchups against No. 1 Vaughan Kings that allowed them to stand out. In their first meeting, the Jr. Greyhounds bested the Kings 2-0. In a rematch with the championship on the line, Vaughan regained its form to shut out Soo 4-0. Still, a solid showing with two wins against ranked opponents gave the Soo enough of a jolt to crack the top-tier Canadian of their birth year.
Since April 15th, the Toronto Marlboros have collected three massive victories to propel them into the ‘11 Canadian Top 10. With a 6-5 win over No. 2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and a two-game sweep of No. 10 Toronto Nationals, the Marlboros made a statement among fellow Ontario programs. Going back to the beginning of the month, the Marlboros have faced off with the Jr. Canadiens three times before their most recent win. In those matchups, the Marlboros went 1-1-1. In the two battles with the Nationals, the Marlboros outscored them 12-5.
Coming in as winners of their past two contests, the SKA Silver Lions made the jump from No. 5 to No. 4 with victories over SKA Strelna and Dynamo St. Petersburg. Back on April 1st, Strelna edged past the Silver Lions in overtime, setting the stage for a rematch between the two on April 15th. Resulting in a 5–3 win, the Silver Lions leapfrogged Strelna among the Russian ‘06 Top 10.
With No. 5 CSKA Moscow idle, SKA St. Petersburg nabbed two victories to move up to No. 4 among 2008-born teams in Russia. One of those wins — a shootout victory against No. 10 SKA Strelna — continued a current four-game winning streak for the team as well. St. Petersburg has been one of the most consistent teams this season, currently sitting with a 41-0-2 record. Before a 3-2 overtime loss to Dynamo St. Petersburg on April 1st, you would have to go all the way back to January 11th to find SKA’s last loss.
Another team reaping the benefits of a major win against a fellow ranked club was the ‘11 Markham Majors. A matchup with the Sun County Panthers in the U13 All-Ontario Championships had significant tournament and rankings implications on the line. Following a scoreless first period, Markham would strike three times in the second frame to take a 3-1 lead into the third period. Justin Boudreau netted his second goal of the game to secure the 4-1 final. The Majors would go on to finish 7-0-1 with a championship and a new No. 2 spot among the Top 10 in the country. Sun County, who finished 3-4-1, dropped to No. 3.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
In May of 2022, the day started like any other for Kade O’Rourke, a 2011-born youth hockey player from Round Rock, Texas. Kade and his father, Dave, were training in Dallas preparing to leave for a tournament in Pittsburgh while Kade’s mother, Kristy, was back home. In the days leading up to the tournament, Dave and Kristy had begun to notice changes in Kade’s behavior. He was thirsty often. They found him drinking large amounts of liquid to stay hydrated in between numerous trips to the bathroom.
“Kade was waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, which is obviously not normal for a kid his age,” said Kristy. “But Dave was up in Dallas with him at the time, so I wasn’t seeing Kade every day. I would just hear about it when we would FaceTime at dinner.”
Dave and Kristy continually had discussions about whether there might be something more serious going on with Kade. One theory questioned if it could be his sugar levels, or something more serious. Dave and Kade went back home for a weekend before the tournament, but the thought of this being a larger medical issue continued to weigh on Kristy’s mind. While Dave was having a discussion with a family friend — who was a surgeon — he was questioned if Kade was losing a visible amount of weight.
“I wasn’t sure if he was dropping weight or not, so we had him go weigh himself after he changed to go swimming and he had lost nine pounds in two months,” said Kristy.
She immediately called Kade’s primary care physician to schedule an appointment in the hopes of getting to the bottom of what could be happening with her son.
Weight loss, especially the amount that Kade had dropped despite being athletic and physically active, was a big surprise. Bells and whistles of a mother’s intuition began to go off in Kristy’s head. That’s not normal. This isn’t right. Something’s wrong. When she called to get her son an appointment with the doctor, the clinic’s earliest available opening wasn’t for nearly a week. Not good enough. Eventually, the operator on the other end of Kristy’s phone managed to squeeze them in for an appointment the following Monday morning.
“We were [at the doctor] for two minutes and they’re like, ‘You have to go to the hospital right now,’” Kristy said. “If we had waited until that Tuesday, Kade might have ended up in the ICU. He might have been in D-K-A, which is diabetic ketoacidosis. His blood was point-one away from being admitted to the I-C-U. If your blood P-H value hits seven or below the doctors said you are admitted to the I-C-U and he was at seven-point-one. Another twenty-four hours? He could have been admitted.”
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a condition that develops when the human body can’t produce enough insulin. Insulin plays a key role in helping sugar enter the cells in the body. Without enough insulin, the body begins to break down fat as fuel. Hence, the reason for Kade’s unexpected weight loss, rampant thirst and frequent bathroom trips.
Some parents might chalk up early warning signs to just working hard, or normal fatigue for a child playing youth hockey at a high level.
“My fault was just being that tough guy,” said Dave. “‘Oh he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s working hard, ready for the tournament. He’s just working hard.’ I mean all credit goes to Kristy for forcing us to go to the doctor when we did.”
From one youth hockey mother to the masses, Kristy believes it’s important to ‘trust your gut’ in these situations. Don’t ignore the warning signs and keep pushing until there’s an answer. But Kade’s doctors did not diagnose the condition right away, leaving Kristy and Dave to continue to wonder what could be wrong with their son.
Left in limbo, whether it’s for a day, a month or longer, the mind of a worrying parent can spiral quickly.
“It is frightening what runs through your mind, you know, as a parent when you kind of are faced with that situation,” said Kristy.
The family immediately transitioned from the primary care doctors to Dell Children’s Medical Center as directed. They swung back by their home on their way, preparing for a lengthy stretch in the waiting room. Kade grabbed his iPad to keep himself occupied, maybe a snack or two to tide over a nagging appetite. The O’Rourke’s were ready to settle in for a few hours in uncomfortable waiting room chairs and HGTV on a nearby television. When the automatic doors opened up at the medical center, however, they got a much different experience.
“We literally got there and there were people waiting for us,” said Dave. “They didn’t know how [Kade] was walking. We sat down on the bed and they told us he was going straight to the I-C-U. And we needed to plan who went with him.”
With no family history of diabetes, or friends who dealt with it, it was going to be a crash course in learning about the autoimmune disease for the family. In the process, a ‘new normal’ would be established for the O’Rourke’s.
“I didn’t know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2,” said Dave. “I thought, ‘Oh we’ll just fix this with diet’ and you know, we’ll get through this and things like that. But we were completely clueless.”
Type 1 diabetes — Kade’s diagnosis — is a chronic condition, meaning he will likely have to manage it for the rest of his life. Management includes frequent glucose tests to check his blood sugars, administering insulin injections, monitoring his diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Kade was later admitted to Dell Children’s, where a team of educators had an entire protocol set out for the family. They provided a series of classes that gave the O’Rourke’s a wealth of information, packed into eight hours.
Mom and dad were slowly coming to grips and understanding the magnitude of the situation. When a medical professional walked in and asked Kade how he was doing, his response would jolt Kristy.
“I just asked [the doctor] if I was going to be able to play hockey again,” said Kade. “That’s when it kind of hit me.”
After all, he was the one thrust into a funny blue gown that tied in the back. He was the one laying in an uncomfortable, strange bed in an unfamiliar room. He was the one poked with a needle and administered an IV drip of insulin. Lying there confused while doctors and parents exchanged questions and answers like a volley in a tennis match. A lot for a 10-year-old to process.
“It was just scary because I didn’t know what was happening,” he said. “I was scared and crying, wondering if I would be able to play hockey again. So I was nervous.”
The short answer was yes. Kade would be able to play youth hockey again.
The long answer? It’s going to take a lot of trial and error. Days, weeks, months to figure out how to manage Kade’s blood sugar levels during strenuous exercise such as practices, games and workouts. Even then, the approach to managing his insulin could change by the day, if not the hour. Kade could certainly play hockey again, but not without a total team effort and buy-in from family, friends, teammates and coaches.
Once Kade was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, it was time for Dave and Kristy to begin to understand the scope of what goes into taking care of a child with this illness.
“They pack everything that you need to know to keep your kid alive,” said Kristy. “You have that eight-hour window of education and then they send you home and you have to know how to keep your kid alive.”
On top of that, a glucose monitor was placed on Kade right away to track his blood sugar levels at all times. The pre-teen saw it as an impromptu show-and-tell opportunity with his friends. Him and his buddies huddled around, fascinated by an electronic device monitoring what’s going on in his body in real-time.
“I just don’t know how people did it before technology,” said Kristy. “But it was overwhelming and you have to learn so much in a short amount of time before your child leaves the hospital. It was very nerve-racking but they were fantastic at the hospital.”
It was education that not only had to be done by Kade and his parents, but extended family members as well. Siblings, grandparents, anyone in the immediate circle took part in an orientation course where the whole family learned what Kade, Kristy and Dave were educated on.
None of them would be on the ice with Kade though.
Coaches, teammates, even the parent group of Kade’s new team — the 2011 Toronto Jr. Canadiens — needed to have a baseline understanding of the disease.
“I knew that it would be a challenging time for Kade and his family but I also had no doubt that he had the strength and determination to persevere,” said head coach Bryan Cameron. “It was important for myself and the J-R-C family to be a support system for Kade and the O’Rourkes.”
‘JRC family’ is right. Perhaps the most special thing for Cameron was to see how Kade’s teammates adjusted to help their newfound brother in youth hockey.
“As a team we place the utmost importance on the health and well-being of our players before anything else,” said Cameron. “Everyone responded in a supportive and caring way when they found out about Kade’s diagnosis, and made it a priority to educate themselves so they could be helpful in any way possible. I’ve noticed many acts of kindness from the kids on a day-to-day basis such as helping out with monitoring his sugar levels while he’s on the ice, and participating in fundraisers.”
Hockey is one of the more unique communities in all of sports. It’s like an unspoken fraternity. Whether its players, coaches or parents, there’s an instant bond formed when you cross paths with a stranger. Very few outside the sport understand the challenges and struggles, triumphs and memories. The long car rides to the rink. Weekend tournaments. Mini-sticks in the hotel hallways. Smelly gear. Moms wrapped up in blankets sitting on metal bleachers. Dads lined along the glass of the offensive zone. Conversations completely change when, “Oh, I play hockey too!” or “What age level do you coach?” and, “We’re heading to (insert far away city) here for a tournament.”
So when the O’Rourke’s were thrust into a crash course on insulin, glucose levels and dietary restrictions, the hockey community was there to help. His new team provided an invaluable support system during this transitory phase. One that even included inactive goalies on the bench monitoring his glucose while Kade was on the ice for a shift. Additionally, fellow teammate Markus Maier would be a conduit to another valuable resource for the O’Rourke’s.
“My nephew and Kade play on the same hockey team,” said Deborah Maier, founder of GoodieGoodies Organic. “My brother was having Kade and his parents over one weekend and asked me to make some desserts everyone could have.”
Maier is a scientist, educator and entrepreneur in the wellness and sports performance industries.
This introduction would be a game changer for the O’Rourke’s.
Over the next few months, Maier became a close family confidant that they would lean on frequently. Maier believes that with a case like Kade’s, it is not just about changing the foods that go into the body. It’s about understanding that maintaining a good diet is just one aspect of healthy living. In a sense, all aspects of healthy living are like wheels on a car, all working together.
“With Kade, I definitely focused on nutrition fundamentals and continuing education,” said Maier. “All my programs start with biological fundamentals. The body is a closed system, meaning all parts affect other parts. Nutrition has many components itself: eating, digestion, absorption and elimination. We need all these aspects to work together in balance for optimal performance. Any one aspect can prevent the other factors from functioning.”
Kade was a medical marvel. Doctors were befuddled by his body’s natural ability to handle Type 1 diabetes in his current form. When he originally came into the hospital, Kade’s blood sugar levels were in the 400s. Medical professionals say kids his age would usually be lethargic and unable to skate. Meanwhile, Kade unknowingly was on the ice for two-and-a-half hours a day and exercised frequently.
For a youth hockey player like Kade, Dave said the biggest adjustment was when to administer insulin around games.
“When you’re into what they call the ‘honeymoon phase’, that’s when the adrenaline is pumped up, so Kade is still producing some insulin,” he said. “He would go into a game or even a practice and his blood levels would go up. Well, when they go up, you have to give insulin. So he would come off the ice and we would give him an injection.”
Coming off the ice, however, there’s a natural downward trend for Kade. That meant his levels would come down at the same time he was being issued insulin. The first couple weeks back at the rink became a risky game of trial and error.
‘How much insulin do we give him?’
‘What’s the right calculation?’
‘How to approach multiple games in a day versus just a practice?’
That, and much more as the O’Rourke’s tried to navigate their new normal with a new team, no less.
One trick that helped was developing some hand signals that could be seen during the game while on the bench. for example, holding up three fingers meant Kade needed to take three sugar tabs or gummies after a shift. Pointing to the tip of your finger meant he needed to test his blood sugars between periods.
During games, a phone was set next to the non-playing goalie. That player would call out Kade’s levels to him as he came off the ice . That helped him know where he was at and what, if anything, he needed to do. Go-to snacks that worked well? Applesauce pouches, sugar tabs and gummies, Kind Bars and miniature Snickers bars. Tools like Follow App, Sugarmate and Sugar Pixel have also been extremely useful.
In the summer of 2022, Kade made the move from the Dallas Stars Elite program to the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Moving to Canada was a significant transition both on and off the ice, aside from the adjustment taking place in his life with Type 1 diabetes.
The Jr. Canadiens play in one of, if not, the most competitive youth hockey league in North America; the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). Seventy-eight alumni were on opening-night rosters when the 2022-23 NHL season began last October. Connor McDavid, Ryan O’Reilly, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Tyler Seguin… The list of former players reads more like NHL All-Star announcements, and they all got their start in the GTHL. Not only was Kade moving halfway across the continent with a newly discovered chronic illness, the level of play on the ice was fixing to ramp up as well.
“I’ve always had my eye on him as a player and when I was informed about the potential of his family relocating to Toronto for hockey, I knew our program would be pivotal in continuing his development and success in the sport,” said Cameron. “I knew Kade was the missing piece we were looking for and was happy to help with the adjustment.”
As a standout defenseman, Kade helped the Jr. Canadiens to a 67-6-3 record. They finished second in the GTHL during the regular season. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the semifinals of the playoffs by the Toronto Marlboros. Still, Kade’s JRC squad would rank as high as second in the World Rankings as one of the best 2011-born teams in youth hockey.
With invaluable resources offered up from former teammates, as well as total buy-in from their current squad, Dave, Kristy and Kade look to help others in need. A youth hockey community that has been so good to them in such a short time, they now extend a helping hand to others in similar situations.
Kade O’Rourke from the Toronto Jr Canadiens stopped by practice today & got to join the boys in a lil’ shoot out practice.
— x – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 21, 2023
You should probably watch until the end. 👀 pic.twitter.com/PiHwwdgxPH
They launched KadeORourke.com in an effort to educate people on Type 1 diabetes, as well as the Team24 fundraiser. It’s also a direct line to the O’Rourke’s who hope to help others in the youth hockey community dealing with the disease.
“We just hope this helps out other families dealing with something like this,” said Dave. “One family, one single mom, one single dad, one kid. We’re pretty blessed with Kade’s teammates helping and his coaching staff and dietitians. We’re a very blessed family that we have an unbelievable village supporting us. But, you know, there are a lot of people that don’t have that village. So if we can just help anybody out there and say ‘It’s gonna be okay’, then that’s worth it.”
Kade hopes to one day play Division-1 college hockey at the University of Michigan and ultimately, the NHL. He draws inspiration from current NHL players such as Max Domi, Kappo Kakko and Luke Kunin. All three manage diabetes while playing hockey at its highest level. Only further proving that this disease can’t hold Kade back from achieving his dreams.
For more information on how Kade and his family manage Type 1 diabetes while playing youth hockey, visit KadeORourke.com!
Hockey Quebec concluded its 2022-23 youth hockey season this weekend with the Chevrolet Cup. The tournament crowned a provincial champion as the best team in the Canadian province at the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 age groups.
The Laval Patriotes claimed two of those championships, winning the ‘10 and ‘11 tournaments. Additionally, As de Quebec won the 2009 title, while Estacades Mauricie won the 2008 playoffs and Laval/Montreal won the oldest age group as 2007 champions.
After dropping the first game of the tournament, the Patriotes rattled off four consecutive wins in three days en route to the 2011 championship. Shawn-Anthony Senat led the team in scoring with seven points in five games. Three of those came in the final two games, as Laval clinched the U12 Chevrolet Cup with a 7-1 win in the semifinal and 4-0 win in the championship.
In the U13 tournament, Mathis Khoury and Justin Cardillo proved to be a dangerous tandem. They combined to score 18 of Laval’s 44 goals over the weekend. Khoury’s eighth goal helped propel the Patriotes past Intrepide de Gatineau in the semifinals. Then in the championship, he would score two more goals in Laval’s 4-2 finish over Dynamiques CCL.
With a pair of championships, the Laval Patriotes can claim superiority over youth hockey at the youngest age levels in Quebec. The U13 squad went 21-4-5 in LHEQ play and finished the regular season third in the Rousseau Sports Division. The U12 team finished second in its division with a 20-6-4 record. Both proved to be difficult opponents come playoff time, evident by their championship runs.
Entering the postseason on a 7-0-1 run, As de Quebec continued its winning ways through Entrepôts du Hockey series play. That ultimately led to a four-win run that earned Quebec a No. 1 seed entering the Chevrolet Cup. And from there, the success never stopped.
Félix Vachon’s first goal of the weekend broke a 1-1 tie against Seigneurs des Milles-Iles on Thursday. That kept Quebec’s win streak in tact as they avoided near defeat. The next two days consisted of a dominant 4-1 win over Lions Lac St-Louis and a 5-1 win over Albatros est-du-Quebec. That pushed them into a semifinal matchup with Harfangs de Sherbrooke on Sunday morning.
Forwards Zack Arsenault and Louis-Émile Dumais had done much of the heavy lifting for As de Quebec. They combined for 40 points in nine playoff games. However, when they entered the third period of the semifinal game tied 2-2, it would be a new name breaking through. Just 2:24 into the final frame, Léo-Gabriel Gosselin scored the go-ahead goal. It was his fourth goal of the playoffs and fifth point total, pushing Quebec on to the championship.
Just seven hours later, in the championship, Gosselin would do it again.
Trailing the Lanaudière Pionniers, Dumais would tie the game at 1-1 early in the third period. Then, Arsenault would score his 15th goal of the playoffs that tied it again at 2-2. As the game went to overtime, it would be Gosselin who again broke the tie, winning the U14 championship for As de Quebec just 1:17 into the extra frame.
Winning the championship in dramatic fashion, Gosselin’s goal ends As de Quebec’s 2022-23 season with a 17-game unbeaten streak.
The top four teams from each of the three divisions in the Ligue de Hockey d’Excellence du Quebec (LHEQ) earned automatic bids into the tournament.
The 2008-born Estacades Mauricie faced little resistance on their path to a 2023 Chevrolet Cup championship. In four Entrepôts Series games, they out-scored opponents 23-6 to earn the top seed heading into this weekend. Domination continued at the provincial championship as well. First, a 5-1 win over Arsenal Lac St-Louis on Thursday. That was followed up by 7-3 and 5-3 wins over Patriotes Laval and Vert et Noir RIC.
In the semis and finals, goaltenders Malik LeBlanc and Jacob St-Cyr would trade shut-out performances, as Estacades won 5-0 and 3-0 games just five hours apart.
The championship run was indicative of their 2022-23 season. In 30 LHEQ games, Mauricie went 21-2-7 to finish as the top team in L’entrepôt du Hockey Division. Enzo Lottin and Chad Lygitsakos were among the leading scorers in the league, leading the Estacades to a 2008 championship.
A team that suffered defeat just four times in LHEQ play this season, Laval/Montreal finished a run to the 2023 Chevrolet Cup with a dominant playoff push. They went 25-4-3 in the Rousseau Sports Division of the LHEQ.
With a balanced attack, Nicola Ragusa and Kamyl Chemrouk led an offense that featured nine skaters with nine-or-more points in the playoffs. That depth came in handy when Laval/Montreal needed offense to advance. In the final four games of the tournament, they reached or surpassed the five-goal mark, including a 6-5 win in the semifinals. At one point, they trailed Citadelles R-N Abi 5-1 just 22 minutes into the game. A pair of goals from Ragusa, and a third goal from Chemrouk would dig Laval/Montreal out of a hole in the second period. Luc Béliveau would score a power-play goal 6:26 into the third period to tie the game up. Then in the final moments of regulation, Mickaël Pagé would complete the comeback to make it 6-5 with his fifth goal of the playoffs.
Pulling off the unlikely comeback opened up the doors for a championship matchup with Corsaires Pointe-Lévy. An opponent that finished the regular season with a 16-12-4 record, and entered the Chevrolet Cup as the No. 4 seed out of the Entrepôts du Hockey series. Three consecutive one-goal victories helped lift Corsaires just to get to the championship game. However, Laval/Montreal would see to it that Corsaires’ run came to an end.
Ragusa, Chemrouk, Anthony Miscione and James Roberts would score four consecutive goals to start the game. That mounted a lead large enough that Pointe-Lévy could not come back from. Laval/Montreal would finish the game 5-1 to claim the 2007 championship.
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Propelled by key victories at 16U USA Hockey Nationals, the Long Island Gulls found a new home in the No. 1 spot among 2006-born clubs. They defeated No. 3 New Jersey Rockets, No. 4 Compuware, No. 6 Little Caesars and No. 9 Mount St. Charles, all Top-10 U.S. teams. The Gulls also managed to pull out a strong victory over previous top spot holder Shattuck-St. Mary’s, who slid down to No. 2.
In Sweden, Täby HC maneuvered its way to the top, thanks to a deep run to the championship game versus Brynäs IF for 2007-born teams. Even more impressive was the final result of the matchup, with Brynäs managing to put up seven goals en route to winning the club’s first-ever Sweden National Championship. A win that helped boost Brynäs, who was previously unranked, into the Top 10.
Sticking with the ‘07s, Tappara went 6-1-0 in the Finnish SM-Series playoffs to secure the top spot from Kiekko-Espoo. TPS and KalPa also experienced jumps to No. 3 and No. 4 in the Top 10, respectively, resulting from key victories during their playoff runs as well. In the ‘08s, Jokerit’s 3-0-0 stretch allowed them to take the No. 1 spot, with second-place Kärpät Musta in the No. 2 spot and third-place Kärpät Valkoinen settling in to No. 3.
Fresh off winning gold at the 2023 U14 Uplandia Trophy with an undefeated run, Brinkens IF is enjoying a new view from the No. 1 spot.
The 2011-born Vaughan Kings put up a stellar showing against the No. 2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens, defeating them 8-1 to leapfrog them to the No. 1 spot. Vaughan also managed to split two games against No. 10 Toronto Nationals. In Russia, the ‘11s saw a new club take the No. 1 spot as well with CSKA Moscow taking over for No. 2 Dynamo St. Petersburg. CSKA put three crucial victories against Top-10 teams under its belt to slip past Dynamo.
No. 5 ‘06 SKA Strelna suited up for two games against No. 6 SKA Silver Lions, resulting in two wins for Strelna to move them up a spot. Traktor Chelyabinsk put together a decent string of wins to slide into the No. 10 spot for the first time this season. 2009-born Dynamo St. Petersburg took two out of three games against No. 9 SKA Strelna to push them out of the No. 8 spot.
There were some big showdowns at the ‘07 USA Hockey Nationals tournament, and the Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ championship run vaulted them from No. 7 to No. 3. It started with wins against teams like No. 4 Mount St. Charles and No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. Then, it culminated with a championship win in overtime against No. 5 Shattuck-St. Mary’s. In Canada, the Halton Hurricanes took advantage of two games with No. 5 York Simcoe Express, taking the No. 4 spot among other ‘07 teams with two wins.
Continuing to impress with the 2008-born clubs was No. 2 Linköpings HC, who bested No. 3 Djurgårdens IF twice at the 2023 Swedbank Trophy. Linköpings went on to win the gold medal, which ended a perfect 5-0-0 run.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
Last weekend, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) held its championship tournaments for various birth years. Two of the clubs, 2008-born York Simcoe Express and 2011-born Oakville Rangers were the lone two to be featured in the WHH Rankings.
The defensive strength of York Simcoe Express showed up during group play at the U15 division, allowing only three goals in three games. It was put to the test in the team’s first playoff matchup against the Halton Hurricanes. York Simcoe padded its lead to 3-0 towards the midway point of the third period. Just 40 seconds later, the Hurricanes got themselves on the board. While killing off a power play, Halton would cut the lead to 3-2 when it managed to get a shorthanded goal. With 3:05 remaining on the clock, Halton tied the game at 3. With a chance to reset in overtime, the Express managed to hold off Halton’s comeback and netted the winning goal. York Simcoe would go on to defeat the Oakville Rangers 3-2 in the final contest to cap off its 5-0-0 run.
The Halton Hurricanes got off to a rocky start in the U14 division before rebounding with three straight wins to take home the title. Opening with a 3-3 tie against the Southern Tier Admirals, they then fell 5-2 to the Barrie Jr. Colts later in the same day. Halton finished group play with a strong 4-2 win over the Quinte Red Devils, where they secured the victory with three third-period goals. The Hurricanes finished off York Simcoe Express in overtime to get to a rematch against the Jr. Colts with the championship on the line. Despite Halton scoring first and taking a 1-0 lead into the second period, Barrie quickly collected the next three goals to build a 3-1 lead. In the final minutes of the period, the Hurricanes found the back of the net twice to even the score. With no goals found in the third frame, overtime was required where Halton netted the game-winner.
The Whitby Wildcats overcame a 4-2 tournament-opening loss to the Barrie Jr. Colts to win its next four for the U13 division championship. Down 1-0 in their first playoff matchup against the Quinte Red Devils, the Wildcats cashed in on a power play with 3:19 left in regulation to force overtime. They would eventually find the game-winner to secure a spot in the final against the Credit River Capitals. Deadlocked at 2 late in the third period, the Capitals found the back of the net with 2:41 remaining. Whitby clawed its way back to tying the game with 12 seconds left to bring things into the extra frame tied at 3. The Wildcats completed the comeback in overtime.
It was an undefeated performance backstopped by defense and goaltending that helped the Oakville Rangers obtain the U12 championship. Oakville recorded three straight shutout victories over the Southern Tier Admirals, Central Ontario Wolves and Richmond Hill Coyotes to get to the playoff stage. In the first contest, the Niagara North Stars finally broke through when they tallied a shorthanded goal to go up 1-0 in the second period. After the North Stars doubled their lead to 2-0, things looked dire for the Rangers. Oakville, however, would not go down without a fight and struck twice in the final five seconds of the game to force overtime. Almost a full second game would be played, with Oakville finally finding the winning goal in the third overtime. In the championship game against the Quinte Red Devils, the Rangers found their defensive form once again and collected another shutout en route to the championship.
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What is one of the biggest challenges we face feeding young athletes? Ice rink concession stand food. Most concession stands are full of popcorn, pizza, breadsticks and colorful slushies. Relying on these fast and tempting options will make an athlete sluggish and decrease their potential on the ice.
Eating a nourishing small snack before or after a skate will increase energy and maximize performance. A pre-skate snack will sustain energy and a post-skate snack is important to refuel muscles. A snack should contain both carbohydrate and protein, and be consumed within one hour of exertion. That is when muscles are primed for energy intake. Food choices really do make a difference.
Planning and preparation of portable and nourishing snacks is key. Young athletes require proper energy to support recovery and repair of their growing body. For hockey players to perform well, they need to eat well.
What type of snacks will provide energy and strength? Celly Salt is here to offer some ideas to help plan and prepare snacks to fuel healthy athletes.
With a little prep work and planning ahead, you can provide youth hockey players with viable, healthy and delicious snacks for life on the road. Here’s a few we recommend:
Brand name snacks
Ingredients
Directions
Cook’s Note: Great mixed into trail mix, topper for salad or just a snack.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook’s Note: Mix in 2 tablespoons chia seeds with the oats for added protein, fiber, calcium and magnesium.
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