Peewee hockey teams from the Edmonton area are about to compete for the chance to wear the Oilers' colours at an international tournament in Quebec.
Friday afternoon, the Oilers Entertainment Group and Edmonton Minor Hockey Association announced a tournament that will see 19 different peewee AA teams battle it out on the ice, beginning Sept. 21.
The winner of the local competition will then don the Edmonton Oilers jersey and receive branded equipment as they travel across the country to play in the Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament in front of a crowd of thousands.
Patrick Garland, director of hockey engagement for OEG, described the atmosphere at the competition in Quebec as "incredible."
“There’s going to be 11,000 fans for the playoff games there. It’s something these kids will probably never experience again," he said.
"Some of them might, but it’s definitely an opportunity for them to enjoy the experience and take it all in and have life-long memories from this.”
The victorious Edmonton-area team will also get the chance to host a fundraising 50/50 draw at an Oilers game to help offset travel costs of the tournament. Kevin Humphrys, the Edmonton Community Hockey League's chair, noted that this will help relieve the concerns of parents.
“To have that 50/50 component and being able to share in that and then have things like travel costs and hotel costs and equipment costs paid for is a huge weight off their back.”
The Edmonton Oilers Peewee Tournament will feature teams from Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Beaumont, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Strathcona, and Sturgeon. The final game will take place at the Downtown Community Arena on Sept. 29.
The Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament will take place Feb. 13-20, 2020, and will feature more than 120 teams.
