Puck drops on Canada Day at West Edmonton Mall for annual Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament
Just when you thought the hockey season was over.
West Edmonton Mall will host the 35th edition of the annual Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament starting Monday.
It will feature 14 select teams of players aged nine and 10 from Canada and the United States, with all games taking place at the mall's Ice Palace.
The puck drops at 7:30 a.m Canada Day on the slate of 42 round-robin games and five playoff matches, with the final set for July 7 at noon.
The tournament has starred players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including current NHLers Auston Matthews, Steven Stamkos,Jordan Binnington, Bo Horvat, Torey Krug, Morgan Rielly, Martin Jones, Blake Wheeler, Logan Couture, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden Schenn, Mitch Marner, Johnny Gaudreau, Evan Rodrigues, Noah Hanifin, Casey Mittelstadt, Mathew Barzal, Mark Stone, Dougie Hamilton, Jared Spurgeon, Max Domi, Tyler Seguin, Adin Hill, Travis Konecny, Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Strome and Jason Robertson.
Current and former Edmonton Oilers who laced up their skates for it include Connor Brown, Jordan Eberle, Brett Kulak, Ryan Strome, Sam Carrick, Matt Benning, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Calvin Pickard, Tyler Ennis, Eric Gryba and Cam Barker.
Team Brick Alberta is the tournament host and are joined by the 2023 champion Montreal Canadiens, Manitoba Junior Ice, Boston Junior Bruins, Team Minnesota, team Pennsylvania, Toronto Pro Hockey, B.C. Junior Canucks, CCM Chicago, Saskatchewan Junior Pats, Detroit Jr. Red Wings, Connecticut Junior Rangers, Toronto Bulldogs and Western Selects.
Jason Nicholetts, the general manager for Team Brick Alberta, told CTV News Edmonton organizers for the home squad "run it like a junior program."
"We give them an environment that instills that elite attitude and commitment level so they get an early exposure to it and, obviously, the fun side of it," Nicholetts said.
For those attending that first game between Team Minnesota and Team Pennsylvania (or, really, any of the early morning games through Saturday, July 6) who may need to consume caffeine, there are Tim Hortons and Starbucks coffee shops adjacent to the rink on the second level.
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