The best teams in the minor hockey world — including two from Barrie — will once again flock to Newmarket for the annual Silver Stick Hockey Tournament this weekend.
The event opens today and continues until Sunday.
Newmarket will see 70 teams coming from across Canada and the United States to compete at the Magna Centre and Ray Twinney Recreation Complex across multiple different divisions of minor hockey. Those 70 teams will be joined by eight Newmarket host teams, all vying for a coveted Silver Stick trophy and to have their team in the Hockey Hall of Fame for a year.
Barrie's entries in the tournament include the U11-12 A team and the U16 AA team.
Tournament director Murray Taylor said organizers are sticking to a formula that has worked with the event. He added that teams consider the Silver Stick the Stanley Cup within minor hockey.
“That’s why it’s important,” he said, adding that the town also sees economic benefits to the event. “Benefit to our economy is pretty significant, I would suggest, with restaurants and their facilities that are taking advantage.”
The annual event has been hosted 37 years in Newmarket and features teams that have completed regional qualifiers coming from places like Florida, New York and Pennsylvania. After several years of being hampered by pandemic-related restrictions, the event went on unabated in 2023.
“These are some of the best teams in the province and North America,” Taylor said. “The level of hockey will, for their age groups, be very high.”
The Newmarket Renegades will send a contingent of teams, competing in the U10, U12, U14 and U16 A and AA levels.
“Come out and watch some great minor hockey and support our Renegades teams in their quest for the Silver Stick,” the Newmarket Minor Hockey said on its website.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, and run throughout the weekend. An opening ceremony will occur Friday at 6:45 p.m.
“We’re just excited to get going,” Taylor said.
The Barrie Jr. Colts U11-12 A team opens its tournament today at 3:25 p.m. against the South Oxford Storm at the Magna Centre, followed by the Strathroy Rockets on Friday at 9:25 a.m. at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex. Their four-team Pool A also includes the host Newmarket Renegades, who Barrie will play Friday at 2:20 p.m. The Colts will also play the Stittsvile Rams, from Pool B, on Saturday at 2:10 p.m. at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.
The Barrie Jr. Colts U16 AA team will play its first game tonight at 8:35 p.m. at the Magna Centre versus the Hauppage (N.Y.) PAL Blue Knights, followed by the Whitby Wildcats on Friday at 8:55 p.m. at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex. Their pool also includes the Peterborough Petes, who they will play on Saturday at 11:55 a.m. at the Magna Centre, and the Newmarket Renegades who they will play at 8:45 p.m at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.
The semifinal and championship games take place Sunday.
