January 3, 2024
Burnaby, B.C. – Teams from Abbotsford’s Yale Hockey Academy earned overtime wins to take top honours in the integrated divisions at the 2023 Pat Quinn Classic. Teams representing Seattle’s Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association won both female divisons.
In the Integrated U17 Flight 1 division, the Yale Academy U17 Prep Lions scored a 5-4 OT shootout victory over Burnaby Winter Club Academy U17 Gold.
“We started the tournament at 0 and 2, so we didn’t love our chances,” said Mark Holick, head coach of Yale Academy U17 Prep Lions, “But the guys battled back and we got some solid team play and solid goaltending and timely scoring. I am really proud of our guys.”
In the Integrated U15 Flight 1 division, it was Yale Hockey Academy U15 Varsity edging Langley MHA U15 A1 Eagles 3-2 in overtime to earn the gold medal.
“The Langley team’s goaltender was a difference maker for them,” said Doneau Menard, head coach of Yale Hockey Academy U15 Varsity. “They played really well but we were fortunate enough in the end.”
Menard said teams from his academy are regular participants at the Pat Quinn Classic. “I think tournaments are good character builders for teams like us. It’s a good well-run tournament.”
Teams from Seattle’s Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association won gold in both the U13 Elite and U15 Elite female divisions. In the U13 final, the Sno-King Jr. Thunderbirds 12 UAA beat Meadow Ridge U13 A1 by a score of 6-2. In the U15 final, Sno-King Junior Thunderbirds 14 UAA skated to a 3-1 victory over Oceanside U15 Female Regional Impact.
This year’s edition of the five-day Pat Quinn Classic saw 59 teams competing in eight divisions, including the first European team, Denmark’s Esbjerg U16 Ice Hockey Club, participating in the tournament.
“I think it’s amazing,” said Kalli Quinn, daughter of Pat Quinn. “It’s exciting for me because my family travelled all over the world for hockey. And to see a team from Denmark want to come to Canada and participate in this event is fantastic.” With 59 teams taking part in the year-end tournament along with 16 teams competing in the standalone U15 Elite tournament in November 2023, Quinn is impressed with the growth of the event. “It’s about the kids playing hockey. This gives them an experience and another reason to love the game.”
Results
Here are the gold medal game results in the other divisions. All tournament results are available here.
Integrated U13 Flight 1
Langley MHA U13 A1 Tier 1 Eagles 3
Coquitlam MHA U13 A1 2
“They battled hard through a lot of adversity, it’s great to see them come out on top. It’s well deserved,” said Brent Gillis, head coach of Langley MHA U13 A1 Tier 1 Eagles. “It’s a well-run tournament and the boys were excited to play. We were fortunate to come out on top.”
Integrated U13 Elite
Burnaby Winter Club U13 A1 4 (OT)
Penticton Knights U13 Tier 1 3
Integrated U15 Flight 2
Nanaimo MHA U15 Tier 1 Clippers 2
Chilliwack MHA U15 A1 1
Integrated U17 Flight 2
Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep Red 4 (OT)
California Wave HC 16AA 3
“We have not been here before,” said Jackson Playfair, head coach of Kelowna’s Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep Red. “It’s a huge honour. Pat Quinn is a well-known name in hockey. He’s a huge figure. We wanted to come out and put our best foot forward to show our respect for the tournament. I feel like we did a good job of doing that.”
Backgrounder – The Pat Quinn Classic
The Burnaby Minor Hockey Association began hosting the annual December Bantam hockey tournament in 1962. It is now the longest-running event of its kind in the world. The tournament became the Pat Quinn Classic in 2015, named after the legendary player, coach, general manager and team owner. Pat Quinn is internationally-recognized as one of the hockey’s greatest coaches and ambassadors. Proceeds go to the Pat Quinn Scholarship Fund. Managed by Hockey Canada, the fund supports players in post-secondary education after their hockey careers. Quinn is one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian sport and has made an enormous contribution to sport in British Columbia and Canada.
The objective of the Pat Quinn Classic is to create a top international-calibre tournament in Western Canada to showcase local teams alongside some of the strongest programs in Canada, the U.S. and around the world. Organizers worked with the Quinn family to create a unique tournament that strikes the right balance between exciting hockey, skill and leadership development and community engagement. Pat motivated players at all levels to work hard on the ice and live with passion and integrity off the ice. The vision of this tournament exemplifies his love of hockey and his unwavering commitment to give back to the community.
MEDIA CONTACT: info@patquinnclassic.com
