Burnaby – Growing up in Kamloops as a Vancouver Canucks fan, Dustin Ruffell remembers Pat Quinn as the architect of the team that made it to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Now, as assistant coach and team manager for the St. Mary’s Rams of Stockton, California, he’s bringing his squad to Burnaby for the 2024 Pat Quinn Classic. This team’s first appearance at the tournament.
“The boys are excited,” says Ruffell. “We normally travel as a team, but with school being out for Christmas, several players are travelling early or staying after the tournament to enjoy a few days in the Vancouver area.”
The California players have already competed in three Canadian tournaments this season and Ruffell sees a different style of play north of the border. “Some of the biggest differences are the players are generally more physical and the refereeing is generally more consistent than we get in California.”
Ruffell says the hockey program at St. Mary’s High School focuses on personal development. “It’s a demanding program both academically and physically,” he describes. “While being required to maintain good grades, the players attend morning off ice workouts four days a week with the school’s strength and conditioning coach and have on ice practices five days a week.”
Ruffell adds the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy of Victoria recommended the Pat Quinn Classic to his team. “We expect to have a great experience at the tournament, a high level of competition and the great Canadian hockey atmosphere.”
St. Mary’s Rams is one of eight teams in the Integrated U17 Flight 2 division.
The 2024 Pat Quinn Classic features 49 teams in seven divisions:
- 23 from the Lower Mainland
- 10 from the rest of B.C.
- 16 from the United States
The divisions are:
- Female U13 Elite
- Female U15 Elite
- Integrated U13 Flight 1
- Integrated U15 Flight 1
- Integrated U15 Flight 2
- Integrated U17 Flight 1
- Integrated U17 Flight 2
The tournament runs from December 27 to 31 at venues in Burnaby, Delta and Surrey.
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.
Photo Credit: Dianne Venzon
MEDIA CONTACT
info@patquinnclassic.com