Burnaby, B.C. – One of the 55 teams competing in the 10th anniversary edition of the Pat Quinn Classic, will make a very long international journey to play hockey on Canadian ice. The Kushiro Blue Stars will compete in the U13 integrated division of the tournament.
Burnaby is marking 60 years of friendship with Kushiro. The two cities became sister cities in 1965.
For many of the Kushiro team members, they haven’t been far from their hometown, let alone on a more than 15-hour flight to a city halfway around the world.
Richard Taki, a past Burnaby Minor Hockey Association (BMHA) hockey coach will act as an assistant coach for the Kushiro Blue Stars. The visiting Japanese delegation includes the 14 players, two coaches and a team manager. The team is truly a local, community-based squad, not a Japanese all-star team. “I’ll be working in the background and helping on the bench,” he says.
“For these kids, it will be the first time travelling outside Japan,” explains Taki. “They’re pretty excited.” When they come to Burnaby, it won’t just be about the games on the ice. “I think they’ll have a good time. For them, it will be an experience of leaving home and being in North America.” And when they’re not competing, one item on the agenda is to see a Vancouver Canucks game. Taki also anticipates the Japanese kids will also be thrilled to play against and meet Canadian hockey players their own age. “They will definitely get a real treat taking in the sights and visiting a full-size hockey shop.”
The Kushiro Blue Stars will play a minimum of four games in their division at the Pat Quinn Classic.
In July, 2025, a team comprised of U18 and U15 BMHA players travelled to Japan for a seven-team tournament against teams from Kushiro, Obihiro and Sapporo. That trip was a combined venture between the City of Burnaby, BMHA and the Japan-Canada International Hockey (JCIH), a program that uses hockey as conduit for introducing young Japanese-Canadian youth to the country of their heritage.
About the Pat Quinn Classic
A minor hockey tournament in late December has been a fixture on the Burnaby sport calendar since 1962, making this event one of the longest-running hockey tournaments of its kind in the world. Originally organized by the Burnaby Minor Hockey Association, the tournament was relaunched in 2015 with a new vision and a new name, honouring the legacy of the legendary Pat Quinn and celebrating the proud history of the tournament in Burnaby. Attracting top young players from across Canada, the U.S., and the world, the Pat Quinn Classic provides a premier tournament experience for participants with a focus on athletics, academic excellence and community leadership.
The 2025 Pat Quinn Classic will take place in venues in Burnaby, Delta and Surrey.
Story by Sam Corea
Team Photos courtesy of the Kushiro Blue Stars
MEDIA CONTACT
info@patquinnclassic.com
Towering over the distant city are the Kamui Mintara (Playground of the Gods) sculptures. At sunset, these carved wooden poles—more than a dozen in all—are etched dramatically against the skyline.
The poles were created by Ainu sculptors Nuburi and son Shusei Toko, members of Japan’s aboriginal people. Kamui Mintara is a symbol of the goodwill between Burnaby and its sister city, Kushiro, Japan.
Source: City of Burnaby