Burnaby, B.C. – When the puck drops in the first game of the 2025 Pat Quinn Classic later this month, the tournament will mark 10 years under the name of the legendary player, coach and manager.
The 2025 edition of the Pat Quinn Classic runs from December 27 to 31 with 55 teams competing in eight divisions from Female U11 to Integrated U17.
In addition to teams from the Lower Mainland, the rest of B.C. and the United States, the tournament will welcome a U13 boy’s team from Burnaby’s sister city of Kushiro, Japan.
“We are thrilled to see a team from Japan make its way to Burnaby to receive a top hockey tournament experience and to enjoy what our city has to offer,” says Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley. “For more than six decades, teams know that Burnaby is the place to be in December for a great hockey competition and to celebrate excellence in the sport. I am so pleased to see how the tournament is flourishing under Pat Quinn’s name and I congratulate all the teams, organizers and fans for creating a wonderful atmosphere every year.”
In 2023, a team from Denmark competed in the Pat Quinn Classic, marking the first time for a European team at the tournament.
Pat Quinn’s daughter, Kalli is excited to see the growth of the tournament with the inclusion of a girl’s division, international teams and the U15 Elite standalone event in November. So, what would Pat Quinn think about what the event has become? “He was very humble,” says Kalli. “He would say that lending his name to the tournament is just giving these kids an opportunity to learn and something they will remember.”
When Kalli Quinn attends the games and hands out trophies and awards, she feels honoured to be a part of the evolution of this event over the last decade. “I just think about his legacy. I would like to make him, the city of Burnaby and the tournament proud,” she adds. “I am just representing what he believed in. It’s about competing and having fun and making memories.”
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 (BMHA), 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.
Backgrounder – The Pat Quinn Classic
Pat Quinn is internationally-recognized as one of the hockey’s greatest coaches and ambassadors. Proceeds from the annual tournament 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.ove of hockey and his unwavering commitment to give back to the community.
MEDIA CONTACT
info@patquinnclassic.com
