Burnaby, B.C. – The Pat Quinn Classic wrapped up with some familiar teams back in the finals in the integrated divisions, along with first-time participants taking top honours.
It was a three-peat win in the U15 Integrated Flight 1 Division for a team from Abbotsford’s Yale Hockey Academy. Yale beat regular tournament participant Burnaby Winter Club for the gold. The Fraser Valley Thunderbirds won its first Pat Quinn Classic title (U17 Flight 1) with the U17 team from the Yale Hockey Academy taking the silver.
First-time Pat Quinn Classic trophies went to teams from Powell River (U15 Flight 2) and Victoria (U13 Flight 1).
Here’s what happened in each of the integrated divisions finals. All 2024 tournament results are here.
U17 Integrated Flight 1
Gold
Fraser Valley Thunderbirds U17 3, Yale Lions U17 Prep 2 (Shootout)
“It was fantastic. The Yale Hockey Academy has a great hockey program. I felt like we just wanted it a bit more today. The boys went all out today. It was a really close battle as it went to a shootout,” says Ralph Vos, head coach, Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. “It is a very well-run tournament. Everyone was very helpful here. Most importantly, is that the homework was done as all our games were close. It was a quality competition.”
“It was a battle from the start. It’s quite the rivalry between our two teams,” says Nathaniel Esmail, who plays centre for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. “The tournament was a great experience. We all had a blast.”
U17 Integrated Flight 2
Gold
Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U17 (AAA) 2, Thompson Blazers U17 (AAA) 0
U15 Integrated Flight 1
Gold
Yale Lions U15 4, Burnaby Winter Club Academy U15 2
The Yale Hockey Academy team wins for the third time in a row in this division.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect us to have won it the first couple of times,” says Doneau Menard, head coach of the Yale Lions U15. “We had some good teams, but things have to go your way to win a tournament and fortunately for us, this seems to be a lucky one.” This year, tournament organizers presented gold, silver and bronze rings, instead of medals. “I think it’s a treat. The rings are a nice idea. They are good keepsakes. They’re beautiful rings,” adds Medard. “This is a good tournament. They’ve really done a good job making this a go-to tournament.”
“It was awesome, I love the experience,” says Jacob White, left-winger for the Yale Lions, who also played in the tournament in 2023. “The coaches are always getting us better at every practice.”
Bronze
Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 (Penticton) 4, Nanaimo Clippers U15 3
U15 Integrated Flight 2
Gold
Powell River Kings U15 T3 5, Semiahmoo Ravens U15 A1 3
“I am just super proud. I am thankful that they had the opportunity to go through this. What a stage,” says Scott Peters, Powell River head coach. “I think the rings are quite the eye opener, it’s a pretty special moment for them. I’m sure they’ll remember it for a long time.”
“There’s no way to describe it. This is nothing better than I’ve had in my life,” says James Barrows, Powell River defenceman. “I’m glad to have this opportunity to come and play and show off all of our talents and have a lot of fun. It’s been daunting because a lot of people don’t recognize our small-town tier 3 team. Nobody expects us to compare to the tier 1 teams. We showed them who we are: little town, big heart.”
Bronze
Ridge Meadows Rustlers U15 A1 3, Cloverdale Colts U15 A1 2
U13 Integrated Flight 1
Gold
Victoria Racquet Club Kings 3, California Jr. Ducks 2
“The kids gave it their all the whole tournament, this is what we play for, I couldn’t be prouder,” says Kevin Mackie, head coach, Victoria Racquet Club Kings. “It’s a great experience for the kids to play teams from all over. It’s great for them to get a different taste. I actually played in this tournament when I was a kid (The Burnaby Minor Hockey holiday season tournament). It brings back a lot of memories.”
Bronze
Coquitlam Minor Hockey 4, Burnaby Minor Hockey 3
The 2024 Pat Quinn Classic included 49 teams competing in seven divisions.
- 23 from the Lower Mainland
- 10 from the rest of B.C.
- 16 from the United States
The divisions:
- 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 ran from December 27 to 31 at venues in Burnaby, Delta and Surrey.
Vancouver Canucks Alumni Scholarships
Applications are now being accepted for the Vancouver Canucks Alumni Scholarships, available to B.C. participants of the Pat Quinn Classic Tournament. To apply, please complete the application form. Details are available here. Application Deadline: January 15, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
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
Samuel @ info@patquinnclassic.com