November 14, 2023
Sixteen teams from BC, Alberta, Washington state and California are set to compete in the inaugural Pat Quinn Classic U15 Elite Invitational tournament November 16 to 19.
In June, organizers announced the U15 Elite Division will be held as an invitational tournament under the Pat Quinn Classic name.
“This new stand-alone tournament is building off the success of the Pat Quinn Classic, which has a reputation for being one of the top international-calibre tournaments in North America,” says Joe Saloustros, co-founder of Inside Edge Hockey. “We are looking forward to seeing top players from both sides of the border demonstrate their skills.”
This tournament provides an opportunity for Western Hockey League and other scouts to see elite players in action. The Burnaby Winter Club, and Planet Ice Delta and Planet Ice Coquitlam are the host arenas. Sport Burnaby and Tourism Burnaby own the Pat Quinn Classic and are collaborating with Inside Edge Hockey to stage U15 Elite Invitational.
“We are pleased to welcome participating teams to this inaugural U15 Elite Invitational tournament,” says Robyn Hughes, director of Sport Burnaby. “Our goal is to provide them with a professionally-run event and memorable experience by participating in the Pat Quinn Classic.”
The participating teams are:
- Burnaby Winter Club U15 Prep
- California Golden Bears
- Cariboo Cougars
- Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep (Black)
- Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep (Green)
- Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
- LA Jr Kings
- Northern Alberta Xtreme
- Pacific Coast Hockey Academy
- RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna
- San Jose Jr Sharks
- Shawnigan Lake
- St. Georges
- Valley West Giants
- Wenatchee Wild
- Yale Hockey Academy
View the tournament schedule, stats and standings here.
The U15 Elite Invitational in November is the first part of the 2023 Pat Quinn Classic. The competition continues in December with eight other divisions.
- Dec. 27 – 30: U15 Female Elite and U13 Female Elite
- Dec. 28 – 31: U17 Integrated Elite, U17 Integrated Flight 1, U15 Integrated Flight 1, U15 Integrated Flight 2, U13 Integrated Elite, and U13 Integrated Flight 1
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.
After being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pat Quinn Classic returned for a sixth edition in December 2022. In 2023, the tournament will feature an expanded format with two competition dates: November 16 to 19 and December 27 to 31.
MEDIA CONTACT: info@patquinnclassic.com