Delta, B.C. – The third edition of the Pat Quinn Classic U15 Elite Invitational continues this weekend with 16 teams from B.C., Alberta and the United States competing in two flights.
Our rink-side reporter Sam Corea caught up with some of the coaches and players during Friday’s action at Planet Ice Delta. Here’s what they had to say:
Dan Cioffi – Head Coach, Burnaby Winter Club Academy U15 Prep
“We get to be at home. It’s important for us to showcase our program and our area of Burnaby. Having these teams come to visit with high competition, it’s good for us to be a part of it. Pat Quinn [Classic] is a very special tournament for us.” With visitors from Texas and California, Idaho and Washington, Cioffi appreciates the opportunity to play different teams. “It’s great to see teams from all over North America here. I think it showcases our area and local hockey market for people from out of town. We want to attract people to from out of town to play in these tournaments and show the calibre of competition. It’s a great experience overall.”
Wyatt Lowther – Centre, Burnaby Winter Club Academy U15 Prep
“It’s a great experience getting to play these good teams. It’s a good community for everyone to get better and have fun.”
Austin Vetterl, Head Coach, Delta Hockey Academy U15
“It’s nice to play home games in Delta, especially during the day, because we have students [from the Academy] who get to watch their peers.” A Delta team won the first Pat Quinn Classic U15 Elite Invitational in 2023. “I was lucky enough to be able to coach that team in 2023, it was an amazing experience and an achievement for our team. As the tournament continues to grow, we look forward to be a part of it and have more championships here. It’s always nice to have teams from the U.S. to see the game growing in California and Texas. It’s exciting for us to see different styles of play. It’s always enjoyable.”
Ronan Gow, Centre, Delta Hockey Academy U15
“It’s really exciting playing in front of our parents and students watching our games. It’s definitely fun and gives us a good showing on how we can compete against teams from other places. It’s nice to play against teams that aren’t in our league.”
The Pat Quinn Classic U15 Elite Invitational wraps up on Sunday, November 16 with the Flight 1 and Flight 2 finals at the Burnaby Winter Club starting at 10 a.m. Follow the schedule, score and standings here.
Photos by Manto Nakamura
Story by Sam Corea