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October 16, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seven local teams will face off against nine teams from other parts of BC, Alberta, Washington state and California in the new stand-alone Pat Quinn Classic U15 Elite hockey tournament in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June, organizers announced the U15 Elite will be held as an invitational tournament under the Pat Quinn Classic name November 16 to 19, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are thrilled with the strong interest in this new concept for the Pat Quinn Classic\u201d says Joe Saloustros, co-founder of Inside Edge Hockey. \u201cWith an impressive line up of 16 teams from B.C., Alberta and the U.S., we expect top-calibre competition when the players step onto the ice in Burnaby and Delta in November.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tournament will take place primarily at the Burnaby Winter Club and Planet Ice Delta, and select games at Planet Ice Coquitlam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis new specific U15 elite invitational is a great opportunity for the Pat Quinn Classic to expand the tournament,\u201d says Dan Cioffi, Burnaby Winter Club (BWC) Academy director. \u201cHaving this tournament in November will have a positive impact for the U15 Prep team at BWC. It allows us to proudly compete at home in our own city against the visiting teams. With teams coming from as far as southern California and Edmonton, the competition is probably one of the best it has ever been and we are very excited to compete against these elite teams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are thrilled to provide an opportunity for U15 elite players to demonstrate their skills and passion for the game in their own tournament,\u201d says Robyn Hughes, director of Sport Burnaby. \u201cWe are building upon the success of the Pat Quinn Classic with this new showcase for hockey.\u201d Sport Burnaby and Tourism Burnaby own the Pat Quinn Classic and collaborate with Inside Edge Hockey to stage the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Backgrounder \u2013 The Pat Quinn Classic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MEDIA CONTACT: info@patquinnclassic.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"