Newmarket Silver Stick tournament returns with 'bells and whistles'

Newmarket minor hockey is readying for the return of the massive, international Silver Stick Finals Jan. 26 to 29.

The tournament will feature 76 teams coming from across the continent. This includes eight teams from host Newmarket, as well as American teams from the likes of Alaska and Florida. They will compete across eight age brackets for Silver Stick trophies and the right to get their teams recognized in the Hockey Hall of Fame for a year.

After the tournament was postponed and reduced last year due to pandemic restrictions, with only Ontario teams competing, tournament director Murray Taylor said the annual tournament will be more normal this year.

“That’s the excitement. You can feel it when you interact with the people,” he said. “Everyone you talk to is really excited about showing up in Newmarket and having a good time.” 

The annual event features teams that have won regional qualifiers across Canada and the United States. There are eight different A and AA categories that will compete in Newmarket. It is the only minor hockey tournament series with a permanent display in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with the winners getting featured there for a calendar year. Newmarket is one of several towns and cities that host finals.

“The regionals have been running quite well and seem to have fairly good team participation,” Taylor said. 

The 2022 event had to be scaled back due to the postponement from January to March, Taylor said, with less ice time available. That was due to pandemic restrictions making it impossible to run. But now, the event will again feature additional aspects, such as an opening ceremony and a skills competition.

“A lot of the bells and whistles we kind of add to the event were missing out of necessity last year,” he said. 

The tournaments will run Jan. 26 to 29 at the Magna Centre and Ray Twinney Recreation Complex. Games will be played throughout the weekend. All of them are free to watch, with online streaming also available. A complete schedule is available on the Silver Stick website.

“This is an elite tournament, and you will see some of the best hockey teams from all over North America come to this tournament,” Taylor said. “It is a lot of fun to watch. It’s pretty intense at times. It’s a big deal.”