Newmarket welcomed the best in minor hockey to town on Thursday as this year’s Silver Stick Hockey Tournament took to the ice, with competition continuing today and on the weekend to Jan. 19.
Eighty hockey teams from across North America are playing in the international Silver Stick finals in Newmarket and Aurora. In total, 184 games across eight divisions are set to be played at rinks at the Magna Centre, Ray Twinney Recreation Complex and Aurora Community Centre.
The first puck dropped at 2 p.m. Thursday as the U10 AA Newmarket Renegades picked up a 1-0 win against the Vaughan Partners to open up the tournament. The Renegades are competing in all divisions and levels of play once again this year.
Teams from each division are already fighting to become this year’s Silver Stick champion, an achievement that sends the winning team’s trophy to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s display for the next year.
According to the Silver Stick Newmarket Finals website, this year’s tournament is hosting games across the U10, U12, U14 and U16 divisions at both A and AA levels.
The tournament, which has become a staple of minor hockey in many areas over the years, has now been hosted in Newmarket for 38 years.
According to the schedule, 64 games are slated for today, Jan. 17, with a 84 more taking place over the weekend to determine who takes home this year’s Silver Stick trophy.
The full schedule of games taking place throughout the tournament can be found on the Silver Stick Newmarket Finals website.
