The parking lot was packed, so was the lobby, and the canteen is busier than it has all season. That can only mean one thing – there’s a hockey tournament in town. The Invista Centre was host to this year’s Taylor Hall Classic, a rep hockey tournament for the U10 to U13 age groups.
“It takes a lot of planning. Right out of the gate, once you get your tournament sanctioned and ready to go from the OMHA, your next struggle is where are we going to house these folks,” tournament organizer, Chris Doyle said.
38 teams have come from all across eastern Ontario and the GTA to take part in the tournament. And, with 17 skaters per team, plus their parents, it’s a game-winner for the local economy.
“I think it’s going to be a lot. We had a lot of families here, even aunts and uncles and everybody coming from afar. They were here to support all the kids, as well. So, you gotta factor that in,” Doyle said.
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Parents traveled from as far as Markham, Waterloo, and Guelph to watch the event. Many said what they enjoy most about the Taylor Hall Classic is the new competition.
“It’s great for them to play other teams, there’s different styles of hockey play that they don’t normally get to experience and different coaching styles,” Markham parent, Jennifer Mengers said.
On the ice, one Greater Kingston Jr. Gaels squad made it to the finals with a three-two semifinal win.
As for other local players, they have their own reasons for enjoying the Taylor Hall Classic, including playing against different teams, winning key games and not having to travel very far to take part in a high-quality tournament.
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