Even if the 2021 edition has been canceled due to the pandemic, the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament is thinking big for its relaunch in February 2022 with the addition of 24 teams in recreational class, bringing the total number of registrations to 144. The creation of this sixth category had been “in the cards” of the organizers for several years.
“When it resumes, the international pee-wee tournament will blow your mind,” promised President Michel Plante in a rare press conference at the Videotron Center on Tuesday.
These 24 level A teams – a dozen will come from Quebec and the others will come mostly from outside the North American continent – will play their matches at the Pavillon de la jeunesse, with the exception of the final, which will be played in Videotron Center. European clubs have already started knocking on the door.
“It was a request that we had for a long time […] We could have with the women’s division, but the demand for the Peewee A was there. The timing was excellent for us. When we moved from the Arpidrome to the PJ, it was to create this synergy between the two locations, ”said Tournament general manager Patrick Dom.
The organizers benefited from a new financial boost from the City of Quebec to move forward with the project. The City will inject an additional $ 6 million into the Major Events Office within three years, recalled the mayor, Régis Labeaume, present at the announcement.
The mayor wants to take advantage of the 2022 presentation of the peewee tournament to revive the winter tourism industry in the wake of the pandemic. The meeting brings in around $ 14 million annually in economic benefits.
Wink in 2021
In addition, the organizers have not forgotten the young people who should have participated in the adventure next February by developing a series of events as consolation. Thus, eight teams from the Capitale-Nationale will have the opportunity to participate in workshops led by former NHL players Pascal Dupuis and Maxime Talbot, on February 20 and 21, on an outdoor rink at Place Jean-Béliveau, in front of the Videotron Center.
These teams designated in a competition on the tournament’s website must come from a bubble class and no parent or spectator will be allowed to attend the sessions to comply with public health measures.
“Something had to be done for them. It’s very tight with Public Health, there will be no spectators, no parents, but to allow eight teams to practice for an hour, an hour and a half with two former National League, it was important for us to do so, ”admitted Patrick Dom.
A nod to the outdoors in February
The organizers of the Peewee Tournament have not forgotten the young people who should have participated in the adventure next February by developing a series of events as consolation.
Thus, eight teams from the Capitale-Nationale will have the opportunity to participate in workshops led by former NHL players Pascal Dupuis and Maxime Talbot, on February 20 and 21, on an outdoor rink at Place Jean-Béliveau, in front of the Videotron Center.
These teams, determined with the help of a competition on the Tournament website, must come from a bubble-class and no parent or spectator will be allowed to attend the sessions to respect the sanitary measures of Public Health.
These two days were normally reserved for the presentation of the playoff games, including the finals in each category on Sunday. The surface will be designed without boards and benches to borrow the concept of pond hockey (pond hockey).
“Something had to be done for them. It’s very tight with Public Health, there will be no spectators, no parents, but to allow eight teams to practice for an hour, an hour and a half with two former National League, it was important for us to do so, ”admitted Managing Director Patrick Dom.
Former Canadians in summer
The Tournament will also organize a hockey school in collaboration with the Canadian from August 2 to 6, 2021 at the Youth Pavilion, where 90 peewee hockey players will follow the instructions of Gaston Gingras and Éric Houde, two former Habs.
The details of the competition and the eligibility conditions will be revealed later depending on the evolution of the pandemic and health rules.
“We approached the Canadiens, we wanted it to be grandiose for these [jeunes] 2008 there. Normally, they do two weeks of camp in Brossard, but they will do a third for these young people. They were very kind to do that ”, underlined Dom, whose organization will also have its thematic suite at the Ice Hotel from January 2 at the Village Vacances Valcartier.