A local peewee hockey squad is headed to Quebec in a few weeks for an international event.
A Semiahmoo Ravens' U13 team will travel east for the Feb. 12-23 Quebec City International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, which celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. A historic invitational competition that has hosted hockey legends including Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, the event features highly competitive play.
Ravens U13 head coach Matt Erhart, who coached the team that made it said the tournament is "kind of like a Disneyland for hockey."
"The whole tournament isn't about (winning) ... it's about the hockey experience, the life experience ... getting to play teams from around the world, and just having an overall great hockey experience," he said.
The tournament will welcome 120 teams competing in the following five categories: AAA, AA-脡lites, AA, BB and Girls division.
Of the competing teams, 67 will be taking part for the first time (a record number), and 37 will be staying with billet families in the Quebec City region, the notes. The participating countries in 2025 are: Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.
Players will compete in exhibition games Feb. 12-13, Erhart explained, with their first tournament game scheduled for Feb. 14 vs. Hungary.
Erhart said he's hoping everyone will enjoy a great hockey experience and do their best.
"You just want to play well and give yourself a chance," he said. "We need to play well and hope for some bounces and some luck, and take it game by game and see where it goes."
The Quebec event also features a popular NHL Mascot Day, photo shoots with professional stars 鈥� including Peter Forsberg and Joe THornton 鈥� and a Sport Card Expo Quebec collectors' fair.
