Future Stars Hit the Ice for the 2023 Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament

"Delivering a Zamboni is not like getting an Amazon package."

Never in the 34-year history of the Brick International Hockey Tournament had organizers been forced to deal with a failed ice-resurfacing machine just two days before the kickoff of their week-long showcase of the best 10-year-olds in the hockey world, said tournament chairman Craig Styles.

But that's what happened on Saturday.

"No matter how prepared you are, you never know that Zamboni isn't going to actually perform the day of the practices," Styles said. "But, oh, well. We got that resolved."

Styles' team was able to requisition a replacement unit from another local rink, and all systems are go for the 14-team event, which runs from July 3 to 9 at famous West Edmonton Mall.

The tournament is currently having a bit of a moment thanks to Connor Bedard, who played on a stacked B.C. Junior Canucks team as a nine-year-old back in 2015. Teammates included seven other players who were also drafted in Nashville last week, including fellow first-rounders Matthew Wood and Tanner Molendyk. Opponents included Team USA first-rounders Will Smith, Oliver Moore and Ryan Leonard, Colby Barlow and Carson Rehkopf from the winning Toronto Bulldogs, and even Tom Willander as Sweden's lone representative, suiting up for Team Brick Alberta.

Not counting this latest crop of draftees, the tournament has already graduated more than 325 participants to the NHL, including six players who skated in the 2023 Stanley Cup final. Participating teams are expected to deliver a high level of talent every year, and the door is open for female players. Canadian national team goalies Shannon Szabados (1996) and Emerance Maschmeyer (2004) are among the 27 girls who have suited up for the tournament, a list that grows again this year with Honor Arcand-Vandale in net for Team Saskatchewan.

Bedard was named MVP in 2015. He's the second Brick Tournament alumnus to be selected first overall in the NHL draft, following Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011.

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Styles cautions that not every Brick Tournament star will reach that level of success, however.

"Connor Bedard was one of those kids that people would say, 'That's an NHLer,' " he said. "We've been around in there long enough to say, 'OK, there's a long ways between 10 and 18 and 20, so a lot of things can happen. I hope he is — he sure looks good now.' And he just got better and better and better."

Asked if there's anybody special to keep an eye on this year, Styles suggests that it could be worth keeping an eye on the Montreal Canadiens, who won their first game on Monday 8-2 over the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, but declines to drop any names.

The tournament began in 1990 as an eight-team affair — at a time when there was no prominent showcase for players this young. As the co-founder of The Brick furniture chain, Bill Comrie sought a platform for his oldest son. Mike Comrie played in the event debut, then went on to be drafted in the third round by his hometown Edmonton Oilers in 1999. Over 10 NHL seasons, he played 589 NHL games, putting up 168 goals and 365 points. 

That first competition charted new territory at a time when spring hockey was much less common than it is today, and the idea of a summer tournament was a big reach. But it was a success, and over the years, it has grown to 14 teams — seven from Canada and seven from the U.S. this year. 

Many of the same teams return year after year, maintaining that high quality of competition.

But Styles and his committee haven't lost sight of the fact that these participants are just kids who deserve to leave with a smile on their faces, even if they're not on one of the two teams skating in Sunday's final. 

"That's a big letdown," Styles said. "We try to ease that by having a great big beach party with six-to-seven hundred people there, with pizza and pops and the waterslides at West Edmonton Mall. Then, we do a full competition for everybody, and we give amazing prizes, and the whole tone changes within hours. 

"I think it's really special, just remembering that these kids can do things other than just playing hockey. They're throwing footballs, or they're putting, or they're just doing a lot of different activities, and it's challenging. 

"It's just fun to see that the energy in that place."

A new event will also debut this year before Sunday's championship game. 

"We've always had a skills competition, but we've decided to do kind of an all-star competition prior to the final game," said Styles. "Every team selects three skaters to go into a 4-on-4 game. This year, we got jerseys donated, so it's going to be the Canadian teams against the U.S. teams in an all-star game prior to the final. 

"Everybody's, kind of, not really looking forward to it right now, because they all want to be in the final. But they know there's a chance that they're going to have their kids in that one, and that's it's also a great way to ease them out of Edmonton after a loss."

The 2023 Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament kicks off with a nine-game slate on Monday, which started at 9:30 a.m. ET. Toronto Pro Hockey and the Connecticut Jr. Rangers kicked things off, with Toronto taking a 3-1 win. The Toronto Bulldogs then defeated Team Brick Alberta 2-1 before Team Pennsylvania beat Team Minnesota 7-4.  All games can be live-streamed on the tournament website.