Sports

Orangeville Tigers host 45th annual Sweetheart Tournament

January 30, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Orangeville Tigers hosted its 45th annual Sweetheart Tournament for rep teams the weekend of Jan. 24 – 26.

The Sweetheart Tournament is one of the largest provincial girl’s hockey tournaments, with 88 teams from across Ontario competing this year. Teams arrive from as far away as Timmins to compete in this prestigious event.

The tournament name comes from the original girl’s hockey club in town – the Orangeville Sweethearts. The Orangeville Girls Hockey Association is celebrating 50 years as an organization this year.  Starting with a ceremonial puck drop on Friday morning, teams got down to business playing games at all four ice pads in Orangeville, as well as games being held at other venues in the region.

“We have 88 teams coming from across the province, pretty much from everywhere,” explained Sweetheart Tournament coordinator Anna-Michelle Smith.  “There are 209 games that will be played. We are using seven ice pads going through the weekend. We’re using Shelburne, all four ice pads in Orangeville, Teen Ranch, and Mayfield.”

Sixteen divisions played in the tournament, ranging from U9 up to a women’s division.

“Teams will compete in three or four games in a round robin, then there is a semi-final, then a final,” Smith said. “We also have bronze medal games, so even if they don’t make it to a final, they can still play for a medal.”

One of the highlights is a skill competition. Players compete in different skills on the ice while fans and teammates cheer them on.

“The skills competition is divided up by division,” Smith explained. “There’s a relay, shooting, accuracy, and a shoot-out on a goalie. The goalies also get points for stopping a shot. All the other teammates are up in the stands cheering for their players. It gets really loud and it’s a lot of fun.”

The tournament also provides an economic boom for the town. With several thousand players, coaches, and families in town, many will need a place to stay, and they will all need to eat.

Local businesses take part and offer incentives for player to visit their restaurants.

The Orangeville Tigers still have two more tournaments to host for the season. Upcoming tournaments include Winter Madness and the March Madness


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