Sports

Orangeville Tigers host popular Winter Classic Tournament

February 13, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Orangeville Tigers hosted their second major tournament of the season when girl’s hockey teams from across the province arrived to compete in the Winter Classic House League Tournament.

The tournament came a week after the local hockey club hosted its Annual Sweetheart Tournament for rep teams.

Teams came from as far away as Sudbury, Ont. to compete.

“We had our rep tournament last week and this is our house league tournament,” explained Winter Classic Tournament coordinator Anna-Michelle Smith. “We have U9, U11, U13 and U18 divisions this year. We teams from  as far away as Sudbury, Sarnia, Kincardine, and Saugeen Shores.”

In total, 50 teams were registered for the tournament. That means around 800 players, accompanied by coaches, trainers, managers, and families arrived in Orangeville to play.

Games were played at the Alder Street Arena, Tony Rose Arena, and at the Ice Coral at Teen Ranch.

“We tend to have games for older players at Teen Ranch because of the Olympic size ice surface,” Smith explained.

Teams play in a round-robin format during competition.

The Tournament got underway on Jan. 31 and wrapped up with championship games on Feb. 2.

Players and fans were very enthusiastic during the games with fans giving a lot of support to the teams from the stands.

Next up for Orangeville Tigers Girls Hockey will be the March Madness Jamboree taking place on March 1 and 2.

This tournament is for the younger divisions including U7 and U9, and will feature 30 teams on the ice.

Tournaments of this nature always provide an economic boost to the town as so many people arrive and visit local restaurants, shops, and may require overnight accommodation. 

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