The Parksville Panters 22nd Annual September Hockey Classic will feature 21 teams coming from all over North America.
The three-day hockey tournament will run at Oceanside Place from Sept. 7 to Sept. 9. There will be five age groups that will play in the following divisions: 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+ and 80+.
The event was started in 1993, with Peter Kucey and Ed Taylor, holding the tournament on behalf of the Parksville Golden Oldies Sports Association (PGOSA). The tournament was successful in its early years and in 2004, after a a hiatus, it was moved to Oceanside Place.
The Parksville Panters also introduced the January Junket at that time as senior hockey was on the rise.
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“We sent out our invites all over the world,” said Al Greir, tournament organizer from 2004 to 2008. “There weren’t too many organizations that had senior hockey teams with players over 60, so it was mostly North American teams that came out. These tournaments have been a boost to the local economy over the years, bringing in close to a million dollars during their time here.”
Aside from hockey, there will be a dinner at Cuckoos Restaurant in Coombs, a wine and cheese and corn boil, 50/50 draws and beer gardens.
Admission is free, so come to Oceanside Arena to check out some of the action.
— NEWS Staff, submitted