UTICA JR. COMETS TO TAKE PART IN QUEBEC’S RENOWNED PEEWEE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

Utica, NY – The 2013 Utica Jr. Comets team is a little less than a month away from participating in the 66th annual Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament which will take place in Quebec City from February 11th to February 22nd. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious youth hockey tournaments in the world, often referred to as the Little League World Series of Hockey.

This year’s tournament consists of 118 teams from 21 different countries with games being held at the Videotron Center and Pavillon Guy-Lafleur. The Videotron Center replaced the Colisee Pepsi, which was the home of the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques, and seats over 18,000. Large crowds are one of the aspects which make this tournament unique. In addition, several NHL players who participated in the tournament as kids return to Quebec City each year to meet the next generation of rising stars. Former players like Joe Thortnon and Maxime Talbot are expected to attend this year.

On Tuesday evening, two players from the AHL Utica Comets, Nathan Legare and Xavier Parent, stopped by to chat with the Jr. Comets. Having played in the same tournament over a decade earlier and having gone on to play at the NHL level, the two offered some heartfelt words of wisdom and encouragement to the team about what lay ahead. Among Legare and Parent’s favorite parts of the tournament were playing in front of tens of thousands of people, getting to meet kids from various countries, and taking in the sights of Quebec City. They emphasized the importance of not overthinking anything, just playing like themselves, and soaking in every moment with this being a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Jr. Comets’ Head Coach, Jon Davidson, echoed those sentiments. “I don’t think the kids know how special it’s going to be. Every group that’s gone, it leaves a lasting memory in their lives. Right now, it may seem like just another tournament, but when they get there, I think they’ll realize the experience is once in a lifetime and that most 12-year-olds don’t get to go.”

For Davidson, the opportunity is a first for him as well. “I’ve only heard about it, so I’m excited to experience it just like them and to watch the joy in their faces. I’ve coached some of these kids for six or seven years now, since they were mites, so to see them go from little kid hockey to playing in Quebec against the best in the world is great.”

Prior to getting on the ice for practice on Tuesday evening, each kid was given a gift from Legare and Parent, a bag equipped with a water bottle, a t-shirt, and a pin. Collecting and trading pins are one of the longest traditions of the Tournament. Teams often have their own pins custom made with their logo and present it to the opposing team during games.

There are 28 teams in the Jr. Comets’ division. The team will play its first game on Monday, February 16th at 9:15 AM against the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes at the Videotron Center, with the hope of returning to the same ice surface on Sunday, February 22nd for the championship game. Win or lose, Coach Davidson plans to reiterate Legare and Parent’s message to his team: prepare, work hard, and have fun.