TEAM BRICK ALBERTA
Team Brick Alberta will arrive in Edmonton with one goal.
And as per usual, that goal is pretty simple.
Win it all.
Alberta’s representative at the Brick Invitational Super Novice Tournament comes to the tournament as the back-to-back defending champions.
They also enter the competition having recently won the ‘B’ side playoff at the annual Subway North American Hockey Classic in Winnipeg.
While the team outscored the opposition in that tournament 41-11 and only lost one game, their 5-4 first round playoff loss to the Manitoba Lightning forced them out of the ‘A’ side of the tournament.
Leading the offensive charge in Winnipeg, and likely candidates to do so again in Edmonton, was the trio of Karson Stokowski (12 pts), Josh Prokop (12 pts) and Brandon Cutler (12 pts). Defenceman Ty Smith led the back end with eight points while goalie Carl Stankowski had a 2.51 GAA in 239 minutes of action.
CHICAGO JUNIOR BLACKHAWKS
If the Chicago Junior Blackhawks are good note-takers, they should be well learned in the art of success.
First, their sponsor team just won the Stanley Cup, which included six players who played at the Brick tournament (Troy Brouwer, Dustin Byfuglien, Colin Fraser, Andrew Ladd, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews).
Second, their coach is Hall of Famer Denis Savard.
And third, both Martin Lapointe and Steve Dubinsky have sons on the team.
The Junior Blackhawks are in the Brick tournament for the second year in a row and hope to improve on last year’s 1-4 record.
This will be their second tournament of the year have played in the Cougar Classic in Chicago where they lost in the semifinal 5-4 in overtime to Toronto’s Pro Hockey Brick team.
WINNIPEG JUNIOR JETS
The Winnipeg Junior Jets are ready to play with the big boys. Quite literally.
The Junior Jets played in just one tournament – the Mustangs Wendy’s Challenge in Winnipeg – leading up to the Brick, but they just so happened to play against kids all one year older.
And they just so happened to win the whole thing by knocking off the Manitoba Colts in the final, 6-3.
Playing against kids all born in 1999, the Junior Jets went 5-0 in the tournament and outscored the opposition, 42-14.
The Manitoba representative also boast alumni such as Jonathan Toews, Cam Barker, Travis Zajac, Nigel Dawes and Ian White.
DETROIT RED WINGS
Whenever a team is associated with the Detroit Red Wings, there comes a certain level of prestige.
And this year’s team who will suit up sporting the winged wheel in Edmonton is no different.
Many of these players were part of the 2000 Little Caesars team that was the No. 1-ranked Squirt (Atom) Minor team in the U.S. last season.
Since the Brick team was formed, comprised of players from all over Michigan and one from Ohio, they won the Elite Prospects Hockey Showcase in Michigan.
CALIFORNIA 2000s
The California 2000s have been a Brick mainstay since the tournament’s inaugural year in August 1990.
The team, playing as the California Wildcats in that first year, won the tournament and has returned every year.
The team, organized each year by Andrew Cohen, has played as the California Jr. Kings, the California Mighty Ducks, the LA Hockey Club and now Team California.
Last year California made it to the semifinal where they lost to the Toronto Bulldogs 3-1.
Alumni from the California program includes Brett Sterling, Ray Macias and 2010 NHL Draft picks Beau Bennett and Emerson Etem.
MINNESOTA BLADES
The Minnesota Blades will fly to Edmonton teeming with confidence.
The team of 10-year-olds is coming off a resounding performance at the USA International Hockey Cup where they posted a 6-0 record en route to winning the championship trophy.
The Blades capped the tournament with a 9-3 win over Top Gun Elite in the final.
Leading the way offensively for the Blades in the final was Bryce Brodzinski who had four goals and an assist.
Brodzinksi was part of a fearsome foursome of offence that included Stephen Doll, Joshua Luedtke and Reed Bartellings. The four combined for 39 goals and 31 assists in six games.
All told, Minnesota scored 69 goals and allowed 10.
MONTREAL ICE STORM
The Montreal Ice Storm are returning to the Brick for another crack at glory in West Edmonton Mall.
The team is a compilation of players from all over Quebec and will represent much more than just Montreal.
The Storm’s best finish at the Brick was a second place result in 2006.
The Ice Storm is where current NHLer Angelo Esposito plied his early childhood trade.
TEAM SASKATCHEWAN
Team Brick Saskatchewan has plenty of professional pedigree. At least behind the bench and in the stands.
The coaches include former NHLers Mike Sillinger and Jamie Heward while Stu Barnes and Mark Lamb have kids on the team.
But not only do they have some talent coaching them, they’re quite talented on the ice as well.
Saskatchewan won the bronze medal at the Subway North American Hockey Classic in Winnipeg and will hope to continue that momentum in Edmonton.
Saskatchewan also had the top two scorers in the tournament in Carson Denomie (17 pts) and Jacob Piller (13 pts).
TORONTO BULLDOGS
For the tenth time, the Toronto Bulldogs will be part of the West Edmonton Mall festivities.
And as they Bulldogs have proved in recent years, they’ll be a legitimate threat to win.
Last year, the Toronto Bulldogs 2000 – a team filled with many of the same players as this year’s entry – won three tournament championships and posted a record of 27-3.
The Bulldogs most famous alumnus is 2009/10 Calder Trophy nominee Matt Duchene.
TORONTO PRO HOCKEY
The Pro Hockey Brick team has made themselves very busy as they prepare for the Brick.
The team, which is made up of kids from all over Ontario, started the spring season by playing in the Pro Hockey Shoot-out Tournament where they suffered an overtime loss in the semifinal.
They next played in the Cougars Classic in Chicago where they went 6-0 en route to winning the championship.
After that, they won the silver medal at the International Ronald McDonald tournament.
Alumni of the program include Steve Stamkos, PK Subban and Tyler Seguin.
VANCOUVER VIPERS
Here’s a news flash that’s about as shocking as Dave Tippett being awarded the Jack Adams Award.
The Vancouver Vipers are good. Make that, uber-good.
And as they head to the annual Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament in Edmonton, they have every reason to believe they can win it all.
After recently winning the Subway North American Hockey Classic in Winnipeg, the Vipers once again proved why they’re consistently considered one of the best programs in North America.
The group of 2000-born players capped off the four-day tournament that ran from June 17-20 with an impressive victory over the 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Machine.
Along with the Winnipeg competition, the Vipers also played in the Ronald McDonald tournament in Toronto where they lost 4-3 in the quarter-final to Toronto Pro Hockey.
CONNECTICUT YANKEES
The Connecticut Yankees are back and could be better than ever.
The Yankees have been sending players to the Brick tournament for several years and now the team is starting to attract out of state players.
This year’s squad includes players from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Four-time Stanley Cup champion John Tonelli will provide a very stable back bone as the bench boss this year.
And if Tonellis is coaching, you know the Yankees won’t get outworked. |
Hockey Edmonton Report Q & A with general manager Dean Hengel
