(Courtesy DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard)
The warm weather won’t deter the Uxbridge Bruins from hitting the ice this weekend, as the team travels to Toronto to compete in the annual Team Elite Prospect Showcase Tournament.
Running from Friday, June 26 until Sunday, June 28, at the MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke (400 Kipling Ave.), the tournament draws more than 20 teams from across the province, and will serve as a proving grounds for prospects eager for an invite to the Bruins’ main Training Camp in August.
“It’s another step in the evaluation process,” Bruins Head Coach Geoff Hodgkinson told The Standard. “Competition was really strong at our rookie camp and we have identified some players that we would like to have a better look at against some tougher competition ahead of training camp.”
The Bruins will kick off the tournament on Friday afternoon with a 2 p.m. tilt against the Mississauga Chargers, followed by a 7:30 p.m. match-up against the Colborne Chiefs.
On Saturday, the Bruins are back in action with a pair of games. At 11 a.m. against Showcase Hockey and at 4:30 p.m., they take on EHC hockey to wrap up round robin action.
The elimination round is set for Sunday, with the top two teams in each of the four round robin groups advancing to compete for the tournament championship.
The Bruins are one of three COJHL teams taking part in the tournament, with the Little Britain Merchants and Georgina Ice also scheduled to attend. As well, the Junior ‘A’ Lindsay Muskies and Pickering Panthers are also slated to be sending teams to participate in the weekend tournament.
Weekend or single-day passes are available for the tournament. For more information on the tournament including a complete schedule, please visit www.tephockey.com.