The 63rd Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament Returns After Two-Year Hiatus; Volunteers Honoured Ahead of Event

/

After a two-year hiatus, one of Peterborough’s biggest hockey traditions makes its return as the 63rd Annual Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament returns to the ice from Thursday to Sunday.

(form left to right) Bill Auckland, Teena & Jack Flood and Mike Dennis were recipients of Frank Lustic, Steve Casey and Don McCrory’s Referee’s Award respectively at the 63rd Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament. The tournament was formerly called the Peterborough Liftlock Atom Hockey Tournament. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Opening ceremonies of the house league begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Healthy Planet Arena while Rep Division opening ceremonies are at the Peterborough Memorial Centre at 9 a.m. Callum Perks better known as ‘Coach Cal’ is doing the ceremonial puck drop before the game.

This year features 87 teams in 11 divisions playing throughout 10 arenas in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. It is also the return of AAA divisions. While the number of teams dropped from 114 in 2019, chairman Dan McNamee is just happy to have the tournament back for the children.

“The kids are happy to be back, the parents are excited to see the tradition back,” he said. “If it weren’t for the volunteers and directors who were working behind the scenes for this tournament, they’re the ones who get all the accolades for putting on this tournament.”

This year is without the skills competition due to lower numbers but it is not being shelved permanently for future tournaments according to McNamee.

“We’ll give it a little bit of a break and we’ll look at bringing it back in the future,” he explained. “It’s not like it’s gone forever, it’s a great show and those kids are the all-stars for the night and I hope we’ll get it back soon.”

Several awards were distributed ahead of the opening ceremonies recognizing some volunteers for their contributions to the tournament over the years:

  • Don McCrory Referee’s Award for exemplifying McCrory’s dedication to officiating - Mike Dennis

  • Steve Casey Award for a volunteer going the extra mile to contributing to the tournament’s success – Teena and Jack Flood

  • Frank Lustic Award for exemplifying all Lustic’s qualities who volunteered for over 25 years in minor sports – Bill Auckland

A cheque presentation of $2,500 was also donated to Autism Central East Ontario as the chosen beneficiary as the tournament supports a local charity annually.

The eagerness of all the volunteers and committee members showed as they were happy to see the event return after a two-year hiatus, according to McNamee.

“Let’s just get on the ice,” he exclaimed. “I just want to see the kids get skating and see the smiles on their face and hear the parents cheering them on. It feels like two decades and not two years, it’s been a long time coming so let’s play hockey.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.