Although there isn’t as much hockey as usual going on this weekend – with many organizations taking a holiday break to recharge for the stretch run of the 2023-24 season – hockey still will exit 2023 with a bang as the calendar year comes to a close with some very high-level events.

Here is a look at some events we will be tracking:

 

Circle K Classic

An annual event in Calgary featuring some of the top 18U boys teams in North America, this year’s Circle K Classic boasts four of the USA’s top-10 Tier 1 national-bound teams and six of the top-20 in its 32-team field. In addition, eight of Canada’s top-10 and 12 of its top-20 clubs are participating. The tournament field also includes Ontario’s second-ranked AAA team and the No. 25 overall 18U American team as well as the USA’s No. 10 independent prep team.

Play began Wednesday, and as of Friday morning Canada’s second-ranked Calgary Edge School, third-ranked Yale Hockey Academy ad top-ranked Northern Alberta Xtreme were undefeated at 2-0-0 and sitting atop their respective pools.

USA No. 1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s also was unbeaten and leading its pool as were the No. 19 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes and No. 10 USA Independent Prep Hill School. USA’s No. 5 Bishop Kearney Selects were 1-1-0 and in second place in Pool 5, behind Canada’s No. 42 Airdrie Bisons. Canada’s No. 44 South Alberta Hockey Academy was the other undefeated pool leader.

The playoff round starts Saturday. All Circle K Classic games can be seen on FloHockey.TV.

 

Friday’s Top Circle K Classic Game Results

Pool 2 – 3:15 p.m. EST

#4 Calgary NWCAA Flames (3), #5 OHA-Penticton (10)

 

Pool 3 – 12:30 p.m. EST

#19 USA Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (3), #2 Ontario Burlington Jr. Eagles (1) 

 

Pool 4 – 12:30 p.m. EST

#4 Yale Hockey Academy (3), #5 Calgary Buffaloes (4)

 

Pool 6 – 8:45 p.m. EST

#1 Canada Northern Alberta Xtreme (2-0-0) vs. #9 USA St. Louis AAA Blues (1-1-0)

 

Pool 7 – 6:00 p.m. EST

#10 USA Prep Hill School (3), USA Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (7)

 

Saturday’s Circle K Classic Quarterfinals

#42 CAN Airdrie Bisons (1), #1 USA Shattuck-St. Mary's (7) 

#44 South Alberta Hockey Academy (1) vs. #2 Edge School (6) 

#4 CAN Calgary Buffaloes (3) vs. #19 USA Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (5) 

#9 Calgary Royals (4) vs. #1 Northern Alberta Xtreme (1)

 

Other Top Saturday Circle K Matchups

#7 CAN Vancouver NE Chiefs (3) vs. #7 USA Victory Honda (10) 

Team Hungary (1) vs. #3 CAN Yale Hockey Academy (4)

#6 CAN Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna (5) vs. #5 USA BK Selects (4) - OT 

 

Sunday’s Circle K Classic Semifinals

#2 Canada Edge School (2) vs. #1 USA Shattuck-St. Mary's (5) 

Shattuck scored the game's first four goals and held off Edge School in the third to win and advance to the finals. Mikey Berchild had two goals for SSM, with Daniel Shlaine and William Zellers each adding a goal and an assist. 

 

#9 Canada Calgary Royals (0) vs. #19 USA Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (1) - OT

Kade Parela scored 6:19 into overtime with assists going to Jacob Solano and Zakhar Meshcheriakov as the Jr. Coyotes broke a scoreless tie and earned a trip to the championship game. Benjamin Vatis made 18 saves to earn the shutout win over Calgary's Connor Johnson (35 saves). 

 

Monday's Circle K Classic Championship Game

USA #1 Shattuck-St. Mary's (3), USA #19 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes (0)

It wasn't a walk in the park for the USA's top team, which had rolled through the tourney undefeated. The Sabres needed second- and third-period goals to break a scoreless tie and pull away for the championship. Ryker Lee scored off a William Zellers set up 6:10 into the second period and Zellers provided some insurance, with Lee getting one of the helpers, halfway through the final frame. Vladimir Bakhtov finished the scoring for SSM about two minutes later, and Jackson Hirshorn stopped 18 saves to earn the shutout win in goal. 

 

East Coast Wizards Holiday Invitational

Hosted by one of the tradional USA girls hockey national powerhouse organizations, the East Coast Wizards Holiday Invitational features some of the top-ranked USA Girls 16U and 19U Tier 1 teams competing in a highly scouted tournament that began Wednesday and runs through Sunday. 

The 16U Division is broken down into four pools of four teams each for round-robin play, and the 16-team field includes three of the nation's top-six and seven of the top-25 USA Tier 1 teams.

In 19U play, the 16-team field also is broken into four pools for round-robin play. That age group includes three of the USA's top-10 and seven of the top-25 Tier 1 USA Girls teams. 

As of mid-day Friday, 16U pool leaders included No. 2 Assabet Valley (2-0-0), the No. 5 Massachusetts Spitfires (3-0-0), No. 13 Little Caesars (3-0-0) and the No. 4 Mid-Fairfield Stars (3-0-0). 

Games are being played at the Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Mass., and are being stramed on LiveBarn.

 

Saturday's 19U Semifinals

#13 Little Caesars (2), #3 Assabet Valley (3)

Emily Mara scored twice and Madelyn Soderquist netted the game-winner to send Assabet to the championship game.

 

#5 Mass Spitfires (3), #6 Mid-Fairfield Stars (0)

The Spitfires got a goal in each period from Anika Singh, Violet Carroll and Isabella Mondolfi to advance to the finals. 

 

16U Championship Game

#5 Mass Spitfires (3), #3 Assabet Valley (2) - OT

Susannah Ward's unassisted goal with 1:13 left in overtime gave the Spitfires the championship. It was Ward's second of the game. Anika Sing also scored for the victors, while Madelyn Soderquist and Evelyn Doyle tallied for Assabet. 

 

Saturday's 19U Semifinals

#8 Little Caesars (3), #4 East Coast Wizards (2) - OT

Addison Spitz scored early in overtime to send Mid-Fairfield to the title game. Paige Cline scored twice for the winners. 

 

#6 Boston Jr. Eagles (3), #9 Mid-Fairfield Stars (1) 

All four goals were scored in the third period. After Chloe Obser tied the game at 1 for the Stars with 6:39 left, Calleigh Brown scored the game-winner on the power play with 3:15 remaining, with Giavanna Thompson adding insurance in the final minute. Camryn Bell also scored for the Jr. Eagles. 

 

19U Championship Game

#8 Little Caesars (3), #6 Boston Jr. Eagles (2) - OT

Melanie Targosz lifted LC to the championship by scoring with just 23 seconds left in overtime. Boston led, 2-0, on Olivia Maffeo's goal with 5:23 left in the third before Little Caesars rallied to tie in in the final 4:57 on a pair of goals by Heather Ajakie. Sophia Levering had Boston's other goal.  

  

 

Grand Forks Buffalo Wild Wings Tournament

Sixteen Minn-Kota Bantam AA teams along with the AAA Sioux Falls Power (No. 73 USA Boys Tier 1 14U) are in Grand Forks, N.D. this weekend for the Buffalo Wild Wings Invitational Tournament. This event runs Friday through Monday, with teams divided into two pools.

Six of the top-10 and eight of the top-15 Minn-Kota Bantam AA teams are competing. 

 

Friday's BWW Top Games

#1 Moorhead Spuds (5), #9 White Bear Lake (2)

#15 Fargo Freeze (2), #22 Rogers Royals (1) 

#7 Wayzata Trojans (6), Hermantown Hawks (3)

#11 Grand Fofks Aviators (0), #26 Andover Huskies (3)

 

Saturday's BWW Top Games

#2 Osseo Maple Grove (10), #15 Fargo Freeze (3)

#1 Moorhead Spuds (9), Tier 1 Sioux Falls Power (2)

#22 Rogers Royals (7), #23 East Grand Forks (6)

#3 Prior Lake Savage Lakers (0), #11 Grand Forks Aviators (4)

#10 Hermantown Hawks (3), #10 Eden Prairie (2)

 

Sunday's BAA Top Games

#7 Wayzata Trojans (4), #23 East Grand Forks (5)

#1 Moorhead Spuds (5), #3 Prior Lake Savage Lakers (4) - SO

#15 Fargo Freeze (4), #20 Eden Prairie (3)

#9 White Bear Lake (4), #11 Grand Forks Aviators (1)

#20 Eden Prairie (4), #23 East Grand Forks (2)

#7 Wayzata Trojans (5), #15 Fargo Freeze (0)

#2 Osseo Maple Grove (4), #10 Hermantown Hawks (1)

 

Monday's BWW Semifinals 

#11 Grand Forks Aviators (4), #7 Wayzata Trojans (5)

#1 Moorhead Spuds (6), #2 Osseo Maple Grove (0)

 

Monday's BWW Championship Game

#1 Moorhead Spuds (7), #7 Wayzata (1)

Wyatt and Joey Cullen had two goals apiece to lead the top-ranked spuds to the Buffalo Wild Wings championship.