Boys hockey players from Wellesley and surrounding areas have qualified for the renowned Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, set to take place in Quebec City in February.
Coach Justin Harney refers to the tournament as the Little League World Series of 13-year-old hockey, to put it in perspective for those who might be more familiar with other big youth sports events.
The Boston Junior Eagles players, including Wellesley’s Ryan Harney, Hunter Howarth, Mikey Ashe, Drew Farley, have largely been playing together since they were six.
The boys qualified for the Quebec event by winning seven of eight games against Eastern Hockey Federation opponents in a round robin format.
Hockey mom Amy Howarth writes that “this team has become like a family, working together over the years to secure back-to-back league championships, multiple tournament victories, and consistent rankings in the top 1% of teams nationwide. Competing in Quebec will be a fantastic opportunity for them to represent Massachusetts hockey on an international stage, following in the footsteps of many past and present NHL players.”
The local players have been working hard to fund their entry fees and trip costs, including via a now sold-out $10K raffle. They continue to sell tickets for 50/50 raffles at local rinks, including Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley.
The boys have been training with Bando Sports Performance in Wellesley, with off-ice oversight by Jason Byrne and his staff. On ice, the team practices two times a week, and overall, will play 65 games this season.
In Quebec, they’ll compete in at least two games in the double-elimination tournament, plus several exhibition matches. The tourney draws teams from the US, Canada and Europe, says Harney, a Wellesley resident since 2012 who has been coaching the team alongside Tom Ashe (Wellesley), Luke Howarth (Wellesley) and Mike Mitchell (Newton).
“There is nothing at this level bigger than the Quebec Pee Wee Tourney,” he says. “We do not have ‘National Bound’ Tourneys at this level, so this is as big as it gets. Teams at the younger levels are already trying to position themselves for this tourney next season and draw some talented players to their teams to help qualify for the tourney.”
This won’t be the first time the boys have traveled far, but should be their most exciting adventure. The team won a tournament in Waterloo last season, and they play there again this month to prep for the Quebec event.
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