‘It’s beyond tradition’: Goderich hosts 75th edition of world’s longest running hockey tournament

CTV’s Scott Miller with the 75th anniversary of the Young Canada Week Youth Hockey Tournament in Goderich.

Nearly 100 hockey games will be played this week in Goderich, as Young Canada Week marks its 75-year anniversary.

“Young Canada Week is the oldest continually running hockey tournament in the world, and we have more than nine years on anybody else. And we’re just going to keep and going,” said Young Canada Week Co-Chair Mike Alcock.

In 1950, 12 teams played in the first March Break hockey tournament in Goderich. 75 years later, Young Canada Week, which is run by the Goderich Lions and Goderich Minor Hockey, has grown by leaps and bounds.

“The actual tournament is still nine days long, broken into three divisions. We have 44 teams coming for over 90 games,” said Young Canada Week Tournament Coordinator Tara Corriveau.

Corriveau says generations of hockey families, including Wayne Gretzky, have played in this tournament.

“I spoke with a gentleman that was wearing his peewee jacket from 1957. People arrived with their 50th anniversary caps on. We had people driving an hour and a half to loan us their memorabilia to put on display, so that just speaks in itself. You don’t have to say anything else about how important this is, not just to Goderich, but our community and hockey tradition for 75 years,” said Corriveau.

Play started last weekend and won’t wrap until Sunday night. By that time, nearly 100 games will have been played at Goderich’s Sifto Arena.

It’s a March Break well spent volunteer organizers say.

“It is beyond tradition. This is the best hockey tournament in the world, in our opinion,” said Alcock.

You can follow the schedule and check out Young Canada Week’s 50/50 raffle that’s expected to reach more than $40,000 by Sunday night at Young Canada Week’s website.