Trae Peterson of Sturgis, is only 10 years old but his passion for the sport of hockey has led to many great things for the youth.
One of his biggest accomplishments to date is playing in The Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament in West Edmonton Mall from July 1 to July 7.
Each summer, nine and 10-year-olds from across North America come together to compete for the Brick Cup and the title of Brick Champion. In this year's tournament there were 14 teams entered including: Team Saskatchewan Junior Pats, Team Brick Alberta, Chicago Junior Blackhawks, Connecticut Junior Rangers, Western Selects, Boston Junior Bruins, Team Manitoba, Detroit Red Wings, BC Junior Canucks, Team Minnesota, Team Quebec, Toronto Bulldogs, Team Pennsylvania and Toronto Pro Hockey.
Players on the Saskatchewan team were selected from across the province including: Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Gull Lake, Lumsden and Yorkton. Peterson was the only player from rural Saskatchewan.
Peterson first tried out for the Team Saskatchewan Junior Pats in December 2018 with 170 players all vying for a spot. From the first tryouts held in Regina the field of players was cut down to 50. From the second tryout the team was cut to 25 players.
鈥淲e are all very excited for Trae. This was a huge opportunity for him to showcase his skills and help advance and improve his hockey techniques,鈥� said Kristen Peterson, mom.
"One of my favourite parts of the tournament was jersey swap and the opportunity to see the tournament board that displayed all the players who in the past have played in the tournament,鈥� said Trae. 鈥淛ustin Keller, my cousin and godfather had also played in this tournament in 1993."
During the regular season Peterson had played forward with the Yorkton AA Terriers. Prior to the Brick tournament Team Saskatchewan played in three tournaments in Saskatoon, Calgary and Brandon, where they faced off against Team Manitoba.
All games during the Brick Tournament were aired online with an announcer. Many family members traveled to Edmonton to support Peterson. The team played well with many close games but unfortunately recorded no wins.
鈥淏ut it isn't just about winning, it鈥檚 about the exposure and opportunity for the players,鈥� stated Peterson.
He was invited to attend the Hockey Hall of Future Legends Tournament to be held in Toronto in April 2020. Only the top 192 world-wide players who are 10 years old are invited to this tournament. Each roster will be comprised of a diverse group of players from across North America and Europe with each team playing five games. Trae and two other youth were the only players invited from Saskatchewan.
Since 1990, The Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament has witnessed some of the best hockey players in the world embark upon their future professional careers.
鈥淲ith hundreds and hundreds of Brick tournament players evolving into Canadian Hockey League, American Hockey League, and National Hockey League players, we can truly say good things come to those who play Brick Hockey,鈥� stated information from the Brick Tournament website.
In January of 1990, Bill Comrie met with a few of his executives at The Brick Warehouse Corporation and discussed a hockey tournament concept that would be both unique and beneficial to many people for years to come. Comrie鈥檚 vision was a hockey tournament for players nine and ten years of age that would be international in scope and personal in presentation. He recognized that this age category did not have national presence similar to the Qu茅bec Peewee Tournament or the Macs Midget Tournament.
Hockey players aged nine and ten will benefit from the experience gained in a world class tournament, and also many charities are the beneficiaries from funds that have been generously donated as a result of this tournament. The tournament began because of Bill Comrie and flourishes because of our incredible sponsors and volunteers, concluded the information.
