Thousands of minor league players to take part in 25th Robin's hockey tournament

Finding a hotel room or an empty spot to sit at a restaurant might be a tough task in Thunder Bay this weekend.

More than 2,600 players and 166 teams – including 38 from as far away as Wawa and Winnipeg – will descend on every rink in the city over the next four days, taking part in the 25th annual Robin’s Minor Hockey Tournament.

Joe Rizzuto, long-time chairman of the event, said the players love the tournament.

“They’re all excited about it,” he said on Wednesday at a Fort William Gardens kick-off event launching this year’s milestone celebrations.
“For a lot of them, winning the Robin’s tournament is the tournament that has to be won. It’s like winning the Stanley Cup for them, so it’s been pretty nice.”

It just keeps growing each year, he added.

“This is great for the city,” Rizutto said.

“We’re going to have kids from the IP program, which are four and five years old. They’re always fun to watch, all the way up to Midget AA, which is the highest rated hockey in the tournament.

Rizzuto said the organizers’ commitment to excellence has proven to be a hit with teams, which is why more and more continue to come back year after year.

They also made a conscious effort a few years ago to grow the event from the roots out.

“We started with the IPs about five or six years ago, hoping it would build it up as the kids learn from a young age to come to the tournament. They’ll want to keep going, so I think that was the reason we’ve grown so much,” Rizzuto said. “We promoted it with the young kids and they kept coming.”

Jason Sawiek is the business development manager with Robin’s Donuts and said the partnership with the tournament is just one way to give back to the community.|

Watching it grow has been fun, he said.

“It’s incredible when you actually think about it, from where this tournament started to where we are today and how much is has grown.

And it just keeps growing year after year after year,” Sawiek said. “It seems like it’s the premier tournament that kids want to be involved in. It’s kind of like the Stanley Cup of Northern Ontario, so to speak.”

Action kicks off Thursday at noon and continues through Sunday. Tournament passes are $10 in advance and available at any Robin’s location in Thunder Bay. Passes are $15 at the door.