With just 6 days to go until the start of the event, ballhockey.com is pleased to release the schedules for the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships presented by Bauer.
To download them please click on any of the following links:
Women's Open Division to see 14 teams compete at the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships
There are only 7 days remaining until the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships presented by Bauer and the Women's Open division is going to be one to watch all weekend long! 14 teams are set to compete in the three day tournament but only one will get to lift the “A” championship trophy on Sunday evening. The Women will play three preliminary games and then 6 will advance to the Women’s “A” Championship and 6 will advance to the Women’s “B” Championship on Sunday.
The defending champions, Barrie Pie (Post Holes Plus this year), will be back and ready to defend their “A” title in their hometown. No strangers to the WOBHC tournament, the ladies are expected to bring a strong roster and a loud fan base to cheer them on. This year there are two teams travelling up with Cool Hockey Events to represent the USA. If you haven't watched their scrimmages or games on coach Jason Kelly's facebook.... let us tell you that they are bringing two groups of girls ready to play! When we watched them back at the North American Ball Hockey Championships in Philadelphia they were fast on the ball, quick to pass and deadly when it came to putting the ball in the back of the net.
The Niagara region is also expected to have a great showing as well with the Beastie Bitches travelling into town. The Beastie Bitches core was dominate in 2012-2014 winning the Women's B three consecutive times and have won a OBHA Indoor Women’s Championship in 2016. We can't wait to see what their roster looks like this year! Orillia District 12 has won a North American Championship and is always a strong contender and we expect London Norstar, Midland F*ck Cancer, Timmin’s Babes, Ottawa Blackouts, Winthrow Knights, Barrie Donaleighs and Team Heggarty to challenge the pre-tournament favourites.
Stay tuned this weekend as we release the event schedule and continue to provide previews for the event. A reminder, spectators and fans are free to come out and watch the tournament action! Games begin on Friday evening and continue through until Sunday evening. Good luck to everyone participating !!
36 Teams set to compete in Men's B division at the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships
On Friday September 23rd the ball will drop to begin the 20th Anniversary Ballhockey.com World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships presented by Bauer. The Men's B/C division will see a record 36 teams facing off but only one being crowned B champion by the time the sun sets on Sunday evening. Ask anybody who has played in this event; this marathon is the most gruelling ball hockey tournament on the planet. In order to win Men's B a team will play 7 games in 48 hours. Past events have seen everything from extreme heat to snow and hail, but luckily this year the weather network is calling for nothing but sunshine with temperatures between 16-24°C.
The Rose City Kings (previously Welland Kings) will be back again this year looking to defend their championship. They are known to be an explosive young team and the rumour is that this years team is stronger than ever. The defending Men's C champions, The Toronto Hall of Famers, will be looking to build off of what they learned last year and take a run at the B division.
As always, the Niagara region will be sending a number of strong teams. One to keep an eye on will be the St. Catharine’s Punishers. This year they have won the OBHA and OBHF Tier 3 Provincial Championships, finished 2nd at the Gateway to the WOBHC tournament and they have consistently had strong performances at past WOBHC tournaments. We reached out to team captain John Rodney and asked what will be key to their game to see the Punishers win their first WOBHC championship and he said "Coming together as a team 15 years ago was the beginning, staying together over the years was progress and now working together will be our success at worlds!".
With the event being hosted at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club it is no surprise to see 8 Barrie teams registered and ready to play. Home court advantage does not seem to be a factor in past events though with Barrie teams only winning it all in 2014 (Barrie Maple Kings) and 1999 (Barrie Capitals). Randy Kelly's Barrie Flyers are another team to watch this year because They have been building their depth and have pulled together a pretty good team at the B level.
This event has a number of other notable teams travelling in. The team representing USA Ball Hockey managed by Jason Kelly & Cool Hockey Events is a collection of some of the best players from across the United States. Team Saskatchewan led by Jeff Lainey and Oskayak Ball Hockey led by Delaney Okemow will both be travelling in from Saskatchewan to participate in the event for the first time. From the other side of Ontario we also have Hull Volant travelling in from Quebec to take their run at the championship.
The best part about this event is that you can never predict what is going to happen. The best roster doesn't mean anything once the ball drops. Perseverance, grit and a thirst to win can out match the biggest names. This event is anyones to win and we can't wait to watch all 36 teams hit the floor next week. This event is free to watch for spectators. Games will begin at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club on Friday around 6pm and continue through until Sunday evening.
Toronto Leaf looking to win third consecutive Men's A title at the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships
The Toronto Leaf's after winning the 2015 Men's A Championship
With only 10 days until the ball drops to kick off the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships one team that is ready to go is the Toronto Leafs. They won the Men's A division in both 2014 and 2015 and are bringing a stacked roster to compete again this year.
There are only teams who have won this division back to back, the other being the St. Catharines Wizards. The Wizards were able to win the championship the first three years of the WOBHC tournament in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Both the Leafs and Wizards have won the WOBHC Men's Championship 5 times.
We asked Chrissy Morrison Jr. what it is going to take to win a third consecutive championship and he said they will need "commitment & character on and off the floor. Every team is out to beat us, we need to respect our opponents but also have that swagger on and off the floor".
The men's portion of the tournament is sold out. Games start on Friday September 23rd at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club. Come out to watch some of the best ball hockey in the world. The event is free for spectators.
20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships 2 teams away from being sold out
As of Wednesday September 8 the upcoming Barrie leg of the World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships is just two teams away from being sold out.
If you have not yet registered your team this is your last chance to do so. You can sign up by clicking on 2016 WOBHC under Our Events at the top.
If you have any questions about this years event please reach out to Sara via email --> sarak@ballhockey.com.
We look forward to sharing more information about the teams and divisions as things get finalized. This is going to be an event to remember!
Kingston ball hockey tournament raises $12,000 for the Boys and Girls Club
Mandy Marciniak/Metroland
NHL star Taylor Hall made a special visit to the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area on Aug. 30. The hockey player visited with campers at the club, but he also presented a $12,000 cheque to the organization.
Mandy Marciniak/Metroland
The funds were raised through the third annual ball hockey tournament in support of the Boys and Girls Club, which was held in the Metro parking lot at Princess and Barrie Streets on Saturday, July 23. Hall hosted the tournament this year and he was happy with the turnout.
“It was so great to see all the kids with the players and just how much fun they were having,” he said. “It was a special day.”
The Boys and Girls Club is a cause that is close to Hall and he was happy to visit and bring news of the funds that were raised to the kids.
“I used the Boys and Girls Club as a kids so it is important for me to give back,” he said.
The funds raised will go towards a variety of programming at both the Kingston and Gananoque Boys and Girls Clubs.
Article & Photos by Mandy Marcinia via KingstonRegion.com.
Fall ball hockey starts tomorrow; September updates to keep you in the know!
September is here which mean's two things. Kids are heading back to school tomorrow and fall ball hockey is starting up around the country!
Our new Scarborough league is close to getting started! Sign up today by visiting scarboroughballhockey.com. It is a Thursday night co-ed draft league!
Schedules for adult leagues are posted for all clubs. If you are sitting here debating putting in a team... well it is not too late! Give your local club a call and they will get you squeezed in.
There are still a couple of weeks until kids leagues begin and registration is still underway. You can sign up your children online by selecting a club from the menu at the top.
We've just hit 1,000 followers on our instagram. Just a reminder if you tag us in your photos and use the hashtag #ballhockeycom you have a chance to be featured!
Finally, the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships presented by Bauer are fast approaching. The Men's & Women's events in Barrie are 18 days away (taking place September 23-25) and the Over 35 & Coed will be happening in St. Catharines October 14-16. You still have time to register a team and compete!
We look forward to seeing you on the floor!
ASHI Hockey Masters General Manager Jamie Cooke Resigns
A famous early 20th century American author once said… “On the journey of life, it really comes down to a handful of people you meet who you impact your life that you truly admire and remember the rest of your life.” When it comes to people who have had an impact on many people’s lives in the sport of ball hockey, few can compare to Masters Division General Manager Jamie Cooke.
“With great appreciation for all he has done for the sport, the community, the national programs, and for ASHI, we have accepted Jamie’s letter of resignation. Jamie has indicated that it is time for him to move on and do other things with his life, and we fully respect Jamie’s decision. We certainly don’t want to see him go, but Jamie can step away knowing that he left the Masters program and ASHI in a much better place than he found it. And for that, along with a host of other things he’s accomplished which are too numerous to mention, I’ve accepted Jamie’s decision. We are going to miss his dedication, passion and energy that he always brought to the table.”said ASHI Executive Director Ricky Laperriere.
ASHI Vice President Mike DeFazio added – “Jamie is the definition of an ambassador of the game, both in the United States and on the International level. Players around the country have the utmost respect for Jamie, and he is the leader and the voice of the generation that helped make this game great. It will be impossible to replace Jamie and his leadership within the organization, but we very much appreciate everything he has done with this sport.”
Jamie had this to say – ” I am moving on for new life experiences with my four kids and love of my life Claudia, I don’t move on from the sport as I plan to enjoy it as a player as long as my body allows. I move on as being a formal leader in the sport which takes dedication and time which I don’t and will not have. I simply don’t do things unless I am 100% committed.
I move on knowing the leadership vacuum will be filled with great people who share my love for our sport. I feel good about that. I leave self fulfilled as I know the sport is in a better place now then when I came to be a contributing leader.”
Read the rest of the announcement and see some great pictures at the ASHI Hockey Site here.
Bauer World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships Update; Women's Open division heating up!
With only 22 days remaining until the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships presented by Bauer the Women's Open division is gearing up to be quite the battle!
12 teams from across Ontario and the USA will be competing to take home Championship Gold as well as the $1,000 cash prize introduced for the 20th Anniversary. All eyes will be on the USA Happy Endings as they are coming off a strong win at the Cool Hockey North American Ball Hockey Championships in March.
Niagara's Beastie B*tches will also be one to watch having just won the OBHA Women's Provincial Championships.
Teams from DC, Barrie, Ottawa, Orillia, Toronto and more have also confirmed and the rosters we've seen so far lead us to believe there is going to be some great competition on the floor!
There is still time to get registered for this years event. To bring your team out to this year's event please contact Sara Krug at sara@ballhockey.com.
New Thursday Night Co-ed Rec League in Scarborough starting this September!
Attention hockey fans in the GTA! This Fall ballhockey.com & CanLan Ice Sports have partnered to bring Co-Ed recreational ball hockey to the city of Scarborough!
This draft league will play on Thursday evenings starting on September 15th. It will include a 10 game regular season and end on Saturday November 19th with a playoff tournament & season ending party.
The goal of the league will be to provide a fun, enjoyable place to play the game we love. If you think you are going to get a tryout for the Maple Leafs playing here, it's not the right league....
If you want to make some new friends and have fun playing hockey... click here to get signed up!
Travelodge is the place to stay for the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships
With just under a month to go until the 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships it's time to get your rooms booked! This year Travelodge is the official host hotel and they have rooms set aside for our teams!
The hotel features:
- Indoor Swimming Pool
- Complimentary Hot and Cold Breakfast Buffet
- Fridges and Microwaves in ALL Guestrooms
- Free High Speed Wireless Internet
- Free Local Calls
- Free Guest Parking
- 2 Minutes away from the Barrie Ball Hockey Club
Full details are available by downloading their flyer here (feel free to send it to your teammates!). In house reservations can be made by calling 705.722.4466 or emailing gsm@travelodgebarrieonbayfield.com before September 9 2016!
See you in Barrie!
Avalon win gold at the NewFoundLand Summer Games
It took a little longer then they would have liked, but the Avalon female ball hockey team captured gold at the NL Summer Games in CBS after a marathon game with the host team.
The teams were deadlocked at one goal apiece as they slogged through not one, but two overtime periods before a shot directed at the host goal careened off a defender and into the back of the net for Avalon’s golden goal. The game was played at the CBS Stadium in Kelligrews on Aug. 20.
Kelsey Shute picked up the win in goal for Avalon.
The gold medal victory capped an impressive tournament for Avalon. The lone goal scored by the host team in the final was the first one allowed by Avalon in five games.
They opened the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Western on Aug. 18, which was followed by a 2-0 defeat of St. John’s.
On Day 2 of the tournament, Avalon blanked Eastern 2-0 and Mount Pearl 5-0 to set up the final with a formidable host squad. They were also 4-0 heading into the final.
Members of the championship team are: Abigail Gambin (Dunville), Abigail Reynolds (Harbour Grace), Camryn Taylor (Bristol’s Hope), Dakota Sheppard (Harbour Grace), Emma Russell (Blaketown), Hillary Neville (Placentia), Kelsey Shute (Harbor Grace), Kristen Shute (Harbour Grace), Mackenzie Chipman (Spaniard’s Bay), Mackenzie Crane (Spaniard’s Bay), Madison Petten (Bay Roberts), Rhiannon Kelly (Victoria), Samantha Pike (Harbour Grace), Shailynn Snow (Clarke’s Beach), Shelby Batten (Bareneed) and Tyra Lannon (Placentia).
Coaching staff was Erin Earle (Bay Roberts), Trudy Russell (Blaketown) and Kim Lannon (Placentia).
Bruised Camera captured all the action from the Gateway to the Bauer World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships
A huge shout out to Joe Mallette of Bruised Camera for stopping by the Gateway to the Bauer World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships this past Saturday. He captured a ton of actions shots which we have made available for you to check out below!
If you are looking for event photography in the Niagara region feel free to reach out to Joe. He does amazing work and we highly recommend him for capturing your next event!
Stoney Creek Savages win Gateway to the World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships; headed to Barrie!
This past weekend the Niagara Ball Hockey Club hosted the Gateway to the Bauer World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships. This warm up event let's Southern Ontario based teams come out and see how they stack up.... with a chance to win their entry to the WOBHC tournament. With this year being the 20th Anniversary the teams were exceptionally excited to start their #RoadToTheWOBHC
After three days of game's, championship Sunday saw a final match up between the Stoney Creek Savages (3rd seed from round robin) and the St. Catharines Punishers (4th seed from round robin).
The game was a back and forth affair featuring stellar goaltending and countless chances. After 3 periods of play the game was tied 2-2 forcing sudden death overtime. It was there that the Stoney Creek Savages were able to score and win gold, 3-2.
The winning team was Kevin Allain, Justin Allen, Michael Chenoweth-Durney, Kris Dean, Jordan Delconta, John Dungey, Stewart Forsyth, PJ Herod, Michael Holditch, Kodi "Ginger" Hollingsworth, Russ Mackay, Spencer Mark, Wes Morrison, Jeremy Palladino, Kyle Robertson, Shane Ruddy, Joel Thompson & Chad Upper.
Join "ballhockey.com Team Canada" at the Sun Shine Shoot-Out in Florida this October!
Are you looking for a great excuse to get away this October? Want to spend a weekend in the sun playing ball hockey and have a great time? We have the event for you!
This October International Shoot-Out will be having their 10th Anniversary Sun Shine Shoot-Out tournament. In 2010 ballhockey.com took a "Team Canada" Men's Rec team down and we came back champions!
This year to join in on the 10th Anniversary fun we want to head back and bring back another trophy. If you currently play at a ballhockey.com facility, you are invited to come be a part of "ballhockey.com Team Canada". We will be competing in the Men's Rec/D division (so please be a Rec/D player) and if there is enough interest we can try and do a co-ed team as well.
To sign on, click here and register. For $125CDN your tournament fee will be covered and you will get a home and away t-shirt jersey to keep. We will also supply all the warm up balls, tape, water that you could need. You will be responsible for your own transportation and hotel, but the intent will be to stay at the host hotel.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mike Broley at ballhockeymike@gmail.com.
Look forward to playing with you in Florida!
St. Catharines Beastie Beauts win OBHA Women's Provincial Championship
The St. Catharines Beastie Beauts walked away with gold at the OBHA Women's Provincial Championships in Brampton last weekend. The event featured 8 women's teams from across Ontario competing over 3 days.
The Beastie Beauts went though the tournament undefeated with their sole tie coming against the Midland Battalion in their 1st game. From there they were dominate winning 7-0 over the Cornwall Ray Jans and 5-1 over Trenton Hooligans. The semi-finals saw them take on the Burlington Brownies and win 5-0.
The finals saw the St. Catharines Beastie Beauts face off against the Oshawa Stampede. It was the scoring prowess of the Beastie Beauts that proved too much for the Stampede; they took the win and the championship 4-1.
The winning team was Brittany Nagy, Michelle Edgar, Metka Manfreda, Jessie Cunningham (G), Nicole Gooding, Bailee Buckmaster, Charmaine Lounsbury, Mullsy Mc, Melissa Miller, Danielle Brenda, Ashley Carney &, Melissa Boal
Full tournament results below.
20th Anniversary Bauer World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships Update
With 56-60 teams and over 1,000 participants, Barrie will be rocking in September …. Where else would you want to be …….. Join us in celebrating 20 years!!
September 23rd is fast approaching and teams are being finalized for the 20th Anniversary Bauer World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships. This year we will be offering Men’s Open, Men’s B/C, Ladies Open, Coed Open and Over 35 Division’s. The Ladies and Coed Divisions will split into A & B flights like the Men’s B/C after preliminary games are played with both flights generating winners and prizes. 8 Championship’s in total.
Each year teams from across Canada and the U.S. join us for two weekend’s jam packed with ball hockey action. This year will be no exception with a number of new teams from both countries travelling to play! Join us in Barrie September 23-25 for Men and Women’s action or Niagara
Over $30,000 of the entry fees are spent on the Prizes with Division Champions receiving awesome customized Bauer Jackets with their names and player numbers stitched on them, Hats and new this year, $1,000 in cash* will be included. Winners will receive a Championship banner and all player names are permanently engraved on our historical ballhockey.com Trophies. The Stanley Cup of the outdoor game. Prizes for all Division Runners up will be customized Bauer Hoodies and Hats.
Rogers TV will again be on site this year recording and broadcasting championship Sunday afternoon games!
For those of you looking to get the 20th Anniversary event shirt, you can purchase it in advance online by hitting up the ballhockey.com store. Selecting Barrie pickup guarantees you your shirt on Friday night of the tournament. Orders request to be shipped will not be sent out until September 27th.
The entry fee for the tournament is $700 and a $300 deposit is due at the beginning of September to secure your teams spot. Deposits can be made by clicking here.
You can also submit your team roster by clicking here.
Spaces are starting to fill up so don’t delay in getting your team registered for the 20th Anniversary Ballhockey.com World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships, presented by Bauer.
Please direct any inquiries to sarak@ballhockey.com
*For Men's B/C, Ladies A/B and Coed A/B the $1,000 prize is for the top division, and will not be awarded in the lower division to encourage teams to challenge for the top to win cash. Tha t is $5,000 in additional prize money being handed out this year.
Bauer Hockey is looking for ball hockey players to provide feedback; chance to win prize pack
Attention ball hockey players! Our corporate partner, Bauer Hockey, is looking to get feedback from our clubs about their equipment. This is your chance to tell them what colour gloves you are hoping to get in 2017, or why you love their sticks.
They are accepting feedback until August 21st, 2016. On Monday August 22nd, one participant will be selected to win an awesome Bauer Prize Pack (including a new stick!).
What are you waiting for! Click here to complete the survey (approx: 5 minutes).
Back to school; back to ball hockey! Fall registration is on for all leagues!
The days are getting shorter and back to school sales are on everywhere. That can mean it is time for one thing.... it's time to get registered for Fall ball hockey!
You can register online by visiting any of our clubs listed on the top menu. If you have questions or want any assistance please feel free to reach out to hello@ballhockey.com. We'd be more than happy to help you find the right league!
The Barrie Ball Hockey Club, Brampton Ball Hockey Club & Niagara Ball Hockey Club are also continuing their popular "bring a friend" youth program which will give you a $25 credit for any new player brought out to the club*!
For adults looking to start a team, we offer you a free registration once your team has 11 paid players.
For adults looking to get onto a team, please contact the club you'd like to play at to get placed on a team!
We look forward to seeing you on the floor!
*New player must not be in their registration system, or have played at the club before.
Montreal Red Lite win gold at 2016 CBHA Canadian National Championships
Montreal Red Lite celebrate after winning gold; taken from CBHA youtube stream.
What a game!
After 60 minutes of back and forth action the Montreal Red Lite (#1 on the ballhockey.com Top 25 Ball Hockey Teams in North America) have defeated the Newfoundland Blackhorse (#24) to win gold at the 2016 CBHA Canadian National Championships!
Montreal jumped to a 3-0 lead early in the game but the Blackhorse offense refused to back down. After scoring two consecutive goals to bring it back to 3-2 momentum seemed to be shifting into Newfoundlands favour.
After the Red Lite scored to make it 4-2 a bad bounce off a Red Lite defender brought the Blackhorse back within one. The Blackhorse were not going to give up.
The last 6 minutes of the game saw both teams give it their all, countless opportunities to score and amazing goaltending at both ends of the floor. The Blackhorse pulled the goalie with the ball deep in the Red Lite zone with 30 seconds remaining in the game, but that was not enough. The Montreal Red Lite held on to win the game 4-3.
The winning team consists of Nelson Vargas-Dias, Yannick Labonte, Kevin Kucamarski, Danick Martel, Olivier Lavasseur, Mathieu Duguay, Matthew David, Marc Andrew Trudeau, Alexandre Perrault, Jonathan Daoust, Joel Provost-Blais, Steve Proulx, Simon Ghilarducci, Carl Ghilarducci, Jeffry Bradley, Yanik Jomphe, Martin Corbell, Mathieu Lebrun, Samuel Fortier, Paul Roy, Jeremy Paradis, Martin Frenchette, Samuel Beauchamp (G) & Christian Lantin (G).