The holiday season means the prep school teams are busy at prestigious and important tournaments. This weekend will feature action at the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic, Flood-Marr and St. Sebastian's.
For prep players, this is a good opportunity to replicate championship tournament weekend conditions, playing many games in a short amount of time. And for players being scouted by colleges and pros, it's an opportunity to show what they've got when the stakes are higher.
Here are a few games of note for this weekend (plus a bonus), and where and why to watch.
Look for coverage of some of these games and tournaments on HockeyJournal.com.
Championship Saturday:
Championship final of the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic, Jennings Fairchild Rink, Avon, Conn., 3:30 p.m.: Action in this popular tournament began on Thursday, with Berkshire emerging undefeated (5-0) on the season with a thrilling 2-1 shootout win over previously undefeated Loomis Chaffee (dropping them to 6-1). Whichever teams find themselves in the final will have earned it, obviously, as the fast pace and tight schedule (two games each on Friday) will force the survivors to battle through fatigue and much bruising.
Championship Sunday:
Flood-Marr Tournament, championship final, Roberts Rink, Milton, Mass., 2 p.m.: The game of the week is actually Friday in this tournament, with Kimball Union facing off against Salisbury, the repeated finalists for the NEPSAC Elite 8 Stuart/Corkery Tournament championship and top-five teams in our weekly coaches poll. Kimball Union came out on top last season in the matchup between the two teams, coming away with its third consecutive title. Salisbury won this tournament last year. The Wildcats enter the Flood-Marr at 6-2, while the Crimson Knights are 5-1 after losing their first game. Regardless, the championship game of this tournament on Sunday promises to be equally thrilling, considering the teams competing: Nobles, Hotchkiss, Phillips Andover and Westminster in the Owen Division, and Milton Academy, Deerfield, Kimball Union and Salisbury in the Harding Division. Games are held at Milton (Friday and Sunday) and Nobles (Saturday) schools in Massachusetts.
Championship Sunday:
St. Sebastian's tournament, championship final, Henry T. Lane Rink, Needham, Mass., 3 p.m.: This school in Needham, Mass., will host Winchendon, Brunswick, St. Andrew’s, Rivers, Northwood, Williston and Albany. Of the teams, host St. Sebastian's is having arguably the best season, cracking our top 10 coaches poll with a sparkling 4-0 record, including coming off two consecutive shutouts.
Thursday:
Team USA vs. Team Canada, World Junior Championship, Ostrava, Czech Republic, 7 p.m.: Yes, Thursday is not the weekend. Think of it this way: at this time of the year, isn't this whole holiday week considered a weekend? Nonetheless, this game promises to be the best of the World Junior tournament, two longtime rivals going at it on the first day of the popular tournament. So it's not too early to be talking about it. And this year, Team USA is determined to make up for last year's golden opportunity that panned out to be silver: a 3-2 defeat in the championship game at the hands of the Finns. This year, the Americans are again stacked with talent, but will face a tough test out of the gate against the Canadians. If Team USA is to grab a medal this time around, it will almost certainly be on the shoulders of Boston College goalie Spencer Knight, who is expected to be the No. 1. If the talented stopper stands tall, the Americans will go far. Stay tuned for what could be a fun ride.
Paul Grant is an editor and a writer for HockeyJournal.com and Seamans Media. He previously oversaw hockey content at ESPN.com and Sporting News. You can connect with him at pgrant@hockeyjournal.com.
