By Graham Perkins /
Think you’re the next Next One? Then a trip to Buffalo might be on your summer itinerary.
The home of the Sabres is also home to the North American Prospects Showcase, an elite AAA summer hockey tournament that gives players from all across the world a chance to compete against each other.
What began as a single weekend tournament in 2004 has grown into a massive event that spans four weekends and hosts 10 ?age divisions.
One of the things that sets the NAPS apart from other summer tournaments is the level of involvement from international teams. Last year, 97 teams competed in the event, including five from overseas. The injection of Swedish, Russian, and other European teams gives players from North America a chance to play against styles and systems they might not have seen before.
And one of the things the tournament prides itself on is the high level of play. Organizers wanted to create a AAA tournament where top prospects can expect to find the highest level of competition, so young stars are given a chance to make a name for themselves as scouts from universities, prep schools and Major Junior teams attend the games searching for that diamond in the rough.
The salary cap era of the NHL has had a trickle-down effect where teams across the continent are all looking for affordable young players that have potential to develop, so tournaments like this have gotten more attention since the lockout.
The NAPS isn’t just for boys, either. Last year, organizers added a separate weekend for female competition and this year’s edition of the tournament features 3 girls divisions: U12, U14 and U17. The girls tournament will be held July 10 to 12.
The 10- and 15-year-old boys had their tournaments May 8 to 10 and the tight competition made the weekend a success.
For the 15-year-olds, a field of 16 teams was whittled down to a finals showdown between the East Coast Selects – O team and the Brandywine Global Selects. East Coast won the game 3-1, with Dalen Hedges netting the game-winner.
The 1999 birth years had a smaller field of only six teams, but that didn’t stop it from turning into a nail biter. The Russian club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl finished fourth in round robin play but defeated first place Protec Selects and second place Cougars Selects on Sunday to take the championship.
In the final game against the Cougars, Lokomotiv jumped out to a two-goal lead and hung on for the ?2-1 victory.
The bulk of the tournament will take place June 26 to 28, when the 1995 to 1998 boys will face off. Registration is still open for teams and individual players. Anyone interested can visit www.napstournaments.com for more information. |