Spud Hockey Tournament returns after two years sidelined by COVID-19
AAA hockey players from across the region were in Charlottetown Sunday for the final games of the Spud Hockey Tournament.
There were teams from as far away as Newfoundland vying for the cup.
It’s the 48th anniversary of the Spud Hockey Tournament, but only the 46th edition, after the last two tournaments were put on ice due to COVID-19.
"It was devastating to have to cancel it because of the history of the spud,” said Brodie O’Keef, tournament chair. “We’re excited it’s back and running here again.”
He said the long lived tournament has become generational. Not many make it to 50 years.
“There’s alumni who keep coming back year after year that volunteer in it, and just say, ‘I can’t miss the spud,’ ‘I have to come out and support the spud,’” said O’Keef. “Whether they’re volunteering or coming out to watch hockey. We’re also seeing where lots of players who played in it growing up are now coaching.”
It’s a big opportunity. NHLers Sydney Crosby and Brad Richards are among the tournament’s alum.
Scouts are in the audience, and it’s young players’ chance to stand out.
“We’ve been doing pretty well. We’ve been staying strong,” said Bodan McFadden, NB East Lynx Captain. “Our first games were a bit rough, but we made it through and we’re rolling now.”
McFadden is from Moncton, so he’s played on the island before. He said that gives them a bit of a home field advantage compared to teams from further away.
“It’s going good. I think our team’s got this right now,” said McFadden. “We’ve been playing pretty well.”
Fifty-seven teams are taking part in the tournament and 39 of them from off-island.
“It’s been a very competitive weekend,” said O’Keef. “There’s been all kinds of close hockey games, and here we are in Spud Sunday with lots of games going into overtime as we head to the finals.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING NEWS Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
Joe Biden: Trudeau reacts to news Biden won't run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
Harris, endorsed by Biden, could become first woman, second Black person to be U.S. president
Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major U.S. party presidential ticket after U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid and endorsed her.
Read Biden's full text announcing the end to his re-election campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a letter posted on social media. Read the full text.
LCBO workers ratify tentative agreement, strike ends Monday
The union representing 10,000 workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has ratified a tentative agreement, which will officially end its two-week strike at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
A 12-year-old girl is accused of smothering her younger cousin over an iPhone
A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her eight-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone.
Trudeau and family head to British Columbia for vacation in unnamed location
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to British Columbia on Sunday, where he will be on vacation with his family until Aug. 1.