The Brick Tournament is the most prestigious event for hockey players at the 10 & Under age level. The Brick is offered for the 2006 age group this coming summer. Select teams from all over the North American continent attend this renowned summer tournament. The Brick offers many young promising hockey players and parents their first opportunity to compete in a very elite international environment. Not only does the tournament provide great hockey, but also a number of off-ice activities including the famous Brick Tournament Beach Party and skills competition which makes the tournament a special fun-filled hockey experience for the entire family.

    There is no stone left unturned by the tournament staff and the production of games is at an NHL level. From the playing of national anthems before each game to announcers giving a play-by-play call of all the action this blows away any tournament you have seen.    

    The dates typically run the first week of July. This is not your typical spring/summer tournament as the Brick is a week-long event (seven day) tournament. Round robin play starts on Monday and players/families would need to arrive typically two days before the opening round game. We typically set up practice the day before the tournament starts. The championship game takes place Sunday and is followed by the closing ceremonies. All players/teams are required to participate in the closing ceremonies and on ice jersey exchange.

    There are six round-robin games played and then a quarter-final, semi- final and championship game. There are two divisions of 7 teams and you play the six other teams in your division. The top three teams advance to the playoffs (#2 and #3 will play each other and #1 gets a bye to the semi finals). Teams will play one game per day (except for one day that you play twice) during the round robin portion of the tournament. Last year over two hundred young players gained a terrific experience and friendships when they participated in the Brick. This year we plan to make it an equally memorable one.

    While some other tournaments call themselves invitationals, they do not compare to the selection process of the Brick. There are 14 charters that are extended to the top programs in North America. Only those programs can bring teams to the tournament each year. Outside of Team PA, the teams are:

• Boston Jr. Bruins

• California

• Team Alberta

• Chicago Jr. Blackhawks

• Connecticut Yankees

• Detroit Jr. Red Wings

• Minnesota Blades

• Montreal Ice Storm

• Saskatchewan Jr. Pats

• Toronto Bulldogs

• Toronto Pro Development

• Vancouver Jr. Canucks

• Winnipeg Jr. Jets

    Each of the aforementioned teams who play at the Brick have a geographical protected area that they can select players from. In addition, teams are allowed an “import(s)”. An “import” is any player who lives outside of the teams protected area. Team PA’s protected areas are Pennsylvania, Ohio and Southern New Jersey. We are also allowed to take three (3) import players. This team is not pre-selected before the actual evaluations and our program is absolutely not affiliated with any in season team or club. Everyone is welcome to register for the evaluations and be part of this most memorable and exciting hockey experience.

    The 2006 Team will be coached by Mike Chiasson and Mike Schall. In preparation for the tournament that is still months away, the coaching staff will be having an additional 06 Brick Evaluation/Identification Camp in Pittsburgh. This evaluation camp will allow the coaching staff to gather some early insight on the players available in our region. Import players will also be invited to attend this event. This is not a mandatory camp and we recognize some players have game /vacation conflicts during this time. Following the 2006 Evaluation/ID Camp we will begin to narrow down the group. This group will not only be chosen from the ID Camps but also from research done by the Brick Evaluation Staff. This research would include attending games and talking to various coaches at the 2006 level. If you were unable to attend the ID Camps we will try and have our staff attend one of your upcoming games or speak to coaches who may be familiar with your child. The Brick team will have well over 100 applicants, and we want to review all of them—including yours—carefully. So please bear with us. You can expect to hear something back by the middle of January after all of our staff has had time to review and discuss the 2006 player pool. The selected group of players will then come together and train/compete in Mid-March in Central Pennsylvania. A final roster will be set after that final evaluation weekend. Players will be notified within 48 hours of the results.

    We have been extremely fortunate to have the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers be a part of this program. Our main goal is to keep cost down for families. Both teams have donated resources and money to Team PA.