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The Vancouver Canucks announced on Thursday the return of the Young Stars Classic, set to take place from September 13-16 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, B.C. This venue, home to the British Columbia Hockey League’s Penticton Vees, seats up to 5,000 people and regularly draws a crowd of hockey fans from the interior.
As in previous years, the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets will participate in this four-day event. This year marks the 11th edition of the Young Stars Classic, which began in 2010. The tournament features top prospects from these four NHL teams competing in a six-game round-robin format.
The significance of the tournament is evident from last year’s participants, many of whom made their NHL debuts in the 2023-24 season. Notable players include Vancouver’s Arshdeep Bains and Cole McWard, Calgary’s Matt Coronato, Adam Klapka, and Yan Kuznetsov, and Winnipeg’s Nikita Chibrikov and Brad Lambert.
Last year’s event also featured the Young Stars Classic Party on the Plaza, where fans could meet the Vancouver Canucks’ mascot, FIN, and enjoy games, bouncy castles, and crafting stations. The party was located outside of the South Okanagan Events Centre and was free to attend.
In a press release, Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin expressed excitement about the upcoming tournament. “We are excited to be heading back to Penticton this fall to participate in this great event,” Allvin said. “This will be an opportunity for some of our top prospects to work with Manny Malhotra in a very competitive environment. We look forward to seeing Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson, Ty Mueller, and Ty Young compete in this tournament.”
Not just fans from the interior, but many from the Lower Mainland also tend to make the trip up north for a chance to take in some of the best rising talent in Western Canada. Ticket information and the weekend schedule will be released at a later date, according to the Canucks.