Man, I’ve been all in on this Harrington Hockey Tournament thing. Let me tell you, it’s been a ride.
It all started when I stumbled upon some info about this tournament. The Harrington Invitational, they call it. Apparently, it’s a pretty big deal, been around for like 43 years. This year, it’s going down from December 20th to 22nd. Nobles and Milton are hosting, which is cool.
So, I dug a bit deeper. Turns out, they’re serious about who gets in. Every team that wants to play has to go through this whole screening process. They say it’s to make sure everyone’s on a level playing field, you know, to keep things competitive but fair. I respect that.
Then I found out the main idea behind the Gene Harrington Tournaments, which I guess is the bigger umbrella here. The goal hasn’t changed in 51 years: it’s all about giving these kids a ton of ice time. We’re talking 50 to 100 games a year. That’s a lot of hockey!
I started thinking, “This is something I want to be a part of.” Not playing, of course, my hockey days are long gone. But I wanted to experience it, soak it all in. I got this feeling it’s going to be a big event, a real display of talent and hard work.
The Event
From December 28th to February 1st is the men’s event. I decided to go, and let me tell you, it was intense. They played at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. Fancy, right?
- Each team played three games.
- The top four teams moved on to the semi-finals.
- Then it was 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd. Classic playoff setup.
- The winners there faced off in the championship game.
- And even the 5th and 6th place teams got a consolation game.
I learned that the oldest hockey tournament in India, the Beighton Cup, started way back in 1895 in Kolkata. That’s some history. And the first national hockey championship in India? Also in Kolkata, in 1928.
Anyway, back to the Harrington. I heard that Willistonm, a two-time New England Elite champ, was in the mix. And yeah, Williston ended up winning the whole thing, the 43rd Harrington Tournament crown. Ten takeaways came from the weekend of girls’ prep hockey at New England. I watched a bunch of games, and man, those teams are good. It was just a blast being there, feeling the energy, seeing the passion.
So, that’s my Harrington Hockey Tournament story. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but I’m so glad I went for it. It was more than just watching games; it was like stepping into this whole other world of hockey that I never really knew about. Definitely an experience I won’t forget.
For me, it was more than just watching a bunch of games. I got to see firsthand what hockey’s all about. The Harrington Tournament, it’s not just a competition. It’s a whole experience.
I’m really glad I decided to check it out. It was way more than I expected. A real eye-opener, you could say.
Anyway, that’s my story. Just wanted to share my little adventure. Maybe it’ll inspire someone else to check out a Harrington Tournament sometime. It’s worth it, trust me.
