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Never quite able to rest on their laurels, despite decades of success, the organizers of the Big Nickel Major AAA Hockey Tournament have continued to reinvent the fall showcase year after year to ensure strong attendance in each of its divisions.

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And while tournament chairman Barry McCrory clearly acknowledges there is work to be done in the younger age categories, with no U14, U13 or U12 competitions being staged in 2024, it is more delighted to see a strong participation among the older categories.

As many as 26 teams will take part in the Under-18 match when the tournament kicks off next Thursday, with a further five teams battling it out for Under-15 supremacy.

McCrory pointed out that Big Nickel’s competitive registration fees are a major factor in attracting U18 registrations from across the province, from New Liskeard to Waterloo and Sault Ste. Marie to Ottawa and points in between.

“We’re $600 to $700 less than any other tournament going on and that makes a big difference,” McCrory told the Sudbury Star. “In the under-18s, a lot of teams from southern Ontario or elsewhere are starting to watch the top teams coming in and migrating to this tournament. Last year we had 22 and now we have four more. We could have reached 30 this year, but a few teams decided to take the plunge too late and we passed the threshold.

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Most of the under-18s matches will take place at the twin pitches at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, starting Thursday afternoon with clashes between the Peterborough Petes and FEIA Falcons at 3:30 p.m. and Everest Academy and the York-Simcoe Express at 3:45 p.m.

The Sudbury Wolves, one of three participants representing the Great North Under-18 League, will take the ice in a feature game against the provincially ranked top 10 Mississauga Senators at 9:30 p.m.

Copper Cliff’s McClelland Arena will also host games this week, but all semifinals and finals will take place at Countryside on Sunday. These will include matchups in a much smaller but competitive U15 division that will feature the Gerry Dupuis-coached Sudbury Wolves team, whose members won the Big Nickel U14 title a year ago.

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“They rank in the top three in Ontario,” McCrory said. “They have a good chance of winning the tournament again this year.”

However, no other local team will have a chance at a banner this year, including a Sudbury Wolves U14 squad that could well be a contender in their own right. Their division, as well as the U13 and U12, remain unresolved.

“Unfortunately, some of our teams from Northern Ontario don’t want to come play in Sudbury,” McCrory said. “I don’t really know why, because we make it pretty cheap to play here, instead of driving four or five hours to southern Ontario.

“The other great thing about our tournament is the last two years we’ve had a major sponsor come in and help us, so we’re out of admission. You can watch as many games as you want for free. There is an entry fee for the Grand Nord League (under 18s), but for our tournament there is no entry fee. You can watch AAA hockey, players who could go to the OHL next year or go to university and you won’t have to pay a cent.

Indeed, forward Rowan Henderson, who helped the Waterloo Wolves win the Big Nickel U18 championship in 2023, is now a member of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. Waterloo is back for another shot at the title, along with finalists the Ajax-Pickering Raiders, whose team is ranked number one in the province.

“Coaches and managers watch this and see which teams have won in the past,” McCrory said. “They know it’s good competition, so they come back and play again.”

For a complete schedule, stats and more information, visit bignickelhockey.com.

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