Page 11 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 147

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #147 April 2025 11

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Goalie Declan Heffernan Invited to the 2025
Brick Hockey Tournament

By Christine Ouellet “The team is called the Montreal Canadians.
They wear the Montreal Canadians jerseys, they
eclan is a 9-year-old boy who attends Our played at the Bell Centre this year and they are
DLady of Good Counsel School and who has treated like royalties, so it is pretty cool. It is quite
been training very hard, hoping to participate an event, more than just a little hockey game, it
in the prestigious invitational Brick 2025 is a pretty unique experience. The participating
tournament. Goalie Declan is in his first year with Canadian teams are Team Quebec, two in Ontario,
U10 Seaway Valley Rapid as the family recently Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC. In the
moved to the area from Montreal. This month, US, they are Chicago, Boston, Minesota, Western
he was, indeed, invited to play in the prestigious selects, which is the west coast, Pennsylvania,
invitational Brick 2025 tournament. Connecticut, and Detroit.”

The Brick Invitational goes back to 1990. It The tournament will take place at the West
is the biggest tournament, where only 238 kids Edmonton Mall in July, where they have the
over North America are selected. It is open rink inside the mall, and they will be there for
to 10-year-olds from around the world. This the ten days. The whole thing is all streamed
historic tournament, that takes place at the West online. It is a big hockey event where they play
Edmonton Mall, has featured plenty of players one game per day. They have a lot of free time
who have gone on to have long NHL careers, and many activities, such as mom’s day, dad’s
including Steven Stamkos, Blake Wheeler, Auston day, grandparent’s day, coaches’ day, Mini putt,
Matthews, and Mark Stone. The 2015 tournament waterslide, etc., are organized for them. As much
was particularly historic as it featured thirty-nine as it is about playing hockey, there is room in the
players who were drafted in the 2023 NHL Entry, schedule for free time and a mini vacation. It is
including ten from the first round with names like a prestigious tournament. About 120 family and Photo Submitted
Connor Bedard, Will Smith, and Tom Willander. friends from Montreal will travel to Edmonton.
The whole Hefferman family will be there,
Scott Heffernan, Declan’s father, explains, Declan enjoys it, so we are willing to do it.”
including grandpa and grandma, to share the
“Since Declan played for Montreal, he has been
experience. Scott Heffernan looks back at when he was
invited by the Montreal Canadians. He could drafted by Columbus in 2000, the first year they
have played for Toronto or with any other team, Scott says, “It is starting to come to fruition, were in the NHL, and he thinks that his son is a
but the team from Quebec with whom he had the Seaway Valley Rapids season is pretty much
been practicing for the past two years asked him over and then we are going to focus on practices. long way from there. But for now, he says, “It
to do the try-outs. The players are predominantly There is the Summer team with four months of is the story of a 9-year-old kid who has been
from Quebec City, Granby, and West Island, and training practice, 4 -6 hours per week: Tuesday, training with this group for over two years, and
one kid from Florida will also join. The clubs are Saturday, Sunday in Pierrefonds. They will he was able to make the Montreal Canadians
allowed “three imports,” but they just took two play four tournaments, two in Montreal, two in team which will compete in 2025, in the most
this year: Declan and the Florida kid. The other Toronto, one in Chicago, and it will end with the prestigious invitational event for a 10-year-old,
goalie comes from Granby. big one in Edmonton. It will keep us busy, but quite an accomplishment!”