Young Stars is back!
That was the headline we ran over a year ago, when Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford’s efforts to bring the Young Stars Classic back to Penticton, BC finally paid off.
Prior to the Summer of 2022, the Young Stars Classic was last held in 2018 and involves prospects from the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets competing in a round robin tournament format.
Today, the Canucks announced that the Young Stars Classic will return to Penticton in both 2023 and 2024, with all four teams set to participate again.
“The Young Stars Classic is a key event for the Vancouver Canucks organization and one that we are extremely proud to be hosting again in Penticton for the next two years,” Rutherford said in a statement on Thursday. “The tournament provides a great opportunity for similar-aged prospects to play and practice in a competitive environment, in front of thousands of fans.
“This is an important event on our hockey calendar and we, along with all the other teams participating, look forward to bringing another exciting tournament to the South Okanagan Events Centre.”
The Canucks said that the 2023 iteration of the tournament is expected to take place from Sept. 15 to 18, with a full schedule likely being released soon.
The 2023 tournament will mark the 10th time the Young Stars Classic has taken place in Penticton. Since its inception, the likes of Connor McDavid, Elias Pettersson, Connor Hellebuyck, and Rasmus Andersson have participated in the fall festivities.
Last year’s Young Stars Classic featured multiple players who went on to play NHL games during the 2022–23 regular season, including Nils Aman, Arturs Silovs, Walker Duehr, Jakob Pelletier, Cole Perfetti, Dylan Holloway, and Philip Broberg.
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