The Apsley Minor Hockey Association made history this past weekend at the International Silver Stick Finals hockey tournament in Pelham, Ontario, when three of their teams won their respective divisions. The U11, U13 and U18 Apsley Flames teams qualified for the international tournament back in November and December at their respective Haliburton Regional Silver Stick Tournaments. The top teams from the regional
qualifiers were invited to compete in the International Silver Stick Finals January 11-14 in Pelham, located near Niagara Falls.
Players from all over Ontario and the United States attended the 71-team tournament with age divisions for U11, U13, U15 and U18. Apsley faced off against teams from California, Maryland and numerous Ontario associations.
Throughout the regular season, the Apsley Flames U11, U13 and U18 teams have been undefeated leading up to the tournament. In round-robin play at the International Silver Stick Finals, the U11 team was 3-1, the U13 team was 4-0 and the U18 team was 4-0. The semi-final match-ups saw Apsley Flames U11 defeat the Dresden Jr. Kings 1-0. The U13 Flames beat the West Lorne Comets 9-0 and the U18 team won against the Collingwood Jr. Blues 1-0.
In the Championship game on the morning of Sunday January 14, the U11 Flames beat the Ilderton Jets by a score of 2-0. This was the same team that Apsley lost to in the round robin. The U13 Flames won their championship game against the Brock Wild, defeating them 4-2. Apsley Flames U18 claimed the championship title over the Arthur Vipers by a score of 4-3. In the weeks leading up to the International Silver Stick Finals and during the tournament, Apsley and surrounding areas rallied around their teams. The Flames had an enormous showing of support from Apsley Minor Hockey volunteers, coaching staff, family,
friends and sponsors.
The Silver Stick tournament was named after the Ottawa Silver Seven team of the early 1900s and was created by Jack Kinsella in 1957. The original Silver Stick was used for the opening ceremonies in 1958 and displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1982. Each year, after the International Silver Stick Finals, a plaque is placed in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Silver Stick display listing the team names of all the new champions. In 2023, the Apsley Flames U15 team won the International Silver Stick Finals.
(Report submitted by: Amber Dragisic)