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Airdrie Bisons prepare to play in prestigious post-Christmas tourney

Airdrie's U18 AAA boys' hockey team is preparing to play in the recently rebranded and expanded Circle K Classic, which kicks off on Dec. 27 and runs until New Years Day.

The tournament may have a new name this year, but it still carries decades of tradition. 

Airdrie's U18 AAA boys' hockey team is preparing to play in the recently rebranded and expanded Circle K Classic, which kicks off on Dec. 27 and runs until New Years Day.

Previously known as the Mac's Midget AAA World Invitational Tournament, the Circle K Classic will see 32 U18 AAA boys' hockey teams from Canada, the United States, and Europe converge in Calgary, with games taking place at the Max Bell Centre and Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on Tsuu'Tina Nation.

“I think they’ve added a few more teams to the Mac’s tournament – I still use the Mac’s, but I know it’s called the Circle K now, because it’s a different sponsor,” said Airdrie CFR Chemicals Bisons head coach Brad Bourke.

“But we’re super excited to be one of the host teams and can’t wait to get rolling after Christmas.”

Held the week following Christmas, the Mac’s tournament has become one of North America's most prestigious invitational hockey showcases for U18 teams. Notable Mac's alumni include the likes of Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, and Mike Vernon. The Mac's tournament is typically attended by many scouts of major junior, professional, and post-secondary hockey programs, hoping to find talent for future years.

Last December, the Mac's was called off less than a week before opening puck-drop. The cancellation came amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Alberta, driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The tournament was eventually held in April in an abbreviated and rebooted format, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. 

But while it was great to still get the chance to play, Bourke noted last season's postponed Mac's didn't have the same vibe as usual. With the tournament's late spring start, many of the competing teams had already wrapped up their respective post-seasons, while some of the best U18 AAA players were already participating in junior A and major junior teams' training camps at the time, and thus, were not competing at the heralded post-Christmas tournament. 

“It was still great they were able to do it obviously, and we were still happy to be a part of it, but definitely that post-Christmas vibe is very exciting for the kids and I think it will be so much more fun again this year,” Bourke said.

Bourke said the Bisons are in a four-team pool this year with Connecticut's South Kent High School, the Regina Pat Canadians, and Yale Hockey Academy from Abbotsford B.C. He said it's great to have the opportunity to play teams from other provinces and countries, whom Airdrie would otherwise not have the chance to compete against during their regular season. 

As one of the youngest teams in the Alberta Elite Hockey League's (AEHL) U18 AAA division this year, Bourke said many Bisons players will be making their Circle K Classic debuts this month.

“I’m not sure we’re the youngest, but we have the most 15-year-olds in the [AEHL], which probably makes us the youngest,” he said, adding the Bisons only have six returning players from last season on the team this year.

“We have a couple who played in the Mac’s last year as call-ups, so maybe six to eight who got in a game or two. But it’s a pretty new group to take on the Mac’s this year, so that’s exciting for those players.”

Cellar dwellers

It's been a difficult first half of the 2022-23 season for the Bisons, who currently occupy the bottom of the AEHL's south division standings with a 7-14-1 record.

According to Bourke, injury issues have plagued Airdrie's young roster thus far. 

“We’ve had some injuries that have definitely hurt us a little bit,” he said. “Some of our top two or three players have been out consistently.

“But it’s a long-term plan. Wins and losses obviously have some meaning, but we’re a younger team and we’re here to develop the kids.”

Last season, the Bisons enjoyed their best campaign yet since relocating to Airdrie from Strathmore in 2016. Airdrie progressed to the second round of the 2022 AEHL playoffs before getting knocked out by the Calgary Flames. 

While it's been tough sledding so far this season, the Bisons are coming off a morale-boosting 6-2 win over the third-place Calgary Royals on Dec. 11 at the Stu Peppard Arena and a 5-4 win over the sixth-placed Calgary Northstars on Dec. 17. 

“I would say we have a higher ceiling than the team last year, we’ve just had a few more ups and downs just based on the maturity of the team this year,” Bourke said. “I’m definitely optimistic. When they’re playing like they can, [the Bisons] are as capable as anyone in this league.”

Although wins have been hard to come by for Airdrie, Bourke spoke highly of the players' positive attitudes, 

“We’re just chipping away at it week by week,” he said. “We’re hoping the Mac’s can give us a good boost in the second half of the season here. We want to make some ground up on a few teams to sneak into the playoffs. That would be our goal.”

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