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Spring registration is on at all clubs; get all the latest news including new youth divisions and new Scarborough league

If you are looking to get out of the house and enjoy some ball hockey action this spring... the time to register is now! Clubs in Barrie, Brampton, Hamilton, Niagara & Scarborough are gearing up to kick off their spring season. Leagues have various discounts and incentives to register early so make sure you are taking advantage of them!

Both the Barrie Ball Hockey Club & Niagara Ball Hockey Club will be offering youth competitive divisions for Under 18, Under 16, Under 14 & Under 12. For youth competitive teams out of other cities we will be hosting a Youth Provincial Championship July 14-16 in Niagara.

We are starting a new league, the Scarborough Ball Hockey Club that will be playing out of the CanLan Sports Complex. This beautiful single rink facility is looking for men, women & youth to help launch the league. Learn more at scarboroughballhockey.com.

In addition to the various leagues a number of new events have been posted that will be happening this year. You can check them all out by clicking here.

For those of you who are looking for different ways to get involved; we are always looking for timekeepers & referees. Please reach out to a rink manager if you are interested in pursuing part time employment.

Finally, we are preparing the next issue of the ballhockey.com Top 25 Ball Hockey Teams in North America. We are looking to start a list for Women's teams as well so please submit your team profile to michael@ballhockey.com.

Greater Boston Saints win second straight Harrisburg Superbowl Bye Week Invitational

Congratulations to the Greater Boston Saints for earning their second straight Superbowl bye week Invitational title, this years game was won in dramatic overtime battle against the Buffalo Fusion.

In the quarterfinals the Saints pulled away from the up and coming Jersey Fresh, 4-0. The Fresh had made the playoffs in their first trip to Harrisburg which was quite an accomplishment.

In the Semis, The Saints recovered from a 2-0 1st period deficit, and controlled the speedy Penn Hills Arsenal for the remainder of the game for a hard fought 4-2 win.

Then in the Finals the long awaited perennial big rink powerhouse Buffalo Fusion, who pulled away from Phoenixville Graffix in the semis. A back and forth affair fittingly went to overtime, as Fusion's Chris Haynes scored with 17 seconds left in the 3rd to tie it. In overtime the teams traded powerplays and punches. Very late in overtime Tournament MVP Andrew Guduco fed a wide open Jeremiah Lynch in the slot, who put it past Fusion goaltender Brandon Junik. Mr Junik played incredible in the playoff round despite the loss.

Tournament organizer George Tarantino would like to thank all who put the time and effort into coming to compete  and said "it is always flattering that you all choose to come to this tiny little town for some top notch ballhockey!"

The 2017 All Tournament team was as follows:

Forwards

Daniel Setacci- Pittsburgh Gods
Bobby Housser- Leominster Red Star
Denis Hickey- Jersey Fresh
Scott Veneziale- Jersey Fresh
Tyler Caba- Phoenixville Graffix
Justin Dunnivan- Penn Hills Arsenal
Ryan Crossey- Penn Hills Arsenal
Ricky Mastropietro- Greater Boston Saints
Cody Warila- Greater Boston Saints
Denny Schlegel- Buffalo Fusion
Michael Christopher Haynes- Buffalo Fusion
Andrew Guduco- Greater Boston Saints
Andrew Maas- Fusion Killer Bees

Defensman

Jason Whitenight- Buffalo Fusion
Taylor Fulmer- Phoenixville Graffix
Mike Williams- Leominster Red Star
Anquan Smith- Penn Hills Arsenal
Jeremiah Lynch- Greater Boston Saints

Goaltenders

Brandon Junik- Buffalo Fusion
Bryce Erb- Phoenixville Graffix
Matt Gilchrest- Greater Boston Saints
Andrew Grivnovics- 4 Aces

Tournament Most Valuable Player - Andrew Guduco- Greater Boston Saints
Tournament Most Valuable Defenseman - Jeremiah Lynch- Greater Boston Saints
Tournament Most Valubable Goalie - Brandon Junik- Buffalo Fusion
"Hardest working man in hockey" - Coby Sweat- Buffalo Fusion

Pete Van Ryn Memorial Tournament is Sold Out! Waiting list started.

The PVR Tournament to be held at the Niagara Ball Hockey Club February 17-19 is now full with 30-32 teams registered to play in the Men’s C, D, Over 35 and Co-ed Tournament.  If you are still hoping to get in, get your team on the waiting list quick directly with Sara at sarak@ballhockey.com  Teams from around Ontario are travelling in with 3 teams attending from Parry Sound.  Should be a blast and a good cause.

Registration opens for ballhockey.com's Niagara March Break sports camp

If you are looking for something fun to keep your kids busy during the upcoming March Break (March 13-17, 2017) the ballhockey.com Athletic Centre will be hosting their yearly sports camp.

Your child will get the opportunity to play ball hockey, indoor soccer, squash as well as a variety of other active games & outdoor fun.

You can register in person at the club or by contacting Sara at sarak@ballhockey.com.

Niagara Ball Hockey Club updates logo to celebrate 10th Anniversary

This Summer will mark 10 years since ballhockey.com's Niagara Ball Hockey Club played their first games back in June 2008. A lot has changed since the days under the dome on Eastchester Ave... but to celebrate we have updated our logo... check it out!

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We also have a few events planned throughout the year to continue the celebration at the club.

Also a quick reminder that this year will be the 8th anniversary of the Pete Van Ryn Memorial Tournament. Registration is underway for the event that is taking place February 17-19. You can get your team registered today by emailing Sara at sarak@ballhockey.com.

ballhockey.com Top 25 Ball Hockey Teams in North America updated for Jan/Feb 2017

 
 

2016 has been an amazing year for the sport of ball hockey. Heck even as I write this the sport is hitting new heights with the orange ball appearing on the NHL Network this week! 

As the year rounds out we have finalized our last Top 25 list for the year. There are a few new faces and some shake ups in teams 6-25. The Top 5 on the other hand remain the same as the October rankings.

The Montreal Red Lite remain seated as the #1 team in North America. Their continued dominance at a National level has them as the team to beat. Hopefully we can see them face off against a few more teams next year..........

Download the ballhockey.com Top 25 Ball Hockey Teams in North America to read the rest and see where your team stacks up!

Niagara Ball Hockey Club "Originals" division is a throwback to 2007

Death From Above; 2016 Summer "Originals" Champions

Death From Above; 2016 Summer "Originals" Champions

This year the Niagara Ball Hockey Club will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. A lot has changed over those 10 years, but this Summer a group of player who had been around since the beginning came up with an idea for a new division. Why not have a division that is geared toward the “original teams” that had played season after season back at the old rinks on Eastchester.

After a few drinks to hash out the details, club staff and players came to the agreement that the Fall Season would mark the beginning of “The Originals” division.

As the season progressed more teams grew curious about what the Originals was all about and wanted to know how they could be part of it. What was unique about this division is that at the end of each season the team reps will vote in consultation with their players to add new teams.

This group of guys has been a lot of fun to watch, whether it be during their games or in the post-game celebrations. They have rediscovered the meaning of “club” and have really been instrumental in bringing forward a new division that is now a major high light for the Niagara Ball Hockey Club.

A huge congratulations goes out to all teams that participated in the inaugural season, Death From Above, Prestige World Wide, Tonto, Reacharounds, Wolverines and Stonehands!!! This winter we are pleased to welcome these 6 teams back and welcome Dynamo and Legion who were voted into the Originals division.

Best of luck to all teams on a great season, we look forward to seeing who will be voted in for Spring 2017!

Prestige Worldwide; Originals "B" Champions

Wolverines; Originals "C" Champions

Mark your calendars! ballhockey.com releases 2017 signature event dates

What an amazing year of ball hockey 2016 has been. As we prepare to release the December update to the Top 25 Ball Hockey Teams in North America we are excited to announce our 2017 dates for our major tournaments. 

We hope this gives your team all the time they need to make it out to compete this year. We look forward to seeing you on the floor.

8TH ANNUAL PETE VAN RYN MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
February 17 - 19, 2017 - St. Catharines, Ontario

4TH ANNUAL GATEWAY TO THE WORLD OUTDOOR BALL HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS
July 7 - 9, 2017 - St. Catharines, Ontario

21ST ANNUAL WORLD OUTDOOR BALL HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESENTED BY BAUER (MEN'S & WOMEN'S EVENTS)
September 22 - 24, 2017 - Barrie, Ontario

21ST ANNUAL WORLD OUTDOOR BALL HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESENTED BY BAUER (OVER 35 & COED EVENTS)
October 13 - 15, 2017 - St. Catharines, Ontario

5TH ANNUAL BAUER CLASH OF THE TITANS
December 1 - 3, 2017 - St. Catharines, Ontario

8th Annual Pete Van Ryn Memorial Tournament

Tournament Schedules

This February the 28th Annual Pete Van Ryn Memorial Tournament will take place at the ballhockey.com Athletic Centre in St. Catharines.

This event feature's 5 divisions of play; Men's B/C, Men's D, Men's over 35, Women's & Co-Ed.

This tournament is in support of Growing Up Through Sports and every team entry will help support one youth to play hockey!

This tournament always sells out so make sure you get your registration in asap to Sara.

A special moment as father & son win Fall season championship at Barrie Ball Hockey Club

We here at ballhockey.com want to send a congratulations out to Jim & William Lowe for winning a championship at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club last night. Jim has been a member of the ballhockey.com family since the first season was played 22 years ago. He coached his son William to many championships over the years but last night was something different...

After a hard fought season and playoffs last night they won a championship as team mates. We'd imagine Jim must have felt a lot like Gordie Howe when he was able to lace up the skates with his son Mark in Hartford. Howe was once asked about playing with his son and said "I always refer to that as my greatest accomplishment and excitement".

Check out the tweet from Jim below for a pic post game!

October / November ballhockey.com Top 25 Ball Hockey Teams In North America now available

The Montreal Red Lite All Star team continued to dominate at the Canadian National level, winning their 12th National title and securing their spot at the top of the list.  We have left the Midnight Express in the two spot ahead of the Niagara War Pigs, but these two organizations are neck and neck in Ontario, with Midnight winning the Summer Tier 1 League very decisively, but The War Pigs taking both the North American and WOBHC Championships in 2016.  The War Pigs struggled at the Nationals this year, but remain a top indoor and outdoor team in Canada.

The Niagara Rebels have won big cash at the Bauer Clash of the Titans in 2013 and 2015 and remain a solid Ontario team in the 4th spot in the list and 15 teams will get a shot to knock them down at this year’s Bauer Clash of the Titans.

Continue reading and see the whole Top 25 list by clicking here (.pdf).

Niagara War Pigs win Men’s “A” Championship at 20th Anniversary World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships presented by Bauer

For the third year in a row, the Men's "A" division saw the Toronto Leafs and Niagara War Pigs face off. With the Toronto Leafs having won the first two meetings the War Pigs wasted no time getting the game started. Fantastic goaltending on each end of the floor saw the first period remain scoreless.

Video via Bruised Camera

The War Pigs went into the second period breaking the tie with a goal by Darren Chapman just 47 seconds into the period. Munavar Hamdani and Michael Neilson also scored to give the Pigs the 3-0 advantage. Matt Tremblett set the tone for the third period scoring scoring just 24 seconds into the 3rd period to give the Leafs a two goal deficit. The action was fast and furious at both ends for the remainder of the period but after the Pigs got an empty net goal the writing was on the wall.

Congratulations to the Niagara War Pigs for winning the Men’s “A” Division yesterday at the World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships. They defeated the Toronto Leafs 4-2 to win their first WOBHC “A” Championship.

The winning team is Marshall Boyes, Graham Campbell, Jay Capaldi, Jeff Capaldi, Darren Chapman, Sandeep Dhaliwal, James Downes, Michael Formica, Gage Gonyou, Munavar Hamdani, Bram Leggat, Matt Martello, Ryan Nagy, Michael Neilson, Kyle Owsijenko, John Rorison, Michael Stewart, Brian Szolga, Eric Tardif & Joel Vanvliet.

The 2017 World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships will be taking place September 22-24, 2017.