Edmonton Oilers Cancel Team Event That Has Taken Place for 10 Years
According to a statement from the Vancouver Canucks this morning, the Edmonton Oilers will not be participating in the Young Stars Classic next season.
The Oilers have participated in the Penticton Young Stars Classic for the last 10 seasons, a brief tournament that allowed the team's prospects to face off against the prospects of the Canucks and Flames.
The tournament was officially hosted by the Canucks in British Columbia, and President Jim Rutherford revealed that he was unable to get commitments from other teams to continue the tournament.
- Jim Rutherford
It's certainly disappointing news for hardcore hockey fans in Western Canada that this tournament won't be on next fall.
Edmonton Oilers Need Replacement For Young Stars Classic After Cancellation
The Oilers will also need to find a replacement for the actual event in the Young Stars classic.
It provided a valuable experience for the players to play against top level competition, but also for teams to evaluate their incoming rookies - and give chances to players who may have been previously overlooked.
In the last Young Stars Classic the Oilers unfortunately lost most games, being a contending team that has a relatively weaker prospect pool. Still, one invitee in Nate Corbet made some waves on the Oilers
Hopefully the Oilers are able to secure another prospect based tournament for their prospects and scouts to get similar work in. Perhaps it can be an all-Alberta matchup involving just the Oilers and Flames, allowing more local fans to attend.
