Over the weekend from Friday, December 6th to 8th, the Soo U13 AAA Greyhounds embarked on an exciting journey to participate in the 32nd Annual Hamilton Steel Hockey Classic in Hamilton, Ontario, a prestigious tournament featuring teams from across Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Competing against top-tier talent, the Greyhounds played a series of intense round-robin games, securing victories over Guelph Gryphons and Windsor Jr Spitfires. They also battled to a tie against the Oakland Jr Grizzlies, while facing a tough loss to the Buffalo Regals. Despite this setback, the team showed resilience and determination, setting the stage for their next challenge.

In the playoffs, the Greyhounds turned up the heat, first defeating the Waterloo Wolves 2-0 in the quarterfinals. In a thrilling semifinal matchup, they edged out the Don Mills Flyers with a narrow 1-0 victory, advancing to the final. The championship game was a true test of character and skill, as the Greyhounds triumphed 4-3 over the Gryphons to claim the title after a triple overtime win. With a championship banner now proudly in their possession, the Soo U13 AAA Greyhounds demonstrated their ability to rise to the occasion, capping off a successful weekend of high-level hockey and returning to Sault Ste Marie with well-deserved recognition for their hard-fought victory.

Friday, December 6
4:15 p.m Guelph Gryphons (0) vs (2) Soo Greyhounds
9:00 p.m Oakland Jr Grizzlies (2) vs (2) Soo Greyhounds

Saturday, December 7
11:45 a.m Soo Greyhounds (8) vs (0) Windsor Jr Spitfires
5:45 p.m Buffalo Regals (3) vs (2) Soo Greyhounds

Sunday, December 8
8:15 a.m (Quarter Finals) Soo Greyhounds (2) vs (0) Waterloo Wolves
1:00 p.m (Semi-Finals) Soo Greyhounds (1) vs (0) Don Mills Flyers
5:15 p.m (Championship) Soo Greyhounds (4) vs (3) Guelph Gryphons (3OT)

Coach Craig Kennedy told Saultsports that “the boys certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves having to wake up at 6 am and win three straight games throughout the day to win the championship in double overtime. It was a true team effort in every sense of the word with the kids playing for a common goal and not individual achievements or accolades. In the end, they believed in themselves and each other and were not willing to accept any result but the one they got. The kids are proud to be from Sault Ste. Marie and to represent the Soo Jr. Greyhounds.”