The Buffalo Sabres today announced tryout information for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres 12U hockey team, set to compete at the 53rd Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament from Feb. 14 to 24, 2013 at Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec.
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres 12U team will be composed of elite 12-year-old pee-wee hockey players from Western and Central New York, and coached by former Buffalo Sabres defenseman and 10-year NHL veteran Rory Fitzpatrick.
A panel of local talent evaluators comprised of six to eight hockey experts with different hockey backgrounds, each representing either Buffalo, Rochester or Syracuse, will select the players to be included on the team. The goal is to select the very best athletes who are committed and hard working both on and off the ice.
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres 12U team will participate in the annual Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament held each February at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City. The tournament, commonly referred to as the “Pee-Wee World Championship,” is the oldest and most prestigious youth hockey tournament in the world. An estimated 2,300 Pee-Wee players – ages 11 and 12 years old – travel from 16 different countries to participate in the event, which draws about 200,000 fans each year. Many stars from the National Hockey League have participated in the tournament, including current Sabres players Thomas Vanek and Nathan Gerbe.
In order to be eligible for the team, players must have been born in the year 2000. There will be two separate tryouts – one in Buffalo, and one in Rochester – and players are encouraged to attend only the tryout in the city closest to their home. Tryouts are open to all Tier-1 players. Any Tier-2 player interested in trying out must submit a special request to be considered by the selection committee. Following the initial tryout, select players will be invited to a final tryout.
The tryout fee is $30, which will include a spot in tryouts and a commemorative jersey for each player. For more information, or to register, visit Sabres.com and fill out the registration form. Registrants will be notified of their exact tryout time slots by e-mail. For any questions or comments, please call Sabres Youth Hockey Manager Ed Grudzinski at (716)855-4174.
