AUBURN — Get ready for the 45th Annual Maine Gladiator’s Lion’s Tournament, sponsored by The Fortin Group. This year’s event will begin this Saturday, February 18th, and run through Wednesday February 22nd. Over 600 players ranging in age from 4-14 years old will be playing hockey games during this five day event. This does not include the Skills and Drills competition, which is an especially fun day for all the players. This year The Maine Gladiators expect to have 75 Learn-to-Play, 50 Mini-Mites, eight Mite teams, four squirt teams, four peewee teams, four bantam teams, and a U14 Girls team participating. In addition to teams from Augusta, Casco Bay, Midcoast, Western Maine, and Gorham that will also compete.
This year will be the third time The Maine Gladiators Lion’s Tournament will be held at the Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn. All these teams will compete to get their names on the Lion’s Tournament Cup trophies, proudly displayed at the arena.
Colored programs with team photos, sponsors, and pictures of hockey friends and families will be on hand, as well as plenty of chances to win door prizes. Make sure to get it on the great prizes being raffled off throughout the week. Admission is free, so come join in the fun and watch the games in the comfort of the warm mezzanine area. You can also enjoy a slide show, filled with pictures of previous Lion’s Tournaments, created by the Fortin Group volunteers, which will be playing on one of the many flat screen TV’s in the mezzanine area.
Opening Ceremonies will be conducted this Saturday, Feb 18th, at 11:30 a.m. As is tradition, all 600 participants will parade onto the ice, carting their custom made team banners and proudly wearing their team colors. Words of inspiration will be shared by the honorable Mayor Jonathon Labonte of Auburn, as well as other dignitaries. There will be the traditional puck dropping ceremony and the singing of the National Anthem, this year sung by the Auburn Middle School Choir.
This tournament started back in 1972 with a grant from the Lewiston Lions Club and others to provide an outlet for school children to stay occupied during their February vacation week. Starting as the Twin Cities Grammar School League 50 years ago, the Maine Gladiators continue the tradition of hosting the Lion’s Tournament, which is now the longest continuously running youth hockey tournament in the country.
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