The 40th annual Tubbers Hockey Tournament happens Friday, Feb. 3 through Sunday Feb. 5 at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
local tradition

Longstanding adult hockey tournament returns to Nanaimo for 40th year

Feb 3, 2023 | 3:10 PM

NANAIMO — An annual February hockey tradition in Nanaimo is back following two years of pandemic restrictions scrapping the popular event.

The 40th annual Tubbers Hockey Tournament sees 17 teams competing on both Nanaimo Ice Centre (NIC) surfaces between Friday, Feb. 3 and Sunday. Feb 5.

Games are scheduled between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, as well as 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

One of the more well-known adult tournaments in western Canada has a casual division, while four women’s teams compete in their own bracket.

A beer garden is established all weekend at the NIC.

Most teams in this year’s event are Nanaimo-based clubs.

Members of the Nanaimo Tubbers old timers hockey club organize and coordinate the event, which this year involves more than 200 players.

Organizers scaled down the labour-intensive tournament in recent years, which originally expanded to nearly 50 teams encompassing all four of Nanaimo ice sheets.

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