By Haldimand Press Staff
HAGERSVILLE—Hagersville and Caledonia played host to several teams from Haldimand and surrounding areas for the 2022 Murray Johnson Tournament, put on yearly by Hagersville Minor Hockey Association.
The tournament consisted of four divisions and 36 teams, with HMHA President Doug Hall estimating approximately 500 players taking part.
“Most tournaments are elimination-type formats,” said Hall. “We don’t operate like that. Every single team plays two games, Friday and Saturday. Based on the point-per-period system, everybody is seeded.”
The tournament, which has been an annual fixture since its inception back in 1992, was named after local sports aficionado Murray Johnson in 2013.
HAGERSVILLE—Local senior Murray Johnson drops the puck at the first match of the 2022 Murray Johnson tournament, which brought 36 minor hockey teams to Hagersville and Caledonia over the weekend to participate in a hockey tournament that puts the emphasis more on having fun and team building, rather than competition. —Photo courtesy of Doug Hall.
Johnson, 80, is well-known for his unwavering support of local hockey and baseball teams and can routinely be found in the stands enjoying the game.
“He’s a staple of Hagersville and has been for a long time. He’s always at the arena or over at the baseball diamonds. He’s a fixture for sports in Hagersville,” said Hall. “He just loves it.”
Unlike other tournaments, where only the winners compete in the final round, ‘Championship Sunday’ for the Murray Johnson tournament saw all 36 teams competing against a similarly seeded team, based on stats from each team’s opening two rounds.
A total of 18 games were played, with nine teams emerging as tournament winners once the dust had settled by the end of the weekend.
“The tournament is fairly early in the season for local league hockey. We use that format because, for most teams, it’s their first tournament,” said Hall. “The emphasis on our tournament is more friendly than competitive. It gives the teams the opportunity to come to Caledonia and Hagersville for the weekend for team-bonding, a lot of fun, and they leave here with a good mentality.”
Hall thanks the tournament’s main sponsors for going “above and beyond” in their support of local sports.
He also wished to thank the team of dedicated volunteers who helped make the tournament happen, including Bill Mumby, Dale Held, Bob Featherston, Kelly Reichheld, Hal Brown, Aaron Doyle, Logan Davey, Lloyd Williams, Dennis Smith, and Craig McKeen.
“The tournament was very successful, everyone had a great time,” concluded Hall. “The arenas were packed, the restaurants were busy, Tim Hortons was jammed…. Thank you to all who took part.”
