www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, December 26, 2013 | 42 HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS RD., #UNIT 3 905-842-0725 www.haltontransmission.com Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports "Connected to your Community" Bell tournament hits the ice tomorrow 151 teams participating in this year's event by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor Led by a strong group of minor peewee teams, the Minor Oaks Hockey Association looks to exceed its division title haul of two years ago when the 21st annual Richard Bell Memorial Tournament hits the ice tomorrow (Friday). The five Oakville Rangers minor peewee teams that will participate in this year's tournament are a combined 84-9-14 this season in league play. That includes a pair of AA squads, with Oakville Red leading the Tri-County Minor Hockey League's Bowen Division with a 23-1 mark and Oakville Blue in second place at 16-2-5. The minor peewee AAA Rangers are 20-0-3, the minor peewee A Rangers are 14-5-4 and the minor peewee AE Rangers are 21-1-1. Other leading candidates for Richard Bell titles appear to be the minor atom As Red (18-4-2), minor atom AAAs (22-9-6), minor bantam As Red (16-1-7), minor bantam AAs (17-3-5) and minor bantam AAAs (13-7-3). MOHA clubs won six Richard Bell titles in 2011, the association's largest haul in recent memory. The Rangers won five Bell championships in both 2012 and 2008. This year's Bell tournament, a competition for minor-aged divisions only, will feature 151 teams. Between tomorrow's openingday action and Monday's finals, 351 games will be played at arenas across the town. Those numbers are down from last year's tournament, when a record 170 teams participated. This year marks the first time since 2006 that the competition has not increased in size. "We don't know if it's an aberration or a trend. A year from now, we'll know (better)," said tournament co-chair Dana Harvey. "One hundred and fifty-one teams isn't too shabby. It will certainly keep us busy." The three AAA divisions at the tournament will feature 17 teams in minor atom, 19 in minor peewee and 19 in minor bantam. Three European clubs will make return visits to the Bell tournament this year. Norway's Manglerud Star and Sweden's TABY HC will play in the minor midget AA division, while Norway's Toensberg -- a squad of 10 players, including a female goaltender -- will compete in minor midget AE. A team from Kazakhstan also committed to the tournament this year, but was released after organizers realized the predominantly peewee-aged club had signed up for the minor bantam age level. The team will instead play in the peewee AAA division at Burlington's Golden Horseshoe tournament. "If you want to see them, you'll have to go down the highway," Harvey said. Bauer is the presenting sponsor of the 2013 Richard Bell tournament, with Longo's and Corbett's Source For Sports serving as division sponsors. For the third year in a row, some proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Oakville Hospital Foundation. The last two tournaments have raised $65,000 for the foundation, making the Bell ahead of schedule to reach its $150,000 goal for its five-year fundraising commitment. All teams are guaranteed at least four games in the tournament, and admission is free for all spectators and participants. -- Jon Kuiperij can be followed on Twitter @Beaversports Jacob Gawronski (in white), then a member of the Oakville minor atom AE Rangers, fends off a pair of Orangeville Flyers opponents during last year's Richard Bell memorial hockey tournament. More than 150 teams will compete in this year's 21st edition of the annual event. | Oakville Beaver file photo Oakville teams' first-round schedules at Richard Bell Minor atom AAA (22-9-6, SCTA) Dec. 27 12:15 pm JC Blue Dec. 27 7:00 pm JC Blue Dec. 28 8:15 am CAN 3 Dec. 28 7:45 pm CAN 4 Minor atom AA (14-7-3, TCMHL) Dec. 27 10:45 am CAN 2 Dec. 27 4:45 pm CAN 3 Dec. 28 3:45 pm CAN 1 Dec. 28 7:45 pm CAN 2 Minor atom A Blue (10-10-2, TCMHL) Dec. 27 1:30 pm CAN 2 Dec. 27 6:30 pm CAN 2 Dec. 28 2:45 pm CAN 2 Dec. 28 6:45 pm KIN Minor atom A Red (19-4-2, TCMHL) Dec. 27 10 am RO B Dec. 27 3:30 pm CAN 3 Dec. 28 12 pm CAN 3 Dec. 28 7 pm OAK Minor atom AE Hawks (house league) Dec. 27 8:30 am SM 3 Dec. 27 4:45 pm CAN 1 Dec. 28 12:30 pm MAP Dec. 28 5 pm MAP Minor atom AE Vipers (house league) Dec. 27 12:30 pm CAN 1 Dec. 27 4:45 pm CAN 1 Dec. 28 8 am MAP Dec. 28 1:45 pm MAP Minor peewee AAA (20-0-3, SCTA) Dec. 27 9:30 am SM 4 Dec. 27 4:30 pm SM 4 Dec. 28 9:55 am SM 3 Dec. 28 6:20 pm SM 2 Minor peewee AA Blue (16-2-6, TCMHL) Dec. 27 12:15 pm RO A Dec. 27 7:30 pm CAN 4 Dec. 28 10:30 am MAP Dec. 28 5:50 pm RO A Minor peewee AA Red (23-1-0, TCMHL) Dec. 27 9:45 am SM 3 2:15 pm SM 3 Dec. 27 Dec. 28 9:30 am GA BLUE Dec. 28 3:20 pm GA GRN Minor peewee A (14-5-4, TCMHL) Dec. 27 8 am SM 4 Dec. 27 1 pm SM 2 Dec. 28 11 am OAK Dec. 28 5:15 pm KIN Toronto Nationals Niagara North Huron Perth Lakers Syracuse Nationals Orillia Terriers Brampton 45's Whitby Wildcats Stoney Creek Warriors Kingston Canadians Halton Hills Thunder Burlington Bulldogs Woolwich Wildcats Burlington Eagles Clarington Toros Clarkson Hurricanes North London Nationals Burlington Bulldogs Oakville Vipers Milton Winterhawks Orangeville Flyers Orangeville Flyers Oakville Hawks Milton Winterhawks Burlington Bulldogs Brampton 45's Waterloo Wolves Buffalo Saints Markham Waxers Tecumseh Eagles Toronto Eagles Burlington Eagles Mississauga Braves Burlington Bulldogs Mississauga Terriers Ajax Knights Guelph Jr. Gryphons Meadowvale Mohawks Niagara Falls Canucks Erindale Spitfires Bradford Bulldogs Minor peewee AE (21-1-1, TCMHL) Dec. 27 9:30 am CAN 1 Dec. 27 2:30 pm SM 2 Dec. 28 11 am KIN Dec. 28 7:45 pm JC BLUE Minor bantam AAA (13-7-3, SCTA) Dec. 28 8 am JC RED Dec. 28 5:30 pm JC RED Dec. 29 10 am JC BLUE Dec. 29 5:30 pm JC BLUE Minor bantam AA (17-3-5, TCMHL) Dec. 28 1:35 pm SM 4 Dec. 28 9:10 pm SM 3 Dec. 29 12:45 pm CAN 1 Dec. 29 7 pm CAN 2 Minor bantam A Red (17-1-7, TCMHL) Dec. 28 8 am RO A Dec. 28 3:50 pm CAN 3 Dec. 29 10 am CAN 2 Dec. 29 2:20 pm CAN 3 Minor bantam A Blue (6-11-7, TCMHL) Dec. 28 11 am RO A Dec. 28 8:45 pm CAN 3 Dec. 29 2:20 pm CAN 1 Dec. 29 6:45 pm CAN 1 Minor bantam AE (12-9-4, TCMHL) Dec. 28 4:55 pm SM 3 Dec. 28 9:05 pm JC BLUE Dec. 29 10 am CAN 4 Dec. 29 3:45 pm CAN 3 Minor midget AA (13-5-5, TCMHL) Dec. 28 10:50 am SM 1 Dec. 28 5:50 pm SM 1 Dec. 29 11:15 am SM 2 Dec. 29 5:30 pm RO B Minor midget A Blue (14-5-3, TCMHL) Dec. 28 12:45 pm RO B Dec. 28 7:45 pm RO B Dec. 29 12:30 pm JC RED Dec. 29 8 pm SM 3 Minor midget A Red (14-7-2, TCMHL) Dec. 28 8:30 am RO B Dec. 28 5 pm RO B Dec. 29 11:30 am CAN 2 Dec. 29 4 pm CAN 2 Burlington Eagles London Bandits Black Orangeville Flyers Caledon Hawks South Central Coyotes Cambridge Hawks West Seneca Wings Lambton Jr. Sting Ajax Knights Leaside Flames Mississauga Braves Caledon Hawks Clarkson Hurricanes Burlington Bulldogs Meadowvale Mohawks Credit Valley Wolves Credit Valley Wolves Meadowvale Mohawks Burlington Eagles Clarkson Hurricanes Burlington Eagles Hamilton Tigers Hamilton Cyclones Georgina Blaze Manglerud Star Streetsville Tigers Etobicoke Canucks Hamilton Huskies Erindale Spitfires Guelph Jr. Gryphons Woolwich Wildcats Clarkson Hurricanes Meadowvale Mohawks Halton Hills Thunder Hamilton Tigers Burlington Eagles Abbreviations: JC = Joshua's Creek Arenas; CAN = Canlan Ice Sports; KIN = Kinoak Arena; RO = River Oaks Recreation Centre; MAP = Maplegrove Arena; SM = Sixteen Mile Sports Complex; GA = Glen Abbey Recreation Centre; OAK = Oakville Arena