Before the first puck drops at the Meridian Credit Union Arena, months of quiet work make the Harvest Classic possible for young players and their families.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Wolves’ annual Harvest Classic Rep Tournament brought 40 teams from across Ontario last weekend, making it one of the region’s biggest youth hockey tournaments of the year.
But behind every game were volunteers who spent months planning to bring the sport the community loves to life.
Tournament organizer and coach James Cadeau starts preparations in May. He books ice time, co-ordinates with hotels and secures approval from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
By autumn, hundreds of emails arrive from teams eager to join one of the region’s biggest B-centre tournaments.
“It’s a lot of fun watching the little kids. That’s special, seeing eight-year-olds getting all excited before other priorities in life take over,” said Cadeau.
Running the event depends on dozens of volunteers filling every role, mostly without compensation, from referees to concession staff.
Despite the struggle, Cadeau said it is important to deliver a well-run tournament so visiting teams leave with a positive impression of Niagara-on-the-Lake and local players feel proud to represent their community.
“People like coming to this area because there’s a lot to do and a lot of hotels,” he said. “We get a lot of demand for the tournament, but we have to deliver a good product. Otherwise, they won’t come back.”
Volunteer co-ordinator Tracey Hope manages sign-ups and social media for the Wolves. She said all shifts for the weekend were filled within two days after she sent out the link to parents.
“There’s nothing better than playing with your neighbours and classmates and making memories in your own community,” said Hope. “That’s something you carry with you as you get older.”
Proceeds from the barbecue and other sales cover pay for timekeepers, many of them former Wolves players who return each year to stay involved in the sport, and help close the gap between registration fees and the true cost of putting on community hockey tournaments.
Outside the arena, longtime NOTL Hockey Association board member and former Wolves player, Mike Cwiertniewski, tended the grill, serving burgers to visitors from Windsor to Ottawa.
“I played here growing up, and now I’m helping out and giving back to what gave me so much,” said Cwiertniewski.
Funds raised through the tournament, including proceeds from the barbecue and team booths, go toward covering the officiating and timekeeping costs, supporting youth development programs and keeping registration fees affordable for local families.
Parents like Marie and Dan Good, whose son plays for the U13 team, staffed a table, selling apples outside the MCU Arena to raise funds supporting the NOTL Wolves’ development costs.
“It’s great for the kids to learn how to play together as a team,” said Marie Good. “There are families from all over Ontario here, and it’s cool to see everyone come together.”
For volunteers, the reward is not in medals or standings but in seeing the rink full and the community connected. As Cadeau put it, they do it “for the love of the sport.”
U13 rep coach Gary Friesen, a NOTL hockey grad who had a long career in the OHL, said, “The weekend was an incredible showcase of community spirit.”
He credited the work of “countless volunteers” for making the weekend a success, and singled out Cadeau, Mike and Ella Cwiertniewski, Carrie Plaskett, Tracey Hope and association president Pete Flynn “for going above and beyond in organizing the tournament.”
He noted Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, a former hockey referee, stopped by to volunteer at the barbecue.
Friesen said parent Elaina Wilkinson, whose family recently joined the Wolves organization, summed it up perfectly: “This was one of the best-run tournaments we’ve been to. The food court was open, there were healthy options, and everyone — from the Niagara Predators volunteers to the arena staff — pitched in to make it great.”
