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Tourney forced out for 2018

One of the top midget hockey tournaments in Canada has been forced to the sidelines for at least one year.

The Kelowna International Major Midget Tournament announced late Thursday it would be unable to ice a tournament in 2018 after learning scheduling conflicts with the top major midget and prep leagues in Western Canada means teams will be unable to take part.

For the 38-year history of the tournament, leagues have left an open weekend for top teams to compete at the KIMMT tournament in early to mid-January. That opening has been closed for this coming season.

"They have all gone in different directions. I know the game is changing, but we've put this on for a lot of years. We are going to try our very best to get them to open it up for next year (2019)," said tournament spokesman Jim Mazzei.

Mazzei says the tournament began hearing rumblings a few months ago. Organizers lobbied leagues and associations, but to no avail.

"It's fallen on deaf ears, so we had no other choice, unless we lowered the calibre of the tournament, and that's not good for everybody."

The tournament has been attended by BCHL, WHL and college scouts.

Mazzei wouldn't speculate whether the disqualification of the Okanagan Hockey Academy Red team for using ineligible players in the tournament semi-final this year, had anything to do with the scheduling conflict.



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