Photo: Marissa Baecker

Tickets for the eighth Young Stars Classic tournament in Penticton will be available to the public beginning on July 27, at 10 a.m.

The showcase from Sept. 7 to 9 will include top prospects from the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets, and new this year is the addition of the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and University of Alberta Golden Bears.

While scaled back this year — with four games as opposed to six in previous years — organizers are enthused that the tournament will still be a big draw.

“The Young Stars Classic is a fantastic tournament and the City of Penticton does a tremendous job as host,” Canucks president Trevor Linden said in a news release. “While the format and participating teams has changed, fans can still expect a lot of excitement and a high level of competition from both top prospects and elite university programs.”

Thunderbirds head coach Sven Butenschon said his team is excited to start their season in Penticton.

“With a strong Golden Bear and Thunderbird alumni following in the Okanagan, we are expecting a great atmosphere for these competitive, high-caliber games.”

Some Canucks prospects expected to participate include Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen, Olli Juolevi, Adam Gaudette, Kole Lind and Michael DiPietro.

Last year, Brock Boeser was the biggest name to take part in tournament. Boeser played in two of three games at the South Okanagan Events Centre. That started a season where he led the Canucks with 29 goals and tied for the team lead with 55 points, after playing in 62 regular season games. He was a finalist for the NHL rookie of the year and MVP of the league's all-star game.

Four-game ticket packages with be $35, and Ice Level VIP packages go for $155. Tickets can be bought at valleyfirsttix.com, at the SOEC box office or by phone at 1-877-763-2849.

Single-game tickets will be for sale at a later date, organizers said.

Young Stars Classic Schedule

GAME                     TEAMS                                                    DATE                       TIME

Game 1                   UBC vs University of Alberta                  Sept. 7                     4:00pm

Game 2                   Vancouver vs. Winnipeg                         Sept. 7                     7:30pm

Game 3                   UBC vs University of Alberta                  Sept. 8                     6:00pm

Game 4                   Vancouver vs. Winnipeg                         Sept. 9                     2:00pm