Players hit the ice at the Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament

Thousands of young athletes are in Brantford for the Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament. Teams from all over Ontario, some from the United States, and even one from overseas came out to compete in Canada’s beloved winter sport.

The tournament is in its 52nd year and is run by the Brantford Minor Hockey Association. Teams from all over Ontario come out to hit the ice as well as teams from Oswego, New York, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

READ MORE: Air Canada reaches sponsorship deal with the PWHL

“We have 96 teams and well over 2,000 players. We all play different styles of game and so that’s a big experience to be able to say you played the other country.”

Among the teams participating in the tournament, one came from Finland. They say getting here was years in the making. “The parents raised money for several years selling several goods and stuff like that, because they had a goal and they aimed for that.”

The tournament is played on 10 rinks at six arenas in Brantford and the county of Brant with the main base being the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre.

The tournament started on Dec. 27 and wraps up on Dec. 30.

READ MORE: 2 Hamiltonians among latest appointees to the Order of Canada