44th Annual Leo Boivin International Midget AA/AAA Showcase March , 2017 LEO BOIVIN This esteemed hockey showcase proudly carries the name of Prescott native, and NHL legend Leo Boivin. Leo Boivin began playing hockey at the age of seven on the St. Lawrence River and outdoor ice surfaces of Prescott, Ontario, near Ottawa. It was with the Bruins that Leo's reputation as a hard-hitting, defenseman grew. Tim Horton regarded him to be the toughest blue liner to beat in a one-on-one situation. He was nicknamed "Fireplug" for his compact stature and devastating body checks. Although there were bigger men on the blue line, especially closer the end of his career, none hit harder than Leo Boivin. After retiring, he stayed in the game as a scout. He went behind the bench as the interim coach of the St. Louis Blues during the 1975-76 and 1977-78 seasons, and coached the Ottawa 67's of the OHL for a time, but at the end of the day he preferred scouting to coaching. Leo Boivin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986. Nowadays, Leo can be found at the arena named after him during the tournament weekend, smiling for photos with fans and enjoying great Midget hockey. Be sure to say hello! HISTORY Now in its 44th year, this tournament has come a long way from the eight team one-day event first started in 1972 to the current 16 team tournament that welcomes the world! This tournament has set the standard, with its reputation for hospitality and excellent organization. The Leo Boivin Showcase is truly a community event. The weekend is the culmination of over six months of hard work by dedicated committee volunteers. Throughout the greater South Grenville area, families open their homes to visiting players for the balance of the tournament weekend. The extra fan support that billeted teams receive often has a positive effect on all the players. Although South Grenville Major Midget B Rep Rangers are in the spotlight during the weekend festivities, all players registered with the South Grenville Minor Hockey Association benefit directly from this tournament. This showcase is a major fundraiser for the Association. The 40th Anniversary in 2012 was a special event for Prescott as we had entries from St. John's, Philadelphia, and our very first European entry, the Latvia Bauer Selects all the way from Riga, Latvia! The Latvians were welcomed into the homes of many Prescott families and got to see what true Canadian hospitality is all about. In 2014, we welcomed a new European team from Salzburg, Austria. We are excited to welcome the world to Prescott once again this March 2016. THE ROW For close to two decades, the fans in the north-east section of the Leo Boivin Community Centre have been presenting one of the tournament's traditions. The Final Flood of the season. The Row also presents their own trophy - The Critic's Choice Award - to the team that best exemplifies the spirit of the tournament. The Row has achieved near Legendary status among visiting fans from all over, even drawing back to Prescott parents of players who have long since finished playing midget hockey. Leo Boivin himself is a mainstay in or around The Row, which is only steps from his next favorite place, the penalty box. Leo spends countless hours at the tournament sharing many of his stories from the days of the Original Six. Over the years, many teams have done incredibly creative things to impress The Row. Whether it is throwing gifts (ie. Pins, T-Shirts, jerseys and more), a saluting cheer, or the simple stick raise towards The Row after the game, every little bit helps and the fans will take notice. If you want to give your team an 'extra attacker', look no further than The Row! (Custom jerseys the St. Louis boys made to salute the Row after 3 consecutive years in Prescott!) BILLETTING Billeting can be a very exciting and rewarding experience. Our billet families play a very important role by opening up their homes to the players they provide them with a stable and secure home away from home for the tournament weekend. There are many long lasting friendships that develop between players and their billet. If your team is interested in being billeted – please let us know – we would be more than happy to find your team host families to take care of the boys for the weekend of the tournament. They will provide sleeping accommodations, meals and transportation to all activities the team has both including hockey and other sight-seeing excursions the team may have planned. MONITORS Each team participating in the tournament is assigned a “monitor” for the weekend. This is a long standing tradition of the tournament and is very well appreciated by all the coaches/managers of all teams who attend. This Pee Wee Aged player will be the “runner” for the team for the weekend. After initial sign in of the coach /manager – the monitor will bring all gamesheets to the dressing room for signatures and return them to the minor hockey office prior to all games. As well they will fill water bottles, get skates sharpened at the sharpener onsite, hold the dressing room key and any other errands the team may require. We ask that each team bring an extra jersey for your monitor to wear for the weekend to represent your team. NHL PLAYERS WHO PLAYED IN PRESCOTT Over the course of 43 years Prescott has been host to many exceptional hockey players – some of whom have moved on to play in the “Big Show”. Here is a list of some of the NHL players who laced up their skates in our small town. Steve Yzerman - Peterborough Pete's - Detroit Red Wings Jeff Chychrun - Nepean Raiders - Philadelphia Flyers Brendan Shanahan - Mississauga Reps - Detroit Red Wings Eric Lindros - Toronto Young Nationals - Philadelphia Flyers Doug Gilmour - Kingston - Toronto Maple Leafs Allan Bester - Hamilton Longshoreman Huskies - Toronto Maple Leafs Jeff Reese - Brantford Knights - Toronto Maple Leafs Bobby Smith - Ottawa West Golden Knights - Montreal Canadiens Ron Tugnutt - Toronto Red Wings - Ottawa Senators Dave Lowry - Nepean Raiders - St. Louis Blues Adam Graves - Toronto Young Nationals - Edmonton Oilers Jeff Brown - Nepean Raiders - St. Louis Blues Luke Richardson - Ottawa West Golden Knights - Toronto Maple Leafs/Ottawa Senators Jeff O'Neill - Richmond Hill - Toronto Maple Leafs Brad Brown - Toronto Red Wings - Hartford Whalers Mike Torchia - Toronto Red Wings - Anaheim Ducks Wayne Primeau - Whitby Wildcats - Carolina Hurricanes Sean Avery - Markham Islanders - New York Rangers Kris Draper - Don Mills Flyers - Detroit Red Wings Mike Peca - Toronto Young Nats - Toronto/New York Islanders/Buffalo Sabres Mike Cammalleri - Toronto Red Wings - L.A. Kings Denis Savard - Verdun Maple Leafs - Chicago/Montreal Jim Peplinski - Atlanta Flames - Calgary Flames Stewart Gavin - Verdun Maple Leafs - Toronto/Hartford/Minnesota Nick Boynton - Richmond Hill Vaughan Kings - Boston Bruins Kevin Weekes - Toronto Young Nationals - Carolina Hurricanes .