Against All Odds
You’ve battled the heat, sweat and brutal conditions of the summer, with high powered A/C indoors and melting temperatures as soon as you step outside. Now it’s time to grab a spot at Mega Ice, for what should be the most nail-biting and anticipated tournaments of the year that will bring you to the edge of your seats.
You’ve battled the heat, sweat and brutal conditions of the summer, with high powered A/C indoors and melting temperatures as soon as you step outside. Now it’s time to grab a spot at Mega Ice, for what should be the most nail-biting and anticipated tournaments of the year that will bring you to the edge of your seats.
At the Hong Kong Amateur Hockey Club, the new winter season brings renewed hopes of having yet another successful season. With the start of the 2015/2016 Standard League last week, Hong Kong along with HKAHC will look to an eventful weekend during September 18-20th which will bring international level hockey right to your front doors. Mega Ice will be the venue for the BOCI-Prudential Asset Management 2015 HKAHC Invitational Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament which will be home for twenty one thrilling matches between nine high powered teams coming from Japan, Macau, Qatar, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and the host nation of Hong Kong.
Unlike past tournaments, all teams participating will be required to roster a minimum of five players under the age of 25 and all teams must reside from Asia, bringing a more competitive edge to this year’s tournament while looking to develop younger generations of hockey players.
Though many will question the exclusion of former Hong Kong tournament players, this has opened up slots for younger players to step up to the plate. With the vision of developing the future of hockey in Hong Kong, the HKAHC has put together an eighteen manned roster loaded with explosive young talents which will be bonded together by a core group of experienced veterans.
Here is what your HKAHC Giants will look like for the 2015 HKAHC Invitational Amateur Ice Hockey tournament.
All eighteen players play in the HKAHC Standard League, which is one of Hong Kong’s top hockey leagues that is played under IIHF rules and regulations. Out of the eighteen players, thirteen of them play together for Team Principal in the Standard League. And of the thirteen Principal team players, twelve of them are under the age of twenty one. Although these players are rookies in the Standard league, they are fearless and play with a high level of intensity, grit, and emotion which they will showcase in the tournament.
Veteran net minder, Drew Peterson, recipient of the “Best Goalie” award in the Standard League last season, offensive minded defenseman Donald Chow and explosive forward Mike Lam are teammates for team HKAHC in the Standard League.
Winner Medical Kings (Standard League) star defensemen, Ying Yeung, will offer stability in the back line. You may also see him tried as a forward if HKAHC Giants coach Barry Beck shall make some team adjustments.
Former Hong Kong national team forward Art Tam, who plays for Verity in the Standard League, will be quarterbacking this high powered offensive team while offering maximum support in the defensive zone.
Keep an eye out for the aggressive trio of Cosney Lee, Jeffrey Tsaw and Lennon-Au Yeung who are line mates for team Principal. Their success as a line in the Standard League should give them the confidence to produce quality offense in this year’s tournament.
The Giants are placed in Group C (Mongolia, Philippines, HKAHC) and they will open up their tournament run Friday night, September 18th at 21:30 against tournament debut team from Mongolia.
The Giants schedule goes as follows (round robin not including playoff games):
Once the division games are completed, the standings will be confirmed and the playoffs will begin. The playoff schedule and seedings will go as follows:
With a new look and feel for this year’s tournament team, viewers and fans alike await in great anticipation to watch the host team play. This team will show how far Hong Kong hockey has come throughout the years and where they are headed. Come out and support your HKAHC Giants as they are fully prepared to have a successful tournament.