The Young Stars Classic is no more.
Held annually in Penticton, B.C. for the last decade, the event will not return in September 2025, the Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday. In lieu, the Canucks announced they reached a multi-year agreement with the Seattle Kraken to feature their top prospects in games against each other.
In a statement from Canucks President Jim Rutherford, he said the organization was “unable to secure commitments from other teams for next fall” but that they wouldn’t close the door on future tournaments.
“The Vancouver Canucks organization would like to sincerely thank the city of Penticton for the incredible job of supporting and hosting the Young Stars Tournament,” he said. “The staff at the Okanagan Events Centre, the fans who attended the games, and the local hockey community all contributed to the great success of these events.“Unfortunately, we were unable to secure commitments from the other teams for next fall, so regrettably, we will not be hosting a Penticton Young Stars Tournament in 2025. The organization will explore other opportunities with the city and has not closed the door on participating in a Young Stars tournament in future years. Next September, we are excited to go to Seattle and start this series with the Kraken. We feel providing these types of competitive opportunities will only enhance the development of our players.”
The first Young Stars Tournament was held in September 2010, featuring first overall draft pick Taylor Hall, featuring the Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. Nearly all of the Oilers top draft picks have played there over the years, but there may not have been a more memorable moment than from the 2015 edition of the tournament than when Darnell Nurse — wearing a ‘C’ — fought Calgary Flames prospect Rasmus Andersson.
The Oilers have yet to comment on what the future holds for them when it comes to a rookie tournament.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, and senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
