Team Minnesota for the 2016 Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament has been announced. The Brick tournament is the most prestigious tournament for 10 year olds in North America.

Minneapolis, MN, April 20, 2016 – The team representing Minnesota at the 27th Annual Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament has been selected. The team of elite players will compete in Edmonton, Canada in July against North America’s best 9 and 10 year old (2006 birth year) hockey players.

Team Minnesota will be coached by Derek Plante, Head Coach, along with Assistant Coaches Karl Dexheimer, Greg Miller and Shjon Podein,  

The roster for Team Minnesota for the 2016 Brick is:

Taylor Berg

Barrett Dexheimer

Carter George

Hans Hedlund

Cole Jackson

Adam Kleber

Lucas Mann

Brendan McMorrow

Benjamin Miller

Benjamin Norris

Shjon (Junior) Podein

Max Plante

Simon Seidl

John Stout

Dallas Vieau

"Our coaching staff is excited to get going and share this experience with some of the best Minnesota 10 year old hockey players and their families!  This team includes players from all of Minnesota’s Major AAA teams including the Minnesota Blades, the Lake Superior Stars and the Minnesota Machine. We are looking forward to getting on the ice and working to bring these young players together and become a "TEAM" for this short-term event. The Brick Tournament has established an ultra competitive environment, and we are looking forward to heading to Edmonton and competing for the Championship!"   Derek Plante

The Brick Invitational is one of the most unique and competitive hockey tournaments in North America because it features just one age level: ten‐year olds. It is a weeklong event with six round robin games per team, followed by semi‐finals and finals for those who advance. The last day of the tournament features a skills competition and closing ceremonies during which players exchange jerseys. Some of the top stars in the National Hockey League cite playing in The Brick Invitational among their greatest hockey memories. Past Brick participants include accomplished Minnesotans like Blake Wheeler, Jack Hillen, Derek Stepan and Erik Johnson, and other NHL stars like Steven Samkos, Jonathan Toews, Danny Heatley, Dion Phaneuf and Dustin Byfuglien.

Team Minnesota is accepting sponsorships for this exciting event. Sponsorships are an important way to support the boys and gain recognition among the youth hockey community represented in Edmonton. Interested parties can contact Jaime Fransway, Minnesota Blades Executive Director at Jaime@minnesotablades.com.

The Minnesota Blades AAA Hockey Club is a non‐profit 501(c)(3) youth hockey association founded in 1989 by John Arko and Dennis Postregna to give talented Minnesota youth hockey players the opportunity to travel outside the state and country to compete at the Tier I level in the off‐season. Part of the Blades philosophy is that the best competition challenges players to be their best. Every year, more than 250 players compete for the Blades. The organization includes boys and girls teams from Mites to Midgets, ages seven to nineteen. The Blades have helped more than 300 Minnesota kids obtain Division I scholarships, and more than a quarter of these players have moved on to professional hockey.