Hockey is one of the most popular sports in Canada and the United States both as a spectator and participant sport. Hockey tournaments range in suitability for all ages and levels from youngsters all the way through to adult professionals. There are also the women's teams and some veteran teams too.
The largest and best known league is the National Hockey League. This is the major professional league and covers Canada and the United States. It comprises 30 teams and is the most highly respected league in the world of hockey. During the course of the season there are a variety of tournaments. The team that finishes at the top of the league will be the winner of the Presidents Trophy. Another of the most prestigious hockey tournaments is the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup is fought for by means of elimination rounds. It starts in April and will be won by the last remaining team in June. The Presidents trophy is awarded to the team which has scored the most points during the regular season. This will run from October to April and teams will play 82 games. The tournament schedule is complex but will involve 42 games on their home territory and 42 played away at the grounds of their opponents.
Canning Supplies
The American Hockey League is the most prestigious minor professional league and acts as a supply source of players for the NHL. There are 29 clubs in the league and each one will have an affiliation with one of the NHL teams. The Calder Cup is the main trophy of the AHL and this awarded to the playoff champions of the year. Other hockey tournament trophies in the AHL include two Conference playoff championship trophies; the Richard F Canning Trophy for the Eastern Conference and the Robert W Clarke Trophy for the Western. Also included in their season are seven other regular season championship trophies.
As well as the American Hockey League, there are another eight minor professional hockey leagues which all run their own hockey tournaments. Obviously the semi-pro and amateur and college leagues do the same. Women's hockey is also a very popular sport now and this is supported by the National Women's Hockey League. As there has been some confusion regarding the championships of the league in the last couple of years, due to the combining of the league with the Western Women's Hockey League, the tournament details are a little complex. Suffice to say, however, that the Clarkson Cup has been, and probably will continue to be, the main tournament trophy for women's hockey.
There are literally hundreds of hockey tournaments running at any one time and if you are either a spectator and fan or a participating sportsman, there is never a shortage of action for you at any level.