The Burns tournament is back – the Boston Herald

Every year, Arlington draws up his typical finish list during the pre-season – win the league, survive the state tournament, earn the top spot in the state tournament, win the state tournament.

It’s a pretty complete set of goals that have gotten the power of Spy Ponders over the last 25 years. But this year the head coach John Messuri and a committee of people dedicated equally to the promotion of high school hockey have created something new and exciting for Arlington and all the public boys ’hockey teams to strive for.

This Sunday, the Ed Burns “Coffee Pot” tournament – a three-round tournament featuring the top 16 school teams in the state – will make its debut.

“We just try to give the kids a good atmosphere and a good experience,” Messuri said. “I think it pays a lot of attention. It should be fun.”

For more than 20 years, the Ed Burns tournament has caught the attention of the boys ’hockey community by promoting a series of four teams competing for Super 8 effects. The small number of teams is something Messuri has always wanted to expand due to the attention the tournament has attracted, but it has never made the leap.

However, as the pandemic season showed how much value fans and players held in tournaments outside the state tournament, pressure was underway.

“It would only open people’s eyes that a tournament during the season … would bring some attention to high school hockey,” Messuri said.

So the committee got to work. A total of 16 teams, which they thought were the best public school teams, were selected and placed as the season progressed to determine sowing and pairs. The top eight teams will compete in the Peter Doherty division, while the top eight will compete in the Walter Brinn division.

Every Sunday for the next three weeks, starting this weekend, teams will play in search of the title. Each team is guaranteed three games against the top competition, and Messuri hopes to have the championships played at the university venue to give the tournament a real leap. He even hopes to be able to work with Catholic schools to get the winner of their tournament during the season to play against the winner of the Ed Burns “Coffee Pot” tournament to really get a lot of audience.

But since four quality games are played at each venue every Sunday, Messuri isn’t afraid of how many tickets will be sold. There are no ticket restrictions and he expects a large number of participants in the coming years.

The way the season has gone so far has also nailed the teams. Outside Belmont competing for the missing championship in the Doherty division, Arlington (11-1-1) will face Marshfield (8-3-1), Hingham (10-3) and Winchester (8-2-2), Braintree (8-). 2-1) Opposite Wellesley (7-1-2) and Tewksbury (9-0) Waltham (6-2-2) in the first round. The Brinn division includes Canton (9-2-1) vs. Burlington (2-8-1), Franklin (10-5) vs. Weymouth (4-7), Reading (5-5-1) vs. Framingham ( 4-5) and Natick (6-4) vs. Walpole (5-4).

The passionate response didn’t come to Super 8 at the last meeting on hockey, it’s safe to assume this tournament is a good secondary option instead – at least for public schools. But Messuri argues that the expansion of the tournament was not a response to the suspension of the Super 8 series.

“We worked with the MIAA for their blessing, and we’re really not trying to compete with them,” he said. “That’s not the answer to that. I’ve been trying to get this going on for many years.”

Since a lot of work has been done to make it something special, there is no doubt that it has been worth the wait.

The hockey community is responsible again

Over the last few years, the hockey community has shown its members in need of help – whether it’s raising funds or showing respect.

With another call to arms, it has risen to the plate again.

Barnstable girls hockey freshman Mayah White She was recently diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma earlier this month, and the GoFundMe page set up to raise funds says both of her parents will have to stay significantly free from work to help treat her. By Friday night, that page – just a day old – had raised more than $ 79,000 from nearly 800 different donors.

According to the page, he has been admitted to Boston Children’s Hospital.

“All donations are greatly appreciated, and prayers and positive thoughts are greatly encouraged,” the description says.

Donations can be made at:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mayah-beat-cancer?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium