Today starts the 23rd National Capital Hockey Tournament, the Purple Puck at Fort Dupont Ice Arena in Washington, D. C.  For me, it’s my 13th year behind the mic for every game, every day of the tournament.

The Purple Puck is the longest running high school ice hockey holiday tournament and is filled with some great games.  Over the years, many players who’ve played in the Purple Puck have gone on to play in college for both ACHA and NCAA programs.  A few of them have gone on to play minor professional hockey, with a couple making their way as high as the AHL.  The tournament is packed full of talent on the ice and this year a lot of teams from outside the area.

In the past, the tournament has featured two teams from Canada from Winkler, Manitoba and Auburn Drive from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.  Garden Valley Prep from Winkler is the alma mater of current Pittsburgh Penguin Eric Fehr.  Fehr was playing with Washington and hosted the team at a Caps game during the tournament when they came to play in the Purple Puck.  Auburn Drive is from the same town in Nova Scotia that has produced current NHL stars Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalance and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins.

The tournament has two levels, Varsity and Prep.  Varsity is typically local high schools or JV or Varsity-II teams that private schools have.  The Prep Division features the top teams from eight teams from around the United States and produces some excellent hockey.

The Purple Puck can be found online here.