The Red Deer Optimist Chiefs will take on teams from three separate provinces as well as Europe in the prestigious Mac’s midget hockey tournament starting Dec. 27 in Calgary.
The Chiefs open Dec. 27 versus the Tisdale Trojans at 12:45 p.m. at the Flames Community Arena Blue, then face the Austrian national under-18 team the following day at 11:45 a.m. at the Max Bell Centre.
The Calgary Buffaloes are up next, on Dec. 28 at 5:15 p.m. at Father David Bauer Arena, and the Chiefs close out pool play Dec. 30 against the Vancouver Northwest Giants at 11:45 a.m. at Max Bell.
The Optimist Chiefs occupy top spot in the Chrysler (South) Division of the Alberta Midget Hockey League with a 14-4-2 record. The Buffaloes are seventh in the division at 10-11-12.
Vancouver Northwest is a perennial British Columbia Major Midget League power and currently sits third with a 14-4-4 slate, while Tisdale is sixth in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA League with a 13-9-0-4 record.