Local teams ready for Steel City openers

The 23rd annual Steel City International Hockey Tournament begins in full force on Thursday afternoon as 61 teams from Canada and the U.S. battle for one of six division championships.

Action will take place all local arenas throughout the weekend and will conclude with the semi-final and championship games on Sunday. Teams will compete in the AAA midget major, AAA midget minor, AA midget, AAA bantam major, AAA bantam minor and AA bantam divisions.

The Soo North Stars open on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against the Michigan Jaguars at the John Rhodes Community Centre pad two in the AAA major midget division.

In AAA bantam action, the Soo Thunder major bantams hit the ice at 2:30 p.m. at the Rankin Arena against the Marquette Iron Rangers. The bantam minor Soo Greyhounds play the Marquette American Legion at 2:30 p.m. at the Pee Wee Arena.

In AA midget, the Root River Rangers battle Soo Storm/St. Ignace at 1 p.m. at Memorial Gardens, Littner's Park plays the Sudbury Lakers at 1 p.m. at the Rankin and Northside Toyota meets West Nippissing at 2 p.m. at the Rhodes 2.

In AA bantam, Pino's Titans meets the Blueliner's Blackhawks at 12:30 p.m. at the Rhodes 2, S&T Lightning battles the Valley East Rebels at 1 p.m. at the Rhodes 1, Blueliner's play the Warren Park Eagles at 7 p.m. at the Pee Wee, S&T meets the Thunder Bay Beavers at 8 p.m. at the Rhodes 1 and Pino's play the South End Rangers at 8:30 p.m. at the Pee Wee.