Young Canada Week
HISTORY
Goderich Lions Young Canada Week tournament first began during the spring break in 1950 and the Lions Club now looks forward to hosting its 62nd tournament beginning March 11th, 2011.   In its first year, the tournament was a one day affair with 12 teams entered. Over the years it has expanded to where we now maintain a normal complement of 48 teams, comprising of all divisions from B down to D.

In 2004 the Town of Goderich opened the Maitland Recreation Centre with an NHL size rink, swimming pool, track and Gym.  With this second ice surface, we were able to expand the tournament to include a girls C division.

1950 Marks the first ever Young Canada week. The Lucknow Flax Flyers won the 12 team tournament.
1951 YCW grew to 26 teams. It took 6 days to play and had 3 divisions. Goderich won the B division title.
1954 Saw the first out of province team come from Quebec and Manitoba. As well 10,000 hockey fans saw the 48 team tournament.
1960 Saw 86 teams involving over 2,000 players, coaches and Managers.
1964 YCW cuts off entries at 87. There was no way they could squeeze more teams in.
1965 Saw the 1,000th game played when St Thomas played St. Lambert, Que.
1967 100 TEAMS FOR 100 YEARS was the format for YCW during Canada's Centennial year. YCW Featured 100 teams including a team from Pasadena, California. This 9 day tournament saw 16,000 in attendance, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year.
1973 12-year-old Wayne Gretzky participated in YCW, scoring his 100th and 101st goals on the season in a game against Port Huron, Michigan.
1974 SILVER ANNIVERSARY - Lions club committee met for almost a year to plan special events and a reception to open the tournament.
1977 27 years after the first game the puck is dropped for the 2000th game in the newly renovated Goderich Memorial arena.
1983 After being eliminated in the second round of the 'B' division, the Goderich peewees entered the 'A' division and won.
1986 Bad weather delayed the 1986 tournament.   Lions club members scrambled to reorganize.
1993 Two teams backed out of the AAA division forcing YCW to cancel the entire division.
1996 Goderich ends 16 year drought by winning the 'B' division with a 6-2 win over Walkerton.
1999 Saw the 50th installment of Young Canada Week.  Half a decade of great Pee Wee hockey.
2004 Girls Division added to YCW for the first time. This was the first year YCW played games in the new Maitland Recreation Center as well as the Goderich Memorial arena.
2005 Local League boys division was added for the first time.
2009The 60th Anniversary of Young Canada Week.  26 members of original 1950 tournament participants attended opening ceremonies.  A Division dropped this year due to lack of entries - 48 teams participated, down from pervious year.
Young Canada Week Players Gone Professional