The Gold Standard Tournament provides Under-13 athletes with a high-level competitive experience and introduces them to the Program of Excellence (POE) environment.
Athletes from across the province will be placed on newly re-rostered teams to compete in a series of games over the weekend of April 10-12, 2026. This gives evaluators the chance to see players perform in a different team setting and against other top athletes, while allowing participants to experience the structure, pace, and expectations of a POE-style event.
While a small number of athletes may receive invitations to the U16 Girls or U15 Boys POE events for the 2026–2027 season, the focus of the Gold Standard Tournament is on development, learning, and exposure to high-level competition. Invitations are based on evaluations from both the Gold Standard Tournament and the Manitoba Winter Games. There is no predetermined number of selections.
Gold Standard Tournament – Format
• Athletes will be re-rostered onto new teams based on the rankings and evaluations from the 2026 Manitoba Games. This ensures balanced and competitive matchups, allowing evaluators to see players perform in a new team setting.
• The tournament is a games-only event, with teams competing in a series of scheduled games throughout the weekend.
• All games will be observed by Hockey Manitoba evaluators as part of the ongoing assessment process.
• Final team rosters and the game schedule will be shared with participants closer to the event date.
Questions:
Please forward any questions relating to the 2026 Gold Standard Tournament to Stephanie Keith at skeith@hockeymanitoba.ca .
