St. Paul, MN – March 14, 2016 – Minnesota Hockey, in conjunction with CCM and the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association (MHCA), announced today the kickoff of the 2016 CCM Minnesota Hockey High Performance season beginning Friday, March 18. The CCM Minnesota Hockey High Performance programs are designed to develop, train and identify the best players in Minnesota and to provide top players from each district or section the chance to play with and against the best players in the state.

The action kicks off this weekend with the Ted Brill Great 8 and HP 18 Festivals being held at Doug Woog Arena in South St. Paul beginning Friday. For over 30 years, the Ted Brill Great 8 has provided high school seniors the opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities to coaches and scouts from junior, collegiate and professional teams. Rosters and schedules for the Great 8 can be found here. Rosters and schedules for the HP 18 Festival can be found here.

The Ted Brill Great 8 is a three-day tournament featuring eight teams at each level that represent the Minnesota State High School League’s (MSHSL) eight sections. Seniors from Class A and Class AA teams are selected by their high school coaches. Each coach has the ability to nominate players, and a vote is held to determine the 17 player roster made up of two goalies, six defensemen and nine forwards. The HP 18 Festival is made up of four teams, which are comprised of two MSHSL sections each.

 “The Ted Brill Great 8 and High Performance 18 Festival is a fantastic way to start off the High Performance season,” said CCM Minnesota Hockey HP Director, Mike MacMillan. “We’re proud of these upperclassmen for their hard work and growth over their tremendous careers. Each year, Minnesota produces the most Division 1 hockey players in the country and our CCM High Performance Programs provide the opportunity for those coaches and scouts to see our top players perform.”

Organized by the MHCA and Minnesota Hockey, the Ted Brill Great 8 is designated as a national development program by USA Hockey. Players are evaluated by qualified personnel, and 20 are selected to represent Minnesota in the Boys’ CCM National Invitational Tournament April 21 through 24 in Plymouth, MN.

CCM Minnesota Hockey High Performance events for the top hockey players will continue throughout the spring and summer: