A tradition dating back six and a half decades returns this weekend.
The WFCU Centre will play host to the 65th annual Riverside Minor Hockey International Christmas Tournament starting Sunday Dec. 28.
The tournament will be played over three days and feature three divisions: U14, U15, and U16.
Tournament director Christian Cortese estimates 17,000 players have come through the region since the tournament began, with some later moving on to the NHL.
"It's great for our tourism in the area. We're bringing in a lot teams from out of town again, and of course we have our European contingency again this year. We have team coming from the Czech Republic," he said.
Cortese said the tournament has welcomed European teams since 1989, and this year, more than half are from out of town.
"It's been a tradition for so long now, people look forward to it and come to expect and there's better place to be at Christmas time," said Cortese.
Cortese said the tournament is usually played on the AM800 rink at the WFCU Centre, but organizers needed to make alternate arrangements following the fire this past spring.
"That's normally our main rink and I know it's still under repair right now, probably through the rest of the season, so I have to say the City of Windsor has been great in ensuring that we've had an adequate amount of ice time so that we can carry on with this tournament. We're very grateful to them," he said.
All games played over the three days are free for the public to come spectate.
Details and game schedule can be found here.