SHI 2026 Tournament Summary - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - March 5-7, 2026
Nine Dare Devils players dusted off their passports and crossed the Northern border to participate in the premier Special Hockey Tournament along with teams from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Families started arriving in Toronto on Wednesday night to ensure they were available to participate in the opening ceremonies at the Herbert H. Carnegie Centennial Centre at 8:30am on Thursday morning. After parading with all of the participating teams, the Dare Devils headed back to the the hotel for some much needed R&R before their gauntlet of games began. Below is a summary of the games (this will be updated throughout the weekend).
3/5/26 - 12pm - Dare Devils vs. Barrie Colts - Scotiabank Pond Arena, Rink 4
The Dare Devils opened the tournament with a game against the Barrie Colts. Barrie, Ontario is one of Canada's hockey hotbeds and it seemed like the Colts weren't happy seeing a team sporting the same jerseys as Jack Hughes, and were looking to exact revenge for all of Canada. The Colts came out of the gates jumping with several early goals and they continually swarmed the Dare Devils throughout the game. Eventually, the Dare Devils found their rhythm and were able to mount a counterattack and put some pressure on the talented Colts goaltender. However, while putting forth a valiant effort, our NJ squad did not have enough in the tank and lost the game by a wide margin. All of the Dare Devils stepped up their game to try and matchup with one of the best teams we have ever played against. Patrick Hung, who played a excellent all-around game, put the Dare Devils on the scoreboard by converting his own rebound midway through the second period. Liam Smith, Shea Passikoff, James Cooney and Kieran O'Malley all had several scoring opportunities but couldn't solve the top-notch Colts goaltender. Theodore Howard, Connor Hung and Ayden Duran all played spirited defensive games and did their best to slow the Barrie attach. A special thank you goes out to our guest goaltenders, Linus and Joseph, for backstopping us today and limiting the damage with the onslaught of Barrie shots on net.
3/6/26 - 9:15am - Dare Devils vs. Grandravine - Scotiabank Pond Arena, Rink 3
After navigating the parking situation at the hotel, surviving parking lot falls, and remedying their hangry pains, the Dare Devils eventually were able to unwind on Thursday afternoon and enjoyed some time lounging around the hotel pool, lifting heavy at the hotel gym and sampling airport hotel food. The Dare Devils woke up bright and early on Friday morning to take on Grandravine, the team hosting the tournament, for a 9:15am game. The one-sided crowd was clearly rooting for the Canadian squad but the Dare Devils exorcised their opening game jitters and put in a strong showing to make their coaches proud. While the Dare Devils ultimately lost by a score of 9-7, they were in the game throughout and everyone on the team stepped-up their games to keep the score close. After Grandravine put in two early goals, Shea Passikoff took a Patrick Hung lead pass to convert a wrist-shot into the back of the net to get the Dare Devils on the board. Grandravine had the lead the entire game but the Dare Devils made it close in the final minutes after James Cooney put home a breakaway goal and Connor Hung was on the receiving end of assists from Kieran O'Malley and Liam Smith to get the Dare Devils within 2 goals in the final minute. However, the Dare Devils couldn't bridge the gap and lost a nail-biter. The Dare Devils on the score-sheet were Shea Passikoff with two goals, Patrick Hung with a goal and an assist, Liam Smith with a goal and an assist (and shot off the post), James Cooney with a goal and an assist, Connor Hung with a goal and an assist, Kieran O'Malley with a goal and an assist and TJ Howard with an assist. Owen Silverstein and Ayden Duran both played solid all-around games and were hungry on pucks the entire game. A special thank you goes out to our guest goalie, John, from the Maine Highlanders. He was one of the main reasons the Dare Devils were able to keep the game close.
3/6/26 - 4pm - Dare Devils vs. Wisconsin Timber Wolves - Scotiabank Pond Arena, Rink 1
After sporting their white uniforms the first two games of the tournament, the Dare Devils donned their black "Jersey" jerseys for their Saturday afternoon matchup against the Wisconsin Timber Wolves. Maybe it was the jerseys or maybe it was the fact we played a US based team, but the Dare Devils finally secured a point in the Special Hockey International tournament by eking out a tie against our talented friends from the Mid-West. We ultimately secured the point behind the heroics of our guest goalie, Brandon, from the Maine Highlanders. Brandon stood on his head and gave the Dare Devils a chance to catch their bearings to get on the scoresheet. Patrick Hung led the offensive heroics with 4 goals (he also played outstanding defense), James Cooney had a goal and an assist, Owen Silverstein converted an end-to-end breakaway goal and Kieran O'Malley, TJ Howard, Ayden Duran and Connor Hung all recorded assists. Liam Smith and Shea Passikoff both played strong all-around games to help the Dare Devils secure the tie.