Catholic hockey teams ready to skate into the spotlight this weekend

20th Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Prep Hockey Showcase to feature 42 quality hockey teams

TRENTON — For high school hockey fans, this might very well be the best time of the year.

Over the next three days, 42 of the top-ranked prep hockey teams from Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio will converge at Trenton’s Kennedy Arena to take part in the 20th annual Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Prep Hockey Showcase.

The entire 10-member MIHL — which includes Catholic High School League members Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, University of Detroit-Jesuit, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep and Warren De La Salle — will play in the showcase, while Riverview Gabriel Richard, Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett and first-timer Allen Park Cabrini are also among the 42-team field.

“Nineteen years ago, the MIHL Prep Hockey Showcase was a very modest event, and we are very proud of how it has developed,” said MIHL president and Novi Detroit Catholic Central coach Brandon Kaleniecki. “The main objective of the MIHL is to promote quality high school hockey, strong competition and sportsmanship. The showcase complements that mission. The first 19 showcases were tremendous successes and we are very optimistic about this year’s event.”

“It’s the high school hockey tournament in Michigan,” said Pat Ronayne, a longtime assistant coach at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, one of the MIHL’s founding member schools. “The schools that play in the showcase tend to play in the state finals, and last year all three of the (state) champions played in this showcase. We also have some out-of-state schools that are really good; it sort of gives you a feeling of where you are.”

In Ronayne’s opinion, teams to watch this weekend include Brother Rice, Catholic Central, Grosse Pointe South, Calumet, Livonia Stevenson, and the host school, Trenton. And even though there are a large number of schools playing throughout the weekend, Ronayne said there are far more teams that apply to play in the showcase than the number of spots available.

Each showcase team plays two games, and is matched up against a team of similar ability whom they don't play often. For Cranbrook — rated fifth in Division 3 — that means a Friday afternoon game against Hartland (No. 4 in Division 2) and a Saturday mid-day contest against Upper Peninsula foe Houghton (ranked right behind Cranbrook in the latest poll).

“We’ve been practicing a lot for these games,” Ronayne said. “It’s nothing out of the ordinary for us to play top-rated schools because we usually have top-level teams. We go up to Calumet every other year and we see Houghton; Hartland’s been a team that’s been real solid recently. You want to be challenged, and you want to play teams that get you ready for the state tournament.”

It’s been a rebuilding season for Cranbrook (10-8-1), which has brought on new head coach John LaFontaine and several new players. The Cranes are led by defensemen Daniel Juzych and Leyton Stenman, forward Jack Wineman and senior captain Bryce Truby.

Meanwhile, Catholic Central — the defending Division 1 state champion and No. 1 ranked school — sees two tough opponents. At 6 p.m. Friday, the Shamrocks will play Wisconsin’s top-rated team, Green Bay Notre Dame Academy. Catholic Central plays also plays Hartland at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Shamrocks (14-5-0) are led by forwards Dylan Dooley and Kyle Gaffney, and defensemen Enzo Tarducci and Brendan Miles, all seniors.

Cranbrook and Catholic Central aren’t the only two local powerhouses. Several other Catholic schools are also state-ranked, including St. Mary’s Prep (5-12-1, sixth in Division 1), Brother Rice (14-3-1, second in Division 2), U-D Jesuit (10-10-0, fourth in Division 3) and Gabriel Richard (13-6-0, seventh in Division 3). Each will approach this weekend as a stepping-stone toward the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s state tournament, which begins the final week of February.

“In terms of the showcase’s success, it’s the 20th year; we do a good job,” Ronayne said. “I think the league does a good job of presenting it. Just based on the number of teams that apply every year, it must be highly thought of.”

Here is the schedule of games which include Catholic schools:

THURSDAY, FEB. 6

Warren De La Salle vs. University-Liggett, 5:20 p.m.
Grosse Pte. North vs. Cabrini, 5:40 p.m.
Gabriel Richard vs. Howell, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 7

St. Mary’s Prep vs. Traverse City Central, 11:30 a.m.
Cranbrook vs. Hartland, 4 p.m.
Brother Rice vs. Saginaw Heritage, 4:20 p.m.
Cabrini vs. Forest Hills Northern/Eastern, 4:40 p.m.
Catholic Central vs. Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame Academy, 6 p.m.
U-D Jesuit vs. Midland Dow, 6:20 p.m.
University-Liggett vs. Big Rapids, 6:40 p.m.
Houghton vs. Gabriel Richard, 8:20 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 8

De La Salle vs. Hancock, 8:40 a.m.
Brother Rice vs. Notre Dame Academy, 10 a.m.
Cranbrook vs. Houghton, 12:20 p.m.
St. Mary’s Prep vs. Forest Hills Central, 2:50 p.m.
Catholic Central vs. Hartland, 4:30 p.m.
U-D Jesuit vs. Salem, 6:30 p.m.

Tickets for the showcase are $6 per day/$10 for a three-day pass for adults; $5/$8 for seniors and students. Active military personnel and their families receive free admission with uniform or military ID.