The 5th annual Midget Hockey Holiday Classic Tournament in St. Ignace will be Friday, December 30, to Sunday, January 1, featuring eight regional teams.

The tournament, held at Little Bear East Arena, includes teams from Alpena, Gaylord, the Boyne area, Newberry, and two teams each from Mackinaw City and Sault Ste. Marie.

Owing to a lack of membership, St. Ignace does not have a midget team this year, however, a few St. Ignace players will be on the ice for the Mackinaw City and Sault Ste. Marie teams. The Mackinaw City teams are composed of players from as far south as Petoskey and as far north as Kinross.

“We’re like one big melting pot,” said Greg Vieau of the Mackinaw City Hockey Association. “We’re happy to have taken in the kids from St. Ignace and we’re looking at this tournament as if we are playing on home ice.”

This year’s tournament will be hard-pressed to top last year’s tournament excitement, when Newberry topped St. Ignace in overtime, 3-2, to win the tournament’s championship.

Games will take place Friday from noon until 9 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. The semifinals will take place Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and the championship game will be at 5 p.m.