Defender Hockey Tournament

OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Blizzard Cup—Defender’s largest and most electric tournament of the season. Hosting more than 120 teams annually, and set across various rinks in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, this event brings unmatched competition and a true big-stage feel to the greater Philadelphia region. With top-tier facilities, nonstop action, and an atmosphere that showcases the best of youth hockey, the Blizzard Cup delivers a thrilling MLK Weekend experience for players and families alike.

Featuring:
Multiple Divisions/Levels
Competitive Format
USA Hockey Sanctioned
Certified Referees
Championship Awards
Online Stats & Standings via Defender GAME CENTER powered by Time To Score
Live Streaming via Black Bear TV

Round Robin with Playoffs (Minimum of 4 games). Teams may play one or more
round robin games DAY 1, one or more round robin games on DAY 2, with
consolation/semi-finals and/or championship games on the final day. NOTE: Semi-Final
rounds and/or consolation games are not guaranteed.

Divisional allocation is based on USA Hockey roster/age group classification for the
upcoming season. However, the tournament operations staff may adjust placements to
fit individual team competitiveness on a case-by-case basis.

Subdivisions/levels may be created according to the division/level structure and the total number of teams registered.

Tournament game schedule will be released 7-10 days prior to the event start
date.

Teams must arrive and be available in the local area by the day before the tournament
begins and be prepared to play at 7:00 AM local time on the first day of the tournament.
Departure should be scheduled on or after the final tournament day, with final games
expected to finish by roughly 5:00 PM local time.

Disclaimer: We have noticed an increase in teams that have withdrawn from events at
the last minute causing us to have to re-work the schedule. Please DO NOT make any
plans that cannot be refunded based on the schedule you receive.

ARENAS

Igloo Ice Arena
3033 Fostertown Rd, Mt Laurel Township, NJ 08054

Igloo Ice Rink - Foundry Hockey

Grundy Ice Arena
475 Beaver St, Bristol, PA 19007

Grundy Ice Arena - Foundry Hockey

Pennsauken Skate Zone
6725 River Rd, Pennsauken Township, NJ 08110

Comcast Spectacor Selling Flyers SkateZones in Northeast Philly, Pennsauken, and Atlantic City to Black Bear Sports Group - RinkAtlas

Northeast Skate Zone
10990 Decatur Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19154

Flyers Skate Zone, Northeast Philadelphia, PA. | Outdoor decor, Building, Structures

Howell Ice Arena
269 Squankum Rd, Farmingdale, NJ 07727

Howell Ice Arena

Jersey Shore Arena
1215 Wyckoff Rd, Wall Township, NJ 07727

Jersey Shore Arena - Home

HOTELS

As a reminder, this event is a Stay to Play Event. All teams are to utilize official event hotels. Please click on the link below to secure your team block. Please make sure to designate the number of rooms needed each night when creating the block. You will then receive a confirmation email that contains the booking information to forward to the team families so they may make their individual reservations. All hotels are convenient to arenas. Please make sure families only book via the link provided. Families are not to contact the hotel directly to book rooms for the event.

Please note, the link below will allow you to initially block a maximum of 16 rooms. Once your initial block is filled, rooms can be requested . Please email ibhcbookings@gmail.com to request additional rooms (once the initial rooms have been filled).

DIVISION/RINK ASSIGNMENTS

8U, 14U & 16U→ Jersey Shore & Howell
12U & 18U→ Grundy, North East Skate Zone
10U→ Igloo / Pennsauken

As always, one or more games for teams may be played at a primary rink, a secondary rink, or any of the rinks listed above, depending on ice-slot availability.

Jersey Shore & Howell: CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL

Igloo, Pennsauken, Grundy, North East Skate Zone: CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL

Complimentary rooms are awarded based on actual nights paid for in the team block, not reservations booked. One (1) complimentary guest room will be provided per team per night for every 16 guest rooms booked through the team block. Complimentary rooms are awarded on a per-night pick-up basis over the tournament dates. The complimentary room is applied to the 16th room reserved by the team. Teams that appear to qualify for a complimentary room will receive an email with instructions the week of the event on how to designate the recipient of the complimentary room. Please make sure all rooms for coach(es) are booked prior to the cutoff date. Please note that the complimentary guest room will be required to check in with a credit card. The comp room night(s) will be awarded at checkout. NOTE: The hotel(s) credit(s) eligible stays back to the credit card in the days following the event.

IN THE AREA

Restaurants

Miller's Ale House, 554 Fellowship Rd, Mt Laurel Township, NJ 08054
Cracker Barrel, 1240 NJ-73, Mt Laurel Township, NJ 08054
O'Connor's American Bar and Grill, 1383 Monmouth Rd, Eastampton Township, NJ 08060
Bobby Ray's Pennsauken Tavern, 6324 Westfield Ave, Pennsauken Township, NJ 08110
The Pines Tavern, 6217 N Radcliffe St, Bristol, PA 19007

Shopping

Target
Pro Shop at Igloo
Gear Zone at Pennsauken
Grundy Skate Shop

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

DATE

Jan 17-19, 2026

SKILL LEVEL

AA = Cup Division
A = Open Division
B = Challenger Division
C

DIVISION

8U-18U

ENTRY FEE

$995/team (8U) - Will take place at Howell
$1,799/team (10U)
$1,849/team (12U)
$1,899/team (14U)
$2,000/team (16U)
$2,000/team (18U)

DIVISION/RINK ASSIGNMENTS

• 8U, 14U & 16U → Jersey Shore & Howell

• 12U & 18U → Grundy, North East Skate Zone

• 10U → Igloo / Pennsauken

As always, one or more games for teams may be played at a primary rink, a secondary rink, or any of the rinks listed above, depending on ice-slot availability.

GAME CENTER

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

SUBMIT YOUR TOURNAMENT PHOTOS

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

Blizzard Cup