Defender Hockey Tournament - Mite Winter Classic

OVERVIEW

Welcome to Defender’s Mite Winter Classic—Pittsburgh’s must-play 8U event of the season. Taking place January 24–25, 2026 at Palmer Imaging Arena, this high-demand tournament is designed exclusively for Tier II 8U B and C teams, delivering fast-paced games, great energy, and an unforgettable experience for young players. With limited spots, and a family-friendly city full of things to explore, the Mite Winter Classic is all about fun, development, and making memories on and off the ice.

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.

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Disclaimer: We have noticed an increase in teams that have withdrawn from events at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

Palmer Imaging Arena
100 Center Ice Drive, Delmont, PA 15626

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.

Click here to book your hotel

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).

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

The Lamplighter, 6566 William Penn Hwy, Delmont, PA 15626
Jigger’s Pub, 5835 Washington Ave, Export, PA 15632
Sweet Tillie’s Bakery & Cafe, 1001- B 5th Ave, New Kensington, PA 15068
Kings Family Restaurant, 6297 US-30, Greensburg, PA 15601
Italian Village Pizza, 7807 US-22, New Alexandria, PA 15670
Primanti Bros., 4501 Steubenville Pike, Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Activities

Northmoreland Park, 280 Markle Rd, Apollo, PA 15613
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, 7370 Baker St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Kennywood Park, 4800 Kennywood Blvd, West Mifflin, PA 15122

Shopping

Monroeville Mall, 200 Mall Cir Dr, Monroeville, PA 15146
Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, 590 Pittsburgh Mills Blvd, Tarentum, PA 15084
Waterworks Mall, 934 Freeport Rd, Blawnox, PA 15238