Labatt Blue bubble hockey tourney underway

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League and Labatt Blue have announced that the 2014 Labatt Blue Bubble Hockey Tournament of Champions is now underway in 11 participating AHL cities.

Entry is free, and no purchase is necessary. Players must be 21 or older to participate.

The tournament is taking place in three stages. Over the next two months, each participating team is hosting a series of qualifying nights in local sports bars, restaurants and taverns. A minimum of eight qualifiers from each city will advance to the team finals, which will be held in AHL arenas to determine each team champion. Finally, the 11 individual team winners will advance and earn a trip to the ultimate Tournament of Champions, scheduled at the Memorial Auditorium in Utica, N.Y., on Apr. 19, 2014.

The winner of the 2014 Labatt Blue Tournament of Champions presented by the AHL will receive a Labatt Blue AHL Bubble Hockey game from Super Chexx, as well as a mini replica Calder Cup trophy from the AHL. For a full tournament schedule please visit theahl.com.

Participating teams in this third-annual event include the Adirondack Phantoms, Albany Devils, Binghamton Senators, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hershey Bears, Lake Erie Monsters, Manchester Monarchs, Portland Pirates, Springfield Falcons, Utica Comets and Worcester Sharks.