Bantam hockey players from across the province are encouraged to apply for scholarships through the Pat Quinn Classic tournament.

While there will be no physical tournament this year thanks to COVID-19, organizers are still selecting three players to win $1,000 to be applied to post-secondary schooling.

In any other year, players would only be eligible for the scholarships if they played in the annual tournament in Burnaby, but 2020 has been anything but normal. Opening the scholarships up to the entire province is a way to find light in an otherwise dark situation.

鈥淲e know this year has been very difficult,鈥� said Cliff Ronning, a former Vancouver Canucks who played for Quinn and now serves as honourary chair of the Pat Quinn Classic. 鈥淲e also know many young hockey players have risen to the challenge by studying hard, being good teammates on the ice, and finding ways to take care of others in their community.

鈥滻t鈥檚 important that we reward these efforts and help them achieve their academic goals.鈥�

The Pat Quinn Classic is one of the longest running hockey tournaments in the world, though it has only existed in its current form since 2015.

The international tourney for bantams and peewees dates 58 years back to 1962, but it was renamed five years ago after the passing of legendary hockey coach Pat Quinn. Affectionately known by many as 鈥楾he Big Irishman,鈥� Quinn died in November of 2014 at the age of 71, and the tournament was re-imagined as a way to carry forward his passion for developing great athletes and leaders.

鈥溾�漀ot only have we created an exceptional tournament with terrific hockey, we have made leadership and academic success foundational to the tournament,鈥� Ronning said. 鈥淧at would be proud that we are using this platform to inspire the next generation of leaders.鈥�

Quinn was a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Trophy as the National Hockey League coach of the year and was revered in Vancouver as the architect of the 1994 Stanley Cup finalist Canucks.

He spent 42 years of his life as an NHL player (1968-77), coach or general manager (1977-2010).

Internationally, Quinn guided Team Canada to gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, 2008 World U18 Championships and 2009 World Junior Championship. He added a World Cup title in 2004.

Quinn was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016 as a builder.

鈥淚 was fortunate to consider Pat a friend and mentor, and that鈥檚 what fuels my passion and commitment to this tournament,鈥� Ronning said.

The Pat Quinn Classic is run in partnership with the Vancouver Canucks Alumni Association.

Two scholarships are sponsored by the Vancouver Canucks Alumni under the names of Quinn and Ronning, both members of the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.

The third scholarship is under the name of Kirk McLean and sponsored by Gary Pooni of Brook Pooni Associates. McLean is also a BC Hockey Hall of Famer and he is a member of the Canucks Ring of Honour.

Six thousand dollars in scholarships have been awarded to six students over the past two years.

This year, male and female bantams have until Jan. 21 to apply at