Weekend Recap: 2023 CCM Nations Cup
Countries Collide in the Biggest Nations Cup Ever
For many athletes and hockey players alike, representing their country is a dream. This year at the 2023 CCM Nations Cup, 200 teams got the opportunity to do just that. Detroit played host to 100 American and 100 Canadian teams from the 2014 through the 2009 birth years. These teams did not wear their typical jerseys but instead donned jerseys that represented their countries. To add to the patriotism, the Nations Cup is not a typical tournament format, as it does not produce a single champion. Instead, teams compete in a round-robin with cross-border foes to get seeded for the final day, Championship Sunday. On Championship Sunday, each team will compete with the similarly seeded team from the opposing country to earn points for their country’s total. The higher the match seed, the more points it is worth. The country finishing with the most points would be the division champion.
From the players to the parents, everyone in the building made the CCM Nations Cup special. Countless wild patriotic outfits, flags waving in the stands, face paint, and much more were seen throughout the arenas of Detroit this weekend. We want to thank all the attending players, coaches, and families for joining us and bringing the energy that always makes the CCM Nations Cup one of the most unique and special events of the season. Check out the division breakdowns and see who came out on top.
JUMP TO DIVISION: 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014
2009 Divisions
2009 McDavid Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 17-14
In the four through seven seed matchups, the Americans were up 6-3. The Kalamazoo K Wings and the Streetsville Tigers took to the ice for the three seed match with pivotal five points on the line for their respective countries. The game came down to the wire, with the K Wings coming out on top 4-3, increasing the American lead to 11-4. With only 13 points remaining among the final two games, the Canadians needed to win both. The St. Louis Sting halted any possible comeback with a 4-0 shutout victory in the two seed match versus the Garden City Falcons. Though the gap was insurmountable, the Nepean Raiders’ 3-2 victory over the Northwest Chargers in the one seed match brought the overall score closer.
2009 Matthews Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 28-0
The Canadians made a statement in the 2009 Matthews Division, winning all seven games on Championship Sunday. The Newmarket Renegades, Tecumseh Eagles, Peterborough Petes, and Halton Hills Thunder all earned points for Canada’s total with shutout victories. The two seed and one seed games featured matching 5-1 victories for Canada’s #2 Barrie Colts Blue and #1 LaSalle Sabres.
2010 Divisions
2010 Crosby Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 16-5
The Midwest Blaze of the United States opened the day with the first win of Championship Sunday. Canada pushed back in the five and four seed games with two victories from the #5 Guelph Gryphons and the #4 Barrie Colts. When momentum was tilting to the North, the #3 Northwest Chargers registered a 5-1 win over the #3 Orangeville Flyers to bring both countries into a 5-5 draw with two games remaining. The #2 Halton Hills Thunder’s 6-2 victory added pressure to the final game. The United States was down 10-5, but with six points on the line there was hope. The #1 Toronto Eagles secured the victory for Canada with a 3-2 win over the #1 Kensington Valley Rebels.
2010 McDavid Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 13-8
The United States had earned points from the wins of the #6 Columbus Blue Jackets, #5 PSM Force, and the #3 Power City Bruins Gold but still found themselves behind in total points. After the #4 Guelph Gryphons and #2 LaSalle Sabres came up big for Canada with wins adding eight points toward Canada’s total. It would come down to the #1 Brantford 99ers and the #1 Lake County Vipers. Brantford would go up 3-1 after the first and the Vipers would take over in the second adding four unanswered goals to the win 5-3, earning the United States six more points and the title for the division.
2010 Tavares Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 18-10
At the conclusion of the round-robin, the United States earned 31 points to Canada’s 25, but teams entered Championship Sunday with a clean slate. Through the first four games, the countries were tied at five points each. The #3 Burlington Eagles Blue’s 5-4 win brought in four points for Canada, only for the #2 Oakland Jr Grizzlies to earn six points in their 4-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack. The United States entered the final game up by one point, and the title would come down to the winner of the #1 Carolina Rage and the #1 Belle River Jr Canadiens. In one of the tightest games of the weekend, the Rage edged out the Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout, bringing glory to the Stars and Stripes.
2011 Divisions
2011 Barzal Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 11-10
Canada had only accumulated one more win than the United States through the round-robin, but it was sure to be a tight finish for these teams on Championship Sunday. Canada went undefeated in the first four matches with wins from the #6 Aurora Tigers, #5 Burlington Eagles, #4 Orangeville Flyers, and #3 Stouffville Clippers. Down ten-points, the United States had their backs against the wall; a single loss would end their chances. The #2 PSM Force got the United States on the board with a 3-1 victory over the #2 Halton Hills Thunder, cutting Canada’s lead in half. With six points on the line, it was winner take all between the #1 Forest Hill Force and the #1 Tampa Bay Crunch. It was a close game throughout, but the Crunch held on to defeat the Force 3-1 and win the title for the Americans by one point.
2011 MacKinnon Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 24-21
Championship Sunday for the 2011 MacKinnon Division was a back-and-forth affair. Canada struck first with a #9 Aurora Tigers win, followed by the American’s #8 Kalamazoo K-Wings punching back with a win. Canadian registered back-to-back wins from #7 Hespeler Shamrocks and #6 Halton Hills Thunder, only for the #5 Indian Hill Winter Club and #4 Port Huron Flags to shift the momentum back to the Americans. The three-seed game came down to the wire with the Kitchener Jr Rangers holding on for a 2-1, earning Canada seven points and bringing Canada into the lead 15-13. The countries were neck and neck; the #2 Midwest Blaze 5-2 victory took the lead back for the United States. It would all come down to the final game. The score was 21-15 in favor of the United States, but with nine points on the line, the winner of the one-seed game would seal the title for their country. The one-seed match would feature the Kent Cobras, representing Canada, and the Romeoville Huskies for the United States. The two squads had already faced off in the round-robin, which resulted in a 2-2 draw. The final game would not be a draw; the Cobras came out full force, shutting out the Huskies 6-0 to take the title for the Great White North.
2012 Divisions
2012 McDavid Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 45-33
The 2012 McDavid Division was one of the larger divisions, featuring 12 teams from each country. Entering the final three matches of Championship Sunday, the United States was up 23-22 and feeling confident with their top three-seeded teams being undefeated throughout the weekend. The #3 Lake County Vipers retained their winning ways with a 6-0 shutout victory to extend the Americans’ lead. In the two-seed match, the St. Catharines Jr Falcons shut out the Metro Jets, serving them their first loss of the weekend. The countries were in a stalemate at 33 points each, meaning the title would come down to the final match between the #1 Milton Winterhawks and the #1 Tampa Jr Bulls. These teams opened the weekend versus each other with the Jr Bulls coming out on top, and with the title on the line, the Jr Bulls delivered again. Their 7-1 victory sealed the title for the Americans.
2012 Matthews Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 30-25
The #3 Milton Winterhawks’ victory was imperative for the Canadiens as the Americans had accumulated wins in five of the first six Championship Sunday games. Even with the Winterhawks’ victory, the Americans were up 25-11 and only one win away from locking in their title. The #2 Dorchester Dragons were able to hold off the #2 Flint Ice Raiders 3-2 to bring the score to 25-20. With the one-seed game worth 10 points, it would come down to the victor of the #1 Downriver Otters and the #1 Sarnia Jr Sting. The Jr Sting were undefeated entering this match and had defeated the Otters in the round-robin, but that was not under the pressure of earning their country the title. The pressure did not get to the Jr Sting as they won by the narrowest of margins 4-3 to bring glory to Canada.
2013 Divisions
2013 Crosby Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 5-5Â
The United States drew first blood on Championship Sunday with a #4 Victory Honda win, but the Canadians struck back. With wins from the #3 Sun County Panthers and the #2 Huron Perth Lakers, the Canadians had a strong 5-1 lead heading into the one-seed match. Unfortunately for the Canadians, they were not in the clear due to the final match being with four points. In the final match, #1 Compuware defeated the #1 York Simcoe Express and locked the score in a 5-5 draw. Deadlocked, Compuware and York Simcoe remained on the ice to break the tie in a shootout. The building was electric with both countries on the edge of their seats as every shooter took their attempt. The final shot was taken, and the building erupted with celebrations from Compuware and all the Americans.
2013 MacKinnon Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 10-5
Each country took two of the first four games, #2 Erie North Shore Storm and #5 Talbot Trail Blazers for the Canadians and #4 Columbus Mavericks and #3 Little Caesars Farmington Hills for the Americans. Entering the final match in a 5-5 draw, the winner of #1 Jackson Melling and #1 Belle River Jr Canadiens would determine which country would win the division. Earlier in the round-robin, the Jr Canadiens narrowly edged out Jackson Melling 4-3. Jackson Melling scored three goals again; however, the Jr Canadiens’ offense erupted for seven goals. With the Jr Canadiens’ 7-3 victory, Canada earned five more points to win the title 10-5.
2013 Tavares Division
Champion: 🇺🇸United States 33-3
After opening Championship Sunday with two losses, the Americans really started to turn it on. Four straight victories resulted in the Americans up 18-3 with only 15 points available to be claimed in the final two games. The two-seed and one-seed started on separate sheets only 10 minutes apart, and a Canada loss in either would seal the victory for the Americans. The #1 Flamborough Sabres and the #1 Saginaw Jr Spirit were in a tight match that looked like it could come down to the wire; however, the #2 Orland Park Vikings were pulling away on the other sheet. Both the Vikings and the Spirit ended on top, adding even more points to the Americans’ runaway title.
2014 Divisions
2014 Crosby Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 7-3
The #2 Saginaw Jr Spirit picked up a huge win following Canadian wins by the #4 Chatham-Kent Cyclones and the #3 Windsor Jr Spitfires. With the Jr Spitfires’ win, the Americans had tied up the score 3-3, leaving #1 Victory Honda and the #1 Huron Perth Lakers to decide the score in the one-seed game. The game would come down to a shootout with 8 total shooters and the Lakers were able to hold off Victory Honda to win 4-3 and claim the title for Canada.
2014 MacKinnon Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 7-3
The one and two-seed matches took to the ice with the Americans up 3-0, but the match was far from over. The Canadians needed to win both games, and the Americans just needed one victory to seal the deal. The two-seed match concluded first with the #2 Belle River Jr Canadiens winning their game by one goal to keep Canada’s hopes alive. As that game ended, the attention turned to the #1 Compuware Orange and the #1 Dorchester Dragons. It was a crazy finish where the Canadians completed the point comeback with a 4-3 Dragons victory.
2014 Tavares Division
Champion: 🇨🇦Canada 9-6
Throughout the round robin, the Americans appeared to have the edge, winning 11 of the 20 games played, and Championship Sunday started in that direction. The #5 Birmingham Rangers, #4 Rochester Rattlers Black, and the #3 Lake Erie Alliance all won, getting the United States off to a 6-0 start. However, there were still nine points up for grabs. The #2 Burlington Eagles ignited the comeback for Canada, scoring eight goals and earning 4 points. It would come down to the winner of the one-seed game to decide the champion. The #1 London Jr Knights completed the comeback with a 4-2 victory over #1 Belle Tire.
In the end, Canada earned 214 points and eight division titles to the Americans’ 210 points and seven titles. There were so many great games on Championship Sunday, and 12 of the 15 divisions came down to the final game to determine a victor. Overall, the spirited camaraderie of the players, coaches, and families cheering on their fellow countrymen was the best part of the weekend. Plenty of memories were made over the CCM Nations Cup this past weekend in Detroit. The next event up is the CCM Windy City Elite in Chicago, IL. Even though the season has begun, there is still limited availability in select divisions of our upcoming events. Click here to see the 2023-24 event line-up.
