Less than a year after his untimely death, hockey players will hit the ice at the North Dumfries Community Centre in honour of late Cambridge minor hockey graduate Eli Palfreyman.
Hosted by the Ayr Centennials, Palfreyman’s former team, the Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins, St. Catharines Falcons, St. Andrews College and Jungadler Mannheim out of Germany will take part in the Eli Palfreyman Global Invitational Tournament from August 24 to 28.
Palfreyman collapsed in the dressing room during the second intermission of a preseason game on August 30, 2022. He was named the captain of the team five days prior to his death.
In the year since, a GoFundMe raised over $37,000 to support the Palfreyman family and the Centennials established a scholarship fund in his memory.
The Eli Palfreyman Memorial Scholarship is awarded each year to the Centennials player who “who best represents the character of Eli.”
Palfreyman, a forward, played minor hockey in Cambridge and was drafted by the Peterborough Petes in the 12th round of the 2018 Ontario Hockey League Draft after scoring 13 goals and adding 11 assists in 32 game for the Hawks during his U16 season in 2017-2018.
He would go on to play for the Pelham Panthers, Victus Academy, Kitchener Dutchmen and Atlanta Mad Hatters before posting 29 points in 44 games for the Centennials in 2021-2022.
The tournament begins on Aug. 24 with Kitchener-Waterloo facing off against St. Catharines followed by Jungadler Mannheim taking on Ayr.
Play continues throughout the weekend, with first and third place games taking place on Monday, August 28.