North Country Thanksgiving Festival Explained

North Country Thanksgiving Festival
Sport:College ice hockey
Founded:1970
Folded:1981
Teams:4–3
Champion:Clarkson
Most Champs:Clarkson (8)

The North Country Thanksgiving Festival (also called the 'North Country Thanksgiving Invitational') was an annual NCAA men's Division I ice hockey tournament held annually at the Appleton Arena and Walker Arena in upstate New York around Thanksgiving. The tournament began in 1970 and was played every year until 1981. Both Clarkson and St. Lawrence served as hosts for the in-season tournament.[1] [2]

Format

Unlike most college hockey tournaments, the North Country Festival did not have a championship game. Instead, each of the four participants would play one another and the team(s) with the best record would be awarded the championship. The series changed to a more normal bracket format in 1974 but returned to the round-robin arrangement the following year. In 1978 and 1981, only three teams participated in the tournament. In 1979 and 1980 the two 'visiting' teams did not play one another.

Yearly results

Year Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978 N/A
1979 Colspan=2
1980
1981 N/A

Team records

Team
  1. of times participated
Titles
Clarkson 12 8
Toronto 1 1
Concordia 2 1
Bowling Green 3 1
St. Lawrence 12 1
Boston University 1 0
Brown 1 0
Colgate 1 0
Laval 1 0
Lowell 1 0
Ohio State 1 0
Ottawa 1 0
Western Ontario 1 0
Yale 1 0
New Hampshire 2 0
Rensselaer 2 0
Vermont 3 0

Game results

1970

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
26 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 3 New Hampshire 2
26 NovemberAppleton Arena Bowling Green 6 St. Lawrence 5
27 NovemberClarkson Arena Clarkson 5 Bowling Green 2
27 NovemberClarkson Arena New Hampshire 4 St. Lawrence 2
28 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 4 St. Lawrence 2
28 NovemberAppleton Arena New Hampshire 6 Bowling Green 4

1971

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
25 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 9 Colgate 3
25 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 7 Vermont 6
26 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 6 Vermont 2
26 NovemberClarkson Arena Colgate 3 St. Lawrence 2
27 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 3 Clarkson 2
27 NovemberClarkson Arena Vermont 9 Colgate 3

1972

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
23 NovemberClarkson Arena Clarkson 5 Vermont 2
23 NovemberAppleton Arena Rensselaer 4 St. Lawrence 2
24 NovemberClarkson Arena Clarkson 4 Rensselaer 2
24 NovemberAppleton Arena Vermont 4 St. Lawrence 1
25 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 6 Clarkson 2
25 NovemberClarkson Arena Vermont 6 Rensselaer 1

1973

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
22 NovemberClarkson Arena Clarkson 8 Ohio State 3
22 NovemberAppleton Arena Toronto 2 St. Lawrence 1
23 NovemberClarkson Arena Toronto 7 Clarkson 1
23 NovemberClarkson Arena Ohio State 6 St. Lawrence 5
24 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 4 St. Lawrence 1
24 NovemberAppleton Arena Toronto 3 Ohio State 1

1974

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

1975

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
27 NovemberAppleton Arena Concordia 5 Clarkson 1
27 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 8 Vermont 2
28 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 3 Vermont 1
28 NovemberAppleton Arena Concordia 6 St. Lawrence 2
29 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 5 St. Lawrence 1
29 NovemberAppleton Arena Concordia 5 Vermont 2

1976

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
25 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 5 New Hampshire 2
25 NovemberAppleton Arena Ottawa 4 St. Lawrence 3
26 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 13 Ottawa 3
26 NovemberAppleton Arena New Hampshire 9 St. Lawrence 8
27 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 7 St. Lawrence 1
27 NovemberAppleton Arena Ottawa 5 New Hampshire 3

1977

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
24 NovemberAppleton Arena Concordia 6 Clarkson 5
24 NovemberAppleton Arena Rensselaer 4 St. Lawrence 2
25 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 5 Rensselaer 4
25 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 8 Concordia 0
26 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 6 St. Lawrence 3
26 NovemberAppleton Arena Rensselaer 7 Concordia 3

1978

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
23 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 8 Laval 5
24 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 11 Laval 4
25 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 4 St. Lawrence 1

1979

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
22 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 6 Western Ontario 5
22 NovemberAppleton Arena Yale 6 St. Lawrence 3
23 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 8 Yale 7
23 NovemberAppleton Arena Western Ontario 9 St. Lawrence 7
24 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 6 St. Lawrence 5

1980

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
27 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 6 Bowling Green 5
27 NovemberAppleton Arena Lowell 7 St. Lawrence 5
28 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 6 Lowell 2
28 NovemberAppleton Arena Bowling Green 6 St. Lawrence 6
29 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 4 St. Lawrence 2

1981

Date Location Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
26 NovemberAppleton Arena St. Lawrence 10 Brown 6
27 NovemberWalker Arena Clarkson 6 Brown 3
28 NovemberAppleton Arena Clarkson 5 St. Lawrence 4

Notes and References

  1. News: Clarkson Men's Hockey 2017-18 Media Guide. Clarkson Golden Knights . 2018-09-17.
  2. News: Saint Hockey Record Book 2015-16 . St. Lawrence Saints . November 4, 2019.