The Stephen Russell Memorial Tournament is an annual event held in partnership with Stephen's family, Icepack Hockey and the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League. In recent years, the tournament has shifted from being a season kick-off into a showcase of talent and celebration of hockey for teams across the league and the East Coast.
Stephen russell
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Stephen Russell was born in Newfoundland, Canada. He stepped on the ice and in the net for the first time at the age of twelve. Stephen was a proud member of the NC State Hockey Club from 2006-2009. He was passionate and intense about hockey, and as one teammate put it, “he would make the same effort to save the 200th shot in practice as he would in an OT shot in a crucial game.”
On July 4, 2009, the Wolfpack lost Stephen. At the time of his death, Stephen was a rising senior at NC State University where he was studying Political Science. As a goaltender for NC State’s Hockey team, Stephen loved the spirit of competition, the camaraderie of the team and the game of hockey. |
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Stephen's jersey was retired in November 2009: one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon an athlete. His teammates and coaches felt he represented the best of the sport, both on and off the ice. We honor Stephen, and through our remembrance, we celebrate his impact and the game of hockey he loved so much. His legacy will live on in this arena and in this tournament.
For more about Stephen's life and legacy through the eyes of his family and teammates, please consider watching "Stephen's Ripple." |
the tournament
The Stephen Russell Memorial Tournament (formerly called the Fall Showcase before being renamed in 2009) utilizes a Modified Buffalo scoring system as teams go head-to-head throughout the weekend. Between 2010 and 2017, the tournament was held in Raleigh, and featured a skills competition. In 2019, the tournament was held in Charlotte, NC. Due to the pandemic, a tournament was not held in 2020. From 2021 to 2023, the tournament took on new life as a single game honoring Stephen's memory. In 2024, the full tournament format returned to Raleigh and was held at Wake Competition Center in Morrisville, NC and the Orange County Sports Complex in Hillsborough, NC.
Year |
Tournament Winner |
2001 |
NC State University |
2002 |
Duke University |
2003 |
NC State University |
2004 |
NC State University |
2005 |
NC State University |
2006 |
NC State University |
2007 |
Virginia Tech |
2008 |
Duke University |
2009 |
University of Maryland Baltimore County |
2010 |
East Carolina University |
2014 |
University of North Carolina Tournament MVP: John Jackson |
2015 |
NC State University Tournament MVP: Joey Hall |
2016 |
James Madison University Tournament MVP: Keegan Kelly |
2017 |
James Madison University Tournament MVP: Ryan Scott |
2018 |
University of Virginia Tournament MVP: David Voight |
2019 |
NC State University Tournament MVP: Riley Johnson |
2024 |
University of New Hampshire |