Grinder Hockey Tournaments
Grinder Hockey offers three types of sanctioned youth hockey tournaments designed for teams of all skill levels across North America.
Contact Information
Director: Keith Leduc
Phone: 586-995-2602
Email: keith@grinderhockey.com
Additional Contact: jamie@grinderhockey.com
Address: 47657 Tilch Rd, Macomb, MI 48044
Website: Grinder Hockey
USA Hockey Tournaments
Grinder Hockey hosts USA Hockey sanctioned tournaments for Tier I, Tier II, and House teams at all levels.
Age divisions include:
U18 Midget
U16 Midget Minor
U14 Bantam
U12 Peewee
U10 Squirt
One of our signature events is the Detroit Spring Grinder Tournament. This large-scale tournament attracts more than 250 teams every year and takes place annually in Detroit during the weekend before Mother’s Day.
AAU Hockey Tournaments
Grinder Hockey also operates large AAU hockey tournaments for 9U travel teams looking to compete in traditional full-ice hockey.
Popular events include:
Detroit AAU Early Bird Tournament
Detroit January AAU Winter Meltdown
These tournaments regularly attract teams from across North America. The Winter Meltdown alone often welcomes more than 75 mite teams each season.
One-Day Hockey Events
Our one-day “open roster” tournaments are designed to be fast, competitive, and fun.
These events usually take place in Detroit during holiday weekends and off-season periods. Teams enjoy:
4-on-4 full-ice hockey
3-on-3 cross-ice formats
Quick half-day schedules
Competitive gameplay
Frequently Asked Questions
Air Travel Considerations
If your team is flying to an event, please send your itinerary before booking flights whenever possible. This helps us work with your travel schedule when building tournament game times.
Where Do I Find the Tournament Schedule?
Tournament schedules are typically posted 7–10 days before the event begins.
Once schedules are live, a schedule link will appear inside the tournament event page. Simply click the tournament logo from the main event listing to view schedules and game information.
The History of Grinder Hockey
Grinder Hockey LLC began with the Detroit Spring Grinder Tournament in 2012.
After the success of the original event, Grinder Hockey expanded its tournament portfolio across multiple hockey markets, including:
Detroit
Buffalo
Cleveland
Chicago
Grand Rapids
Today, Grinder Hockey is known for:
Large-scale AAU hockey tournaments
Creative tournament branding and artwork
Custom hockey merchandise and pucks
Family-friendly customer service
Competitive tournament experiences
Why the Name “Grinder Hockey”?
In hockey, a “grinder” is known as the hardworking, blue-collar teammate who competes every shift and helps championship teams succeed.
The name also reflects Detroit’s strong blue-collar identity and hockey culture. Many hockey fans also remember the famous “Grind Line” era of the Detroit Red Wings.
That combination of work ethic, hockey culture, and competitive spirit inspired the name:
