Northwest Notes Sept. 16, 2023

Spokane Braves to host exhibition game

at Frontier Ice Arena tonight

The Spokane Braves Junior Hockey team will conclude the exhibition season tonight with a game against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks at Frontier Ice Arena starting at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door, or by visiting either www.spokanebraves.com or www.frontiericearena.org.

2023 Maui Invitational relocates to Honolulu due to wildfires on Maui

MAUI, Hawai'i — The Gonzaga Bulldogs are still going to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational this year — just to a different island.

This year’s Maui Invitational will shift to the island of O'ahu while its traditional home court — the Lahaina Civic Center — continues to serve as a critical hub for Maui wildfire recovery efforts.

The 2023 tournament will take place at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa from Nov. 20 to 22.

All eight teams from the original field are participating, including five that are in the top 10 of ESPN’s early preseason poll: Kansas (No. 1), Purdue (3), Gonzaga (7), Tennessee (8) and Marquette (10).

“While we have to move this year’s Tournament off of Maui, we are determined to celebrate and honor the culture and traditions that make this event so special,” said Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperSports LIVE, the operator of the Maui Invitational. “Throughout this process, we’ve seen the spirit of ohana in action. Thank you to Governor Josh Green, Hawai'i Tourism Authority, and Mayor Richard Bissen as well as the staff at Chaminade University of Honolulu and University of Hawai'i at Mānoa for working tirelessly with us to keep this year’s tournament in Hawai'i.”

All previously purchased tickets will be honored and located in similar seats in the Stan Sheriff Center, which seats 10,300. The Lahaina Civic Center seats 2,400.

Additional tickets will go on sale in early October at mauiinvitational.com. Fans who have previously purchased tournament travel packages will be offered comparable travel packages with beach hotels in Honolulu. More details about the on-site experience, including event parking, will be provided in the coming weeks.

The tournament returns to the city where it all began. In 1982, Chaminade, then an NAIA school, beat No. 1 Virginia in Honolulu — a game that remains arguably the biggest upset in college basketball history.

The Maui Invitational has long been considered the preeminent early season college basketball tournament. Combined, the eight teams in this year’s field — Tennessee, Syracuse, Purdue, Gonzaga, Kansas, Chaminade, UCLA and Marquette – boast 263 NCAA Tournament appearances; 17 NCAA Tournament Championship Titles; and three AP Coach of the Year award winners — Mark Few (2017); Bill Self (2009, 2016); and Shaka Smart (2023).

The Maui Invitational launched the Hoops for Ohana online auction last week in partnership with Hawai'i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund. All the proceeds will go directly to wildfire relief and recovery efforts. Fans can bid on unique items donated by past Maui Invitational basketball programs and Tournament partners. To learn more, visit mauiinvitational.com/hoopsforohana.

Information: mauiinvitational.com