Now I haven't had the chance to get down to Detroit this week for the Winter Festival games being played at Comerica Field. Our reporters, Jeff Dullack, Ben Szilagy and Dan Tallant have really stepped it up and were down covering games Monday afternoon (Rochester 5, Stoney Creek 4), Wednesday night (Lake Orion 7, Clarkston 2) and Thursday afternoon (Cranbrook 4, Brother Rice 3).
Our sister MIPrepZone site (in St. Clair) covered the Utica Eisenhower-Country Day game for us as well. So all the game stories will be up on MIPrepZone by Thursday night - some already are.

Upcoming events and happenings

The holiday break is upon us, but that doesn't mean hockey teams take a break. At least not all of them. Some will be busy playing regular-season and and in holiday tournaments over the next two weeks. Here are some of the highlights:

• Stoney Creek will host Lake Orion Saturday night (6 p.m.) at the Onyx in a game that will double as a canned food drive. Bring a canned food item to the game, get in free. What a great way to make a difference and watch what should be a great hockey game.
• Rochester United and Stoney Creek have invited Livonia Churchill and Utica Eisenhower up for their annual showcase later this month. On Friday, Dec. 27, Rochester will face Ike and Stoney will take on Churchill. Then, on Saturday, they'll flip, with Stoney facing Ike and the United squad taking on Churchill. 
• After the new year, Berkley will host its own invitational, welcoming in Royal Oak, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak Shrine, Marysville and Port Huron. Pool play games will be held at the Berkley Ice Arena on Thursday (Jan. 2), Friday (Jan. 3) and Saturday (Jan. 4), with the championship, consolation and 5th-6th place game being played on Monday (Jan. 6). Marysville, Shrine and Bloomfield Hills are in Pool A, while the hosts, Royal Oak and Port Huron are in Pool B.

Also, if you didn't catch my hockey preview - which a short version ran in print Sunday and online Tuesday night - you can read all of it HERE. Thanks for everyone's help this year. 
We are also covering more hockey than we have ever before. Everyone knows Mike Wallwork and his relentless mission to see every team in Oakland County each season. He's already covered a ton of games and plans on seeing many, many more. Jeff Dullack, Ben Szilagy and Dan Tallant have also stepped up their games. Add myself into the mix and you're going to see a ton of coverage this season. Games we have covered so far this season are below.

DECEMBER
Lake Orion 7, Clarkston 2
Troy Athens 7, West Bloomfield 2
Troy 5, Birmingham Unified 3
Rochester 5, Stoney Creek 4 (SO)
Team Alliance 5, Bishop Foley 3
Lake Orion 3, Berkley Unified 2
Lakeland 8, West Bloomfield 0
Walled Lake Northern 8, Pinckney 2
Troy Athens 2, Troy 1
Ann Arbor Skyline 3, Bishop Foley 0
Cranbrook 5, Catholic Central 2
Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 3, Royal Oak Shrine 2
Troy Athens 4, Bloomfield Hills 1
Royal Oak 4, Birmingham Unified 2
Troy 5, Avondale 2
Clarkston 9, Waterford United 1
Wayland Unity 4, Bishop Foley 2
Farmington 2, Stoney Creek 1
Avondale 9, Bishop Foley 1
Rochester United 5, Clarkston 0
Lake Orion 6, Grand Blanc 4
Avondale 7, West Bloomfield 2
Royal Oak 5, Troy Athens 5

NOVEMBER
Bishop Foley 5, Airport-Flat Rock 4
Brighton 5, Clarkston 2
Troy 8, Port Huron 1
Catholic Central 4, Brother Rice 1
Avondale 8, KBH 1
Warren-Mott 8, Bishop Foley 4
Bishop Foley 3, Capital Area Patriots 2
Stoney Creek 3, Ann Arbor Pioneer 2
Farmington 2, Novi 1
Lake Orion 8, Walled Lake Western 0
Rochester United 3, Novi 2
Catholic Central 4, Brighton 3
Warren-Mott 5, Royal Oak 4
Clarkston 10, Walled Lake Western 2
Royal Oak 4, Sterling Heights Stevenson 0
Livonia Stevenson 5, Brother Rice 3