Temiskaming Thunder's Second Annual 3-on-3 Tournament

If last year proved this tournament could work, this year proved it's here to stay.

On July 25, the streets of Downtown New Liskeard once again belonged to basketball as the Temiskaming Thunder and the Downtown New Liskeard BIA hosted our Second Annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament—and wow... what a day it was.

We welcomed 23 teams and 92 players from across Northern Ontario and Western Quebec. From right here in Temiskaming Shores and our surrounding communities to North Bay, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Rouyn, and Ville-Marie, players made the trip to spend the day competing, reconnecting with old teammates, making new friends, and celebrating the game we all love.

That's exactly why we started this tournament.

Basketball has always had a way of bringing people together, and that's exactly what happened all day long.

From 9 a.m. until the final buzzer, Armstrong Street was filled with music, cheering, laughter, and some pretty incredible basketball. Kids played against kids they'd never met before. Former teammates reunited. Families spent the day courtside. People walking through the Downtown Block Party stopped to watch a few games... and many ended up staying for hours.

Watching our downtown come alive because of basketball is something that never gets old.

One of the coolest parts of the day was seeing how many people travelled to be here. What started as a local tournament has quickly become something players are willing to drive hours for. That means families staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, shopping downtown, and discovering everything Temiskaming has to offer.

It's something we're really proud of.

Of course, none of that happens without some amazing basketball.

With more teams than ever before, every division was incredibly competitive. We saw buzzer beaters, tough matchups, plenty of smiles, and a whole lot of players leaving everything they had on the court.

2026 Tournament Champions

👟 Adult Women's Division – The Rim Reapers

🏆 Ava Thib • Dani-Eve Rivard • Georgia Peters • Charley Pollock

👟 U15 Girls Division – The Bat Pack

🏆 Maria Montminy • Jade LeClerc-Welch • Carys Dubreuil • Abigail Gauthier

👟 Adult Men's Division – Downtown New Liskeard BIA Pool – Less Than Three

🏆 Joshua Birimcombe • Ryken Howey • Tyson Adair • Nick Kmyta

👟 Adult Men's Division – New Liskeard Lions Club Pool – Cookies

🏆 Antoine Froment • Jura Krizmancic • Cedric Provencher • Marius Aumond

👟 Boys Division – Zubyck SkillZ Pool – NC Warriors

🏆 Aiden Klomp • Noah Ginet • Hunter Raymond

Congratulations to all of our champions! And to every single team that registered, travelled, competed, and represented your communities—you helped make this tournament what it was.

As always, there are so many people who make this event possible behind the scenes.

A huge thank you to our incredible partners:

🏀 Downtown New Liskeard BIA for believing in this event and partnering with us once again.

🦁 New Liskeard Lions Club for sponsoring this year's tournament.

⛹️ Zubyck SkillZ for lending us the basketball nets that made the event possible.

💧 Shooketh by Taylor for keeping everyone hydrated throughout a hot day on the courts.

Behind every successful Thunder event is an incredible group of volunteer board members and coaches who give up evenings, weekends, and countless hours to create opportunities for others. Thank you for everything you do to grow the game and make our basketball community stronger each year.

A special thank you also goes to Alex Regele, who once again donated his time to officiate games throughout the day, and to our amazing volunteers Mélyanse Labonté, Ginette Lafrenière, Kelly Conlin, Hudson Hughes, and Nina Anderson. These events simply don't happen without people willing to give up their Saturday to help our basketball community grow.

Most importantly, thank you to every player, parent, grandparent, coach, volunteer, official, and fan who spent your Saturday with us. Whether you played one game or stayed until the final championship, you helped create an atmosphere that reminded us exactly why we do this.

Two years ago this tournament was just an idea.

Today it's one of our favourite days of the year.

Seeing more teams register, welcoming players from across the region, and watching hundreds of people fill our downtown because of basketball makes every late night of planning worth it.

We already have ideas for next year... and trust us, we're just getting started.

We'll see you courtside in 2027. 💙🏀

In Memory of George "Jim" Goldsack ❤️

This year's tournament happened to fall on the same day as the memorial service for George "Jim" Goldsack, and it felt especially fitting to take a moment to recognize someone who loved the game of basketball so deeply.

If there was a basketball game happening in Temiskaming over the last few decades whether it was high school basketball or, more recently, a Temiskaming Thunder game you could almost always count on Jim being there. He was one of our sport's biggest supporters, rarely missing an opportunity to cheer on local athletes and celebrate our basketball community.

While he couldn't be courtside with us this year, his passion for the game and the countless memories he helped create will always remain part of our basketball family.

Our thoughts are with the Goldsack family. This years tournament is dedicated to Jim's memory and to the love of basketball that he shared with so many in our community.

Tournament By The Numbers

🏀 23 Teams

👥 92 Players

🏆 5 Champions Crowned

📍 Players from Temiskaming Shores, North Bay, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Rouyn, Ville-Marie, and communities across Northern Ontario and Western Quebec

🎶 Music, basketball, and Downtown Block Party festivities all day long

🛍️ Hundreds of visitors supporting local businesses and vendors

🤝 Hosted by the Temiskaming Thunder in partnership with the Downtown New Liskeard BIA

❤️ Countless volunteers who made it all happen

🔥 Year Two... and we're already excited for Year Three.

The Temiskaming Thunder X Downtown New Liskeard BIA 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is an annual outdoor basketball event held in Downtown New Liskeard, Temiskaming Shores, Ontario. Hosted during the Downtown Block Party, the tournament welcomes youth and adult teams from across Northern Ontario and Western Quebec for a day of competitive basketball, community celebration, and local tourism. Whether you're from Temiskaming Shores, North Bay, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Rouyn, Ville-Marie, or beyond, the event continues to grow as one of Northern Ontario's premier summer basketball tournaments.