U.S. Stiga Shootout Takes 2024 Off 12-13-2023
Tournament organizer Kevin Rafferty has announced that the U.S. Stiga Shootout, originally scheduled for Feb. 3, 2024 in the Anaheim, California area, will not be held. The tournament is on hiatus for a year.
Shabi wins in in Toronto 11-28-2023
Paul Shabi of Fraser, MI (USA) defeated Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT (CAN) to win the Table Hockey Kitchener tournament on Saturday, Nov. 18. Bruce Turner (CAN), the tournament organizer, was third. The event had 24 players.
Toronto tournament date set: Nov. 18 9-26-2023
Tournament organizer Bruce Turner has announced that this year's Table Hockey Kitchener tournament will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18. The event will be held closer to downtown Toronto this year. The location is Henderson Brewing Co., 128 Sterling Road in Toronto. More details will be posted on the tournament website, and the
Table Hockey Kitchener Facebook group. We just wanted to get you the information as soon as it was available so that you can save the date.
Sign up now for Edmonton World Tour event Sept. 9 8-20-2023
The 19th annual Edmonton Centennial Challenge Cup table hockey tournament will take place on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at Rosario's pub in downtown Edmonton (11715C 108 Ave). There will be trophies for the top 3 finishers in each group and there will be prizes for everyone at the end of the day. In past years, these prizes have included autographed sticks from the Oilers, NHL T-shirts, NHL DVDs and various other NHL memorabilia. The deadline for registrations is Wednesday, September 6th. Entry fees are $40 CDN ($35 for CTHA and USTHA members, $25 for ETHL members) and $30 for first time players.
Shabi comes out on top in Chicago 7-24-2023
The Stiga Chicago Open (formerly known as the Stiga U.S. Open) was won by Paul Shabi of Fraser, MI. He defeated former champ Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic in the finals. Dr. Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA was third. More information on the tournament is available at the event website.
Come play table hockey in Chicago in July 5-28-2023
The Stiga Chicago Open (formerly known as the Stiga U.S. Open) will take place on Saturday, July 22, 2023 in suburban Chicago. All skill levels welcome. If there's enough interest, we'll hold a tournament on Coleco-style games on Friday, July 21. This is the 22nd annual edition of this event. Medals for all groups and free raffle of table hockey and NHL merchandise with paid entry. More information on the tournament is available at the event website.
Registration for 2023 ITHF World Championships tournament in Norway is open 3-28-2023
U.S. players are invited to play in the 2023 ITHF World Championships in Norway. If you are a U.S. player interested in taking part, please email USTHA President Kevin Rafferty at kevin.n.rafferty@gmail.com and he will send in one Team USA registration form as required by the organizers. More information on the tournament is available at the event website.
Levdansky wins in Detroit 3-25-2023
Yevgen Levdansky of Ukraine won the Detroit Stiga Championships tournament, defeating Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic in the finals. Levdansky, who recently completed his doctoral degree, was once ranked as high as 8th in the world. Nezhyba had won five Detroit tournaments in a row. Taking third was Paul Shabi of Fraser, MI. He defeated teenage player Ruslan Kobchuk of Ukraine. Twenty-seven players took part.
Sign up now to play in the Detroit Stiga Championships 2-22-2023
Next up on the World Tour and the North American Table Hockey Tour is the Detroit Stiga Championships event on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Plymouth, MI. There will be a separate tournament on Friday night, March 24, on old-school, Coleco-style games. See all the details and the latest player list posted on the event website.
Roman wins U.S. Stiga Shootout 2-4-2023
Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic (and southern California) won the United States Stiga Shootout in Anaheim, defeating Kevin Rafferty (tournament organizer) in the finals. Ryan Woodall of Arizona was third.
Sign-up now to play in Southern California: U.S. Stiga Shootout 12-1-2022
Next up on the World Tour and the North American Table Hockey Tour is the United States Stiga Shootout in Anaheim on February 4, 2023. This annual tournament features your chance to win the Stanley Cup of Table Hockey! The first champion’s name was engraved on the Cup in 2006. Raffle prizes for all players. Kevin Rafferty is the tournament organizer. See all the details and the latest player list posted on the event website.
Kunzler strong in Kitchener 11-20-2022
Bernie Kunzler won the inaugural Table Hockey Kitchener event in Waterloo, Ontario Canada. He defeated tournament organizer Bruce Turner 4-2 in the finals. Bernie dropped the first two games but came back to win the next four, allowing only one goal. Kent Richter of Edmonton took third over Eric Krol of Chicago.
Save the date for new tournament in Kitchener in November 9-12-2022
Top table hockey players Bruce Turner and Bernie Kunzler are putting on a Stiga table hockey tournament in Kitchener, Ontario on Saturday, Nov. 19. Details to come but you can already sign up HERE. This event succeeds the Stiga Canada Cup tournament that was so ably put on by Eugene Kurz for years.
Pankiw pulls off the upset in Edmonton 9-11-2022
Dwayne Pankiw won the Centennial Challenge Cup tournament at the West Edmonton Mall on Saturday, Sept. 10. He defeated Kent Richter, also of Edmonton, in the finals 4-2. Tournament organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn was third. The event had the Stiga North American Championships designation this year. More details from Reggie HERE.
Edmonton tournament set for Sept. 10 8-26-2022
The Centennial Challenge Cup tournament will be played at the West Edmonton Mall on Saturday, Sept. 10. Get all the details and sign up to play at the event website HERE.
Roman wins Stiga tournament in Chicago 7-23-2022
Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic won the Chicago Stiga Open tournament on Saturday, July 23. He defeated Paul Shabi of Detroit 4-1 in the finals. Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA defeated tournament organizer Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL for third place.
Stiga tournament in Chicago set for July 23 6-11-2022
The Chicago Stiga Open tournament is all set for Saturday, July 23. We've been putting a version of this tournament on since 2002, and it's always a ton of fun. We'll have a free raffle of Stiga table hockey items (with paid entry). If there's interest, we'll play Coleco-style games on Friday night. Get all the details and sign up to play at the event website HERE.
Big table hockey festival coming to Washington, D.C. 4-15-2022
Organizer Greg Scoma is putting on a table hockey and bubble hockey festival and tournament on April 30 and May 1 in the nation's capital in conjunction with the Washington Capitals. It takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn. On April 29, there's a bubble hockey exhibition and you can watch the Rangers and Capitals. On April 30, there's tournaments on Stiga, Ice Chexx and SOHO (Coleco-style) table hockey games. And on May 1, it's the playoffs for those tournaments. Exciting stuff. Get all the details and sign up to play at the event website HERE.
Roman repeats in Detroit 3-26-2022
Roman Nezhyba (Czech Republic) won the Detroit Stiga Championship tournament in Plymouth, MI. He defeated Kevin Rafferty (USA) 4-0 in the final series. Taking third was Paul Shabi (USA) of Fraser, MI. The first-ever Dave Wright Memorial Sportsmanship Award went to Kevin Rafferty. The award is aimed at preserving the memory of Hookstown, PA table hockey player Dave Wright, who passed away in February.
Roman wins in Southern California 2-6-2022
Roman Nezhyba (Czech Republic) won the Stiga North American Championships tournament in Southern California. He defeated Mykola "Nikolai" Verbytskyy (Ukraine) 4-0 in the Final. Each game was decided by just one goal (1-0, 3-2, 4-3 OT, 2-1).
More info HERE.
Come play in Southern California 12-13-2021
The biggest table hockey tournament ever to come to Southern California will be played on Saturday, February 5, 2022. Give yourself the gift of playing in this event. This is the only Level 1 tournament of the season in North America and the first time this ITHF World Tour event (Stiga North American Championships) has ever come to Southern California! Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals awarded to the top-3 players in each of several skill-based divisions. All participants automatically entered into a raffle for cool prizes; everyone’s a winner! Grand Prize: brand new Stiga 21 table hockey game! More info on entering HERE.
Reggie prevails in Edmonton 9-13-2021
Reggie Stefaniszyn won the Edmonton Centennial Challenge Cup event on Saturday at West Edmonton Mall. He defeated Kent Richter of Edmonton 4-2 in the finals. Fifteen players competed in the 17th edition of the event. Standings HERE.
Roman reigns in Chicago 7-23-2021
Roman Nezhyba emerged victorious at the Chicago Stiga Open, defeating Ryan Woodall in the finals. Paul Shabi took 3rd place. Results HERE and photos HERE.
Table hockey returns with tournament in July in Chicago 4-29-2021
The Chicago Stiga Open tournament will take place on Saturday, July 24 in suburban Chicago. Organizers also hope to hold a Coleco tournament on Carleco/SOHO-style games on Friday, July 23. You can sign up now. More details at the TOURNAMENT WEB PAGE.
Stolyarov wins U.S. Stiga Shootout in SoCal 1-31-2021
There’s a new name to engrave on the Stanley Cup of Table Hockey. Arseniy Stolyarov (Russia), ranked #4 in the world -- and the sport of table hockey -- beat COVID at the United States Stiga Shootout in Laguna Hills, California, on January 30, 2021. Paul Shabi (USA) was the runner-up. Roman Nezhyba (Czech Republic) took third place with a victory in the bronze medal match against Kevin Rafferty (USA).
Marshall wins Detroit Stiga league 12-14-2020
Ryan Marshall won the CAGA league in suburban Detroit's fall session. He defeated Mike Ciaramitaro in five low-scoring games. League organizer Kevin Williams posted video of the awards ceremony.
World-Ranked #4 Table Hockey Player to Compete in SoCal this January 11-16-2020
Arseniy Stolyarov from Moscow, Russia, has signed-on to play at the United States Stiga Shootout Table Hockey Tournament on January 30, 2021 in Southern California. Stolyarov will be making his second trip in a row to the southland to compete in his quest to win the Stanley Cup of Table Hockey.
Take a look at the players who intend to compete on the Player List below. Male and female players of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to play, from experts like Stolyarev to beginners. Every expert was once a beginner. Table Hockey is for Everyone. Medals are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each of several divisions, so all players have motivation to play to the best of their ability from start to finish.
The United States Stiga Shootout is one of only five World Tour Table Hockey Tournaments played annually in North America. The 2020 United States Stiga Shootout was played in January, prior to COVID-19. Stolyarov finished 4th in Anaheim, behind a talented trio of three world-class players from Latvia: Edgars Caics, Atis Silis, and Valts Smagars. Stolyarev is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Economics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
During 2020, three of the World Tour events in North America have been cancelled due to COVID: Detroit, Edmonton, and Toronto. The Stiga Chicago Open was played this summer with COVID safety guidelines in place. Stolyarov won that tournament, defeating a fellow Russian, Mikhail Mikhin in the Final.
The United States Stiga Shootout Table Hockey Tournament will be played on Saturday, January 30, 2021 in Southern California with COVID safety guidelines in place. To see the player list and sign up, please CLICK HERE.
Edmonton tournament won't be held this year 8-18-2020
The Centennial Challenge Cup in Edmonton, AB CAN will not be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stiga Canada Cup won't be held this year 8-8-2020
The Stiga Canada Cup, scheduled for November in Kitchener, ONT, won't be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers Bruce Turner and Bernie Kunzler are hopeful the even will come back in 2021.
Stolyarov wins Stiga Chicago Open 7-25-2020
Arseniy Stolyarov (RUS) defeated Mikhail Mikhin (RUS) 4-2 in the finals of the Chicago Stiga Open. Players wore masks and used hand sanitizer in the first tournament to be held in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Taking third was Roman Nezhyba (CZE) over Joe Kunst (USA). Photos are up on the tournament Facebook page and results will be posted there soon.
ITHF votes on some age category, rule changes 4-2-2020
The International Table Hockey Federation recently announced the results of voting on a series of questions. Some involved making ages official for certain categories and events, mostly for tournaments in Europe. There also was a rule change vote you might want to take a look at. All of it can be found HERE.
Stiga Chicago Open to be held July 25, 2020 3-29-2020
Jim Rzonca, the founder of the Stiga U.S. Open tournament in the Chicago area, has retired from table hockey. Thank you, Jim, for your years of playing and organizing top-notch events. The Stiga Chicago Open will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2020 in Homer Glen, IL. If there is enough interest, we can do a Coleco tournament on July 24. The web page is HERE.
ITHF cancels season due to COVID-19 3-28-2020
From ITHF President Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark: The organizers of Kursk Cup 2020 and the World Club Championships 2020 have decided to cancel these tournaments due to the present situation with COVID-19. The Executive Committee of ITHF welcomes this decision. In other words, 7 tournaments belonging to the ITHF WTHT 2019 2020, including 4 ITHF WTHT Super Series, have been cancelled. Therefore, the Executive Committee of ITHF has decided to cancel the entire season. No overall winner will be awarded. As written before, the European Championships 2020 in Slovenia has also been cancelled. Instead, Slovenia has been awarded with the European Championships 2022 - without a voting. We feel sorry for all the players and organizers but with the situation in mind, this was the only right thing to do. We hope and wish for a season 2020 2021 without Covid-19 or other critical incidents. Questions? These will be answered by mailing them to president@ithf.info and for a fast contact a message in Messenger to Bjarne Axelsen can be used. Please inform the players of your nation, that they cannot expect to be answered by printing questions in random facebook pages or group. ITHF will react on official inquiries from national federations or contacts.
Detroit, Hawaii tournaments are off due to coronavirus concerns 3-20-2020
The tournament organizers of the Detroit Stiga Championships on March 21 and the Aloha Stiga Hawaii event in April will not take place due to restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic.
Date set for Hawaii tournament 3-1-2020
The second Aloha Stiga Hawaii tournament will be held on Saturday, April 18. More details HERE.
Register now for the Detroit Stiga Championship 1-29-2020
The Detroit Stiga Championship (formerly known as the Stiga North American Championships) will be held in suburban Detroit on March 20-21, 2020. On Friday night, there's a Coleco event. And on Saturday, it's a Stiga tournament. More details HERE.
Caics wins Stiga Shootout as Latvians sweep 1-28-2020
Edgars Caics of Latvia defeated countryman Atis Silis 4-1 in the Best of 7 finals to capture the 2020 Stiga Shootout tournament in southern California. Valts Smagars of Latvia took third place over Arseniy Stolyarov of Russia. A deep field of 43 players competed.The order of finish can be found HERE.
Year starts strong with Southern California tournament 1-1-2020
Now that the winter holidays are over, give yourself the gift of a travel table hockey tournament: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020: the United States Stiga Shootout in Anaheim.
World: Four of the top-14 players in the world will be competing in Anaheim: #2, Edgars Caics, Latvia; #4, Arseniy Stolyarov, Russia; #10, Atis Silis, Latvia; and #14, Valts Smagars, Latvia.
Canada:Four of the top-5 Canadian Table Hockey Players will travel to Anaheim. #1, Kent Richter, Edmonton, Alberta; #2 and #3, Bernie Kunzler and Bruce Turner, Kitchener, Ontario; and #5, Pat Genge, Edmonton. Canada’s #6, David Laurie, is seriously considering making the trip from Edmonton. Talented Philippe Majerech, will be here from Calgary. Will Pierre Chastenais make the trip from Montreal?
USA:The #2 player in the Western Hemisphere, Roman Nezhyba, citizen of the Czech Republic, currently resides in Laguna Hills, California. The USA’s #1 and #2-ranked players will be in Anaheim: Paul Shabi, Fraser, Michigan; and Kevin Rafferty, the tournament organizer, from Laguna Hills. Other travel players include: John Labianca, Las Vegas, NV; and Joe Kunst, Grand Rapids, MI. Plus many local players from OC, LA, and SD.
The time is now to add your name to the ever-growing player list at tablehockeyrocks.com Decarie wins in Buffalo 11-28-2019
Michel Decarie of Montreal, QUE defeated Eugene Kurz of Toronto, ONT 3-2 in the finals to win the Stiga portion of the big Buffalo table hockey festival.
Huge table hockey names coming out to play in California 10-21-2019
Dr. Kevin Rafferty with big breaking news: Four of the top-20 players in the world are coming to play in the UNITED STATES STIGA SHOOTOUT Table Hockey Tournament in Anaheim on Jan. 25, 2020. All three players are from Riga, Latvia. Currently ranked #2 in the world, Edgars Caics, will be making the trip along with his fellow Latvians, Atis Silis, #9, and Valts Smagars, #17, according to the International Table Hockey Federation (ITHF). Caics won the prestigious 2017 ITHF World Table Hockey Championship Tournament in Liberec, Czech Republic, while Silis won the 2013 ITHF World Table Hockey Championship in Stavanger, Norway.
Update: Ranked #4 in the world, Arseniy Stolyarov, from Russia has signed-on to play in Anaheim. Stolyarov is currently attending the University of Wisconsin pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics.
Perhaps the presence of these three table hockey superstars will entice even more of the top players in North America to come out to Anaheim this January to test their skills against the very best.
Two-time defending UNITED STATES STIGA SHOOTOUT Champion, Jan Pelkonen, from Finland, is looking into making the trip along with a fellow Finnish table hockey buddy.
Who will win the Stanley Cup of Table Hockey this January? Come out and be part of the biggest tournament of the year! Add your name to the Player List. Email: kevin.n.rafferty@gmail.com and see all the details at: tablehockeyrocks.com.
Rafferty prevails in Toronto 11-10-2019
Dr. Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA won the 2019 Stiga Canada Cup in Toronto 4-3 over Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT. Rafferty was down 3-1 but came back to win the final three games of the series. Taking third was defending champ Mikhail Mikhin of Russia via NYC. Results can be found HERE.
Buffalo table hockey festival event added to North American Tour 10-15-2019
There's a table hockey festival, including tournaments on four different boards, set for Buffalo, NY on Nov. 22-24. You can play Stiga, SOHO Coleco s-slot, SOHO Coleco straight slot and Chexx Bubble hockey. Round robin play in all four events is scheduled at staggered times on Saturday, with the playoffs set for Sunday. You could actually play all four events if you wanted to. The USTHA board is proud to announce that the Stiga tournament will be sanctioned and the event is part of the 2019-20 North American Tour. You can get more details on the whole weekend at the event website HERE.
Time for Toronto tournament 9-30-2019
It's fall and that means the Stiga Canada Cup in Toronto is approaching. Organizer Eugene Kurz is hard at work putting together another edition of his fine tournament. The date is Saturday, Nov. 9. The website is HERE. First-time winner in Edmonton 9-20-2019
The 16th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup was won by Pat Genge, who defeated Mark Laurie in the finals. USTHA President Kevin Rafferty reports that the top three seeds were all upset in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Edmonton next up on the Stiga North American Tour 8-24-2019
The 16th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the West Edmonton Mall. Tournament organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn is putting on the event once again this year. There will be trophies for the top 3 finishers in each group and there will be prizes for everyone at the end of the day. In past years, these prizes have included autographed sticks from the Oilers, NHL T-shirts, NHL DVDs and various other NHL memorabilia. The deadline for registrations is Wednesday, Sept. 11. Entry fees are $40 CDN ($35 for CTHA and USTHA members) and $30 for first time players.
Celebrating the Stiga North American Tour's History 8-4-2019
The Stiga North American Tour has a rich history that should be celebrated and remembered. To that end, we've spent some time digging up the old tournament logos and looking up the years the events were held and listed them in left-hand column on the home page. The list includes tournaments in 14 different cities (in addition to the seven cities where events are currently held). Some tournaments were only held for a year (Seattle and Calgary are examples) and some were held for nearly two decades (Montreal). The tour is only as strong as the local organizers who put events together, and we extend our thanks to anyone who has ever stepped up and put on an event. Thank you for supporting table hockey.
Skorobogatov wins 2019 Stiga U.S. Open 7-31-2019
Vitaly Skorobogatov of St. Petersburg, Russia won this year's Stiga U.S. Open, which doubled as the Stiga North American Championships (extra ranking points) for the 2019-20 ITHF tour year. He defeated Mikhail Mikhin of Russia by way of NYC in the finals. Taking third was Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic by way of Laguna Hills, CA. The B Group winner was Dean Moore of Hookstown, PA.
U.S. player of the year announcement 7-10-2019
Congrats to Dr. Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA for being the #1-ranked U.S. player on the 2018-19 North American Tour, per the ITHF World Ranking. Paul Shabi of the Detroit area was 2nd, and Eric Krol of the Chicago area was third. A look at the current U.S. rankings HERE.
A top 100 player from Russia signs up for the Stiga U.S. Open tournament 6-24-2019
Vitaly Skorobogatov, who is ranked 99th in the world, has signed on to play in the Stiga U.S. Open tournament in suburban Chicago on Saturday, July 27. You can get your name added to the player's list HERE.
Teen Woodall wins in Madison 6-23-2019
Ryan Woodall, an 18-year-old player from Wilmington, IL won the 2019 Great Lakes Invitational tournament in Madison, WI. He defeated Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL 4-1 in the finals. Taking third was tournament organizer Darwin Sampson. Winning the B Group was Dustin Boyle of Madison.
Registration now open for the Stiga U.S. Open tournament 6-3-2019
Jim Rzonca once again is putting on the long-running Stiga U.S. Open tournament in suburban Chicago this year. The event carries the special "Stiga North American Championships" designation this year. You can get your name added to the player's list HERE.
U.S. Open tournament gets "Stiga North American Championships" designation on the 2019-20 ITHF World Tour 6-2-2019
The Stiga U.S. Open in Lemont will get the "Stiga North American Championships" designation on the upcoming 2019-20 International Table Hockey Federation World Tour. What does this mean? It means the tournament will get additional ranking system points. For years, the Detroit tournament was awarded this designation. A couple years ago, the USTHA and CTHA agreed that this designation should rotate between the two countries. Last year, the Edmonton tournament had the special "SNAC" designation. This year, it's the U.S. Open in suburban Chicago. Next year, it will be a Canadian tournament chosen by the CTHA. The U.S. Open will take place on Saturday, July 27.
Montreal Stiga tournament will not take place 5-27-2019
Pierre Chastenais has announced that he will not be holding his long-running Montreal event on Saturday, June 1. He cited a lack of player registrations as one of his reasons. Congrats to Pierre on a very long, successful run playing and hosting table hockey tournaments.
Nezhyba wins first-ever Hawaii tournament 4-28-2019
Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic via southern California won the inaugural Aloha Stiga Hawaii tournament. Second was Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA and third was Joe Kunst of Grand Rapids, MI. "A great day of table hockey in paradise," reports Rafferty.
Registration open for Montreal Stiga tournament 4-24-2019
Pierre Chastenais will put on the latest edition of his long-running Montreal event on Saturday, June 1. More information in both English and French HERE.
Madison tournament date announced 4-10-2019
Darwin Sampson will be putting on another edition of the Great Lakes Invitational (you're all invited) tournament in Madison, WI on Saturday, June 22. More information HERE.
Game 7 Detroit video now posted 4-9-2019
The great Game 7 overtime battle between Roman Nezhyba and Paul Shabi is now available for viewing online. And tournament stats from Coleco and Stiga are now posted HERE.
First-ever table hockey tournament in Hawaii on April 27 3-28-2019
You can sign up now for the Aloha Stiga Hawaii table hockey tournament on April 27. Organizers Kevin Rafferty and Maui resident Mark Claydon are excited to host the first-ever table hockey tournament in Hawaii. See the web page for a player list and more details HERE.
Roman reigns in Detroit again 3-23-2019
Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic (via Laguna Hills, CA) won the Detroit Stiga Championships yet again. This time, he defeated Paul Shabi of Fraser, MI 4-3 in an exciting Game 7 OT. Taking third was Nejc Skrlep of Slovenia.
Detroit tournaments next on North American Tour 1-30-2019
Next up on the Stiga North American Tour is the Detroit Stiga Championships on March 22-23 in Livonia, MI. On Friday night, there's a Coleco tournament. On Saturday, it's the Stiga main event. See the web page for more details HERE.
First-ever Hawaii tournament registration is open 1-29-2019
Want to play in the first table hockey tournament in Hawaii? The Aloha Stiga Hawaii Table Hockey Tournament will be played on Saturday, April 27, just steps from the beach in Kihei on the island of Maui. See all the details and sign-up HERE.
Pelkonen defends Stiga Shootout title 1-27-2019
Back-to-back Stanley Cup of Table Hockey wins for Finland’s Jan Pelkonen! It was a rematch in the Final of the United States Stiga Shootout as defending 2018 champion Pelkonen faced Roman Nezhyba from the Czech Republic. Pelkonen prevailed four games to one. Nezhyba won the first game, 4-2. Pelkonen responded with our straight wins, 6-2, 4-2, 6-4, and 4-2 to successfully defend his title in 2019.
For the third year in a row, tournament organizer, Kevin Rafferty, from the USA, took third place. Joe Kunst, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, finished fourth.
Forty-four players competed in the 12th edition of the United States Stiga Shootout. Here’s the final order of finish at this World Tour and North American Tour table hockey event.
Top Junior Player (under age 18): Ryan Le
Top Female Player: Rachel Dorgan
Rookie of the Year: Arttu Koivisto
Female Rookie of the Year: Alexa Le
Junior Rookie of the Year (under age 18): Lucas Cabra
Veteran Rookie of the Year (over age 40): Mark Claydon
Most Sportsmanlike Player Award: Kamran Maghzi
Perseverance Award: Aaidan Echanique
USTHA President’s Award: Joe Kunst
SCSTHL Founder’s Award: Robert Vasquez
Stiga Shootout registration hits 50 1-8-2019
The U.S. Stiga Shootout tournament will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Anaheim, CA. Organizer Kevin Rafferty reports that signups have hit 50. You can get all the details, including the player list, HERE.
ITHF newsletter now posted 12-8-2018
The International Table Hockey Federation Executive Committee has released its latest newsletter. You can read it HERE.
New YouTube page for table hockey videos 12-8-2018
A whole lotta table hockey video has been added to a new YouTube channel. USTHA board member Eric Krol has moved his collection of several years of table hockey videos that were either recorded or livestreamed. The page is a work in progress, but you can check it out HERE.
Northwest Chicago Table Hockey League holds 2018 playoffs 12-1-2018
The Northwest Chicago THL held its 2018 playoffs on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the Salt Creek Sports Center in Palatine, IL. League organizer Don Klimek held a single round robin, then split into two groups for playoffs. Taking the A Pool was Eric Krol over Ryan Woodall 4-2 in a Best of 7 finals. Taking the B pool was Mike Klimek over John Pacion.
USTHA, CTHA vote to use ITHF World Rankings 11-30-2018
The USTHA and CTHA boards each have voted to stop using the long-running North American Tour rankings. Instead, the ITHF World Rankings will be used to seed tournaments and determine the top 10 players for each nation. The ITHF rankings page for U.S. players can be found: HERE.
The next tournament is in Anaheim: United States Stiga Shootout 11-21-2018
Registration is underway. Jan Pelkonen will be returning from Finland to defend the Stanley Cup of Table Hockey at the 12th United States Stiga Shootout in Southern California. Thirty-four (34) table hockey players, representing five nations (Finland, Czech Republic, Australia, Canada, USA) have already signed-up to compete. Tournament date: Saturday, January 26, 2019. Sign-up today! See the player list and all the details: HERE.
Russian Mikhail Mikhin wins Stiga Canada Cup 11-10-2018
Mikhail Mikhin (RUS) won the Stiga Canada Cup 2018 in Toronto by defeating Paul Shabi (USA) in the final. Kevin Rafferty (USA) took 3rd place in the bronze match against Bruce Turner (CAN). As usual, tournament organizer Eugene Kurz put on a great event! Kudos to Rick Grisdale, Stiga Canada, for supporting the event once again with sponsorship prize money and for making games and parts available to the players to purchase.
New location for the Stiga Canada Cup in Toronto 9-25-2018
Eugene Kurz has opened player registration for the Stiga Canada Cup tournament, which will now be held in downtown Toronto (instead of the previous location in Newmarket). The date is Saturday, Nov. 10. More information here: STIGA CANADA CUP.
Axelsen owns Edmonton (again) 9-24-2018
Denmark's Bjarne Axelsen won the the 15th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup at the West Edmonton Mall. He once gain defeated Kent Richter of Edmonton in the finals. It's Axelsen's seventh time winning the event and fifth in a row. Taking third was Pat Genge of the Edmonton area. Order of finish HERE.
Mississippi Valley Open will not take place 9-23-2018
Organizer Steve Junge of the Eastern Iowa Table Hockey League has cancelled the Oct.5 MVO tournament due to lack of players signed up. He's open to trying again next year. Mississippi Valley Open is back in Iowa City 9-5-2018
Organizer Steve Junge of the Eastern Iowa Table Hockey League is back with the MVO tournament on Saturday, Oct. 6. On Friday night, there will be a free tournament on the Power Play 2 game. More info on the tournament web page HERE. Edmonton hosts ITHF North American Championships 8-17-2018
Organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn is back once again with the annual Edmonton tournament, to be held Sept. 15 at West Edmonton Mall. It will count for more rankings points as this year site for the ITHF North American championships. Tournament web site HERE. North American championships designation to rotate between U.S., Canadian tournaments 8-16-2018
The USTHA and CTHA announce that the North American Championships designation will now rotate among World Tour events in the U.S. and Canada. One year, the USTHA will decide which of its three World Tour events get the special designation, which brings additional ITHF ranking points. The next year, the CTHA will decide from among its two World Tour events. This is the highest-ranked tournament in North America on par with the World and European Championships overseas. Previously, the tournament with this designation was held in Detroit, which will now be known as the Detroit Stiga Championship. Pack your bags: First-ever tournament planned for Hawaii 7-27-2018
USTHA President Dr. Kevin Rafferty and newcomer Mark Claydon are planning the first-ever Stiga tour event in Hawaii. The Aloha Stiga Hawaii event will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019. It'll take place just steps from the beach in Kihei, Maui. You'll be able to see an Incredible sunset right from the venue. More details to come, and some photos HERE. A comeback story: Shabi triumphant at the Stiga U.S. Open 7-22-2018
Paul Shabi, along with his father, Victor, hoist the hardware in Lemont.
He won the Stiga U.S. Open in 2012 when he was just 16. Then he took some time off of table hockey. Earlier this year, he regained his interest. He made the final four in Detroit, his hometown. And he practiced and practiced, often livestreaming his efforts on Facebook. And on Saturday, Paul Shabi completed his comeback by winning the U.S. Open tournament once again. He defeated Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA 4 games to 2 in the finals. Taking third was Roman Nezhyba, who had won the event last year.
Stiga U.S. Open starts the 2018-19 North American Tour on July 21 7-9-2018
The Stiga U.S. Open, which has been held every year since 2003, will kick off the new North American Tour year on July 21. Jim Rzonca is once again organizing the tournament in suburban Chicago. More info here.
Rafferty, Krol share top honors for 2017-18 tour year 7-9-2018
Dr. Kevin Rafferty and Eric Krol were the USA players of the year on the 2017-18 Stiga North American Tour. Both players scored 153 rankings points. Rafferty, who hails from southern California, finished third in Edmonton and Anaheim and fourth in Detroit. Krol, who is from suburban Chicago, finished second in Toronto, first in Iowa and third in Chicago. The other players in the top 10 can be found in the left-hand column on this page, and updated rankings are now posted here.
Davis makes comeback in Madison 6-23-2018
Darwin Sampson (left), Eric Davis (center) and Buster Barton (right).
Top North American Stiga player Eric Davis of Byron, IL returned to competitive table hockey on Saturday, June 23 at the Great Lakes Invitational in Madison, WI, which drew players from five Midwestern states. He bested tournament organizer Darwin Sampson 4-3 in the Best of 7 finals. Taking third was Davis' sparring partner, Buster Barton. Winning the B group was Paul Gasiecki of Glendale Heights, IL. Tournament stats are posted here.
TV station visits Dr. Rafferty's school 6-15-2018
The Los Angeles FOX station was out at the school run by Dr. Kevin Rafferty (organized of the Stiga Shootout and USTHA president) and spotlighted his efforts. You can check it out HERE.
Axelsen wins in Montreal again 6-4-2018
Axelsen, left, along with Kevin Rafferty and Michael Toft Nielsen. Photo courtesy of Dr. Rafferty.
Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark won the Montreal Stiga tournament, defeating Carlo Bossio, the King of Coleco, in the finals. It was the fourth year in a row Axelsen won the tournament, which he also captured from 2010-12.
Madison tournament is back June 23 5-12-2018
After taking a year off, Darwin Sampson is back with the Great Lakes Invitational event in Madison, WI. The tournament is back at its original location, The Frequency bar and concert venue in downtown Madison. More information HERE.
Marquee players sign up for Montreal tournament 5-11-2018
Pierre Chastenais is happy to announce that a couple top players from Denmark will be taking part in the Montreal Stiga Table Hockey tournament. It's Bjarne Axelsen and Michael Toft Nielsen. Add those names to the already-impressive player list up on the "blog" tab of his tournament website. Still time to sign up. More information HERE.
Montreal tournament scheduled for June 2 4-15-2018
Pierre Chastenais is back with his long-running Stiga table hockey tournament in Montreal, QUE. The event once again will be held at the Rose Bowl. He's already got a pretty impressive player list up on the "blog" tab of his tournament website. More information HERE.
Roman reigns for third time in row at Stiga North American Championships in Detroit 3-25-2018
Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic by way of Laguna Hills, CA defeated Bruce Turner of Kitchener, ONT 4-0 in the finals of SNAC 2018 in Detroit, MI. Taking the bronze was Paul Shabi, who was making his return to competitive table hockey. The Friday night Coleco event was won by perennial winner Dave Kraehling of Mississauga, ONT. Results and video HERE.
Stiga North American Championships in Detroit on March 23-24 1-29-2018
Organizers Eric Krol and John Medema are putting together the SNAC tournament on March 23-24. On Friday night is a Coleco tournament. On Saturday is a Stiga tournament. Registration is now open and get more information HERE.
Finland's Pelkonen wins U.S. Stiga Shootout in southern California 1-28-2018
Jan Pelkonen of Finland won the 11th annual U.S. Stiga Shootout, defeating Roman Nezhyba of the Czech Republic in the finals 4-0. Photo courtesy of Pierre Chastenais. Promotional video posted for the U.S. Stiga Shootout in southern California 12-29-2017
The 11th annual U.S. Stiga Shootout will take place on Jan. 27, 2018 in southern California. Dr. Kevin Rafferty is planning the latest edition of his event. He posted a promotional video online. Watch it below, and more info here: Stiga Shootout.
Rankings page now updated 11-26-2017
The North American, USA and Canadian rankings from the North American Tour have been updated. Read them: HERE.
Registration open for the U.S. Stiga Shootout in southern California 11-25-2017
The 11th annual U.S. Stiga Shootout will take place on Jan. 27, 2018 in southern California. Dr. Kevin Rafferty is planning the latest edition of his event. Headlining the player list is Jan Pelkonen of Finland, who is one of the best players in the world. Canadian champ Bernie Kunzler also is signed up to play. More info here: Stiga Shootout.
Kunzler victorious in Stiga Canada Cup in Toronto 11-06-2017
Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT won the 2017 Stiga Canada Cup tournament in suburban Toronto. He defeated Eric Krol of suburban Chicago, IL 4-1 in the finals. Taking third was Kent Richter of Edmonton, AB. Results here: STIGA CANADA CUP.
Still time to register for the Stiga Canada Cup in Toronto 10-20-2017
There's still time to register for the prestigious Stiga Canada Cup tournament in the Toronto area on Saturday, Nov. 4. Organizers Eugene Kurz and Rick Grisdale are hard at work putting together the event. More information here: STIGA CANADA CUP.
Krol wins double header in Iowa City 10-15-2017
Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL won the 2017 Mississippi Valley Open in Iowa City, besting Ryan Woodall of Wilmington in the final. Taking third was Paul Gasiecki of Glen Ellyn, IL. Matt Woodall of Waterloo, IA took the B pool. On Friday night, Krol won a a mini-tournament on the Power Play 2 game (with 3D players).
Iowa City tournament is back, PP2 event added for Friday 9-26-2017
Steve Junge is back with another Mississippi Valley Open tournament in Iowa City, Iowa. Registration now open for the event on Saturday, Oct. 14. He's added a fun, casual, free (but with trophies) event on Friday night. It's a mini-tournament on the Power Play 2 game (with 3D players). More info HERE.
Axelsen wins Edmonton again 9-17-2017
Denmark's Bjarne Axelsen won the the 14th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the West Edmonton Mall. He defeated Kent Richter of Edmonton in the finals. It's Axelsen's sixth time winning the event and fourth in a row. Taking third was Kevin Rafferty of southern California. Taking the B in seven games was Eric Krol of the Chicago area over Dominic Froome of the Vancouver Table Hockey Club, which brought a healthy contingent to the tournament. Order of finish HERE.
Edmonton revs up for 14th CCC 8-24-2017
The 14th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup will take place Saturday, Sept. 16 at the West Edmonton Mall. Organizer and veteran table hockey champion Reggie Stefaniszyn and his team are hard at work on tournament preparations. Find out more HERE.
Riviere du Loup event cancelled 8-11-2017
The organizers of the Riviere du Loup tournament scheduled for late August in Canada have cancelled the event. Not enough players signed up.
Nezhyba wins Stiga U.S. Open in Chicago 7-22-2017
Roman Nezhyba of Laguna Hills, CA by way of the Czech Republic won the Stiga U.S. Open tournament in suburban Chicago. He defeated Buster Barton of Byron, IL 4-0 in the finals. Taking third was tournament organizer Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL. Stats are now posted here. Playoff video archived HERE.
North American players compete in World Championships 6-19-2017
Three North American players competed in the World Championships in Liberec in the Czech Republic. Canada's Bernie Kunzler finished 112th in the Open portion of the tournament, while the USA's Kevin Rafferty finished right behind him in 114th. His son, Sean Rafferty, finished 140th. The Open tournament was won by Edgars Caics of Latvia, who some of you might remember from his time in Chicago and at the Stiga U.S. Open a few years ago. Standings can be found HERE.
Nezhyba is top finisher of 2016-17 North American Tour 6-7-2017 Roman Nezhyba of Laguna Hills, CA is the top finisher in the 2016-17 North America Stiga Tour. He won the events in southern California and Detroit. Runner-up was Bernie Kunzler of Kitchner, ONT Canada. Congrats to Roman and Bernie on their strong finishes. The rankings page has been updated. Please click on the "Rankings" tab above.
Axelsen wins Montreal 6-3-2017 Bjarne Axelsen (DEN) defeated Kevin Rafferty (USA) 4-1 in the finals of the Montreal Stiga tournament. Taking third was Simon Harvey (CAN) over Michael Toft Nielsen (DEN). Francois Larivee (CAN) took the B Group. Results to be posted on the web site HERE.
Stiga U.S. Open date announced 5-14-2017 The Stiga U.S. Open will be held on Saturday, July 22 in Lemont, IL outside Chicago. Tournament organizer Jim Rzonca is back once again to continue an event that has been held since 2003. For more information, visit the tournament web site HERE.
Sowa wins CAGA Detroit winter playoffs 4-14-2017 Mike Sowa won the CAGA Detroit winter playoffs. He defeated Bill Hunter 2-1 in the decisive Game 5. Sowa went up 2-0 in the series before Hunter roared back. It's the 8th league playoffs win for Sowa. Taking third was Kevin Harla over Mike Ciaramitaro. The consolation bracket went to Bob Monaghan.
Montreal tournament details, web site announced 4-7-2017 Pierre Chastenais' long-running Montreal tournament is back again this year. It's at the same location (Rose Bowl) but has a new name (Montreal Stiga Table Hockey Tournament). The event is part of the Stiga North American Tour and International Table Hockey Federation World Tour. Check out the web site HERE.
Nezhyba repeats at Stiga North American Championships 3-25-2017 Roman Nezhyba of Laguna Hills, CA defeated Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT 4-3 to win the Detroit tournament for the second year in a row. He overcame a 3-2 finals series deficit. Dr. Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA was third over Kent Richter of Edmonton, AB. Stats can be found HERE.
Stiga North American Championships tournament is March 24-25 2-4-2017 The next table hockey tournament on the North American Tour is in suburban Detroit. It's the Stiga North American Championships. There's a Coleco tournament on Friday, March 24 and a Stiga event on Saturday, March 25. Get more bang for your table hockey buck. Registration is open now HERE.
Nice writeup on the Stiga Shootout 1-31-2017 Dr. Kevin Rafferty has done a very nice and detailed report on the successful U.S. Stiga Shootout tournament he held in Anaheim Hills, CA. Details on the winners of all the pools, some interesting facts, and future tournament dates, and more. Check it out on tablehockeyheaven.com.
Nezhyba defends title at Stiga Shootout 1-28-2017 Roman Nezhyba of southern California by way of the Czech Republic defeated Bernie Kunzler of Canada 4 games to 3 in the finals of the U.S. Stiga Shootout tournament in Anaheim Hills, CA. Nezhyba won last year's tournament as well. Vegas Jay Petrick streamed video and you can see them on his Facebook page.
ITHF elections coming up 1-14-2017 The International Table Hockey Federation is holding an election this spring. There are five spots on the board, including one for the USA and Canada. For more information, please click HERE.
Video of the week from CAGA Detroit 1-3-2017 Kevin Williams of the Detroit league CAGA does a great job with video, especially recording his league games. Here he brings you some Week 1 action between Stiga veteran and seasoned photographer Bob Monaghan (on the left) taking on Mike Ciaramitaro, the eventual CAGA champ.
Registration for southern California tournament is strong 1-2-2017 Registration for the U.S. Stiga Shootout in Anaheim Hills, CA is going on. Organizer Kevin Rafferty, the USTHA president, is pleased to announce the addition of Denis Maille of Montreal to the player list. Get more info HERE.
Congrats to Madison, Detroit league playoff winners 12-9-2016
Congrats to two more league winners in 2016. Dustin Boyle is the Madison Resistance 2016 champion. He defeated Darwin Sampson 4-2 in the Best-of-7 finals of the Resistournament. And in Detroit, Mike Ciaramitaro won the finals of the CAGA league playoff 3-0 over Bob Monaghan.
Exciting promo for United States Stiga Shootout tournament 12-3-2016
Check out the cool promo video Sean Rafferty made for the upcoming U.S. Stiga Shootout on Jan. 28, 2017 in sunny southern California.
Registration now open for the United States Stiga Shootout in Anaheim 11-19-2016
With the winter holidays fast approaching, give yourself the gift of a travel tournament to sunny southern California! Now part of the ITHF World Tour, the United States STIGA Shootout will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 in Anaheim. This is the weekend in between the NFL Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl. It’s also the NHL's All-Star Game weekend in nearby Los Angeles. Play table hockey on Saturday. Go to the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday!
This will be the 10th edition of the United States STIGA Shootout, hosted by tournament organizer Kevin Rafferty. Last year, Roman Nezhyba earned the Stanley Cup of Table Hockey with a thrilling 4-3 championship series victory against Bjarne Axelsen. Whose name will be engraved on the Cup this year? Be here to find out. Roman will be back to defend his title.
Register to play HERE. For more information, please click HERE.
Finland's Pelkonen wins Stiga Canada Cup 11-5-2016
Jan Pelkonen, a very talented, highly ranked player from Finland, won the Stiga Canada Cup tournament in Toronto. He defeated the very hot player Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT in the finals 4-2. Kunzler takes the lead in the ITHF World Tour standings this year. Finishing third was Bruce Turner of Kitchener, who defeated Kent Richter of Edmonton, CAN 3-2 in the consolation series. Tournament stats HERE.
Barton wins Iowa City tournament 10-9-2016
Buster Barton of Byron, IL won the Mississippi Valley Open tournament near Iowa City, Ia., defeating Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL 4-0 in a finals that featured two overtime games to start. The B group was won by Darrin Hummel of Naperville, IL and the C group by Katie Bozer of North Liberty, Ia. Congrats to organizer Steve Junge on another well-produced event. Tournament stats can be found here.
New USTHA president, board named 9-29-2016
The United States Table Hockey Association is proud to announce our new president and board members. Dr. Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA is the new president. Kevin is a longtime table hockey enthusiast and top Stiga player who puts on the Stiga Shootout event in southern California each year and does a fantastic job promoting the game to youth players.
The board will be made up of six people: Eric Krol, the former USTHA president from suburban Chicago; Darwin Sampson, who runs the Madison, Wisc. tournament; Steve Junge, who organizes the Iowa tournament; Len Mecca, who put on the Philadelphia event and supports table hockey at rodwarriors.com; Dean Moore, a veteran of many tournaments from Pittsburgh; and John Labianca, who is part of the Las Vegas Table Hockey Club.
The president and board members will start in their new roles Oct. 1. The USTHA would like to thank outgoing board members Jim Rzonca, Paul Ruiz, Eric Dibacco and Mike Horan for their years of service.
Registration for Toronto tournament now open 9-24-2016
The Stiga Canada Cup will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5 in suburban Toronto. Tournament organizer Eugene Kurz puts on a great event each year along with Stiga Canada distributor Rick Grisdale. You can sign up today. Here's the tournament web site for more information.
Axelsen wins CCC in Edmonton 9-17-2016
Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark defeated Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT 4-1 in the finals of the Centennial Challenge Cup in Edmonton, AB. It was the third time in a row Axelsen won this tournament, and the fifth time overall ('09, '10, '14, '15, '16). Tournament organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn was third. The event attracted 23 players. (Photo above courtesy Bjarne Axelsen.) USTHA to hold elections for president, board 8-19-2016
The United States Table Hockey Association is holding elections for board president and up to six board positions. Want to get involved? Have a special skill set you bring to the table? For full details, PLEASE CLICK HERE. Lucky number 13 tournament in Edmonton 8-16-2016
Organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn is back in Edmonton with the 13th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup. The event is played at the huge West Edmonton Mall in Center Court. Lots to do at that mega-mall. If you haven't been, we highly recommend playing in that event. The tournament web page with more information is HERE. Registration now open for Mississippi Valley Open tournament 8-7-2016
Organizer Steve Junge is proud to announce that registration is open for this year's Stiga Mississippi Valley Open tournament. It'll be held on Oct. 8 in North Liberty, Iowa (near Iowa City and Cedar Rapids). The tournament web page with more information is HERE. Sweden's Jonsson wins U.S. Open 7-30-2016
Karl Jonsson of Sweden won the 2016 Stiga U.S. Open, the first tournament of the 2016-17 tour year. He defeated Bernie Kunzler of Canada in the finals. Roman Nezhyba (CZE) was third over Illinois' Buster Barton, the highest USA finisher. Archived videos of the livestream can be found HERE. Barton prevails in Madison 6-26-2016
Buster Barton captured his first tournament title by winning the Great Lakes Invitational 2016 event in Madison, WI. He defeated tournament organizer Darwin Sampson in the finals. Taking the B pool was Steve Junge of North Liberty, IA. Stats are posted HERE and archived videos of the livestream can be found HERE. Axelsen wins Montreal 6-4-2016
Bjarne Axelsen (DEN) defeated Janis Zalite (LAT) 4-1 in the finals to win the Canadian Masters of Stiga tournament in Montreal, Canada. Taking third was Simon Harvey (CAN). Rankings page updated 4-19-2016
The North American, U.S. and Canadian Stiga player rankings have been updated. Thanks to Pierre Chastenais, organizer of the Montreal tournament on June 4, for converting the spreadsheets into PDFs. Check them out here. Dates for Montreal, Madison, Chicago announced 4-10-2016
Tournament organizers have announced the dates for three upcoming tournaments. The Canadian Masters of Stiga event in Montreal will take place Saturday, June 4. Organizer Pierre Chastenais is working hard to put on another good event. The Great Lakes Invitational will take place on Saturday, June 25 in Madison, WI. Organizer Darwin Sampson is putting together another edition of his fine event. And the Stiga U.S. Open will take place on Saturday, July 30 in suburban Chicago, IL. Click on the links in the "Upcoming Tournaments" column on the left for more details.
Video of the week: Detroit tournament 4-4-2016
We've got some video archived of the Stiga North American Championships' playoffs. The iPad followed various games/series and we tried to announce who was on what side before each game/series.
Madison tournament date announced 2-18-2016
Darwin Sampson of the Madison Resistance THL has announced that this year's Great Lakes Invitational (a tournament open to all) will take place on Saturday, June 25. More details to come.
Video of the Week: CAGA Detroit Stiga league action 2-6-2015
Here is our video of the week, courtesy of Kevin Williams, who runs the CAGA league in Livonia, MI. This game features a couple of players you might encounter at the upcoming Stiga North American Championships in suburban Detroit April 2. On the left, it's Bill Hunter (Grizzlies) versus Bob Monaghan (Oilers) on the right.
Sign up for the Stiga North American Championships weekend in Detroit 1-31-2016
The Stiga North American Championships in suburban Detroit is less than two months away. Registration is now open for this event that will unfold at the Embassy Suites in Livonia, MI on April 1-2. Friday is a Coleco tournament and Saturday is the Stiga event. More info here HERE and tournament updates HERE.
Nezhyba wins U.S. Stiga Shootout in California 1-23-2016
Congrats to Roman Nezhyba (CZE), who defeated Bjarne Axelsen (DEN) 4-3 in the Best of 7 finals at the U.S. Stiga Shootout in southern California. Anette Engel (DEN) was third.
Registration closing Wednesday for Stiga Shootout in California 1-18-2016
Sign up by Wednesday to play in the 9th edition of the U.S. Stiga Shootout in sunny Anaheim, CA. The tournament will held this Saturday, Jan. 23. Organizer Dr. Kevin Rafferty is back with another fine event. More info here: U.S. STIGA SHOOTOUT.
Merry Christmas to all 12-24-2015
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone in the table hockey community.
Hunter wins Detroit league 12-20-2015
Congrats to Bill Hunter, who won the CAGA Table Hockey League Fall 2015 playoffs in suburban Detroit. Kevin Williams was 2nd.
New issue of "The Score" now available 12-13-2015
A new issue of "The Score," the official newsletter of the USTHA and CTHA, is out. Five articles this time, including a player profile, league profile and a feature story on how to improve at fintars (center shots). Check it out HERE.
Barton wins NW Chicago THL playoffs 12-12-2015
Buster Barton of Byron, IL emerged on top of the pile to win the NW Chicago THL event in suburban Chicago on Saturday. Rob Chargo was second. Eric Krol was third, John Medema fourth and Eric Davis fifth in a tight event. The league Facebook page is HERE.
Sampson wins Madison league playoffs 12-11-2015
Darwin Sampson won the Madison Resistance table hockey league playoffs, coming back from a 3-2 series deficit to defeat Mike Hibbard. The league plays just about every Thursday night at The Frequency bar/concert venue in downtown Madison, WI. The league Facebook page is HERE.
Davis tops North American rankings 11-28-2015
The North American, USA and Canadian rankings have been updated following Eugene Kurz's excellent Toronto Stiga Canada Cup tournament. Eric Davis of Byron, IL tops Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton, AB and Bruce Turner of Kitchener, ONT by a point. Thanks to Pierre Chastenais of Montreal, QUE for putting together the pdfs, which you can now see HERE.
New president of Canadian Table Hockey Association 11-28-2015
Congrats to Sal Capizzi of Winnipeg, MB, the new CTHA president. He takes the reins from John Cooke of Ottawa, ONT. Sal already has been busy, putting together an attractive new web site, which you can check out HERE.
Video of the week: The Short Centrifuge 11-28-2015
OK, so not really a video, but an illustration. This comes courtesy of Swedish player Sissie Wikstrom, who is ranked 313th in the world and 15th among women players. Sissie has put together a table hockey tips web site. One of the plays she breaks down on there is the short centrifuge. Basically, it's a left wing low tip.
Registration now open for Stiga Shootout in California 11-28-2015
Sign up today to play in the 9th edition of the U.S. Stiga Shootout in sunny Anaheim, CA. Organizer Dr. Kevin Rafferty is back with another fine event. He's got a new temporary web page for this year's tournament where you can get more information, including a peek at the player's list. Check it out here: U.S. STIGA SHOOTOUT.
Jonsson wins Toronto --- but which one? 11-7-2015
It all was an all-Jonsson finals at the Stiga Canada Cup as Karl Jonsson, who won this year's Stiga North American Championships tournament in Detroit, took on his younger brother, Nils Jonsson. Youth was served as Nils won the finals 4-0. Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT was third and Dr. Kevin Rafferty of the USA was fourth. Americans Steve Bernstein of the Boston area finished sixth and Mike Hubbard of Pittsburgh was eighth. B Group won by Eric Krol of the USA, who finished ninth. Full results coming to organizer Eugene Kurz's web site soon here.
Video of the Week: Fast, furious Coleco action in NYC 10-21-2015
John Fayolle put on a well-reviewed Coleco 5380 tournament in New York last weekend. He's posted a ton of photos and video. Here's Game 1 of the finals between a couple of highly skilled Montreal players: Carlo "King" Bossio on the left and Sam "The Slickster" Anoussis on the right.
Carlo "King Carlo" Bossio faced off against Sam "The Slickster" Anoussis in Game 1 of the Finals for the SoHo Cup.
Toronto tournament accepting signups 10-19-2015
Eugene Kurz, organizer of the Stiga Canada Cup tournament, is accepting registrations for his Nov. 7 tournament in Toronto. The web site is here.
California tournament date announced 10-6-2015
Dr. Kevin Rafferty has announced the date for the next U.S. Stiga Shootout event. It will be held on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 in Anaheim, CA. More details in the weeks ahead. Tournament web site will be updated here.
Davis takes Iowa 10-3-2015
U.S. Open champion Eric Davis of Byron, IL won the Mississippi Valley Open in Iowa City. He defeated his practice partner, Buster Barton, in the finals 4-0. Darwin Sampson of Madison, WI was third. Some video can be found here. Stats have been posted HERE.
Axelsen wins Edmonton 9-20-2015
Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark returned to Edmonton and won the Centennial Challenge Cup. He defeated tournament organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn in the finals 4-0. Kent Richter of Edmonton took third over Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA. Some updates were posted HERE.
Video of the Week: Norway Open Finals 9-7-2015
Sweden's Sisse Wikstrom, who some of you met at the 2014 Stiga U.S. Open tournament, was kind enough to post a video from the Norway Open in Stavanger last weekend. It's a game in the finals series between Joakim Lundin and eventual champion Oscar Henriksson. Check it out HERE.
Video of the Week: Dery vs. Gelinas 8-31-2015
The Riviere-du-Loup tournament featured a finals between Hugues Dery and Junior Gelinas, a couple of top Stiga players making a comeback. The Best of 5 series went the distance. Here is video of Game 5, with Junior on the left and Hugues on the right:
Hugues Dery makes big comeback in Riviere-du-Loup 8-29-2015
Congrats to Hugues Dery, who defeated Junior Gelinas 3-2 in the finals of the first-ever tournament in Riviere-du-Loup, QUE. Both players are Stiga legends, and were playing in their first major event in many years. B Pool went to Alain Dufour and C pool went to Pierre Chastenais, the wily veteran. Tournament stats are now up HERE.
Edmonton marks 12th Centennial tournament Sept. 19 8-17-2015
Reggie Stefaniszyn will be putting on his well-run Centennial Challenge Cup tournament on Saturday, Sept. 19. It's held at the West Edmonton Mall, which is a pretty large and entertaining place. The Edmonton Table Hockey League guys are friendly and it's a trip worth making if you can. More information, including a player list and registration form, is HERE.
Second Mississippi Valley Open tournament to be held in Iowa on Oct. 3 8-4-2015
The Mississippi Valley Open tournament is back again this fall after a successful debut last year. Organizer Steve Junge of the Eastern Iowa Table Hockey League will host the event on Saturday, Oct. 3 near Cedar Rapids, Ia. More information, including a player list, is HERE.
Next tournament on Tour is in Quebec province 8-3-2015
The next tournament on the 2015-16 North American Tour is the Stiga Riviere-Du-Loup Invitational. It will take place Aug. 29 in Riviere-du-Loup, QUE. Organizers Paolo Oullet and Eric Desjardins are putting on the event. There is a tournament web page in English and en francais (with player list) HERE.
Video of the Week: 2015 Stiga U.S. Open playoffs 8-2-2015
Here are three hours of Stiga U.S. Open A Group playoff action that was livestreamed from Lemont. You can listen at the start of each series to hear who was playing.
Davis wins Stiga U.S. Open in Chicago 7-25-2015
Eric Davis of Byron, IL won the 2015 Stiga U.S. Open in suburban Chicago. He swept Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL in the finals. Third went to Kevin Rafferty of Laguna Hills, CA. Dr. Lou Marinoff of Monroe, NY (who won the Coleco tournament the night before) captured the B Group trophy, while Steve Junge of North Liberty, Iowa won C Group honors. Here's a picture of Eric Davis with some of his hardware.
Video of the Week: Latvian Stiga sensations 7-11-2015
Here's video (courtesy of Bernie Kunzler of Canada) featuring Latvian sensations Edgars Caics and Atis Sillis. It's called a Table Hockey Master's Class. And these guys sure both are masters.
Sveiciens lietainajās vasaras dienās! Kad ārā nav tik labs laiks, tad var ķerties pie iekštelpu aktivitātēm! Esam gatavi vadīt Jums galda hokeja turnīrus un paraugdemonstrējumus.Zemāk video neliels fragmenti no pasaules čempionāta Edgara izpildījumā. Jūsu THmL*** Thanks to Norvegian friends for the video!
Stiga U.S. Open first event of new tour year 6-26-2015
The 2015-16 Stiga North American Tour kicks off on Saturday, July 25 in suburban Chicago. It's the Stiga U.S. Open. Jim Rzonca has been putting on this tournament since 2002. The games are top notch. The play will be intense. More details at the TOURNAMENT WEB SITE.
Davis prevails at Great Lakes tournament 6-20-2015
Eric Davis of Byron, IL won his third consecutive Great Lakes Invitational in Madison. He defeated Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL in the finals. Buster Barton of Byron, IL was third over tournament organizer Darwin Sampson of Madison, WI. B pool honors went to Steve Junge of North Liberty, Ia. Some A Group playoff video is below.
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream Madison tournament livestream this weekend 6-18-2015
The Great Lakes Invitational will be held on Saturday, June 20 in Madison, WI. We'll be doing a livestream of the playoffs approximately at 4 p.m. Central time. Check it out here: MADISON LIVESTREAM.
New tournament in Quebec province joins North American tour in 2015-16 6-10-2015
Organizers Paolo Oullet and Eric Desjardins are proud to announce a new Stiga tournament to join the North American Tour in 2015-16. It's the Stiga Riviere-Du-Loup Invitational, and everyone's invited. They've already got 20 players registered, including not one but two superstars from the early days of the Stiga table hockey revival. It all unfolds on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Riviere-du-Loup, QUE. We have set up a tournament web page in English and en francais (with player list) HERE.
Harvey wins Canadian Masters event 5-30-2015
Simon Harvey (CAN) defeated Denis Maille (CAN) in five games to win the Canadian Masters of Stiga in Montreal. Stats to come from organizer Pierre Chastenais.
Video of the week: Emotions running high 5-25-2015
Here is a video from the 2011 World Championships. On the left (with the giant beard) is Janne Kokko of Finland. On the right is Valclav Pikl of the Czech Republic. It's the veterans team competition bronze series captains' match. Today, Kokko is ranked #176 in the world; Pikl is #113. They're both great Stiga players. The video of the game play is not great. But watch the players. Pikl is very intense. Kokko also does something interesting at the end.
Video of the week: Coleco Detroit finals 4-27-2015
Here is the deciding Game 5 of a heckuva series between Dr. Lou Marinoff on the left and Super Dave Kraehling on the right. It's for all the marbles at the Detroit Coleco tournament at the end of March.
Dave "SuperDave" Kraehling and Lou "The Legend" Marinoff duked it out in a deciding Game 5 of the Finals at The Detroit Motor City Classic Coleco Tournament.
Great Lakes Invitational in Madison registration is open 4-20-2015
Hello everyone. The Great Lakes Invitational tournament will be held on Saturday, June 20 in Madison, WI, USA. It's open to everyone. For more information and to register, please click HERE.
Video of the week: Detroit CAGA spring season starts 4-19-2015
The CAGA league in Detroit started its spring season. Here is a game between defending CAGA champ Bill Hunter and former champ Bob Monaghan.
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Canadian Invitational won't be held 4-18-2015
John Cooke in Ottawa had been planning a tournament in Colborne for May 2. You may have noticed it in the tournament list in the left-hand column. It won't take place. Here's a message from John: Hello to all my table hockey brothers and sisters. It's official, The Canada Invitational tournament in Colborne is officially cancelled. Sorry for the late notice. I will still do something that day but it will be for the kids in the region not a tour event.
Video of the week: Detroit playoffs 2015 4-6-2015
Our video of the week is the livestream from the 2015 Stiga North American Championships playoffs. The iPad was left on the game that featured Karl Jonsson, the eventual tournament champion. Fast forward at your own leisure...it's about two hours of video.
Canadian Masters in Montreal registration is open 4-4-2015
Hello everyone. Pierre Chastenais will be putting on his always-excellent Canadian Masters of Stiga (formerly known as the Rose Bowl Classic) tournament in Montreal on Saturday, May 30. This is the longest-running event on the North American Stiga Tour. Pierre notes the exchange rate is pretty good right now if you're a U.S. player thinking of heading north of the border. It's the weekend after Memorial Day in the U.S., so start your summer right. For more information and to register, please click HERE.
Sweden's Jonsson wins in Detroit 3-28-2015
Karl Jonsson, a Swedish player now living in New Orleans, won the Stiga North American Championships this weekend, defeating Roman Nezhyba, a Czech player now living in California, in the finals. Bruce Turner of Canada was third over Eric Davis of the USA. On Friday night, Dave Kraehling won a Coleco tournament over Lou Marinoff in an exciting finals. Some more information about how the date went is HERE and the live video stream is now archived HERE.
Follow Detroit results, see live video this weekend 3-25-2015
The Stiga North American Championships weekend is upon us. Detroit tournaments this weekend. Check out results HERE and the live video stream, which starts at roughly 8 p.m. Eastern Friday and 5 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, HERE.
Video of the week: Hot Coleco Action 2-21-2015
The Stiga North American Championships weekend starts on Friday, March 27 with a Coleco tournament, the Motor City Classic. Two of the top players at this event over the years have been Sam "The Slickster" Anoussis of Montreal and "Super" Dave Kraehling of Mississauga, ONT. Here they are in action in Montreal in a semi-final game. Video taken by John Fayolle.
Video of the week: Table hockey from Detroit 2-14-2015
With the Stiga North American Championships tournament coming up March 28, 2015 in Livonia, MI, here's some action from a 2008 local tournament in Detroit. It's Tim Walker and Paul Ruiz.
North American Championships tournament back in Detroit 2-13-2015
The Stiga North American Championships tournament will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 in Livonia, MI. Organizers Eric Krol and John Medema are packing up the games and driving to Detroit to put on a tournament in the Original Six hockey city that's convenient geographically to many North American table hockey players. Registration is now open. There will be a Coleco tournament on Friday late afternoon, March 27. Tournament web site is HERE. The player list is being updated HERE.
Stefaniszyn wins Stiga Shootout 1-25-2015
Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton won yet another tournament, this time avenging an earlier defeat to Roman Nezhyba in the Stiga Shootout in southern California. Some playoff video is HERE. Tournament organizer Kevin Rafferty has a rich level of detail about the results and Reggie's recent history HERE.
Video of the week: Russian gold 1-14-2015
Maxim Borisov of Russia has frequently been atop the Stiga table hockey world rankings. Here, he takes on Alexy Zakharov in Game 7 of a playoff series at the 2013 Moscow Cup. Enjoy.
Stiga Shootout signups going strong 1-1-2015
Happy New Year to everyone in the table hockey world. Dr. Kevin Rafferty brought back the U.S. Stiga Shootout and registration is going well. Around 30 players so far and still more than three weeks to go. The tournament is Saturday, Jan. 24 in Anaheim Hills, CA. Travelers: you can fly into LAX or John Wayne in Orange County. For more information, check out the TOURNAMENT WEB SITE.
Holiday greetings and video of the week 12-25-2014
Happy holidays to you and your family. Hope you got to play some table hockey at your family gatherings. Many of us grew up getting a table hockey game for Christmas. And for many, it was a Coleco game. To that end, here's some footage of some Coleco competition. It's the 2009 Motor City Classic finals. It features Ontario's Super Dave Kraehling and the upset kid, Chris Reardon of the Buffalo area.
Video of the week: Las Vegas finals 12-8-2014
Check out the 2014 Stiga Las Vegas finals. It's Game 6. Jean-Claude Klaus of Switzerland against Reggie Stefaniszyn of Canada. Video shot by Vegas Jay Petrick.
Video of the week: Sweden vs. Finland 12-8-2014
Here is some action from the 2013 World Championships in Stavanger, Norway. It features a quarterfinal match between Finn Fries of Sweden and Jan Pelkonen of Finland. It's Game 6. There are fancypants replays and everything.
Video of the week: The Push Box Defense 11-28-2014
Many of the videos we post on this site feature footage of great players, great games or offensive plays. Those are easier to practice in your basement. This time, some tips on breaking out of the box defense. Thomas Petersson's Table Hockey School offers a video on what he calls the Push Box Defense. To check it out, you have to go directly his web site: RIGHT HERE.
New issue of "The Score" now available 11-30-2014
We’ve posted the latest issue of The Score, the USTHA-CTHA online newsletter. We’ve got four stories this time out: a league profile on the Eastern Iowa Table Hockey League, a player profile on Dr. Kevin Rafferty, a look at the Gretzky game by Jeff Mancini and a feature story on making plays with the left wing. You can see the newsletter here: THE SCORE. (Password for this issue is: thescoredecember14)
Video of the week: Goran Agdur school in session 11-22-2014
Goran Agdur won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals in the famous Swedish Masters table hockey tournament from 1982-1992. Here, he takes us all to school. Whoo! (Check out his web site: HERE.
Video of the week: The Push Box Defense 11-28-2014
Many of the videos we post on this site feature footage of great players, great games or offensive plays. Those are easier to practice in your basement. This time, some tips on breaking out of the box defense. Thomas Petersson's Table Hockey School offers a video on what he calls the Push Box Defense. To check it out, you have to go directly his web site: RIGHT HERE.
Video of the week: Goran Agdur school in session 11-22-2014
Goran Agdur won three gold, three silver and three bronze medals in the famous Swedish Masters table hockey tournament from 1982-1992. Here, he takes us all to school. Whoo! (Check out his web site: HERE.
Player rankings now updated 11-19-2014
The North American, USA and Canadian player rankings have been updated. Thanks to Pierre Chastenais of Montreal for making the PDFs as usual. See them HERE.
Video of the week: Euro center tricks 11-12-2014
A video from Youtube, featuring some European music and center tricks.
Stefaniszyn wins Stiga Canada Cup 11-1-2014
Reggie Stefaniszyn won another tournament, this time besting the field at the Stiga Canada Cup outside Toronto. He defeated Alain Gamache 4 games to 1 in the final. Kent Richter, fresh off a tournament in Switzerland, finished third over Bernie Kunzler from Kitchener. A photo of the top three finishers.
Stiga Shootout returns 10-21-2014
Dr. Kevin Rafferty is bringing back the U.S. Stiga Shootout tournament. It will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 in Anaheim Hills, CA. More information will be posted in the coming weeks at the tournament web site: HERE
Stefaniszyn wins Mississippi Valley Open in Iowa City, IA 10-5-2014
Canadian champ Reggie Stefaniszyn won the first-ever Stiga Mississippi Valley Open tournament near Iowa City, Iowa. He defeated US champ Eric Davis 4-2 in the Best of 7 finals in a rematch from the U.S. Open finals. You can watch that finals series (along with some games that preceded it: HERE
Still time to sign up for inaugural Mississippi Valley Open tournament in Iowa City, IA 9-22-2014
Final preparations are being made for the first-ever Mississippi Valley Open tournament to be held near Iowa City, IA on Saturday, Oct. 4. The field includes the two players who met in the Stiga U.S. Open final, Canadian champ Reggie Stefaniszyn and US champ Eric Davis. More from tournament organizer Steve Junge: "The final push has started to fill this event. We have 24 so far. I know there are at least four who have expressed interest, but the time is now to commit. Battle it out with many of the best in North America. The top-ranked Canadian and the top-ranked United States player are both in the field, as well as other Top 25 competitors. Finals will be live streamed to the table hockey world." You can get more info and sign up here: MISSISSIPPI VALLEY OPEN
Video of the week: CAGAVISION: Grizzles vs. Oilers 9-21-2014
In honor of Kevin Williams' CAGA Detroit table hockey league starting its fall season next month, here's a recently posted video from a league night in April. It features the Grizzlies, led by Bill Hunter, against the Oilers, led by Bob "The Bulldozer" Monaghan. While the production values are retro top-notch in CAGA, the table hockey is usually pretty rough and tumble. You have been warned...
Details of 2014 Toronto tournament announced 9-20-2014
Eugene Kurz has announced the details of this year's Stiga Canada Cup. It'll be held on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Stiga Canada HQ in Newmarket, ONT. From Eugene: "There will be championships in Elite, Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner categories, with the promise of action-packed fun for everyone. Cash prizes, trophies for all skill categories, NHL team packs and other STIGA merchandise awarded. Lunch is included in entrance fee. And once again, two lovely hostesses will brighten your day." You can find out more and sign up at THE TOURNAMENT WEB SITE.
Axelsen wins in Edmonton 9-13-2014
Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark defeated Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton to win the CCC tournament in Edmonton today. Dwayne Pankiw was third over Dominic Froome of Vancouver. There were 23 players.
Video of the week: Czech Open 2014 Highlights 8-16-2014
This is a nearly 7-minute video showing the highlights of this year's Czech Open. Talk about a lot of table hockey games.
Video of the week: Swedish Championship 2013 Finals 8-4-2014
Here is a video from Sweden featuring Peter Ostlund and Marcus Andersson in Game 5 of the finals. This is for the Swedish Championship in 2013. Some slow-mo replays and decidedly European music are added production values. Much patting down of the players. They do tend to rise if you don't use an adhesive to keep them down.
Details announced for Edmonton tournament in September 8-3-2014
Reggie Stefaniszyn has announced the web site and tournament details for the 11th annual Centennial Challenge Cup. It'll be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the West Edmonton Mall. As is tradition, players can use Stiga Playoff or NHL playing figures. There will be giveaways. More details HERE.
ITHF publishes proposed rule changes 8-1-2014
From the ITHF Executive Committee: We were asked to review the ITHF Game Rules and Tournament Rules. Many of you have told us that specific rules are unclear or need to be adjusted. In response, we have put together this list of 14 proposed changes for each nation to vote on. The national associations have a copy of the rules, and member nations will vote on the proposals Oct. 6-13. Only those proposed changes that receive a majority of YES votes will be put into effect. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Executive Committee. You can also discuss these proposals on the ITHF Tablehockey News and Debate page on Facebook. These proposals do not cover all the issues that some of you have raised. We are aware of other areas that need to be addressed carefully, and it will take some time before solutions to all problems can be found. We see these proposals as a step in the right direction, but not the final step. Read the proposed rules changes HERE. Join the North American debate HERE.
Video of the week: LW-C tips 7-28-2014
In the spirit of improving your game, here are some tips on hitting shots from the left wing to the center. The LW is trickier in Stiga than it is other table hockey games because the player can go behind the net. This allows for some variations and creativity. Found this video on YouTube posted by Kristof Herold, who is a 21-year-old player currently ranked 189th in the ITHF World Rankings.
Stiga Mississippi Valley tournament debuts in October 7-23-2014
You may have noticed a new tournament logo added to the left-hand column on this page. The inaugural Stiga Mississippi Valley Open will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4 near Iowa City, Iowa. Tournament organizer Steve Junge, who runs the Eastern Iowa Table Hockey League, has been working with a local committee to put on a sanctioned tournament. This fall, they'll make their North American Tour debut.
USTHA Player of the Year: Eric Davis 7-21-2014
Eric Davis of Byron, IL was the 2013-14 USTHA Player of the Year. He finished as the runner-up in tournaments in Chicago and Detroit and won the Madison event. He succeeds Paul Shabi, who won the trophy the last two years. Congrats to Eric.
Video of the week: Stefaniszyn-Davis U.S. Open finals 7-20-2014
About as fresh as it gets, folks. Watch Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton, AB take on Eric Davis of Byron, IL in the Stiga U.S. Open finals from yesterday. Spoiler alert: Reggie was en fuego, as the kids say. CLICK HERE PLEASE.
Stefaniszyn wins the Stiga U.S. Open 7-19-2014
Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton, AB won the Stiga U.S. Open tournament in suburban Chicago. He swept Eric Davis of Byron, IL in the finals. Reggie won more than a dozen games in a row from the Round of 16 through the finals. Taking third was Jerry Wikstrom of Sweden. The tournament featured 30 players from five nations. Some results, with photos and much more to come at STIGA U.S. OPEN SITE. Davis repeats in Edmonton 6-22-2014
Eric Davis of Byron, IL won his second Great Lakes Invitational in a row on Saturday in Madison, WI. He lost only one game all day and swept Eric Krol of Homer Glen, IL in the finals. Taking third was John Medema of Tinley Park, IL over tournament organizer Darwin Sampson of Madison. Some results: HERE.
Video of the week: Left Wing Tips 6-12-2014
Now for something a little different. It's a short video featuring LW-C tips.
Video of the week: European Championships 6-9-2014
This is about as fresh as it gets, folks. Believe this is video of the 2014 European Championships held in Latvia. Looks like it's the whole series.
Video of the week: Caics vs. Silis 6-1-2014
It's Game 1 of the finals of the 2013 Stiga World Championships. Your players are both from Latvia, with Edgars Caics on the left and Atis Silis on the right. There's some pre-game stuff before the game starts about 1:50 in.
Stefanisyzn wins in Montreal 5-30-2014
Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton defeated Eric Desjardins in the finals of the Canadian Masters of Stiga, the long-running event put on by Pierre Chastenais in Montreal. Kent Richter of Edmonton was third over Simon Harvey of Montreal. B Group was won by Alain Gamache of Gatineau and C Group was won by David Kindschi, also of Gatineau.
Video of the week: Axelsen-Kunzler in Chicago 5-24-2014
It's Game 5 of the finals of the 2009 Stiga U.S. Open in Lemont, IL. Your players are Bernie Kunzler of Kitchener, ONT and Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark. Spoiler alert: this one goes longer than five minutes. Thanks to "Super" Dave Kraehling for the video.
Dates for Chicago, Madison tournaments announced 4-12-2014
The Great Lakes Invitational will take place on Saturday, June 21 in Madison, WI. Organizer Darwin Sampson of the Madison Resistance THL is planning this event that's open to all players. The Stiga U.S. Open will take place on Saturday, July 19 in suburban Chicago. There will be a Coleco tournament the night before.
Video of the week: Stefaniszyn vs. Krol in Detroit 4-6-2014
Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton and Eric Krol of Chicago, IL faced off in the first round robin, second round robin and the playoffs. Reggie won all but two of the seven games on the day. Believe this is first round action...who wins? Check it out: RIGHT HERE. Video courtesy of SOHOtablehockey.com
Video of the week: Desjardins vs. Davis in Detroit 3-30-2014
It's Game 5 of the 2014 SNAC Quarterfinals from Livonia, MI featuring Eric Desjardins and Eric Davis. In the series, Desjardins is up 3-1 and looking to clinch.
Davis repeats in Edmonton 3-28-2014
It's Game 5 of the 2014 SNAC Finals from Livonia, MI featuring Bruce Turner and Eric Davis. In the series, Turner is up 3-1 and looking to cement his comeback. Does he get it? Get the answer RIGHT HERE.
Don't call it a comeback: Turner wins Detroit 3-22-2014
After a few years away from the tour, Bruce Turner of Kitchener, ONT won the Stiga North American Championships in Detroit. He defeated Eric Davis of Byron, IL 4-1 in the Best of 7 finals. Congrats to Bruce. Third place was Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton, AB over Kent Richter.
Video of the week: Gamache-Turner from Toronto 3-1-2014
This week's video was shot by John Fayolle in Toronto in November. It's a quarterfinal match between Alain Gamache of Gatineau and Bruce Turner of suburban Toronto. Both are signed up to play in the Stiga North American Championships in Detroit on March 22.
Sign up for the big table hockey weekend in Detroit 2-28-2014
The Stiga North American Championships already have more than three dozen players signed up. The event is Saturday, March 22, with a big Coleco tournament that Friday night. Click on the link in the left-hand column.
Video of the week: Vegas 2014 Finals: Reggie vs. Klaus 1-20-2014
Here is some fresh video shot Saturday by Vegas Jay Petrick. It's Game 6 of a Best of 7 finals featuring Reggie Stefaniszyn and Jean-Claude Klaus. If you check out Jay's YouTube channel, you can also see Game 5, the awards ceremony and other videos as they are posted.
Stefaniszyn wins in Vegas 1-20-2014
Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton defeated Jean-Claude Klaus of Switzerland 4-2 in the finals of the 2014 Stiga Las Vegas event at The Flamingo on the Strip. The event drew players from five countries.
Dates for Chicago, Madison tournaments annonced 1-7-2014
Hello all. We're back in the new year with another table hockey video of the week. In honor of the Stiga Las Vegas tournament coming up on Jan. 18 at The Flamingo, here's a battle between two players who'll be playing in the event. It's Dr. Kevin Rafferty of Southern California against Las Vegas THC champ John Labianca.
Happy holidays to the table hockey community 12-24-2013
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and Happy New Year to the table hockey community around the world. May you all have holidays and time off filled with much table hockey.
New issue of "The Score" now available 12-19-2013
We've got an early holiday present for the table hockey community. It's a new issue of "The Score," the official newsletter of the Canadian Table Hockey Association and United States Table Hockey Association. We've got five articles in this issue, which has a loose Canadian Stiga TH theme.: a message from CTHA President John Cooke, a story about the CTHA's foray into Facebook by Johnny Canuck, a player profile on the talented Eric Desjardins, a new feature written by Jeff Mancini of Las Vegas about vintage table hockey games, and the feature article this time is written by the brilliant Stephen Klump, who really thinks about TH and the mechanics of the game. It's about How to Aim, complete with photo illustrations. The Score home page is: HERE.
Stiga Las Vegas returns in January 11-26-2013
The next stop on the 2013-14 North American Stiga Tour will be in Las Vegas on Jan. 18. The Stiga Las Vegas tournament returns. It'll be held at the Flamingo on The Strip. Registration now open: CLICK HERE.
Video of the week: Vancouver playoffs finals 11-25-2013
The Vancouver Table Hockey Club held its playoffs. Warren Klotz and Dominic Froome faced off in the finals. Here's Game 1: (video no longer available).
Rankings updated after Toronto tournament 11-18-2013
The North American, US and Canadian rankings pages have been updated and you can view them HERE. Thanks to Pierre Chastenais for assembling the PDFs. Next tournament on the tour is in January in Las Vegas.
Video of the week: An old-school change of pace 11-17-2013
John Fayolle at SOHO Table Hockey is hosting a big Munro/Coleco weekend on Nov. 22-23. He shoots video when he travels to tournaments. This week's video is from John Fayolle. It features Sam "The Slickster" Anoussis against Gino "The Animal" Bossio. Both are highly skilled Coleco players.
Video of the week: How to change an ice sheet 11-11-2013
The folks at Table Hockey Shop posted a video offering some finer points on how to change your Stiga ice sheet. Who among us hasn't needed a new ice sheet after some overexuberant playing?
Video of the week: Canadian fun 11-3-2013
Our video of the week is from the June 2013 tournament in Montreal at the Rose Bowl. It's Reggie Stefaniszyn on the left and John Cooke, the CTHA president, on the right. Reggie and John both played well at the Toronto tournament last weekend, so that's how we picked this video to share.
Axelsen wins Stiga Canada Cup for third year in row 11-2-2013
Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark won the Stiga Canada Cup tournament outside of Toronto. He defeated Reggie Stefaniszyn of Edmonton in the finals. You can find playoff video HERE.
Video of the week 2010 U.S. Open finals 10-27-2013
Our video of the week is from the July 2010 Stiga U.S. Open tournament near Chicago. It's Game 1 of Edgars Caics and Jeff Puopolo. Caics, who is from Latvia, was visiting the U.S. that summer and made the trip up from Houston. Puopolo, who is from the Boston area, was playing in his first tournament in a few years. The video is courtesy of Kevin Williams, who runs the CAGA Detroit league and does some great editing/production work. You can find more of his videos HERE.
Video of the week: Swedish Masters 2013 10-21-2013
Our video of the week is from the January 2013 Swedish Masters tournament. It's Yanis Galuzo against Michal Hvizd. Galuzo is from Russia. He's ranked 5th in the ITHF World Ranking. Hvizd is from the Czech Republican and is now ranked 20th. This is Game 3 of the finals. The tournament had 101 players.
Video of the week: Dubois-Lindahl 10-14-2013
Our video of the week is from the January 2006 Stiga Las Vegas tournament. The first one that attracted a ton of great players from a half-dozen or more countries. I believe this is a quarterfinal match between Kenny Dubois, the best American Stiga player of all time, and Jacob Lindahl, the legend from Sweden who was #1 in his day. Jacob should be nice and rested...at this point he's just easily swept me 4-0 in the preliminary A Group playoffs. Looks like video was shot by Paul Ruiz of .
Video of the week: Couple of Swedish masters 10-8-2013
Here's video of a game at the 2012 Swedish Open finals. Thomas Petersson against Peter Ostlund. Some music and goal replays. Watching a couple of top players at work. PLEASE CLICK HERE
Table hockey school blog 10-8-2013
Sissie Wikström of Sweden has put up a blog with plenty of good thoughts and tips on table hockey. Beginning players will really find this useful, but there are good reminders for more advanced players too. The drawings are by Lars Sundh. For more info, please CLICK HERE.
Stiga Canada Cup in Toronto to feature a comeback 9-25-2013
The next tournament on this year's North American Tour will be held Nov. 2 in the Toronto area. It's the Stiga Canada Cup put on by Eugene Kurz. Looks like Stiga legend Bruce Turner is starting his comeback at this event. Bruce was a mainstay in the final four of the Stiga revival a decade ago before moving to South America on business. Great to see Bruce back on the tables. There's also going to be a Coleco event put on by Dave Kraehling that Sunday, Nov. 3. More info on that as we get it. To see the Stiga player list and get more info, please CLICK HERE.
Reggie in Edmonton again 9-16-2013
Reggie Stefaniszyn took the 10th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup. An exciting finals against Kent Richter. To read more about the tournament and see some photos, please CLICK HERE.
The 10th Edmonton Centennial is set 8-18-2013
The 10th edition of the Centennial Challenge Cup will take place on Saturday, Sept. 15 in the West Edmonton Mall. Organizer Reggie Stefaniszyn will be looking to claim another title in his hometown. For more information about the tournament, click on the tournament web site in the left-hand column.
Late entrant Axelsen claims another U.S. Open 7-21-2013
The 2013-14 North American Stiga Tour got underway July 20 in suburban Chicago. Bjarne Axelsen of Denmark, who showed up the night before at the Coleco tournament (won by Jim Rzonca for the second year in a row), claimed another U.S. Open championship. He defeated Eric Davis of Byron, IL, who made the finals for the second year in a row. Eric Krol won the B pool over Joe Salazar, both are locals who have played in every Stiga U.S. Open. Kevin Harla of the Detroit-area CAGA league took home C pool honors.
Happy holidays to the table hockey community 7-15-2013
The 2013-14 North American Stiga Tour kicks off Saturday, July 20 in suburban Chicago. It's the Stiga U.S. Open, a tournament that dates back to 2002. On Friday night, there's a Coleco tournament.
