By Jacob Messing

The 2017 Bauer Motown Classic kicks off this weekend in Detroit, and the Michigan-based AAA team HoneyBaked is set to make noise in the 2003, ‘06, ’07, and ’08 divisions. The hockey extravaganza streams live right here on FloHockey from October 20-22.

FloHockey caught up with HoneyBaked coach Brian Jardine, whose ’07 team is built with a majority of returning players from last season and won its host tournament, the 12th annual Compuware HoneyBaked Invite back in September.

In his 13 years with HoneyBaked, Jardine has coached several NHL players including Columbus prospect Tyler Motte and two-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jardine, who played four years of college hockey at Brown University, is entering his 20th year of coaching and his 14th season with HoneyBaked (split between the ’95 and ’07 teams). This will be his second Bauer Motown Classic with his U10 team and fourth overall.

Hear what Jardine has to say about this weekend below.

FloHockey: Have you noticed a difference in your players’ dedication to learning, training, and overall understanding of the game over the years?

Brian Jardine: Recently, the awareness of even the youngest players as to the importance of video work, off-ice training, diet, and rest have been very evident. This is the biggest change from 10-plus years ago to now.

What would you say is the most fulfilling part of coaching the kids?

Watching this team grow, both individually and collectively, is what I enjoy. Being a part of the players’ advancement in this game and watching them pour every ounce of effort into the process of getting better . . . that's what keeps you coming back every year as a coach.

Your team defeated the Chicago Fury to win the U10 division of the HoneyBaked Invite back in September. What did you do to prepare the kids and help them come together early on?

Anytime you win a tournament, especially your own tournament, there is a great sense of accomplishment. This year’s team is comprised primarily of returning players from last year, and our new additions to this year’s team came to us in the spring and fit in almost immediately. From day one of fall practice this team had a thirst to learn and work hard, so we were able to get off to a good start to the season and defeat a really strong Fury team in the championship.

Last year, your team went 2-1 in pool play and won its first playoff game before losing to eventual champions. What are your expectations or goals for this year?

Simply put, to compete as hard as we possibly can. This tournament is strong top to bottom, so we will take each game as a new challenge and try to improve as the weekend progresses.

Have you prepared your team any differently from last year? Did the September title help them build confidence ahead of this weekend?

Every year as the kids get older we are working on more advanced concepts, so yes we are preparing a little differently. Getting a title in the HB/Comp tournament was great for our confidence, but losing several weekends ago to the Mission was more important to our team, because we came back and worked even harder in practice trying to better the weak points in our game.

Are you familiar with any of the teams you're playing in pool play?

Out of those three team in our division we have only played the Pens Elite; they are very talented and also very well-coached. I expect both the Reps and the Alliance to also be stiff competition, but honestly I can't say that I have seen either team play.

Are there any teams participating in the tournament that you look forward to playing?

Definitely: Mission, Marlies, JRC, Gulls, the list goes on. This tournament is stacked with great Canadian and American teams. All would be tests for our team.

Do you try to soak in some of the older divisions between games or get your players to watch the older players?

Depending on whether or not we have an early game, the boys sometimes will stick around and watch our older teams play, especially if another HB team is playing. We might sit in the stands together to show our support; they truly look up to the older HB players. They serve as great role models for our young players.

What’s your favorite part about the Bauer Motown Classic?

Can't really pick just one favorite thing — the location, format, competition level, all [of it] make this a great event for us.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.