The rules say
Minnesota youth hockey · 2026-27
Independent Classic
Hotels near National Sports CenterHotel required40
The housing rule
This is a Stay To Play (STP) event.
Housing partner
TPI Hospitality
Refund policy: Once a team is confirmed for the tournament there will be no refunds under any circumstance. Source.
What to know
Independent Classic is a AAA tournament on May 21 to 23, 2027 with 20 or more age levels. Girls play 8U through 19U and boys play Open Upper and Open Lower.
Entry is $1,999 a team with a 4 game guarantee. The host says out of town teams will start on Friday when possible, and general rink areas post 40 days out.
The rules say this is a Stay To Play event, with rooms through Carey Stinson at TPI Hospitality. Exact rinks post 30 days ahead and final schedules 2 weeks ahead.
The rink chart on the page includes TCO Sports Garden, Richfield, St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Braemar, Doug Woog and Minnesota Made Ice Center. That is a lot of spread for one weekend.
All 52 hotels near the rink
Closest first, by car. The first one is the card at the top of this page.
See every hotel near National Sports Center, with any dates
The rules say you must book through TPI Hospitality. These hotels are for comparison and for families the rules exempt. Check the exemptions above first.
| Hotel | Drive | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Inn & Suites Minneapolis North/Blaine | 2 min | See rates |
| Best Western Plus Blaine At the National Sports Center | 3 min | See rates |
| Staybridge Suites | 3 min | See rates |
Booking a lot of rooms for your team?
The rules say teams book through TPI Hospitality. Use the official housing link for your team rooms. We cannot arrange a separate group rate for this event.
Open the official housing page| Hotel | Drive | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Blaine Town Inn & Suites | 4 min | See rates |
| Hampton Inn & Suites | 4 min | See rates |
| Holiday Inn | 4 min | See rates |
| Home2 Suites by Hilton Plymouth Minneapolis | 4 min | See rates |
| Crowne Plaza | 5 min | See rates |
Show the other 44 hotels
| Hotel | Drive | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Marriott Residence Inn | 5 min | See rates |
| Residence Inn | 5 min | See rates |
| SpringHill Suites | 5 min | See rates |
| Asteria Inn | 6 min | See rates |
| Courtyard | 6 min | See rates |
| Holiday Inn | 6 min | See rates |
| Ramada | 6 min | See rates |
| AmericInn | 7 min | See rates |
| AmericInn by Wyndham | 7 min | See rates |
| Hampton | 7 min | See rates |
| Home2 Suites | 7 min | See rates |
| Medina Inn | 7 min | See rates |
| Northcott Americinn | 7 min | See rates |
| Budget Host | 8 min | See rates |
| Cambria Suites | 8 min | See rates |
| Country Inn & Suites | 8 min | See rates |
| Extended Stay America - Minneapolis - Eden Prairie - Technology Drive | 8 min | See rates |
| Extended Stay America - Minneapolis - Maple Grove | 8 min | See rates |
| Hampton Inn & Suites | 8 min | See rates |
| Hilton Garden Inn | 8 min | See rates |
| Hilton Homes | 8 min | See rates |
| Minneapolis Marriott Northwest | 8 min | See rates |
| Quality Inn | 8 min | See rates |
| TownePlace Suites | 8 min | See rates |
| Best Western | 9 min | See rates |
| Comfort Inn | 9 min | See rates |
| Country Inn & Suites, Coon Rapids, MN | 9 min | See rates |
| Extended Stay America - Minneapolis - Brooklyn Center | 9 min | See rates |
| Hyatt Place | 9 min | See rates |
| InTown Suites | 9 min | See rates |
| La Quinta Inn & Suites Minneapolis Northwest | 9 min | See rates |
| SpringHill Suites Minneapolis Eden Prairie | 9 min | See rates |
| TownePlace Suites | 9 min | See rates |
| Baymont | 10 min | See rates |
| Comfort Inn | 10 min | See rates |
| Courtyard | 10 min | See rates |
| Fairfield Inn | 10 min | See rates |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Coon Rapids-Blaine Area | 10 min | See rates |
| Super 8 by Wyndham Brooklyn Center/MPLS | 10 min | See rates |
| The Hotel Landing | 10 min | See rates |
| Travelodge | 10 min | See rates |
| Days Inn | 11 min | See rates |
| Marriott Minneapolis West | 11 min | See rates |
| Sheraton Minneapolis West Hotel | 11 min | See rates |
We may earn a commission if you book through these links. Your price is the same.
Share with your team
Send the dates and the hotel list to the team chat in one tap.
Housing Fairness score: 40
How the score was built
40Starts at 100. Built from published rules only. See the method.
- Hotel requiredTeams must book through the housing partner-40
- No local exemptionNo local radius exemption published-10
- Staying with family not allowedNo family exemption published-10
- Penalty for booking elsewhereNo penalty published0
- Booking deadline more than 45 days before the eventNo booking deadline published0
- No-show or cancel fee beyond the hotel's own policyNot stated0
- Rebates or fees to the tournament not disclosedNot checked0
Dates by level
| Level | Dates |
|---|---|
| Boys AAA Open Upper, Boys AAA Open Lower, Girls AAA 8U to 19U | May 21 to 23, 2027 |
Games guaranteed: 4. Source
True trip cost per family
Every number below is an assumption you can change. We fill in only what the sources state.
Entry fee $1,999 per team, divided by this number
May 21 to 23, 2027
Enter the rate you see
Gas counts the round trip
Assumption, not a source figure
- Entry fee share$133
- Hotel: 2 nights x $0$0
- Gas: 0 mi x 2 / 22 mpg x $3.20$0
- Meals: 4 people x 3 days x $15$180
$313
Estimated total for one family. Hotel or mileage is still empty, so this total is low.
Quick answers
- Is Independent Classic stay-to-play?
- Yes. The rules say teams must book through TPI Hospitality for Independent Classic.
- When is Independent Classic?
- Independent Classic runs May 21 to 23, 2027.
- Where is Independent Classic?
- National Sports Center, 1750 105th Avenue NE, Blaine, MN 55449.
- What is the closest hotel to Independent Classic?
- Fairfield Inn & Suites Minneapolis North/Blaine is the closest, about 2 minutes by car from National Sports Center.
Parent ratings
Add a parent report
Rate this tournament
Not enough ratings yet. We show an average rating after 5 ratings.
Ratings open after the event ends.
Spot something wrong? We fix verified errors within 48 hours.