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Organizers estimate 1,600 participants from Colorado and io other states will spend about $2 million on hotels, meals, rental vehicles and activities during the four-day tournament, which is among the city's biggest annual tourism events, giving local a hotels a boost out of season. The tournament began Thursday evening and ends on Monday. "This event is a great benefit at this time of year, which is traditionally a slow season for hotels. They Cheyenne Mountain Resort sells out and 10-12 other hotels will be full of hockey players," said Mike Pipkins, the tournament's co-director for sponsor Colorado Springs Amateur Hockey Association. John Garcia, of Sacramento and father of Joe Garcia of the San Jose Sharks youth hockey team, said he has come to Colorado Springs for several years to watch his son play in the tournament. They family often makes the trip part of a small vacation - this year they are visiting the Air Force Academy and riding the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit of the area's most famous landmark. Team members and their families are staying at the Hyatt Place hotel on Garden of the Gods Road and have been frequenting nearby restaurants including Panera Bread and Bird Dog BBQ. "We come here every year. I like to enjoy the history of the military here. There are a lot of vital installations here that a lot of people don't realize are located here," John Garcia said. The tournament features 89 teams of hockey players ages 9-16 who fill more than 3,000 room -nights, or one room rented one night, in local hotels, said Cheryl McCullough, director of sports and special events for the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. The games are played at The Broadmoor World Arena and Ice Hall, Honen Arena at Colorado College, Sertich Ice Center in Memorial Park, the Cadet Ice Arena at the Air Force Academy and the Pueblo Plaza Ice Arena. "Some teams arrive early and make it a family vacation of sorts," McCullough said. "Many hotels will bring in additional staff to help out during the tournament." Special events in this year's tournament include a Thursday exhibition game between an all-star team from Alaska and a local team, another exhibition game between a local team from the association's adaptive program and a peewee team from Dallas. Participating teams are from Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington state.