Some might say it was a bad year for hockey, with the NHL lockout and not much going on at GM Place. I mean, Ron MacLean introducing feature movies on CBC during the "Hockey Night in Canada" time slot?! But hey, if you were at Brennan Park last weekend, you would have seen what REAL hockey is all about.
On March 19-20 Squamish hosted a Pee Wee Hockey Tournament. There were nearly 100 11- and 12-year-olds giving it all they've got in a two-day round-robin. Now THAT's hockey!
The team from Hope rolled in on Friday evening, settling into the Mountain Retreat for a couple of nights. The Sunshine Coast team took the ferry Saturday morning. Whistler was ready to go for the first game Saturday morning. Each team played two games on Saturday and another two on Sunday. The top two teams played an additional game late Sunday afternoon. With three teams winning three of their four games, it came down to a comparison of goals - to see which teams would play off for the championship. The Squamish Stompers faced off against the Hope Wildcats. Despite goals by local boys Bryce Hurlbert and Sean Mahedy, the Wildcats were victorious with a final score of 5-2.
A great big thank-you to our sponsor Squamish Credit Union and all the other businesses that supported our tournament and to the coaches and referees, the parents that helped with everything from time-keeping to delivering home-baked snacks to the dressing rooms. Thank you for helping to make the tournament a success!
Sure, a Canuck game or two would have been nice this season, but Squamish Minor Hockey represents the true spirit of the game that Canadians love. It was a pleasure to watch our youth play hockey the way it should be played - for fun!
