Photo by Morris Prokop
DOWN BUT NOT OUT – The Wildstone team played the Kluane Drilling team during a U9 tournament at the Canada Games Centre on Saturday. The tournament took place Jan. 12-14. Above, the Wildstone goalie watches the action from ice level as one of the Wildstone players tries to clear the puck out of the zone.
Photo by Morris Prokop
GOALIE GRAB – The Kluane Drilling goalie reaches for the puck during their game against Wildstone while a couple of players go for a tumble in the background.
Photo by Morris Prokop
PUCK BATTLE – A Haines Junction player battles for the puck with a Watson Lake/Teslin/Carmacks player.
Photo by Morris Prokop
STRONG SHOT – A Haines Junction player takes a shot at the net of a combined team of Watson Lake, Teslin and Carmacks.
The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) held a U9 tournament this past weekend.
The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) held a U9 tournament this past weekend.
The tournament faced off Jan. 12-14 at the Canada Games Centre on the ATCO ice, which was divided in half for the tourney.
Ice times for each game were 45 minutes long, with 18 and 21 minute periods. The tourney featured full line changes.
A buzzer sounded intermittently to summon the next group of kids from each team onto the ice.
According to WMHA board member Don Fedus, more than 100 kids from 10 teams participated in the event.
The Star stopped in on Saturday to check out the action.
Fedus said the tournament was going “very well.
“All the teams were able to make it here.”
Fedus said teams from outside of Whitehorse included Haines Junction, Dawson City and a combined team from Carmacks, Watson Lake and Teslin.
“We have lots of people from all over the territory playing,” related Fedus.
Fedus said this was the first time Haines Junction has been able to play real games this season.
His son played in the tournament.
“He’s having lots of fun.”
Fedus said sponsors donated items for a silent auction the WMHA held to raise funds and for prize bags for the U9 kids.
The funds raised in the silent auction went towards paying for ice time and tournament expenses.
“Without those sponsors, it doesn’t run as smoothly for us.”
Fedus added a “big shout out to Kim Peever for doing a lot of work organizing this tournament.”
A game between Kluane Drilling and Wildstone was followed by a clash between Dawson City and the Whitehorse U9 Girls team.
At the same time, Watson Lake/Teslin/Carmacks took on the Haines Junction team on the other half of the ATCO ice.
Hockey parent/coach Jordan Cropper from Watson Lake had two kids on the combined team. His son Marshall, 10 was the goalie and daughter Anastasia, eight, played out.
Of the combined team, Cropper said, “It’s all about teamwork and playing together.”
Cropper said even though they missed the first day of the tournament due to weather issues, the kids were “super-excited, especially with the miss we had yesterday with the cold weather. They still made it here to play today and tomorrow.”
Cropper said this was the first time his kids played in a tournament.
“They’re pretty pumped over it.”
Cropper added, “It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s good for the kids.”
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