Whether it's a change in the minor hockey program or just something in the water, Yukon hockey players seem to be doing better than ever this season.

The bantam and atom rep hockey teams impressed everyone with their performances at Outside tournaments, both squads returning home with silver medals around their neck in their final competition of the season.

Four of the bantam players made the northern team for the B.C. Best Ever tournament while two midgets, both of whom spent the season down south, will also compete at the Best Ever event. And if that weren't enough, two Yukoners were also awarded individual trophies for their efforts this year.

After leading the Fort St. John Tracker District Flyers a AAA midget team in scoring throughout the regular season, and sitting in the top five in the Rural Alberta Midget Hockey League (RAMHL), Adam Henderson was named the league's top forward. Henderson received the award, which is voted on by all the coaches in the RAMHL, last month.

'I was shocked when I found out,' said a modest Henderson in an interview Monday, now back at home in Whitehorse.

'I thought it was going to be one of a couple other guys on our team.'

The athlete didn't even know he had won the award until the team gathered at a going away party for their general manager. During his speech, the GM made the announcement and asked Henderson to accept it. The Yukon forward gave full credit to his line mates.

'I played on a pretty good line this year, so I couldn't have done it without those guys.'

While the Flyers got eliminated in the first round of the RAMHL playoffs by Grande Prairie, they found some success at the B.C. provincial championships, although they just missed out on the semifinals by finishing third in their division out of five teams.

'Our first game, our team had discipline problems. Our captain and two assistant captains were suspended for a game, and that put our team in a hole. We should have won that game.'

By the last game, said Henderson, the Flyers' fatigue really showed and they couldn't pull out the much-needed victory, which would have secured them a spot in the semis.

'It was a long season.

'We had a good team this year and we could have won it. A few times, we definitely could have played our system better. We weren't always consistent. Our system requires a lot of quick thinking and we just weren't always there. We had problems breaking out of our own end sometimes.'

The team did have a very good goaltender, he added, and 'one of the best coaches' he's every played for in Scott Longstaff.

'He's a guy who wants to win. He'll do anything to win. He's a good guy to have as a friend too. He's always there for you.'

Henderson said his experience in Fort St. John this season was nothing but positive, calling it a great place to play hockey.

'I'd recommend it to anybody. Once they (players in the Yukon) hit midget age, they should definitely at least try out for the team.

'Everybody (in Fort St. John) is really nice. They're great people, in the town, on the team and in management.'

While Henderson would have no problems returning to Fort St. John next season, he'd also like to see what happens over the summer. He was placed on the Kelowna Rockets' (Western Hockey League) 50-man protected list halfway through the season, so he'll be attending at least a couple camps in Kelowna in the summer.

Henderson was also one of the two Yukon midgets to make the northern B.C. Best Ever team, along with defenceman Reid Campbell, who hails from Haines Junction.

Henderson called the Best Ever camp earlier this month 'tiring,' since they had two practices a day plus two games on the last day. But, he said, the competition at the camp was pretty good with a lot of depth.

'I played hard for the whole game,' he said, when asked why he got chosen. 'I scored two goals in two games and got a couple of assists as well.'

Campbell, he said, threw a couple of nice hip-checks and played solid on defence. Fellow Yukoners and Flyers Neil Chambers and Cam MacKinnon also tried out for Best Ever, and Henderson said he was shocked Chambers didn't make it.

'He played unreal. His line scored probably 10 goals over the two games. I think he scored three of those. I don't know how he didn't make it.'

Henderson said MacKinnon was playing with an injury at the camp, as well as some equipment which was a little too small, so that's probably why he didn't make it.

The north Best Ever team will compete at the B.C. Cup against five other regional teams in Salmon Arm, April 28-May 1. Henderson and Campbell will be leaving for a training camp in preparation for the B.C. Cup this weekend.

From the Best Ever tournament, the top 46 midget players will be selected to a provincial camp in July, where about 11 of them will be named to Team Pacific. Team Pacific will compete at the 2006 under-17 world championships next season.

'I just want to have fun and compete with kids my age,' said Henderson about the opportunity at the B.C. Cup. 'I just want to see how I compare to everyone.'

Flyers coach Longstaff wouldn't be too surprised if Henderson continued to impress scouts at the tournament. In an interview earlier this year, Longstaff spoke very highly of the forward.

'To start with, he's 6'1,' said the coach. 'But it just takes a few minutes to watch him and you can see that not only is he big, he's got skill. He's got a good shot an he can skate.

'Most importantly, he's got the right attitude to be a good player. Maybe even more so than anyone on our team. He's probably got a better attitude than he is a player, so that's going to get him a long way.'

Henderson wasn't the only Yukoner to impress his coaching staff this year though, as 19-year-old Jared Tuton was presented with the rookie of the year award by the Merritt Centennials.

The defenceman finished the regular season with 13 points in 51 games for the B.C. junior A team, despite the fact he missed several games with a broken arm.

His dedication was a big reason he won the award, and that showed once again in the playoffs, when Tuton donned a playing cast on his arm and suited up for all five contests, collecting three assists.

While the Cents were eliminated from the playoffs, the rookie of the year nod should still garner some attention from scouts for the Yukoner.

Tuton hopes to play university hockey in the next couple of years, either in Canada or the U.S.

'I just want to play hockey and see what happens,' he said in an interview earlier this season. 'I don't expect anything.'