A couple of Yukoners stood out among B.C.'s finest Under-17 hockey players at a provincial tournament in Salmon Arm.

Forward David Stephens and goaltender Brad Gustafson each had solid showings, which has both players hopeful about receiving an invitation to a Provincial Development Camp (46 players selected from the B.C. Cup). The development camp takes place July or August each season.

At the top of the Yukon highlights at the B.C. Cup included Stephens being on the winning team.

"It was pretty sweet," he said. "There was quite a few good players there."

The B.C. Cup uses a jamboree format, dividing players up on five teams.

The two Yukoners qualified for the B.C. Cup after being selected at an invitation-only District Under-17 camp in Prince George earlier in the season. They represented the North District.

Stephens said his team, the Canucks, got off to a rough start, losing its opening game 5-2.

"We didn't really play that good in the first game."

However, the team rebounded to win its next four contests, including a quarter-final match up against Gustafson's team, the Thrashers.

Despite losing the game, Gustafson, won the Yukon battle, stopping Stephens on two occasions.

Stephens, who has been friends with Gustafson since Kindergarten, said he tried to beat him at the side of the net. The midget Mustangs goalie was able to get a pad on the initial shot and then block the second.

"He (Brad) made a really nice save."

The Canucks won their final game 2-1, after they scored twice in the third period.

Stephens, who was eventually called up to the Cariboo Cougars (Prince George) of the BC Major Midget League this past season, finished with five assists.

"We got our chemistry kind of going and we just worked really hard," he said.

Gustafson, who earlier in the season signed a contract with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, said he was a little disappointed about not winning the B.C. Cup.

"My number one goal there was to win and anything short of that I am going to be disappointed with, but they (the Canucks) were a good team too and I still had a great tourney."

The Whitehorse Midget Mustangs netminder got the Thrashers off on a winning note, stopping 38 shots in his team's 3-2 victory.

The Thrashers won its final game, but Gustafson wasn't in net as a result of the team rotating goaltenders.

Gustafson's record in B.C. was 1-1

He said he was pleased with how he did in Salmon Arm.

"I felt like I played really well down there and I left everything on the ice, so hopefully I get an invite (to the development camp)."