Bantam A hockey players from across Alberta descended on Cold Lake.
The Cold Lake Ice Bantam A team hosted the 2019 Hockey Alberta Championship Tournament from Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17 at the Cold Lake Energy Centre.
Ten teams from across the province came to represent their respective zones. But, it wasn’t just about hockey. The organizing committee for the tournament included activities for families who weren’t on the ice such as face painting, balloon animals, and vendors were on-site for a farmers’ market throughout the weekend.
Crystal Frey, media coordinator for the host committee, noted there was a number of factors for why they wanted to bring the event to the area.
“Cold Lake hasn’t hosted provincials since 1992, boys (bantam) provincials specifically. Actually, the bantam boys, I believe, won provincials at that time... That’s part of the reason why we wanted to do it, and we wanted to give our kids the experience to have it at home, because we have travelled elsewhere for provincials.”
While they have competed in tournaments of this calibre in the past, the Ice haven’t been able to play in front of their home town.
“I’d much rather have (provincials) here,” noted Kadyn Blackman, right wing for the Ice. “The crowd came for us, so we know it’s for us, and they were so loud. It was just awesome, and I loved it.”
Head coach Jason Harrison agreed.
“That’s got to be a fantastic experience as a 13 or 14-year-old kid, to step onto the ice and you’ve got the stands full. People were banging drums, and everything, and it’s not just their parents.”
Although they didn’t have the results they were hoping for, Blackman noted the tournament was fun overall.
The home team fell 4-3 in their first game on Thursday, March 14, against the NWZ Outlaws. They tied their next two games against Sherwood Park and Westlock on Friday, March 15, before defeating Lethbridge on Saturday, March 16.
Frey explained how hosting the event wasn’t just about giving the players a chance to show-off for their Cold Lake fans.
“We wanted to be able to have our own home town fans experience a provincial experience the way we’ve experienced it on the road, because it’s something like no other. In the minor hockey world, it’s the highest level you can go, so it’s really important for the kids to be able to experience it,” Frey expressed.
Heading into the tournament, the Ice wanted to earn their spot in the finals.
“We had a two-game series against Lloydminster, which we won both games to win the Zone 2 banner for Hockey Alberta. We came in as Zone 2 champions,” Harrison detailed.
Overall, they finished second in their league tied with Lloydminster.
Harrison said, “Our organizing committee did a fantastic job setting it up. It’s a ton of work and a lot of money. They did lots of fundraising to get us (to provincials), and it was nice.”
