It’s Canada versus the United States during the ultimate hockey showdown.
The Cold Lake Wings are hosting their U.S. counterparts for the Western States Hockey League (WHSL) and Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA) tournament.
The local players are hitting the ice against three Washington teams including the Seattle Totems, Bremerton Admirals, and Bellingham Blazers, as well as one roster from Oregon, the Spartans
The weeklong tournament is being hosted until Nov. 17 at the Cold Lake Energy Centre. The same U.S. teams will also face-off against Edson Aeros, Hinton Wildcats, and the Meadow Lake Mustangs.
Head coach of the Cold Lake Wings, Johnathan Aitken, said the tournament is a good way for fans to see what the other side of the border has to offer.
“They get to see something other than the typical Hinton, Edson, and Meadow Lake (matchups). It just gives them a bit of a wider range,” he expressed, adding it’s also giving the team a taste of what they can expect in December’s Las Vegas tournament.
“I think you have to learn from the good and bad. Obviously, you want to have good memories from playing these types of games, because we’re setting a statement for when we go to the showcase in December. We could be playing these same teams,” Aitken said. “This is a good way to establish a statement of who we want to play, but if you give it up to easy, it becomes a bit harder.”
Bob Armando, executive vice-president and deputy commissioner of the WSHL, said it’s hard to compare the brand new Wings to their U.S. opponents.
He added, from what he has seen so far, once the Canadian teams get into the swing of things, he is sure they will be able to hold their own on the ice. 
“The teams we sent up here are four teams we picked at random that would have the least amount of travel expense, and I think for the most part, the American roster is a little bit fuller right now and they have more players. The talent level, from the first few games I have seen, is pretty comparable and pretty even,” he noted. “It seems like in the third period, because the Americans have a lot deeper bench, they’ve been able to outlast the Canadian contingent.”
Armando continued, “Only time will tell. We have a showcase event where all of the teams here, including the Canadian division of the WSHL, will be coming down the Las Vegas… we will all be playing each other.”
In preparation for the Canadian tournament, the selected U.S. teams were buzzing with anticipation.
According to Armando, all WSHL teams were hoping for the chance to face-off against the WPHA.
“The four teams that are here right now have been anticipating this trip for a long time. They’re really enjoying it,” expressed Armando. “It’s a great opportunity for them to be able to come up here and play the Canadian teams.”
When it comes to the WPHA, Bryan Brown, business development, said it’s “awesome to have them (WSHL) here to play.”
He added, “It gives us an idea of what kind of hockey there is in the US, compared to what we have and what we’re looking forward to here in Canada.”
Aitken is hoping his team were reminded of the importance of playing as a team.
“A team with skill, that doesn’t always win a game, but a team that works hard together will always beat a team with talent, especially when talent doesn’t work hard,” he said.
The Wings have already played three of the six matchups, with their next game against the Seattle Totems slotted for Thursday, Nov. 15. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
