Lucas Punkari
After their annual loop of tournaments in North Dakota and Minnesota, the Fort Frances Midget ‘AA’ Canadians will finish off their season with a unique opportunity when they participate in the Niagara Falls Championship Cup hockey tournament March 15-17 in New York.
“We’ve never been down there before and to play in a tournament like that is going to be very exciting,” team captain Brody McPherson said during the team’s pancake breakfast and bake sale Saturday morning at the Métis Hall here.
“I was with the team a couple of years ago during our trip to Chicago and it was one of the best times of my life,” enthused third-year player Abe Germain.
“This should be a great experience, as well, in this tournament, especially since we are going to a Sabres’ game while we are there and I’m sure the newer guys on our team are looking forward to it,” he added.
Having competed in that Chicago tournament, and also getting the chance to tour the Chicago Blackhawks’ facility at the United Center with former Fort Frances native Duncan Keith, the Canadians were looking to return to the Windy City this season before circumstances got in the way.
“They were unable to fill the Midget category for that tournament there, so we started to look somewhere else for a tournament to have the guys play in,” head coach Dave Egan explained.
“We had looked into going to Pittsburgh but the parents had looked into the situation, as well, and saw that the tournament in Niagara Falls was the most suitable for the players,” he added.
While their schedule isn’t known yet, the Canadians will be leaving for Niagara Falls on Thursday, March 14, where they’ll be one of 48 teams competing in the three-day event.
“It sounds like there is going to be teams from all over the United States that will be competing there, so it’ll be a good skill test for the guys,” Egan remarked.
“Even though we haven’t faced a lot of these teams, you just have to take them like you would any other team and do what you do best,” he reasoned.
Prior to their trip to Niagara Falls, the Canadians will play some exhibition games to keep themselves in game shape (details on those contest also have yet to be determined).
The 2012/13 season has been a different one for the Canadians as their roster is a lot younger than previous editions.
As the season has gone on, though, the team has become a lot stronger, with their best tournament being a third-place showing in Grand Forks last month.
“We went into the season knowing that it would be a younger team this year, but I have nothing but praise for the boys and how much they have grown since the start of the year,” Egan lauded.
“One of the big keys for us has been the leadership from the older boys, and especially our captains [McPherson, Germain, Cameron Gobeil, and Lucas Koomans], who really took the new guys under their wings,” he noted.
“They really helped them out into knowing what to expect and they also helped them in learning the systems,” Egan added.
While many are looking forward to the Niagara Falls trip, it also will mark the end for some of the players’ time with the Midget ‘AA’ Canadians, including Germain, who has been with the squad for three seasons.
“It’s been a great experience,” he enthused.
“Nothing against the other teams in this area, but I would really recommend playing with the Canadians as this is a good program and I have enjoyed my three years with the team,” Germain said.
