Lucas Punkari
For seven local hockey players, the next two months will be among the most exciting times they’ve ever had.
Ian Tookenay, Hunter Koles, Lauren Vold, Parker Orchard, Noah Loveday, Cole Tymkin, and Brett Hahkala will represent Fort Frances on this year’s N.W.O. All-Stars PeeWee ‘AAA’ squad, which will play its first tournament this weekend at the Tournament of Champions in Brandon, Man.
The seven, who all suit up for the Fort Frances Canadians PeeWee ‘AA’ team, made the regional squad back in September after tryouts held last summer in Vermilion Bay.
“It was basically more like drill work right off of the start to see if we could keep up with the pace,” Hahkala recalled.
“Then when we got into the second day of practice, we started to have a little scrimmage and some in game situations that we faced,” Orchard added.
However, the seven didn’t find out that they had made the team until September, when they got a call after they made the local ‘AA’ Canadians.
“When I found I made the regional team, I was in shock,” Vold admitted.
“I couldn’t believe it myself, and I remember that I was pretty excited,” she added.
The ‘AAA’ team has been practising in Vermilion Bay once a month since that time, with players from Dryden and Kenora also on the roster.
“Even though we have a little bit of a drive, it’s the easiest location for all of us to get together and get our practises in,” Tymkin reasoned.
“Plus, we actually know most of the guys already from the other towns when we play in the ‘AA’ ranks, so it works out pretty well,” said Vold.
The All-Stars will take to the ice for their first game tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. against the Lumsden Bethune Lions from Saskatchewan.
“The biggest thing for us this weekend is to get to know and feel better with each other in game situations,” Hahkala said.
“Plus, we know that we have to get better in all of our games that we play, especially with our big tournament coming up in March,” stressed Loveday.
That big tournament is the Hockey Northwestern Ontario championships, which will be take place March 16-18 in Thunder Bay, with the host Kings and the Schreiber North Stars also participating.
The winner of that event then will represent the region at the All-Ontario championships, set for April 9-14 in Waterloo.
“You always hear about when the Muskies go down to southern Ontario to compete at OFSAA, but you never think about someone being able to do that from here in the PeeWee level,” said Hahkala.
“For us to have a chance to be able and do that, it’s just crazy,” Vold noted.
