Impressive out-of-town participation at U9 hockey tourney
The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) held a U9 tournament this past weekend.
By Morris Prokop on January 17, 2024
The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) held a U9 tournament this past weekend.
The tournament faced off Jan. 12-14 at the Canada Games Centre on the ATCO ice, which was divided in half for the tourney.
Ice times for each game were 45 minutes long, with 18 and 21 minute periods. The tourney featured full line changes.
A buzzer sounded intermittently to summon the next group of kids from each team onto the ice.
According to WMHA board member Don Fedus, more than 100 kids from 10 teams participated in the event.
The Star stopped in on Saturday to check out the action.
Fedus said the tournament was going 鈥渧ery well.
鈥淎ll the teams were able to make it here.鈥
Fedus said teams from outside of Whitehorse included Haines Junction, Dawson City and a combined team from Carmacks, Watson Lake and Teslin.
鈥淲e have lots of people from all over the territory playing,鈥 related Fedus.
Fedus said this was the first time Haines Junction has been able to play real games this season.
His son played in the tournament.
鈥淗e鈥檚 having lots of fun.鈥
Fedus said sponsors donated items for a silent auction the WMHA held to raise funds and for prize bags for the U9 kids.
The funds raised in the silent auction went towards paying for ice time and tournament expenses.
鈥淲ithout those sponsors, it doesn鈥檛 run as smoothly for us.鈥
Fedus added a 鈥渂ig shout out to Kim Peever for doing a lot of work organizing this tournament.鈥
A game between Kluane Drilling and Wildstone was followed by a clash between Dawson City and the Whitehorse U9 Girls team.
At the same time, Watson Lake/Teslin/Carmacks took on the Haines Junction team on the other half of the ATCO ice.
Hockey parent/coach Jordan Cropper from Watson Lake had two kids on the combined team. His son Marshall, 10 was the goalie and daughter Anastasia, eight, played out.
Of the combined team, Cropper said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about teamwork and playing together.鈥
Cropper said even though they missed the first day of the tournament due to weather issues, the kids were 鈥渟uper-excited, especially with the miss we had yesterday with the cold weather. They still made it here to play today and
tomorrow.鈥
Cropper said this was the first time his kids played in a tournament.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty pumped over it.鈥
Cropper added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting. It鈥檚 fun. It鈥檚 good for the kids.鈥
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