Grande Prairie Storm player Ethan Strang fires a shot at the net during an Aug. 30 AJHL exhibition game against the Bonnyville Pontiacs, hosted by the Storm at the Rotary Spirit Centre. The Storm dominated the game posting a 5-3 victory.
The Grande Prairie Storm edged the Bonnyville Pontiacs 5-3 in an Alberta Junior Hockey League exhibition game hosted by the Storm Aug. 30 at the Rotary Spirit Centre.
“It was a really fast-paced game … really fun hockey to watch,” said Westlock Warrior Rod Kaliel, who helped organize the event.
The younger players trying out for each club got a chance to show their talent next to the veterans, which spiked the competition and turned the game into an intense face-off.
“The Bonnyville goalie, from what I heard, had a really excellent game. He faced 51 shots,” said Kaliel.
Over 300 people came to watch, a very good response from a town which has never hosted an AJHL game.
Although all the expenses haven’t been tallied yet, Kaliel is positive that there will be a small profit for the organizers — the Westlock Warriors and the Westlock Minor Hockey Association, which participated with Grande Prairie to host the match.
Some of the Warriors have played in the AJHL before and hosting a league exhibition at home was an exciting opportunity to volunteer in the time box, penalty box, and the tailgate party which took place before the game started.
“It was a nice event for the community to be able to come out and watch hockey in August,” said Kaliel.
Because of the positive response the event received here, the Grande Prairie team is considering hosting a similar game in Westlock again next year, Kaliel confirmed.
