No stranger to high-level hockey, Athabascaís Zach Bendall will face a new challenge at this yearís Alberta Cup.
The 14-year-old Bendall recently completed his second season with the Bantam AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. After the season was over, he was given the rare opportunity to try out for the Alberta Cup, an annual event that pits the provinceís best young hockey players against each other as representatives of their respective zones.
As a resident of Athabasca, Bendall found himself amongst 120 other highly skilled hockey players competing for a spot on the Northwest team. Knowing what it takes to make a competitive team, Bendall brought his penchant for hard work and all of the skills that have made him a valued member of the Rangers to the tryout.
Then came the waiting game, as Bendall waited by the phone on the appointed night earlier this month to find out whether or not his efforts had nabbed him one of the 20 spots on the team. He wasnít disappointed.
ìWhen they called I was pretty excited,î he said. ìThey like my effort and my work ethic, and my quick release (of the puck).î
Those are all factors that have led to his success with the Rangers. A forward, Bendall plays the game with energy and no fear, heading into the corners and often coming out with the puck.
He hopes to make the same kind of impact with Team Northwest when he suits up at the Alberta Cup in Strathmore, April 24-28.
ìItís really high calibre hockey. Itíll be a good experience,î he said.
Not only will Bendall and his teammates be facing off against the best young hockey players in Alberta, they will be doing so in front of a crowd of scouts, many of them representing post-secondary schools or Western Hockey League teams, and all of them looking for someone who can help their teams win.
Bendall has been under the microscope before, and he doesnít think the presence of so many scouts will be too nerve-racking for him.
ìIíll be more excited than anything. Iíve just got to go out there and keep playing the way I do. If they like me, thatís a good thing. As long as I play my game and do the best that I can, Iíll feel good.î
The tournament will give him the rare opportunity to skate alongside some league ërivalsí while playing against some of his teammates from the Rangers. But every young athlete in Strathmore will have the same goal; to play their best hockey and help their teams win while catching the eyes of the scouts.
A strong showing at the Alberta Cup would certainly help Bendallís case when he enters the WHL draft this summer. Even if he is drafted, heíll be too young to move up right away, so this fall he expects to try out for the Fort Saskatchewan midget team as he keeps climbing the provincial hockey ladder.
Heíd be unable to do so without the unfailing support of his family. He also maintains a terrific grade average in school, thanks to his own hard work and the support of his teachers.
His upcoming trip to the Cup indicates all that effort isnít going to waste.
ìIt feels good that itís all paying off.î
