Hockey is Canada’s game.
It’s also a huge focus across the province right now, with minor hockey players across Alberta travelling to towns near and far to compete for provincial glory.
Here in Barrhead we had the honour of hosting one of those provincial tournaments, welcoming seven Pee Wee squads to town for the Pee Wee ‘B’ tournament.
It was a chance to show what we here in Barrhead can do, and we didn’t disappoint.
The Agrena was a bustling place for all three days of the tournament, with fans from all the teams coming and going, cheering their kids on to victory.
And while the host Flyers were unable to win another banner to hang from the Agrena’s rafters, they nonetheless did Barrhead proud in putting up a fight in every game they played. So big congratulations are in order for the Flyers, who never let their results get them down.
On the road, three teams were competing in their own provincial tournaments this past weekend.
The Steelers were in Slave Lake, where they earned a provincial silver medal.
The Blackhawks were in Brooks, where they made it to the semifinals before falling to the eventual provincial silver medallists.
And the Renegades were in Rocky Mountain House, where they put up a good fight, but failed to advance to the playoffs.
Despite their varying levels of success, these teams shouldn’t look at their provincial performances with any regret. They defeated several strong teams en route to their berths in the provincial tournaments, and were beaten by teams that had done the same. There is no shame in losing to the best.
One more Barrhead team will have a shot at a provincial title this upcoming weekend, when the Atom Hawks travel to Marwayne for the Atom ‘C’ tournament. We can only hope they do Barrhead as proud as the Flyers, Steelers, Blackhawks and Renegades did.
At the league level, it was also a successful weekend, with more success still possible.
The Hawks claimed their league title with a strong 4-1 win over Redwater on Sunday.
And the Novice Bruins claimed their league’s bronze medal with an 11-6 win over Wabamun on Sunday.
Starting March 21, the Steelers look to win their league’s championship. Will they do it? Only one way to find out.
So, way to go, Barrhead. We’re a hockey community, no doubt about it.
