The puck drops on the 38th annual BDO Kelowna International Elite Midget Tournament this week, a showcase event for some of Canada’s top midget teams and players on the cusp of junior and professional hockey careers.
The 12-team tournament kicks off on Wednesday featuring 50 players affiliated with Western Hockey League teams and another 75 aligned with Junior A or Junior B clubs. In all, 33 games will be played during the five-day event, split between Rutland Arena and the CNC. Participating teams hail from throughout B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
The Okanagan is represented by the host Kelowna Minor Hockey Association Fripp Warehousing Rockets, who are accompanied by the Kelowna-based B.C. Major Midget Hockey League Okanagan Rockets, and Okanagan Hockey Academy Red and OHA White teams based in Penticton.
Also competing at the KIMMT are Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s Yale Lions, Delta Wild, Northern Alberta Xtreme, and Burnaby Winter Club. The Saskatoon Contacts and Swift Current Legionaires, the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Burlington Eagles from Ontario round out the list of tournament competitors.
“We’ve got the cream of the crop,” said tournament director, Tony Ryder, who has been part of the tournament’s organizing committee since 1995. “It’s going to be a good tournament. It’ll certainly be worth coming out to see.”
The Okanagan Rockets have won the tournament twice (2010, 2014), something no other Kelowna-area team has done even once since the first event took place in 1980. The Rockets are in search of redemption after a lackluster performance over the Christmas break at the Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey Tournament in Calgary. The team failed to qualify for the playoff round, and dropped a game to their Coast Capri Division-rival Saskatoon Contacts, who went on to claim silver at the event.
“Our goal is to win this,” said Eric Blais, head coach of the Okanagan Rockets. “It’s a high-end tournament, with a lot of really good teams. I think we have a great shot at it. Hopefully we play the way we can play, keep to our structure, work hard and execute.
“Let’s face it, you have to have some luck, but you have to earn that luck by playing hard. You have to stay healthy, and you have to score. I know it sounds simple, but that’s the truth of the matter. We’ll have to capitalize on our opportunities, and shut down the other teams. If our boys can trust our structure, and trust their teammates, we’ll be fine.”
Having so far put up a strong season in Tier 1 this year, the KMHA Fripp Warehousing Rockets are looking to make an impact at their event, seeking to prove that they can hang with some of the country’s top midget aged teams.
“We know that we’re the underdogs at this tournament,” said Lee Hamilton, head coach of the Rockets. “No one has really given us a shot here. But our boys are pumped by the idea that there are no expectations on them. With less pressure, teams typically have more fun, and when they have more fun, they play better. The boys have really come together in learning our systems, and more importantly they’ve learned to trust each other. We’re in tough, but we should be able to compete quite well and be right in the mix. They’re excited to be there.”
The Kelowna Rockets open tournament play against the Delta Wild U18s beginning at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the Rutland East Arena while the Okanagan Rockets meet the Burnaby Winter Club U18s in Wednesday’s feature game at 7 p.m. at Rutland West
The championship final is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and will be broadcast on Shaw TV. Also televised will be the KIJHL Prospects Game, played on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at Rutland West.
Some of the current or former NHL players who once played the tournament include Justin Schultz, Tyson Barrie, Curtis Lazar, Willie Mitchell, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, Paul Kariya, Cliff Ronning and Martin Jones.
Tournament passes are available at Chevy’s Source for Sports, CanCadd, and the Coast Capri Hotel.
Proceeds benefit the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association and four player bursaries.
For the full schedule and more information, visit the tournament website.
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