By / Darren Bayrack
Two top-10 ranked Calgary Atom clubs met at Max Bell Arena Jan. 24 during opening games of Esso Minor Hockey Week.
Blackfoot Atom 1 defeated the Simons Valley Atom 1 Rebels by a score of 7-2 thanks to a relentless third-period attack that saw them fire 28 shots in the final frame.
Despite the final score, the game was highly competitive after the opening two periods with Blackfoot nursing a 3-2 lead. The second-ranked Blackfoot squad struck for four goals in the third period and, in total, outshot their opponents 51-16.
The game was one of many first-round matchups to open Esso Minor Hockey Week in Calgary, a tournament featuring 4,807 players on the ice from Jan. 22-31.
“It is something that they really look forward to,” said Blackfoot assistant coach Jason Wist after the game. “I think it is a good opportunity for them to highlight their skills in a tournament environment against all the teams in the city.”
The tournament helps the nine- and 10-year-old atom players continue their hockey development during the season. To prepare the Blackfoot players, skills are emphasized before the coaches move onto systems and special teams.
“Basically, we are trying to build something,” Wist explained. “It’s one game at a time. It’s like building a house where we have got to start out with the foundation and then you put the walls up and the roof on it … and then you furnish it when you finish it off.”
Wist’s son Kade is a goalie on the team and Esso Minor Hockey Week is special for him and his teammates.
“We get pretty excited about it,” he said. “I think we have a pretty good team, we have confidence in ourselves and we just try building a house.”
Even at the atom level, the players are beginning to show the drive necessary capture the tournament. “We want to win and compete with all the teams,” Kade stressed.
The Simons Valley Rebels were slotted as the No.-10 team in the HockeyNow rankings as of Dec. 17 and head coach Darryl Campbell highlights Esso Minor Hockey Week on his club’s calendar.
“We have been building up to this tournament all year and the kids are excited about it,” he said. “It’s one week and potentially five games and they’re real excited about it. It’s the biggest thing in Calgary for the year.”
According to the coach, the tourney is a fantastic experience in the lives of young players in the city.
“Obviously, the main focus is having fun,” said Campbell. “We always want to compete out there and work hard. In the end, there will be memories of this for years to come. That’s what it’s all about — the kids have fun.”
Daylan Duiven is a 10-year-old goalie who wears No. 31 for Simons Valley and he has five years of minor hockey experience. Opening the tournament with a loss was clearly disappointing for the Rebels.
“It’s pretty fun but when we lose, it’s kind of harsh,” Duiven said. “It’s fun but we want to do our best so we’re really competitive. Today, we weren’t I guess. We just didn’t show up but we like having fun.”
According to Duiven, his team is looking forward to getting a tournament win under its belt with better team play later in minor hockey week. |
