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Athabasca to host college hockey tournament

Athabasca will get a chance to see some top-level college hockey talent this fall with Athabascaís first college hockey tournament. The new competition will feature three menís teams ñ with games to be played the Sept.
Hold onto your sticks. Five college-level teams are set to start their seasons next year with tournaments in Athabasca.
Hold onto your sticks. Five college-level teams are set to start their seasons next year with tournaments in Athabasca.

Athabasca will get a chance to see some top-level college hockey talent this fall with Athabascaís first college hockey tournament.

The new competition will feature three menís teams ñ with games to be played the Sept. 10 weekend and two womenís teams on the weekend of Sept. 17.

Organizing committee chair Jeff Johnson said that this will be the first time Athabasca has hosted a tournament like this.

ìThese teams are of extremely high caliber ñ itís some of the best hockey that you can see in the country besides the NHL,î he said.

ìI donít know any community in Canada that does this, certainly no small town in Alberta. To truly be able to get some of the best college programs together in a town of this size is truly a remarkable accomplishment.î

The name of the Athabasca hockey challenge has yet to be determined, but Johnson does have five teams committed to participating in the event: the Augustana Vikings, the University of Alberta Golden Bears and the NAIT Ooks for the first weekend, and the University of Alberta Pandas and University of Saskatchewan Huskies in a mini-series the following weekend.

Johnson said an organizing committee is working on tying in an educational fair during the event to give parents and students a list of post-secondary opportunities.

ìWe want to make this more than just hockey games,î he said. ìWe want to make it about really exposing their potential and exposing what educational opportunities are out there.î

The committee will also be looking to bring in a coachesí clinic during the hockey festivities. Although it is not officially confirmed, theyíre currently looking into getting Golden Bears assistant coach and former Edmonton Oiler Fernando Pisani as well as former assistant coach for the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers Billy Moores.

ìWe want to tie in a really strong coaches clinic or a coach seminar,î Johnson said. ìWeíre going to have some really experienced professional-level coaches up here, and we want to tap into that knowledge and try to have some of that knowledge transferred, and that experience rub off on our coaches in the region.î

He added that he wants to get the Athabasca minor hockey teams involved with the college teams, in hopes that they get joined at the hip.

ìWe want them watching them practice, maybe going on the ice to practice with the team and cheering for them at the games just so they always feel welcomed and supported when they come to town,î he said. ìNot only will it promote their program, but it will expose our kids what is really possible for them.î

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