The Vancouver Northeast Chiefs are hoping they’ve got enough momentum heading into the team’s biggest tournament of the season.
The B.C. Major Midget Hockey League team that is based in Burnaby but built on a solid core of players from the Tri-Cities, as well as New Westminster and Maple Ridge, saw its latest three-game win streak come to a crashing halt with a 6-1 loss to the Okanagan Rockets on Saturday, but recovered to salvage something from their weekend sojourn to Kelowna with a 4-4 tie on Sunday.
Saturday’s loss was only the Chiefs’ fifth of the season in regulation time, and they remain in third place in the league’s standings, one point ahead of the Rockets and two behind the Cariboo Cougars.
Maybe not coincidentally, the Chiefs caught fire just as the team learned it will be going to the renowned Mac’s AAA tournament in Calgary that begins in the last week of December.
Building their case for an invitation was all about having a winning record, said Chiefs head coach Jeff Urekar, who’s in his first full season behind the team’s bench.
“They were very excited when we [told them],” he said. “We thought we had put together enough wins to be invited, but you never know because they only take so many teams.”
For the players, the stakes of the Calgary tournament are high. With some of the best midget-aged teams from across Western Canada, the central and western United States and even European clubs, the Mac’s is renowned for attracting junior hockey scouts like moths to a flame.
“There may be some nerves, knowing there are 100 scouts in the stands,” Urekar said.
Those scouts may see something they like when the Chiefs hit the ice. Several of the team’s players have already had a taste of junior hockey with call-ups to its BC Hockey League affiliate, the Coquitlam Express.
Chiefs’ captain Dante Ballarin and Logan Kurki each scored a goal for the Express during an 8-4 win over the Surrey Eagles recently. Ballarin’s goal proved to be the game winner.
Coquitlam’s James Bohn has played a pair of games on the Express’s defence, a just reward for being one of the BCMMHL’s leading scorers amongst blueliners.
“They’re all working towards climbing the junior hockey ladder,” Urekar said. “We’re extremely pleased when our players get these opportunities.”
Other locals who will be looking to turns some heads in Calgary include: forwards Jack Steffens, Quinton Hill and Dylan Wilson from Coquitlam, along with Port Moody’s Christian Lowe and Ryan Tattle.
The Chiefs have proven to be a bit of a streaky team. They won six games in a row earlier in the season to put themselves in a position for the invite to the Mac’s tournament, then rode out a bit of a lull as they awaited word.
Urekar said the Calgary goal has kept the team focussed.
“It’s… attributed to all the hard work the players have put in the past few months,” Urekar said. “We pride ourselves in starting strong and we emphasize the importance of practicing hard.”
Urekar said the Chiefs will have to be at the top of their game to achieve success in Calgary.
“It’s very fast-paced hockey,” he said. “We’re taking an older group this year, so I expect us to really do well.”
• While the Chiefs are competing in Calgary, there are several tournaments happening locally to feed your minor hockey fix over the holiday season.
The Port Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association hosts its 32nd annual gathering of Atom C, PeeWee C and Bantam C teams from Dec. 27 to 30 at the PoCo Rec Centre.
The Candy Cane tournament hosted by Coquitlam Minor Hockey for Initiation and Novice teams will be played from Dec. 27 to 30. That tournament will be followed on Jan. 2 to 5 by the league’s annual Midget A New Year’s tournament and the Richard Young Memorial Midget C tournament from Jan. 3 to 6.
Port Moody Minor Hockey Association hosts its annual Atom rep tournament from Dec. 27 to 30.
