THUNDER BAY — It’s hockey weekend in Thunder Bay.
More than 150 teams of youngsters have circled the Robin’s Minor Hockey Classic on their calendars for months, eying a chance to measure themselves against their hockey-playing peers.
But more importantly, they know it’s going to be one of the most fun weekends of the season, sharing high fives after goals, plenty of laughs on and off the ice, and maybe even shedding a tear or two if the games don’t go their way.
That’s hockey for you.
Nine-year-old Wylen Smith, a player with the U11 A Elks Renegades, said it should be a fun few days.
Still, the youngster is keeping his eyes on the ultimate prize, a trophy presentation on Sunday with the rest of his teammates.
“I want to win,” he said. “And I feel like our team has gotten a lot better.”
Regardless, hockey’s a fun way to spend his free time, Wylen said.
“I love playing and going to the outdoor rinks. I love being goalie and a player.”
His teammate Simon, 10, said he can’t wait for the action to begin.
“I’m just excited to have fun, probably win. This is the team I played for last year. We’re good. We’ve lost a lot of games, but we got a shutout,” said the Renegades goaltender.
“Last year we didn’t win, but we got pretty close to winning.”
Harrison Carr, also nine, said it’s great to have a tournament like the Robin’s, which has been taking place for 47 years, in Thunder Bay.
“It’s fun and you get to win a big trophy if you win it,” Harrison said.
“You get to play teams from all across Thunder Bay.”
Tournament vice-chair Kelly Mallon said more than 150 teams are taking part in this year’s event, one of the largest fields in recent memory.
It’s a lot of work, but oh so worth it, he said.
“It’s got a longstanding reputation and it’s a good regional thing for all the teams to get together and family and friends play each other. We’ve also got a couple of out-of-province teams from Manitoba and a couple of Wawa team are coming all the way (here),” Mallon said.
“It’s a real mixture for the 151 teams in the tournament this year.”
The competition is great, the fun is even better, he added.
“We’re ages four to 17. There are a lot of divisions, a lot of age groups. The younger ones just play a jamboree, there is no scoreboard or nothing,” Mallon said. “But the other ones, they all want to take home the trophy at the end. It’s sort of like the Northern Stanley Cup, for sure.”
Action continues at rinks throughout Thunder Bay all weekend long.
