Hard work and dedication have paid off for five Salmon Arm minor hockey players.
The quintet of Brayden Haskell, Cole Nisse, Caleb Mitchell, Mitchell Brown and Riley Keys are headed to the BC U15 Cup in Richmond.
The four-day tournament, starting this Thursday, will host the top 160 players from across the province, and this is the first time five players will be representing Salmon Arm.
“I don’t know if we have ever sent five players in one year to this tournament. It’s a tremendous honour,” says Troy Haskell, who has coached the boys on and off for a number of years.
The boys are overjoyed to have the chance to participate in the tournament, and are looking forward to the challenge of playing with B.C.’s best.
“I was a little surprised but very relieved that I made the cut. I’m excited to see how I match up against the other players,” says Brayden.
To be selected for the tournament, the Bantam Tier 2 teammates competed against 120 players at a regional camp in Nelson last month.
When the quintet arrive in Richmond they will be placed on one of eight teams and be run through a series of on- and off-ice combine testing, run in partnership with the Western Hockey League.
At the end of the combine testing, the players will receive a ranking within a national database to show how they stack up compared to other junior players across the country.
After the combine testing, each team will hit the ice for a practice before starting the games.
Brayden describes himself as a physical two-way player and is hopeful he will come out of the tournament with a better understanding of the game and new friendships.
“I think the atmosphere will be great. I can’t wait to play at such a high level against players I’ve never seen before,” said Brown, a defenceman.
Each of the five players have aspirations to play in the WHL or BCHL, and the tournament will provide the boys with invaluable exposure.
“This is the first step for these boys to be recognized and have the opportunity to play in the juniors. The exposure they get from this tournament will be a great boost to their confidence,” says Troy.