Serious puck action
Rankin to host number of top hockey events in new year
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 4, 2013
RANKIN INLET/ARVIAT
The ice chips are almost ready to fly with the dates of 2014's tournaments officially released in Rankin Inlet this past week.
Arviat hockey fans are hoping this scene repeats itself after Arviat returns to Rankin Inlet to defend its Sakku First Aviation Avataq Cup hockey championship. - NNSL file photo |
The big three every hockey fan in the Kivalliq is eagerly anticipating are the Polar Bear Plate juvenile-junior tourney from Feb. 6 to 9, Sakku First Aviation Avataq Cup from Feb. 26 to March 2 and Challenge Cup junior C from Feb. 21 to 23.
Rankin will also host the Powerful Peewees from Jan. 24 to 26 and the Arctic Atoms from March 7 to 9, while Arviat will play host to the Jon Lindell Memorial (JLM) senior men's tourney from Jan. 16 to 19.
Arviat captain Gleason Uppahuak said about 80 per cent of the team that captured the 2013 Avataq Cup will be returning to Rankin to defend the title.
He said a few players are being changed to, hopefully, improve team chemistry.
"I'll be looking at personalities when we put our final roster together because we had a couple of player issues this past season," said Uppahuak.
"A couple of our players were being too cocky and came across as all talk and no action, so we might have to make a few slight adjustments.
"We are doing all we can to have Josh (Rankin Inlet goalie Tartak) agree to play with us again this year, but nothing has been finalized yet.
"He played really well with us when called upon this past year, and he was a big reason we won the Avataq for the first time."
Arviat and Repulse Bay are the only out-of-town teams to win the Avataq.
Uppahuak said the team knows it won't be easy defending the championship to join the heady company of the Rankin Predators and Rankin Miners as the only teams to have repeated at the Avataq.
He said with Rankin teams having lost the past two Avataq finals, he knows they'll be hungry in 2014.
"We know we'll have to work even harder to defend the title, but we're determined to give it our best shot.
"After winning it this past year, we know we won't surprise anyone and teams will be gunning for us this year.
"We also just sent out the invitations to our own JLM this year, and we're hoping to see a few more teams come.
"We had Baker Lake, Whale Cove and Rankin Inlet, as usual, at last year's event, and we're really hoping Coral Harbour, Repulse Bay and Churchill, Man., will be able to afford to send teams this year."
Rankin recreation co-ordinator David Clark is looking forward to the minor events, as well as the bigger tournaments.
Clark is mentoring a small group of young officials and is looking forward to getting them into serious hockey action.
He said the youngsters have been working local games on Saturdays, and getting to work tournament games is a good way to reward them for their efforts.
"They are really excited about reffing in tournaments, which will allow them to hone their skills more," said Clark.
"They will learn a lot working tournament games with older, more experienced refs, and they'll get a taste of what it's like to ref with a good crowd at the arena.
"It's a whole different experience when you're in front of a big, loud crowd."
Clark avoided scheduling anything in Rankin during the Arctic Winter Games (AWG).
He said a number of players, officials and parents will be away for the AWG, and he doesn't want anything to take away from the peewees' and atoms' big events.
"With the bigger events, we've confirmed both the Team Nunavut AWG midget team and Iqaluit will be here for the Polar Bear Plate.
"The Plate is always a great way for the AWG midgets to test themselves before the Games, and it also gives some players one last chance to impress Team Kivalliq for the Challenge Cup junior tournament.
"It's going to be nice to have full-contact hockey for the fans and the players, and the officials like it, too.
"It's a nice change from the non-contact game and the younger players are really eager to get at it."
Head coach Donald Clark said the Team Kivalliq junior C squad will be announced the same night the Polar Bear Plate is completed.
He said he's hoping both the Kitikmeot and Qikiqtani regions will compete against the Kivalliq at this year's Cup in Rankin.
"We recently had our conference call on the Challenge Cup and there is the possibility it could be a three-team event again this year," said Donald.
"Each region has until Jan. 31 to make a commitment to the Challenge Cup by posting a $500 non-refundable registration fee.
"The Kitikmeot doesn't have a lot of time to fundraise and select their team, so I'd say they have an uphill battle ahead of them, but I wish them the best of luck because it would be nice to see them get back into the junior C program.
"There's also been some discussion on the possibility of the Hockey North-Maritime Junior C Championship coming North in 2015 and, if that happens, the only two likely spots to host it would be Rankin or Iqaluit, so that's pretty exciting to look forward to down the road."
