by Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, September 4, 2008

Tuktoyaktuk - Mitchell and Matthew Jacobson can't wait for summer to finally be over in Tuktoyaktuk so they can get back on the ice and show off their newest skills. The brothers spent two weeks in Penticton, B.C., this past August attending a hockey skills camp.

Matthew Jacobson, left, and his brother Mitchell stand on the beach at Tuk. The two brothers spent two weeks in Penticton, B.C., this summer attending a hockey skills camp.

Both boys say they've been to lots of hockey camps before but this one was the best. There were seven trainers on the ice at all times, said the boys' mother Jenny Jacobson.

Mitchell, 11, is training to be a goalie while his brother Matthew, 12, plays defence. Matthew said the camp was very intense compared with other ones he had been to in the past.

"We worked on crossovers, slap shots, and wrist shots," said Matthew.

There were some NHL players making appearances at the camp. Danny Heatley, Sean Horcoff, and Duncan Keith all came to sign autographs and talk to the students.

In all, the brothers spent two weeks at the camp. One week they stayed in a hotel with their parents and another week they stayed in the dorm, which they really enjoyed.

"There were about 20 guys in the dorm," said Mitchell.

The boys got their first real taste of cafeteria food and they made some friends from England while at the camp.

Now that they're back in Tuk and the ice won't be on the rink for at least another month, the boys have turned their attention to goose hunting. When the ice is back on the rink, they'll be playing at the peewee level. Both say they hope to make it into the NHL someday.