YELLOWKNIFE/RANKIN INLET
The Rankin Inlet Bears made it to the semifinal of the A Division at the Balsillie Cup old-timers tournament in Yellowknife before bowing out earlier this month.

Tony Dias of the Rankin Inlet Bears moves through the neutral zone during Rankin's semifinal loss to the Subway Sting at the Balsillie Cup oldtimer's hockey tournament in Yellowknife earlier this month. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo

Rankin lost the semifinal to the Subway Sting by a count of 6-3.

A team from Baker Lake competed in the C Division, but were also eliminated.

Bears defenceman Tony Dias said Rankin could win the A Division playing the same level of hockey, but with all its best players there.

He said the Bears played well in Yellowknife, and were tied with the Sting 3-3 after the second period, but ran out of gas in the third.

"The level of hockey at that tournament is always high, and the A Division was really good this year," said Dias.

"There's no doubt they have some really good players over there, and it's fun and a challenge to compete against them.

"We competed well, but we were shorthanded

with only two lines.

"It's was difficult to keep up the entire game on Olympic-size ice, which was much softer than what we're used to in Rankin, with only two forward lines."

Dias said he hopes the Bears return to the A Division in 2015 with a bigger roster.

And he wasn't shy in naming a few players he'd like to see in a Bears' jersey.

"I'm pretty sure Pujjuut's (Kusugak) going to be 35 next year, and he'd be really great to have with us.

"On 'D,' we didn't have Sean Smith or Oscar Airut, and those guys are difference-makers when they're on their game.

"The positional hockey at that tournament is unreal, because those guys play together all year.

"All we do, really, with no league, is skate around and shoot the puck, so, in my opinion, we need a bigger bench and our best players to win it."

Dias said the A Division is made even harder by the fact some teams often bring up players from the south to compete in the tournament.

He said he's not too keen on Rankin recruiting out-of-town players, but the Bears need all their local top guns.

"Some might see it as crazy to bring in guys from the south to win an old-timers hockey tournament, but, I have to say, some of those guys were really good players.

"I'd like to see better refereeing in that tournament, especially the A Division.

"I know, hockey players and refs, whatever, but most of the officiating over there was brutal this year.

"A couple were pretty good, but some of them didn't seem to really know the rules."

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