U13 AA Canes repeat at Thanksgiving tournament

By Lethbridge Herald on October 15, 2024.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Lethbridge U13AA Hurricanes get a group photo after winning the Thanksgiving Classic.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge U13AA Hurricanes came out of the Thanksgiving weekend feeling pretty excited as repeat champions at the Hockey Calgary U13AA Thanksgiving Classic.

Lethbridge went 5-0-1 at the 32-team tournament and included a narrow 6-5 win over Central Alberta’s West Central Tigers in the final.

The Canes accomplished the two-peat with only three players returning of Jaxon Kraemer, Tucker Tillsley and Rhett Fabro from last year’s squad.

“So to be able to do it again is a pretty good accomplishment for the kids,” said Rob Edmonds, U13AA Canes head coach.

Edmonds wants his players to take the factor of team work from the tournament as they move along in the season.

“You can’t win as individuals, it takes everybody working together and then just the persistence and the effort to play at the top,” said Edmonds.

Edmonds wants the players to remember just how hard it was to get there.

“Once you win, it feels like it came easy, but it wasn’t easy at all,” said Edmonds.

“It takes a tremendous amount (of) effort and commitment to the process to come out on the right side of things.”

Edmonds said Hockey Calgary does an exceptional job of putting it on, when asked about the tournament experience.

Lethbridge played six games in just over three days.

“You’re basically living at the rink,” said Edmonds.

“By the time it’s done there’s nothing left in the tank so to speak. They left it all out there for sure.”

An interesting statistic from the tournament was that in five out of the six games, the opposing goalie earned player of the game.