U11AA Canes crowned provincial champions

By Lethbridge Herald on April 1, 2025.

SUBMITTED PHoto The Lethbridge Hurricanes U11AA team pose with their medals after winning the provincial championship in Strathmore.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes U11AA hockey team capped off a successful season by winning the inaugural Hockey Alberta U11AA Provincials Championships over the weekend in Strathmore.

The Canes went undefeated in the provincial championship after doubling up the Wainwright Polar Kings 6-3 in Sunday’s final, edging rival Red Deer 6-3 earlier on Sunday in a semi-final , taking down the Polar Kings 11-1 on Saturday, thumping the Strathcona Warriors 12-2 on Friday and opened up the tournament with a 6-3 win over the Springbank Rockies on Thursday.

The Canes were the top team going into the provincial championships and head coach Riley Parker felt the team carried targets on their backs because of it.

“Whether anyone was rooting against us, they (the team) showed up and answered the bell and played their hearts out and came out with the ‘W’ every game,” said Parker.

Parker said it’s just a huge accomplishment.

“We said to these boys from the start of the year, …  this is a big mountain and we had goals set and little hills to climb along the way, but at the end of the day the top of the mountain was winning a provincial banner ,” said Parker.

The coaches challenged them along the way in tournaments and all the way up to the league championship and into provincials.

“They reached the top of that mountain and reached their goals and are U11AA provincial champions now,” said Parker.

The provincial banner caps off a season where the Canes won the South Division banner, had a 24-0 regular season, won both a 36 and 48 team tournament and winning their conference and division.

“To be honest it’s a story book season,” said Parker.

“All the goals that we set for the boys along the way, they (seemed) to challenge themselves (and) answer those goals.”