Fifteen teams descended on Jasper last weekend, hitting the ice for what may have been the largest hockey tournament ever hosted in Jasper.
The field was originally 16 teams but a squad from B.C. had their travel permit denied by that province鈥檚 governing hockey body at the last minute. Part of the team was already on the road according to local tournament organizer Peter Hayashi.
Hayashi said the tournament was marketed as a Family Day weekend in the Rockies spread over four days with time to enjoy the national park鈥檚 other winter attractions, including Marmot Basin and the Maligne ice walk.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge offered a rate for hockey families and about 500 room-nights were booked over the course of the weekend. About 400 people attended the gala banquet at JPL, a semi-formal affair Hayashi described as the highlight of the tournament.
Another neat happenstance鈥攁 Bantam A team from Calgary gave the local Jasper Barley Queens a healthy shakedown, beating the grown-ups 4-2 in an exhibition game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 cool for our girls to be able to be there all weekend,鈥� Hayashi said. 鈥淭he tournament was very competitive and the entertainment value was there too, which is how we promoted it. What better way to spend a long weekend?"
Craig Gilbert
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