Joey Graefe (Center) and the rest of the Outreach Trashers play in the Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off at Canadore College. Photo by Matt Gordon
Last weekend, under a bright “Blue Sky Region” sky the Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off took place on some natural outdoor rinks behind Canadore College. Every participant was able to enjoy some beautiful Northern Ontario weather as well as excellent rink conditions despite some freezing rain in the days leading up to the tournament weekend.
For a group of six young skaters in the tournament, this was not only a chance to take in the great conditions; it was an opportunity to do something that would not normally be available to them. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Canadian Pond Hockey Outreach Program and the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, three young hockey players from Georgia, as well as three local youths came together to form an entry in the tournament at no cost to them or their families.
Nathan Weingarth, Chase Pearson and Joey Graefe were the players selected from the surrounding areas of Atlanta and each was given an all expenses paid trip to North Bay and entry into the tournament. In addition, the Thrashers brought the young rink rats to see the NHL club play the New Jersey Devils in person. While there, the kids also met Thrashers forward and former North Bay Centennial Chris Thorburn who gave the kids a heads up on Canadian winters.
“Wear a lot of layers,” said Graefe, who had previously never been north of Philadelphia, of the advice he received from Thorburn.
Although, you could not tell the kids had just come from 75° F southern weather, all three mopped up any time they could get on the ponds; even continuing to play at full throttle during their breaks between games.
Chris Uber, the Thrashers Manager of Community Hockey Development accompanied the kids from Atlanta and acted as their coach throughout the tournament.
“This is great, giving both the kids from Georgia as well as the local players a chance to do something that may not be normally available to them is really something special,” said Uber. “A big thank you has to go out to the Pond Hockey Committee and their Outreach program,” he added.
Lucas Trach, Dakota Roebuck and Brandon Forbes were the local players selected by the committee to team up with the American kids to form the Outreach Thrashers. Forbes is an Atom player with Century 21 while Trach and Roebuck both play together for the East Nipissing Vipers.
All of the players spent not only the tournament together but also took in many sites and activities around the city. The weekend was capped off with a trip to the Sunday night Skyhawks game versus the Soo Thunderbirds. When asked what their favourite event of the weekend was, the unanimous choice was the trip to the Police Station in North Bay.
Not only did the team enjoy their weekend off the ice but they were successful on the ice as well. The team made it all the way to the final in the Peewee division where they lost to the Champion Powassan Hawks.
All in all, the goal of the Outreach Program was met as each of the kids got to experience something that would not normally be available to them especially the kids from Georgia who had never skated on natural ice.
This was the fourth year that the Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off Outreach Program has brought players to the annual tournament. In 2006, five survivors of Hurricane Katrina from Mississippi and Louisiana were brought to North Bay. In 2007, some First Nations peewee aged players from Moose Factory and Moosonee were the tournament guests. This year was the second straight year that players from Atlanta were brought to the tournament, stemming from the Hockeyville game in the fall of 2007. The bid for North Bay as Hockeyville was started at the 2007 Pond Hockey Face-Off.
