It definitely had the feel of a Showcase weekend at the Chelmsford Arena these past few days.

In reality, the Ontario Winter Games qualifying tournament that would settle matters for the three U14 AAA teams competing in the NOHL (Northern Ontario AAA Hockey League) was merely interspersed with a handful of other very compelling competitive minor hockey matchups along the way, making for some great viewing for those who took time to take it all in.

The main event did not disappoint at all.

The Soo Jr Greyhounds (10-5-1) and North Bay Trappers (9-6-1) have been battling tooth and nail since the end of September for northern supremacy at the U14 AAA level – with very little honestly to choose between the two sides.

That was evident again Sunday afternoon as the Greyhounds used first period goals from Russell McNally and Colin Kennedy and a 25-save performance from netminder Maija St Pierre, earning a trip to Renfrew (site of OWG 2023) in early February with a 2-1 win over North Bay.

“Knowing North Bay, it’s about matching their intensity,” acknowledged Sault Ste Marie head coach Dominic Deluca, no stranger to AAA hockey battles in northern Ontario. “We’ve played quite a few tight games this year with a couple of good tournament results. It’s all about learning to play in those situations, understanding that we can win tight games, that we can make the small plays, the little decisions.”

The Greyhounds surrendered only a second period marker to Owen Smith who converted with an absolute howitzer, limiting the Trappers to but a handful of quality scoring chances that St Pierre would handle with confidence. One of two girls on the roster (forward Riley Pettit is the other), the young puck-stopper backstopped a squad that has injected seven new players into the roster this year.

“Our primary focus, the whole premise of work ethic is geared towards staying connected and playing together,” added Deluca. “When you start playing those next level teams, your feet always have to be moving and you’ve got to stay engaged.”

Now, his team will reap the rewards, an end result for which Deluca enjoys a great deal of perspective. “Our staff, we’ve been to quite a few all-Ontario championships; we want that experience for them (the players),” he noted. “It’s an opportunity to make memories. I know that twenty years from now, these kids will be talking about going to the Ontario Winter Games, the Opening Ceremonies and all of that stuff.”

As for the local entry, the Nickel City U14 AAA Sons opened with a 5-2 loss to North Bay, were swept in back to back games with the Soo (2-1 and 3-1) before earning a 2-0 shutout win over the Trappers with the finalists already decided.

“Going 1-3 certainly wasn’t the best outcome for our team, but when I look at the teams and the scores, there’s a lot of parity,” explained Nickel City head coach Andrew Dale. “That’s great for the individual teams, helping to make each other better – but we are disappointed in not making the finals.”

“For this group, we continue to progress,” Dale added. “We’ve been together for 13 weeks and nothing happens quickly. As they come together and start to trust each other and grow, they will become a much better team. We’re taking the long view, that we want them to be excited about hockey.”

Maintaining a level of excitement is also right near the top of the priority list for Nickel City U13 AAA Sons head coach Corey Crane. With only his team and the Soo Jr Greyhounds registered in their age bracket at the AAA level in the NOHA, the U13 Sons are left without a formal league to play in this winter.

They did agree to schedule a dozen games with the Greyhounds, split between four different weekends, the first troika of which took place Saturday and Sunday in Chelmsford. The Sons dropped the opener 5-2, with Colin Kennedy and Eli Chapman scoring twice each for the visitors and Ty Belanger and Nick Christakos answering 15 seconds apart on the power-play in the third, with the teams splitting their final two games.

“The Sault is a strong team,” suggested coach Crane. “As we were telling the kids, this is a good team to gauge ourselves against. It’s going to help us recognize the stuff we need to work on and get better at.”

With the top players from Nickel City, Sudbury and Copper Cliff all playing together this year at the U13 age bracket, Crane and staff have a good feel for the hand they have been dealt this winter.

“There’s a lot of talent on this team; it’s a matter of getting them to work together as a team,” said Crane. “We have some talented high-end forwards, but we have some grit mixed in there as well, which is nice. On defense, we’ve got some more typical bigger and taller defensemen and then some small shifty guys as well.”

“It’s a good mix of players.”

If AAA hockey is struggling to form leagues in the north in some divisions, the beneficiaries are the AA teams, a grouping which has now moved to a completely northern focus at many ages.

Playing the North Bay Trappers to a pair of ties on Saturday in Levack (1-1 and 5-5), the Nickel City U14 AA Jr Sons completed their three game set with a 3-1 win in Chelmsford on Sunday, all part of a six-team Nickel District Minor Hockey League division that also includes AA entries from Copper Cliff, Sault Ste Marie and Timmins as well as the U15 A squad from Temiskaming Shores.

“I love the league,” said Jr Sons defenceman Niko Gladu, who followed a first period goal from Marcus St George with a PP tally midway through the first, giving his team a 2-0 lead, with Tanner Morris adding the third marker just 19 seconds later. “Just going on trips, because it’s mostly triple-headers, getting to go to the hotel and have some fun with your teammates – and you get to play hockey too, so it’s a win-win.”

Much more pleased with his team’s effort in game three – “I think we were skating at half speed yesterday; that’s what it looked like; it wasn’t fun to watch” – Gladu drilled his shot home from the point, taking advantage of the lane that opened before him.

“It’s almost a 50/50 (shoot or pass) – whatever I am feeling, I guess,” said Gladu. “I think maybe I am most likely to take a shot. If I think I really have the time, I will take the shot.”

Gladu and his mates will take a little time off for Christmas but then get ready for tournament play in early January, part of a very diversified group of teams participating at the Glenn Bellerby Memorial AA Tournament from January 6th to the 8th in Barrie.