It’s a habit that is hard to shake. As I wander from arena to gymnasium across the region on a weekend that saw no less than three hockey tournaments intermingled with a pair of NOSSA championships on top of the usual run-of-the-mill sports schedule, I sometimes get to talking with friends and acquaintances.

OK – I get to talking “a lot” with these people I meet. But truth be told, these impromptu conversations are often the source of very interesting exchanges of ideas that are extremely valuable in the role I currently fulfill within the Sudbury minor sports scene.

Chatting with Steve Rinneard at the Rayside-Balfour Houseleague Tournament in Azilda Sunday, I was made aware that the entire event was run as a “non body-contact” competition, an interesting concept considering that Greater Sudbury does not have, to my knowledge, a midget league within the area that is uniquely non-contact.

A movement that has gathered momentum in regions ranging from Ottawa to Timmins, the inclusion of a “non body contact” division (or more appropriately a “no body checking” division) is part of the Northeast Houseleague hockey league for the first time this year, with Bantam teams separated into two groupings.

For this weekend anyways, the goal seems to have been accomplished as Rinneard noted that suspensions within all midget games played was limited to just one game misconduct and that offense was due to a verbal barrage rather than any kind of other more physical infraction.

Fans who remained to the very end Sunday evening were treated to an outstanding closing match as the SMHA Bears and Rayside Thunder Blades went to overtime to decide the Atom championship. The contest lasted that long only due to an inspiring performance between the pipes from Rayside netminder Tyler Collin who foiled countless offensive forays by the Bears.

Eventually, the pressure would produce a game-winning goal as Alex Guido nets his second of the game to lift the Bears past the Thunder 3-2. In Bantam play, Barrie Garner Sports survived very tight matches in both quarter-final and semi-final play but really got rolling in the title game, bouncing the Onaping Falls Huskies 6-1.

No lack of scoring in the tyke final as Alexis Gendron nets the game-winner with 6:21 remaining as the Rayside Mighty Tigers sneak past the Walden Penguins 7-6. Nicholas Coursol enjoyed a four goal outing for the Tigers while Avery Chisholm and Ty Pearson scored twice each for the Penguins.

And one can’t help but wonder what the Sault Ste Marie Kinsmen Novice crew hoped to accomplish this past weekend. Yes, they walk away with a trophy. This was hardly in doubt as the Kinsmen outscored their opponents 72-1 in five games played. I sure hope that this is a case of a team not realizing they were entering a tournament for which they really were not well suited.

If not, someone has to explain to these people that games like this to nothing to benefit either team, not to mention causing a great deal of hostility to be built, right or wrong, among opposing parents.

No such disparity over at the T.M. Davies Community Centre in Walden as overtime games were common in the 24th annual Lively Invitational High-School Hockey Tournament. I know the program says that it’s the 29th annual, but the tournament did not run from 1983 through 1985, so I’ve adjusted for the actual number of years the event has been contested.

A couple of very familiar foes in the final as the St Charles Cardinals and Lasalle Lancers, winners of four of the past five championships between them, prepared to do battle Sunday afternoon. The Lancers needed a goal from Taylor Couillard in the fourth overtime session to outlast the Horizon Aigles in one semi-final while the Cards fought back from a 3-1 deficit to down Espanola 7-4 in the remaining semi-final.

An entertaining final as Lasalle wins for the third time in four years, doubling St Charles 4-2 as Matt Welch, Kevin Keyes, Paul Charette and Dylan Thibault score for the Lancers – Charette and the Cards Nick Micelotta are named game MVPs.

And one final tournament of great finishes, this time courtesy of the crew with the Nickel Centre Minor Hockey Association as the Flyers host their annual Novice-Atom-Peewee rep event. Play wraps up Sunday afternoon in typical fashion as the Valley East Rebels/b> and Rayside Tigers head to quadruple overtime to decide the Peewee championship, with Jeremi Polsky scoring the game winner with the teams playing two on two hockey, giving the Rebels a 3-2 win.