The Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) held their annual end of the year House League tournament this past weekend at the Canada Games Centre (CGC) and Takhini Arena.

Approximately 40 teams were involved.

Dawson City brought players for U9 and Haines Junction brought U9 and U11 players.

Friday featured a U18 wrap-up with a skills competition, pizza, and a scrimmage.

The winners were as follows:

Hardest shot: Ryder Twardochleb – 85 mph;

Accuracy competition: Chayce Tuton;

Fastest goalie: Fynn Ritchie;

Consecutive saves: Josh Wanless;

Fastest Skater: Marco Cooper – one lap in 13 seconds.

Seven graduating players were also honoured with certificates.

The U7s had three 45-minute games each, starting on Tuesday and continuing Saturday and Sunday.

The U9s had three games each and played finals after the first two games.

Haines Junction played Whitehorse Beverage in the final game for the U9s.

“It was just an unbelievable game,” recalled WMHA President Jeff Frizzell.

The Whitehorse Beverage team might have lost one game all year, according to Frizzell.

“So they were feeling pretty good about themselves going into the final game,” said Frizzell.

“And then they came up against this Haines Junction team that had probably four or five U11 players that were in it and they had a U11 goalie that was just amazing and they couldn’t score on him.

“It ended up being a 2-1 final for Haines Junction and it was so much fun to see the atmosphere in the CGC on Sunday. Fans going crazy watching their kids play and I think everyone had a great time,” related Frizzell.

U7 and U9 results were unavailable, since they didn’t keep score for those games.

In U11, the Caribou Crossing Wood Co. team captured the gold medal going away in a game against the Rob Warner Rams at the CGC on Sunday.

“Our kids have been working so hard in practice all year long,” related one of the Caribou Crossing’s four coaches, Greg McHale.

“We had a group of kids that are just so dedicated to hockey and just love coming out to the rink every day, so that’s why I think at the end of the season here, everybody came to play every game and every shift; those kids played hard. It’s amazing to see a group of under nine and 10-year-old kids so dedicated to the sport.”

Caribou Crossing broke the game open in the third period after a close first two periods that saw the Crossing ahead 6-4. They went on to win 12-4.

“These kids have worked really hard at practices and I think that just physically, the endurance that they have is amazing,” explained McHale.

“And they just worked so hard. And we didn’t lay off them in practices. Everyone wants to play hard and wants to win and when you have a group of kids that want to win, then you can push them harder than maybe other kids.

“At no time, were we pushing these kids beyond what they wanted and when you see that, it’s just an amazing place to be as a coach, because to see these kids excel throughout the whole year and then second and third period, they just get stronger, because they put in all the hard effort all year.”

Jarrett Booth led the way for Caribou with four goals. Right behind him with three goals was Mason Gignac, who dominated from his defence position.

Lucas Nash chipped in with two goals and a assist. Kolter McHale contributed a deuce to the Crossing effort.

Big number 11, Parker Lightfoot, was lights out for the Rams in a losing effort, lighting the lamp four times.

McHale added “That’s the one thing we’ve had – not just effort on the kid’s part, but all the parents have made sure their kids are here on-time and it’s been an amazing team to coach and be part of.”

The other Caribou Crossing co-coaches are Don Fedus, Jeremy August, and Colin Nash.

In the A3 versus B3 game, NVD edged Save On in a high-scoring affair, 9-8.

In the Semifinal One game, Caribou Crossing took care of Klondike Chev 8-3.

In the Semifinal Two game, the Rams handled the Tetra Tech team by an identical 8-3 score.

In U13, Whitehorse Dental beat Sports Experts 5-0 in the gold medal game. NAPA handled the Red Beard team 7-2 in the bronze medal game.

According to Frizzell, the U15 division was the “cool one”.

“We kind of filled out the rosters with some of the U13 Mustangs that didn’t have any games this week because the U15 benches were quite short all year. They would play three-on-three or four on four.”

“It was just a high-tempo, fast-paced game. Back and forth the entire time,” related Frizzell.

EDI beat Pelly 4-2 in the gold medal game. Coldwell Banker edged Royal Flush 3-2 in the bronze medal game.

“Just great to see high competition, everyone enjoying being at the rink, getting the games in again. I think everybody was sick of practising,” said Frizzell.

“It’s just been such a long year. We’d get on the ice for a while, then we’d get shut down. And then we were only allowed to do practices and finally got the OK for games.

“It was really exciting for everybody when the restrictions got lifted and we were allowed to play games.”

“I think it was a pretty awesome weekend for everybody,” said Frizzell.

“Everyone was really excited and ... in a good mood; happy to get that last tournament in.”

Frizzell added that the House League tourney was a “huge success ... there were no issues ... it was awesome.”

Although the House Leagues are done, there are still other teams travelling outside for tournaments.

The U13 Mustangs are heading out to Provincials next week in Trail, B.C.

The U15 Mustangs are heading to Provincials in Osoyoos, B.C. next week.

The U18 Mustangs are going to Port Hardy on the Island for Provincials next week as well.

The U13 Mustangs B-team is also going to play in a tourney next weekend in Richmond, B.C.