He played in the Lac La Biche Minor Hockey league for nine years and now Sami Fyith is skating with an elite regional team taking part in the Western Canadian bantam triple-A championships in Saskatchewan. Fyith, a 15 year old Grade 10 student at J.
He played in the Lac La Biche Minor Hockey league for nine years and now Sami Fyith is skating with an elite regional team taking part in the Western Canadian bantam triple-A championships in Saskatchewan.
Fyith, a 15 year old Grade 10 student at J. A. Williams High School is competing this weekend with his Fort Saskatchewan AAA Rangers against the top-ranked teams from Manitoba, Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan for the national title. The games not only draw the top players, but also hockey scouts looking for those top players.
It’ s a big deal ... but Fyith says his focus won’ t be on who’ s in the stands.
For the young defenceman - the only Lac La Biche player on the team of elite athletes from across northern Alberta - the chance to play under the spotlight of national attention is secondary to helping his team come home with the trophy.
“My expectation - I think it’ s going to be big. Lots of other teams, lots of people, some extra pressure,” said Fyith as he and his dad Ali hit the road last Tuesday for the drive to Warmen near Saskatoon for the tournament that began Thursday and wrapped up on Sunday. “But it’ s not all about getting noticed. I just have to play my game, help my team and get the energy going.”
The Rangers have one of the best league records of the teams taking part in the championships - a 27-7-2 tally that puts them at the top of the Charger North Division. Their playoff run for the Western Canadian event saw them play - and beat - triple-A teams from Lloydminster, Grande Prairie and St. Albert to win the northern pennant. The Rangers then played the Lethbridge team from the southern Alberta playdowns in a five game series that wrapped up with a 2-1 win for the Rangers last Wednesday. Fyith assisted on the game-winning goal that sent them to face-off with the best teams from Manitoba to BC.
Fyith said his team is ranked second of the squads in the tournament, and says he could see the Rangers face the top-ranked Burnaby team from BC in the finals.
“We’ re all good teams. At this level, the players are bigger and the game is fast,” he said, staying excited for the games, but trying to keep a level head. “It’ s going to be excited to play these kinds of teams with these kinds of crowds. We’ re all pumped, but we know what to do at game time.”
The final games of the tournament will be played after the POST’ s newspaper deadline, but final results can be found at at www.laclabichepost.com
Win or lose, Fyith says his chance to play on the elite regional team this season, and the lessons he has learned from all levels of his young hockey career, has opened his eyes to new opportunities.
“After playing hockey all these years, I really understand the many parts of my game and teamwork, and at this level I realize where it can take me or how I can advance,” he said.
The youngster who is wrapping up his last year in the bantam level has spoken to a few scouts looking to track the progress of players as they prepare for midget level and then junior hockey, but right now, Fyith says he’ s not sure what will come next for him. He’ s keeping his options open.
“I haven’ t decided about midget play yet, or where I’ ll be.”
