It was the best of both worlds for the Lakeland Panthers bantam AA team.
The team went into the Henry White Trophy Tournament of Champions in Edmonton with the goal of having fun playing a sport they love. In the end, their skills on the ice proved to be worthy of the winning title.
“Going there we honestly didn’t expect to win. We were just going to have a fun weekend, relax, and unwind from the season,” said head coach Shaun Hebert. “After three or four days and being in the final (matchup), the kids were all-systems go.”
The Panthers started their winning streak against the Maple Leaf Athletic Club (MLAC) Alumni on Dec. 27. They ended their first game of the tournament with a 5-0 win.
Their next face-off would be against the Seattle Sno-King Thunderbirds.
“The game against Seattle (was a highlight). The guys never really played an American team before. It was a different game. I don’t think (Seattle) was accustomed to the level of hockey that we play,” Hebert detailed.
In the end, the local team came out with a 6-1 win.
Ben Skarsen took home the title of top forward for the tournament.
According to Hebert, the “boys were really excited” about that game because they’ve never had the opportunity to play against an American team.
In their matchup against Edmonton’s CAC Red Arrows on Dec. 29, the Panthers once again found success, with a final 4-3.
Hebert said, “The boys clawed that one out. We were battling some of the flu bug and the boys played a real tough game... Ethan (our goalie) stood on his head to give us a chance in that one as well.”
The Panthers conquered the South Side Athletic Club Sportwear in their fourth game with a final 5-1 on Dec. 30.
Topping it all off was their final matchup on Dec. 31 against the Beaumont Braves for first place.
“They’re only two points behind us in our league standing, so it was a little feather in our cap to beat them too,” stated Hebert.
With an early lead of 4-0, Hebert said the Panthers “took our foot off the gas a little bit,” and let in two goals before the end of the game for a 4-2 final.
“The boys still outplayed them. The outcome was prevalent of how we played, because they deserved that tournament and they deserved to win that game,” he added.
The Edmonton Invitational Tournament of Champions has been hosted every year for almost four decades.
Hebert described it as “a pretty prestigious” event.
“A lot of the teams that have won it have either won provincials in the past or just gone on to bigger and better things in their bantam AA careers,” he expressed. “The Lakeland Panthers’ name won’t be taken off of that trophy for quite some time, and they’re pretty happy with that.”
Their names weren’t only etched into history because of their victory. The Panthers had two players claim winning titles of their own.
Ben Skarsen was named the top forward for the tournament with five goals and four assists during their five games, while Panthers’ goaltender Ethan Farrow took top goalie for an average 0.947 save percentage during his four games in net.
Ethan Farrow was named this year's top goalie of the tournament.
“Ben led the tournament scoring from pin to post. He was a beast out there. He played tough hockey and put himself in a good position to get the puck in the net. He was well deserving of the top forward of the tournament for sure,” detailed Hebert.
Skarsen said winning the title of top forward was a proud moment.
He led the tournament with nine points overall, and said the next player in line for the recognition was a fellow Panther.
“We were having a competition the whole time to see who was going to get it,” he expressed.
Hebert said Farrow earned the top goalie award for his commitment and the skills he showed throughout the tournament.
The Panther’s success didn’t stop there.
Jonah Smith landed a $1,000 scholarship for his efforts.
Hebert explained, “We were allowed to put in one player from each team. They had an interview and the players had to show their marks and have references from their school. Jonah Smith, a player on our team, was the lucky recipient of the scholarship fund for if and when he decides to go to school.”
Overall, the head coach is beaming.
“I’m hugely proud of these guys. They were relentless. We pressured each team and ground them into the ground.”
Now, the team will shift their focus on holding the number one position in the Northern Alberta Hockey League Bantam AA, while they polish off their season.
It’s the success in their own league that Hebert accredits to their performance in the tournament.
“We’re in a pretty tight division in our league. We sit in first place in our division as well. Our league is probably the toughest in the division to play in, so we’re used to pretty tough hockey,” he stated. “Being that we’re in a division that we’re holding first place in means these boys are pretty seasoned every game that we play.”
