Hockey provincials took over small towns across Alberta this past month, with Vegreville being the site of the Stahl Peterbilt Atom Canadiens’ bid for provincial glory, March 17 to 20. The Atoms were the only team from St. Paul to make provincials this year, and they looked to represent the community on the provincial stage, as well as take in all of the neat experiences that comes along with competing at the big stage.
With the tournament being only an hour away in Vegreville, there were many St. Paul hockey fans that came out to cheer on the aspiring hockey players in their provincial bid.
Unfortunately, the Atoms didn’t have the weekend they hoped for, falling 5-3 in their first game on Friday, and then dropping their next two matches as well to end the weekend winless.
“I could sense a lot of nerves from the boys, for some of these kids,” said coach Bryce Balmer. “Considering how competitive hockey is now, this might have been their only time to go to provincials, but all in all, they did play pretty well and the games were all very close.”
Participating in a provincial sports competition is a unique experience for the young players because it includes a banquet for all coaches and players in attendance, as well as competing on a larger stage in front of a packed arena cheering them on.
“The boys enjoyed the weekend, despite the turnout of our games. It’s really a great experience that they will carry for the rest of their lives so the fact that they had fun and enjoyed it is what’s really important.” said Balmer.
While the season has come to an end for some, others will go on to play spring hockey in Bonnyville and Edmonton and Balmer sent goodwill with them to develop their hockey skills during the off-season for hockey in St. Paul.
“We wish them luck in their development and we’ll be happy to see them back in the fall.”
