The Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA)in partnership with the Western Hockey League (WHL) isset tohost the SaskFirst Male Bantam Top 160 Tournamentfrom Dec. 27to 29 at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.On the heels of Saskatchewan’s first-ever WHL Cup championship in 2019, the program looks to reset heading towards next season’s WHL Cup.
Players born in 2005 will showcase their skills in a team setting with SHA evaluators and scoutsfrom a variety of leaguesin attendance.
Yorkton participants include:
Tomas Haber, Yorkton Terriers, Defense
Matthew Ronn, Yorkton Terriers, Defense
Jeffrey Stewart, Yorkton Terriers, Defense
Tylan Henrikson, Yorkton Terriers, Forward
Grady Hoffman, Yorkton Terriers, Forward
Vinay Junek, Yorkton Terriers, Forward
Jaxon Sperling, Yorkton Terriers, Forward
The 160 players selected out of regional camps in the north and south will be placed on eight (8) teams for a three-day tournament.
Teams will hit the ice first thing in the morning on Friday, Dec. 27, for individual team practices.They will then partake in a presentation from the Western Hockey League before thecompetition begins. The schedule is around-robin formatbetween two (2) poolswith games beginning in the afternoonand culminating on Sunday with final placement games.
Earlier this month, Regional Camps were held in the North and South regions of the province; players in zones 1-4 attendedthe South Regional Camp in Lumsden, while players from zones 5-8 attendedthe North Regional Campin Aberdeen. From there, the top eight (8)goalies, 24 defencemen, and 48 forwards were selected from each camp to take part in this showcase tournament.
After evaluation are complete at this weekend’s tournament, the Top 80 players will then be invited to take part in the February tournament, being held in Balgonie. The SaskFirst program is a process in place that allows our high-performance staff the opportunity to evaluate players, coaches and officials.
The program is also an opportunity for playersto get seen by scouts from a variety of leagues, including the Western Hockey League (WHL) who will have representativesfrom all 22 teamsin attendance and will be scouting players fortheir Bantam Draft in May2020.
ABOUT SASKFIRST:
The SaskFirst Program was introduced by the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA) in 1988 and since that time the program has brought great pride and accomplishment within our province. The SaskFirst Program was designed to provide a better understanding of the game as well as to promote the development of quality players, coaches, trainers and officials. The participants are enriched as individuals and can achieve self-satisfaction and enjoyment as part of the hockey community.
The SaskFirst Program is a gateway to Hockey Canada’s High-Performance Program which includes their National Teams such as the World Juniors. There is a long list of notable players who have gone through the Bantam SaskFirst Program which includes NHL players Ryan Getzlaf, Brayden Schenn, and Derrick Pouliot, just to name a few. Up and coming players such as Ethan Bear, Kole Lind and Cale Fleury also went through the SaskFirst Program
