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Timberwolves goalie Wyatt Nelson makes a save at last year's tournament. (File photo courtesy: Barry Otterson)
Lake Country Timberwolves

U18 AA Ron Gunville Memorial hockey tournament starts Friday

Nov 6, 2024 | 12:09 PM

The Prince Albert U18 AA Lake Country Timberwolves are playing host to an annual hockey tournament this weekend in honour of Ron Gunville.

Teams from Wainwright and Calgary, Alta., Regina and Humboldt are attending and will face off starting Friday.

Gunville was a director of player personnel for the Prince Albert Raiders. He was also a player in the WHL, SJHL and ECHL. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 48 from cancer.

Timberwolves head coach Derek Simonson said Gunville left a hockey legacy in Prince Albert.

“The amount of time and commitment that he put in over the years is definitely worth our while to reflect back on his accomplishments and what he brought to hockey in our city.”

Simonson said the tournament will feature 15 to 17-year-old players who are ‘knocking on the door of AAA hockey.’

“The calibre of hockey is very good. It’s fast and highly skilled and it should be entertaining for those who attend.”

The Timberwolves started their regular season strong, posting a 4-1-1-0 record so far. Simonson said the tournament is a good platform to measure where the team is at and springboard them into the remainder of the regular season.

“Our team plays a fast and physical hockey game. We make it difficult for other teams to play…really in both ends of the ice,” said Simonson. “We’re just an all around balanced hockey team that will be challenging to play against.”

The tournament will also be a good opportunity for the players to showcase their skills to ‘AAA’ and Junior team scouts in attendance.

The first game on Friday is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Kinsmen Arena between the Lake Country Timberwolves and the Calgary North Stars Gold team. The local hosts will play again at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the Humboldt Broncos at the Art Hauser Centre.

panews@pattisonmedia.com

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