This season is shaping up to be the lightest schedule of my son's minor hockey career. A losing league record thus far does not bode well for any lengthy playoff run. Only three tournaments are being entered, not the five or six we've been used to.
The third tournament is in jeopardy as the convener cautions that only two teams have entered so far. It's a sign of the economy and of a drifting interest by teenagers playing at the mid-competitive level.
We won our first tournament in October in St. Thomas. And while the third tournament may or may not happen, tournament number two should more than make up for it in teams of adventure, fun and fresh hockey experiences.
Less than two months from now, players, coaches and parents will be boarding a chartered bus (rented from the University of Western Ontario Mustangs) and heading 11 hours south to Nashville to play in the Music City tournament.
Not all forays into the U.S. work well for Canadian teams. Often there are mismatches. Often Canadian teams find tournaments filled with too many compatriots.
Nashville will be different, thanks to the fact we're outspending other Ontario teams to travel far enough to meet up with American teams from emerging minor hockey programs.
In our pool will be the South Florida Golden Wolves, Huntsville (Alabama, I assume, not Ontario) Chargers and Houston Wild.
We're trusting a private company, Advanced Tournaments of Illinois, to convene a well-matched, well-organized event - one that should be a memorable one for our teen players and their families.
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