Xtreme Defend Title at Western Canadian Crown

Stewart, Raynard backstop club to repeat championship

It was déjà vu for 2008-born No. 4 Northern Alberta Xtreme as they successfully defended their championship title at the 2023 Western Canadian Crown Invitational. The tournament, held from Jan. 18-22, saw the largest field of participants in its history, with 24 clubs lacing up their skates. 

Teams were divided into six divisions of four teams, and NAX was placed into the Guenther Division. They were joined by the Lethbridge Golden Hawks, Delta Hockey Academy Black and Valley West Giants. The round-robin phase of the schedule proved to be just a warm up for Northern Alberta, as they went 3-0-0 while only allowing two goals. 

Granted a quarterfinal-round bye resulting from their first-place finish in the division, the Xtreme’s next test would come from RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg. Jordan Duguay (2G, 2A) and Nolan Stewart (2G, 1A) would lead the way in a 9-2 victory for NAX. 

The stage was set for the Division A championship between the Xtreme and the Calgary Bisons. The Xtreme opened up a formidable 5-1 lead in the first period that they would not relinquish. A large part of securing the win was holding Calgary’s leading scorer, Rhys Jamieson, to just one assist. In total across six games, Jamieson collected seven goals and 18 points. 

Stewart would top the scoring leaderboard for Northern Alberta, notching six goals and 15 points. He was followed closely by Duguay’s four goals and 14 points. 

While numerous players put up the points for NAX, the goaltending was preventing opponents from doing the same. The dynamic duo of Parker Snell and Taylor Raynard could not have been better. Snell posted a 3-0-0 record, with a 2.00 goals-against average and .885 save percentage with one shutout. Raynard was unbeatable in the two games he saw action, garnering a 1.00 goals-against average and .952 save percentage. 

While not finding the scoresheet in the final game, Daxon Randolph was the Xtreme’s secret weapon all tournament. The 5-foot-11, 161-pound blueliner from Lacombe, Alberta, tallied 10 points (3G, 7A) in five games. He was also named one of the top playoff performers.

Shattuck Prevails at John Reid Tournament

No. 19 Shattuck-St. Mary’s made sure that they made the most of their appearance at the 2023 John Reid Memorial U15 Tournament. First up were three round-robin contests against the St. Albert Sabres, OHA Edmonton, and St. George’s School. 

Michael Berchild (3G, 5A) and Tynan Lawrence combined their skills to lead SSM through their first three games 3-0-0, outscoring opponents 21-3. The club’s semifinal date was next up against Yale Hockey Academy, which they too passed with flying colors en route to a 7-3 win.

OHA Penticton was the lone contender standing in the Sabres’ way to finishing with an unblemished record. It was evident from puck drop that Shattuck’s skill was too much for Penticton to overcome. SSM peppered Micah Davidson with 50 shots, and six found the back of the net through the first two periods. Despite outscoring Shattuck in the third period 2-1, Penticton would fall 7-4.

Zane Torre would pot the most points in the final contest, accumulating two goals and one assist. Throughout Shatuck’s run to the gold medal, Berchild led with 14 points, with Lawrence’s 11 behind him. 

Two Shattuck players would nab Second-Team All-Star honors, with Parkier Trottier and Tyler McCracken both being awarded.

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