There was hometown representation at this year’s Alberta Cup.
Ethan Farrow, 14, hit the ice for Team Alberta Central Blue from Wednesday, April 24 to Sunday, April 28 in Red Deer.
”It was a great experience. Everyone was so nice, they were all super welcoming, especially because I didn’t know a lot of them,” the Bonnyville-native expressed.
The event identifies and selects players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program. This year’s format had six teams competing.
”The Alberta Cup is about showcasing the top 2004 born players in the province,” explained Rick Swan, a coach mentor for Team Alberta Central Blue.
Farrow, who plays goalie, said the Alberta Cup was a good opportunity to get his name out there to scouts in the province, and he wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of the other players “get drafted to the major junior level.”
As the head coach of the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs, Swan participated as a way of giving back and seeing the top players in the age group.
”My role for the coaching staff was was to try and impart my knowledge, to try and get them thinking and, ultimately, make them better coaches. We think we accomplished that this year,” he continued.
The Alberta Cup is also an opportunity for referees, administrators, therapists, and equipment managers to expand their knowledge and development.
While it took him a game to get used to the competition, Farrow was excited for the chance to learn more.
”It took some adjusting, but it was really rewarding. Just to get used to the level that I hope to play at next year. It was the best of the best AAA players,” he said.
Farrow had a save percentage of 0.82 in the tournament, recording one win and a loss.
”Obviously, they’re not great numbers, but I didn’t expect to get shutouts the whole time.”
With his team finishing fifth overall, it was still a good experience for Farrow and he was excited for his “first time wearing the Alberta symbol.”
Swan was impressed with Farrow’s talents on and off the ice.
”He’s a terrific human being. He’s a great kid in everything that he does and just shows the character attributes, which is the most important thing. If you want to be a high performing hockey player, you have to be a good person first and foremost.”
The Alberta Cup puts players through an extensive team building process, with a focus on preparing for short-term competition in a high-performance environment. Swan noted participants learn about the foundations they need to play on national teams, and about the grit and competition aspect of it.
Farrow has high hopes for himself in the upcoming season.
”I want to play as high as I can next year, and just (work on) getting better every day,” he said, adding he encourages other athletes to try out for these types of teams.
”There’s nothing negative that can really come out of it. The worst that could happen is you get cut, but you would just have to use that as motivation and keep going.”
