ST. PAUL - The 2022/23 regular minor hockey season is starting to wind down as teams host their last tournaments on home ice, and for some, it also signifies the end of their time as minor hockey players.
The St. Paul Canadiens U18-2 team hosted a handful of teams over the weekend at the Clancy Richard Arena and CAP Arena. Teams from Innisfail, Fort St. John and Beaumont took part in Pool A play with the Canadiens, while teams from Red Deer, Sherwood Park, Saskatoon, and Edmonton made up Pool B.
While the Canadiens battled hard on the ice, the host team did not move on to play in the finals on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, the Canadiens took on the team from Fort St. John, and while the score remained close at the beginning, Fort St. John slowly widened the gap, while Canadiens' goalie Dario Zappitelli worked hard and made about 50 saves throughout the game.
Speaking after the tournament, Canadiens Captain Dalton Howse reflected on the fact that his time as a minor hockey player with the St. Paul Canadiens is coming to an end.
"Hockey is like a family to me. The memories and the relationships you make will last a lifetime. I've had some of the best coaches over my career," said Howse, pointing to local coaches Roland LaCroix and Brett Scrannage specifically. He credited them for instilling the love he has for the game of hockey and making "a big impact on my life."
Howse acknowledged that it will be hard to walk away from minor hockey after playing through 14 seasons, he was happy to play his final year alongside his younger brother Wade. Looking to the future, Howse says he hopes to one day give back to the sport through coaching minor hockey.
When asked what the most important lesson he has learned through his time playing hockey was, Howse says, "to never give up." He recalled a game where the Canadiens had to win by six goals to go on to provincials - and they did.
While the home tournament did not result in any wins on the scoreboard, Howse said his team should still be proud of how they improved over the past season.
"It was still a good weekend for the boys. There was a lot of good stuff happening on both offence and defence. The team should be very proud of how far we have come from the beginning of the year."
In the end, the team from Saskatoon beat the team from Fort St. John in the finals.
Up next for minor hockey in St. Paul is the annual Timbits Future All-Star game on Feb. 24. The game features the youngest St. Paul hockey players, while also acknowledging retiring U18 players. A U7 tournament is also set for Feb. 25.
