Prince Albert Minor Hockey ends season with ‘best-ever’ Championship Weekend

An estimated 4,500 hockey fans descended on the Kinsmen Arena over the weekend for the Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association’s (PAMHA) Champion Weekend.

“I think this was our best ever,” PAMHA technical director James Mays said.

“It’s just really building. I think this was our fourth year of doing our playoffs this way so it’s now become established and people start talking about it.”

The best teams from the nine- and 10-year-old Atom, 11- and 12-year-old Peewee and 13- and 14-year-old Bantam divisions faced off for the title in their respective finals. The 12 teams played a two-game championship, with Game 1 on Saturday and Game 2 on Sunday. The team with the greatest combined goal total was named the winner.

“Before we could have had a final on Monday night at 7 p.m., and then another one Tuesday at 5 p.m., and then Wednesday and the final might have been stretched out over a 10-day period,” Mays said.

“So this has just turned out to be a much better idea.”

In the Atom 1 division the Humbolt Broncos defeated the P.A. AtoMC Gladiators 12-10, the Atom 2 P.A. AtoMC Cobras topped the P.A. AtoMC Ice Hawks 9-4 and the P.A. AtoMC Flyers claimed the Atom 3 title after beating the P.A. AtoMC Warriors 7-3.

The Shellbrook Elks beat the Gene’s Sports Stars 10-4 for the Peewee 2 title and in the Peewee 3 matchup the Gene’s Sports Canadians was victorious, defeating the Gene’s Sports Rangers 9-4.

In the only Bantam clash the Lite Way Electric Lightning beat the Lite Way Electric Cyclones 13-7.

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