Four minor hockey players will be representing Lloydminster bantam hockey at the 2019 Alberta Cup. 120 players including Andrew Beres, Jari Kykkanen, Jagger Firkus, and Reid Mackay were selected following three regional camps held at the end of March.
Twenty 2004-born players make up each of the six teams, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, trainer, and director of operations. Forward Andrew Beres and Reid Mackay will be playing for Alberta Black, and goaltender Jari Kykkanen and forward Jagger Firkus will be playing for Alberta Blue. Lloydminster will also have some representation behind the bench in Red Deer, with Ambrose Firkus stepping in as Assistant Coach for Alberta Grey and Coach Mentor Kyle Tapp assisting Alberta Yellow.
This tournament also has some added incentive for players, with talent being able to tout their skills against the best bantam hockey players in Alberta. The tournament includes some players who will be chosen in the Western Hockey League draft, which is held the following week. Eighty players from this year’s competition will also be selected to attend Team Alberta’s Provincial Camp in July, with a chance to represent their province at the 2019 WHL Cup in Calgary.
The tournament will take place between April 24-28 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer College. The event includes an education seminar hosted by the Western Hockey League, and this year will also include the Hockey Alberta Awards presentation ceremony. The full rosters can be found at Hockey Alberta’s website.