Queenstowners Conor Graham, Moby Haysmith and Harry Carian, along with their teammates Liam Sangster, of Cromwell, and Luke Ferland, of Alexandra, all 15, have been named in New Zealand’s first U16 national team, travelling to Melbourne next month to compete in the inaugural Youth Pan-Pacific Tournament.
The tourney schedule’s still being worked out, but it’s hoped the Kiwis will play at least five games against Australian sides and a team from the Hong Kong, China Ice Hockey Association.
Our national team’s being coached by Queenstown’s U18 Junior Stampede assistant coach Sam Hutchins.
U16 Junior Stampede head coach Daniel Van Sickle, who’s also heading over for the tournament, says it’s "super-exciting" to have such good representation from Queenstown in the team, and expects the players will reap rewards, particularly as they learn about playing with physicality.
He says the tournament’s in part designed to help "fill a gap in the learning curve" when it comes to full-contact hockey, given the right age to add that in has "always been something that’s up for debate".
While all the action in corners, along the boards and anytime players are fighting for the puck is "full physicality" at the U16 level, "there are some restrictions".
"No, what they call, open-ice hits [for example].
"What they’re trying not to see yet is kids, for lack of a better term, blown out of the water in the centre of the ice with no boards to protect themselves against."
Van Sickle says while the U16 Jr Stampede’s competitive in its representative national league, which comprises two Auckland teams and one each from Dunedin and Christchurch, the Aucklanders, in particular, are "a little bit more prepared for that physicality".
"The Australians have been learning [that] from a younger age than us, so it is a great opportunity for us to go over and see what level of physicality the same age group in a different country is already playing at.
"What we’ll bring back from that, of course, is a bit more preparedness."
The Youth Pan-Pacific Ice Hockey Series runs from October 10 to 13.
The U18 Jr Stampede demolished the Jr Thunder in Queenstown last weekend, during their first home games in six years.
On Saturday night, the Jr Stampede won 10-0, following that up with a 6-1 win on Sunday.
Their next rounds are in Dunedin at the end of this month, immediately following which they’ll go into the finals series.
