Locals lead Oilers to provincial success

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore hockey players Nash Wassing, Phoenix Flett, Trip Jensen and Connor White helped the Okotoks Oilers U17AAA team became provincial champions.

The Oilers claimed the championship on April 9 after squaring off against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers for the title in St. Albert. 

The U17AAA provincial tournament consists of two teams from both the North and South Divisions, as well as the host team gunning for a shot at a podium placement. 

“It was a really exciting day … (this) was out first year of the U17AAA league… (having) replaced the previous U16AAA Minor Midget League that was in Alberta,” said Oilers Head Coach Kyle Finch. “We were able to be the first team to ever win the championship, so our name will be on the trophy for a long time.”

According to Finch, when it came down to the deciding game at the end of the tournament, the Rangers from Fort Saskatchewan were the favourites to win, having previously defeated the Oilers 10-5 during the tournament. 

“I believe they only lost four or five games the entire season and they beat us in the round robin … we were lucky enough to get to play them again in the finals so that we could atone for our previous defeat,” he said. 

The Oilers were outshot throughout the entirety of the final game. By the time the final buzzer rang, the shot count was 49-17 in favour of the Rangers. The score, however, was 1-0 in favour of the Oilers. 

Connor White, who players of the game, was voted MVP of the entire playoffs.

“You just have to look at it one shot at a time. If you focus on the outcome, that is when problems start to arise, in my opinion. So as long as things are taken one step at a time, it makes it the whole process much easier,” said White. “It is an experience that is really hard to describe. You work so hard all season with a group of your closest friends for this exact outcome, and you don’t really believe that it’s going to happen until it does.”

White added this season was extremely hard fought, with teams in the South division being separated by only a handful of points in their overall placement.

Additionally, he explained something that makes the win even more special is that for many players on the team it will have been their only opportunity to play in and win a provincial championship.

“Something like this doesn’t happen every year and for a lot of the guys, it’ll be their only provincial championship that they win in their career,” he said. “I won’t have another opportunity to compete at a provincial tournament just in my age. So, in my last go at it, it is pretty special that I was able to win it.”

In addition to being named tournament and Oilers MVP, White was among three players to receive a tournament All Star recognition.