It was the best end to the season you could ask for on Sunday for the Kindersley Klippers sledge hockey program. Both the adult and junior teams competed at the Western Canadian Sledge Hockey Tournament in Calgary for their final tournament of the season, the older crew emerging victorious in the gold medal final, while the juniors lost in their last game to both bring home both medals.
The “C” division intermediate Klippers started their tournament with a pair of wins, 8-0 against the Calgary Strikers and 3-1 versus the Grande Prairie Wolverines. That momentum carried into day two where they beat the Manitoba Express 4-1, and Medicine Hat Hounds White 5-1 to improve their record to 4-0 and secure a bye to the gold medal game on the international sized ice of Winsport Arena at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park.
Taking the ice for the championship game against Team Jigger from Red Deer, the Klippers put in another team effort to win 3-1 and end their season in celebration.
The Klippers junior team was also part of the action in Calgary and had a strong weekend finishing 4-1.
The Klippers won two games on Friday, 11-4 over Team BC Junior and 7-4 against the Calgary Venom, and then another two wins of 7-5 against the Manitoba Express and 7-0 against the Medicine Hat Might Hounds on Saturday sent them into Sunday’s final just like the big club, where their tournament run ended in silver with a 3-1 loss to the Melville Sledge Dogs.
(Photo via Western Canadian Sledge Hockey Tournament on Facebook)
Before the end-of-season tournament in Calgary, the Klippers sledge hockey program sent teams to Regina in February, after hosting a tournament of their own back in December.
Sledge hockey is a sport for everyone, and you can read more about the local program and the story of fifth year player Ryan Orton in the related articles section below.