Kevin Mitchell
Special to The Morning Star
From the early years of Ray Allison, Gord Kluzak, Barry Pederson, Doug Bodger and Greg Adams to the later years of Brent Gilchrist, Jeff Finley, Richard Matvichuk, Matt Higgins, Brad Larsen, Morgan Rielly, Josh Morrisey, Mathew Barzal and Jason Podollan, the Vernon Pee Wee Invitational Coca-Cola Hockey Tournament has always held up its theme of The Stars of Tomorrow are Here Today.
Now entering its 50th year, the eight-team event again expects to showcase some of the best 13-year-olds in the land in a tourney which has featured teams from Barrie, Ont. to California and Alaska. The host Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs has won nine championships, while Winnipeg follows with four. Cowichan Valley and Calgary have three apiece.
Keith Green, current tourney committee chairman and pushing towards 20 years on the board, said making it to 50 had to be a sure thing. It hasn鈥檛 been held since 2020 due to the pandemic.
鈥淥ur committee members have been chomping at the bit to make sure we meet this milestone. Fifty years of committee members that put all that time in to make this a great tournament, it was vitally important we pull this one off and try to make it the best tournament to date,鈥� said Green. 鈥淥bviously we had some challenges moving venues and of course COVID took two years away from the tournament and we鈥檙e looking to be stronger and better than ever and sometimes you have to adapt.鈥�
Celebrating year 50 along with the Mustangs are B.C.鈥檚 Cranbrook Bucks, Chilliwack Bruins and North Delta Sun Devils, Alberta鈥檚 Okotoks Oilers St. Albert Raiders, and Leduc Roughnecks, and representing the U.S.A. the Wenatchee Wild. The tourney goes Feb. 9-12 at Kal Tire Place North.
Green said teams will be housed at the Premier Best Western instead of the Vernon Lodge due to priority changes at the Lodge.
鈥淭he Premier Best Western has bent over backwards for us,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good fit. It鈥檚 not perfect. We鈥檙e going from 450 to 200 for our dance (featuring Mace).鈥�
The founding tournament committee, all directors with minor hockey, included Len Miller, Chum Kaneda, Al Madden, Jack Boutillier, Frank Flasch, Les York, Ed O鈥橞rien and Doug Bulwer. It was Madden who suggested that Vernon hold a tournament during its annual Winter Carnival since Quebec was doing such.
The inaugural tournament, in 1972, saw the Saanich Braves take the Amy Myles Memorial A title, 9-3 over West Vancouver鈥檚 Hollyburn Winter Club. Saanich was led by superstar brothers Gary and Murray Slezak and Robert Clavette.
Teams billeted in the early years, later staying at the Vernon Lodge, where a complimentary banquet was held each Saturday night featuring Hockey Hall of Famer Babe Pratt as keynote speaker for the first 10 years and later Gilchrist.
鈥淲e billeted Murray Slezak and Rob Clavette, who were probably the two most dynamic players in the tournament,鈥� said Kevin Mitchell, who spent 18 years as a director. 鈥淭hey were great kids and I followed their careers with the Nanaimo Clippers and Victoria Cougars where they also succeeded.鈥�
Vernon鈥檚 team in year two, coached by Walt Trentini, had a winning roster of Rex Slizak, George Crookshank, Earl Sophonow, Earl Smith, Glen Fester, Gordie Howard, Rod Trentini, Scott Madden, Dave Fish, Jay Mondin, Lester Creelman, Fabian Alexis, Darcy Anderson, Jed Sparrow, Tony Mahood and Chris Grant.
The Mustangs stopped Saanich 4-2 in overtime in the A final.
鈥淕ordie Howard was our sniper,鈥� recalls defenceman Fester, a tournament director and North Dakota Fighting Sioux grad. 鈥淚 fed him with a pass up the middle and he broke through the defence to score an important goal in that game. I believe Rex Slizak was our goalie.鈥�
Jed Sparrow, a longtime director, was also on that championship team and maybe part of the only father-son winning combination since his son, Colton, was on the 2006 double overtime win over Alaska. Jed coached Vernon alongside Pat Field in 2005.
鈥淲e went into overtime after Lester Creelman had a penalty shot in the third period and the goalie stopped it. That was back when you couldn鈥檛 walk around Civic Arena and they figured there were 2,000 fans.鈥�
Jed said Creelman was the Mustangs鈥� No. 1 sniper and gave major props to Slizak, Trentini, Fester and Howard.
鈥淚 loved that tournament; it was the greatest thing I ever played in. It was a lot of fun. My wife (Chris) took my trophy and put both (Colton) our names on it.鈥�
Sparrow has also enjoyed working with his older brother Jim, who has served close to 25 years as a director. Chris has kept it in the family by running 50-50 sales for several years.
Hubie Petersen was behind the bench of the 1980 team that stopped St. Albert 6-3 in the A final. That Vernon team included four players selected in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft - Gilchrist, Finley, Bruce Major and Jay Stark.
Garry Pruden, among the most respected committee members with 30 years experience, is jacked about finally getting year 50 in after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. A social for current and past directors was held at the Premier Western Hotel to hype this year鈥檚 tournament.
鈥淚t was really nice to see some of the committee members attend,鈥� said the dean of directors. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always had a fantastic group of committee members over all the years, people who did so much to maintain the integrity and success of such a great tournament.鈥�
Pruden, who is in charge of finances, is high on the tournament roster.
鈥淭his is 50 and we鈥檙e extremely happy with the teams that are coming. We鈥檙e excited about what鈥檚 going to happen in the tournament, which is always great and as everybody knows, the past history includes lots of past NHLers.鈥�
A major tournament highlight came in 1993 when Vernon iced the Prince George Cougars 6-3 in the A final before 1,200 raucous fans. The game was aired on CJIB Radio with (Pistol) Pete McIntyre calling the play by play and Mitchell providing the colour.
The tournament committee has given out thousands of dollars in scholarships and to other organizations in need. Directors Charlie Briskham and Clark Inglis led a huge $10,000 donation for a new time clock at Kal Tire Place.
The Rienie Holland Memorial Award for Best Volunteer and the Ernie Kowal Memorial Award for Best Coach are both given out annually.
All teams get a private dressing room and five regulation games. The Mustangs get rock star status by riding on the float in the annual Vernon Winter Carnival Parade.
Kevin Mitchell is the retired sports editor of the Morning Star
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