As was in evidence in the two games the Jasper Novice Bears played in Edson this past Saturday, the coaches in the Jasper Minor Hockey system are doing a first-rate job in preparing our young hockey players for their inevitable NHL careers.

That is, in all areas but one.

Key to a hockey player’s success at the top ranks is the ability to navigate the sports interview. Our kids, quite surprisingly, get no media training, so this past weekend I set out to correct this gross oversight. 

Prior to the game, I asked Sebastian Golla and Jacob Bartziokas how they see their prospects for the day. Golla felt that given Jasper’s recent success against Edson that our chances were good and Bartziokas felt that it was Jasper’s turn to win. Aiden Deagle and Lucas Oeggerli both felt equally optimistic based on recent victories against Hinton. Confidence was high in the dressing room.

They had it cold.

Against the Edson Happy Camper RV team, Jasper played strongly despite the absence of perennial goal scorer Matteo Tassoni who was out with the flu. Bears’ Kelan Pollard started the scoring early with a goal in the game’s second minute and Jasper held the lead until 12 seconds to go in the frame. Justin McIsaac gave the Bears back the lead half way through the second with a beautiful backhander but then Edson came storming back, potting three unanswered goals. Jasper was down 4-2 at the end of two.

The third period started with Golla rushing end-to-end and beating the Edson goalie five-hole, followed by McIsaac’s second goal to tie the game at 4-4. Pollard got his second with two minutes to go in the game to send Jasper up again by one, and it looked like that would be it. But then Jasper goalie Dylan Dekker, who was very strong in net all morning, let one squirt through with 30 seconds to play and that’s how it ended. A 5-5 tie. Not the predicted victory, but an exciting game.

Asked what he thought their prospects were in the second game, Josh Howes replied “it’s going to be fun.” This was echoed by Oeggerli who added that playing forward in the second game would be good because in the first game “when we got on the ice, I forgot how to play defence, but then I remembered.”

A tie is never a satisfying outcome, so despite being tired after this first game, everyone was looking forward to the second. When asked why she likes hockey, Dana Angebrandt remarked “having fun and the raffle tables.” No raffle table was in evidence today, but fun was still had and with her stated goal of being the first woman in the NHL, Angebrandt knew that “getting to win stuff” was not as important on this day as playing hard with her friends on the team. 

Game two against the Edson U Auto Wash Saturday afternoon was exciting. With regular goalie Pollard between the pipes Edson struggled to score despite many chances. But they did manage to get three, and despite heroic efforts by Lucas Prud’homme, Baden Koss, Connor Wright and Liam Crozier, the Bears were unable to score. A tough loss, but coach Geno Tassoni was proud of his charges for a hard fought match.

When asked what he thought about the rumours swirling that his job was on the line if the Bears didn’t do well in Edson, Coach Tassoni replied that he “has every confidence in his team”. His answer, like what I heard from the kids all day, was more eloquent than most sports reporters get. And, he’s right. He should.