Warman Wildcats among three Sask. hockey teams competing at Circle K Classic

The Circle K Classic U-18 AAA men’s hockey tournament – formerly known as the Mac’s Tournament – begins on Friday in Calgary, featuring three teams from Saskatchewan.

The Regina Pat Canadians, Moose Jaw Warriors and Warman Wildcats will all make the journey west for one of the biggest U-18 AAA tournaments in Canada.

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Courage Bear, head coach of the Warman Wildcats, said his team takes great pride being a part of the elite group.

“It’s a tremendous honor. It’s not easy to get into this,” he said.

“It used to be a little easier when they took more teams, but now it’s harder, so I think you’re pretty proud of the achievement of the team, and you want them to enjoy it.”

Sam Failler, the captain of the Warman Wildcats, said he can’t wait for his first trip to the Circle K Tournament.

“I’m pretty excited, I’m excited to see the competition,” he said.

“It’ll be cool to see how we can compete against them.”

A total of 32 teams from Canada and the United States will be in Calgary competing for the tournament’s gold medal.

Having to face teams you’ve never encountered before can be a challenge, but Bear said the coaching staff has been working diligently to get the players prepared for what each team can bring.

“We usually do a little pre-scouting nowadays. With the technology you can watch a lot of teams’ games in advance,” the head coach explained.

Tournaments are huge bonding moments for many teams, as the players spend hours on a bus, in a hotel and roaming around the rink together, and that bonding can prove to be a big factor later in the season. Failler said the team wants to succeed at the tournament, but to have the group really mesh together is also a win.

“It’ll be a big building block for the rest of our season,” he said.

“If we can really excel in this, it’ll really help us out later on, because bonding is very important (and) being able to trust each other on the ice and knowing someone’s going to do their job just makes it easier for us to win games.”

Bear said the tournament is a step above anything else his players have experienced during their hockey careers.

“It’s such a great experience for the players,” he said.

“You have such a short window in your U-18 career to be able to go to play the best teams across the country… It’s always exciting to see the kids get the experience.”

During the regular season, most teams will play two or three games a week, but during the tournament in Calgary the Wildcats will play three games in three days during the round robin. Bear said he’s making sure his team is prepared for the grueling schedule.

“I think about managing your rest and your recovery,” he said. “The other thing is just make sure you go and enjoy it and have fun.”

The Wildcats’ first game is set for 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday against the St. Albert Raiders. The Pat Canadians’ first game is set for 9:30 a.m. on Saturday against Shawnigan Lake School, and the Moose Jaw Warriors open the tournament at 9 a.m. on Saturday, taking on Rink Kelowna.

The full schedule can be found on the tournament’s website.