The Markham Waxers U15 BB1 Team attended the Can/Am Youth Challenge Cup Tournament in Montreal, QC the weekend of February 17, 2024 and brought home some Bronze Medal hardware. The Waxers faced a series of fresh teams in this tournament, including two challenging teams from Newfoundland.
In its first game, the Waxers faced the Mount Pearl Blades, losing a challenging game 6-5. The next game had the Waxers facing Gould’s Pacers, also from Newfoundland, skating this one to a 1-1 tie. In the final game of round robin play, the Waxers took care of business with a 9-0 victory against the Braves of Valleyfield.
The Can-Am tournament also featured a skills competition, including a skating relay and shootout. The Markham Waxers finished second in the relay, with a strong showing from skaters Callum Wells, Kai Birta, Ryan Yee, and Connor Wu. In the shootout, Waxers defenceman Noah Santos earned the gold medal, winning the competition with expert shooting.
In a very early game on Sunday to determine the bronze medal winner, the Waxers once again faced Gould’s Pacers from Newfoundland, and once again skated to a 2-2 tie after three periods. Successive bouts of 4 on 4, 3 on 3, and 2 on 2 hockey resulted in no further scoring, bringing the bronze medal to 1 on 1 play. Markham skater Callum Wells was taken down on the way to a breakaway shot, leading to a penalty shot, which Callum buried in the top right corner of the net, securing the victory and third-place medal for the Waxers. This made the weather-impacted seven hour bus trip home a more tolerable, memorable and pleasant experience.
Congrats to the Waxers on a strong finish in the 2024 Can/Am Youth Challenge Cup Tournament.