Forty-five students from Saskatchewan’s far north got a chance to take in some of the Memorial Cup tournament’s hottest action on Wednesday night when the Saskatoon Blades took on the Portland Winterhawks.
The students from schools in Black Lake, Fond du Lac and Wollaston Lake were flown into Saskatoon thanks to a partnership between Cameco, Areva, SaskPower and West Wind Aviation.
Jonathan Huntington, director of volunteers and sponsorship at the Memorial Cup, says the Northern All-Stars Day is sure to be a memorable experience for the students.
“I hope that the students, when they come, experience a few things,” he says. “One, they get to experience the hockey camp and the feel for the Memorial Cup but I also hope that they see maybe a dream sparkle within them that they might want to attain something like this as they grow up and continue their careers as hockey players.”
Prior to attending the hockey game in the evening, the students took part in a two-hour on-ice hockey camp with former NHLer Rich Pilon.