With the news of the Philadelphia Wings relocating to Connecticut, things seemed uncertain if the Wings would be represented at the Jr NLL Champions Cup Tournament in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Have no fear though, they were and I was lucky enough to represent the team that has given me great relationships and memories as a coach of the PeeWees.
Players from all over North America donned almost all the NLL team colors and descended on to the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre, which contained both cement and turf floors, multiple locker rooms, food service and an incredible pro shop. The only team not represented was the Calgary Roughnecks.
Teams in the Midget, bantam and PeeWee levels were split into two groups—Red and Blue. Rochester took home the cup in both the Midget and Bantam divisions, with Toronto hoisting the cup up as the PeeWee champs.
PeeWee Standings
1. Toronto
2. Rochester
3. Vancouver
4. Philadelphia
5. Edmonton
6. Colorado
7. Buffalo
Bantam Standings
1. Rochester
2. Edmonton
3. Toronto
4. Vancouver
5. Colorado
6. Minnesota
7. Philadelphia
8. Buffalo
Midget Standings
1. Rochester
2. Toronto
3. Philadelphia
4. Vancouver
5. Minnesota
6. Buffalo
Overhearing parents and players, the overall outcome of the tournament was that the tournament was very well run and in a great venue. Games were close for the most part with very minimum blow outs, with a few overtime games thrown into the mix. The athleticism of the US players against the indoor style play of the Canadians was immensely recognizable and made the games very exciting.
