A sports school, a West Coast representative and a United States outfit.
The Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers learned they’ll see a little bit of everything as the hosts of Pool 6 when the Circle K Classic, formerly known as the Mac’s Tournament, draw was released on Monday.
“This is a good tournament,” said Bow Mark Oilers head coach Chris Beston. “Both St. Louis and NAX are tough opponents, they beat us last year, so we know we’ve got to bring our A-game to compete, for sure.”
There’s familiarity in two-thirds of the opposition in the pool.
Okotoks was pooled with NAX last season, dropping a 5-3 result, and skated to a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues in the D division semifinal at last year’s event.
“They were big and fast and kind of caught us on a day that we weren’t ready for them,” Beston said. “They were physical, they worked hard and were coached by Kelly Chase, so you kind of knew what you were going to get.”
In NAX, the Oilers will skate against the first-place team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League standings. The Devon-based squad boasts the top two picks in the most recent WHL Bantam Draft in Prince Albert Raiders prospects Daxon Rudolph and Riley Boychuk.
“We know they’re highly skilled and are going to have to have a strong game to compete with them,” the coach added. “They beat us last year on their skill, we’re just going to have to adapt and play our game.
“We’re well aware they’ve got Rudolph and Boychuk, two dangerous players that we will have to be aware of when they’re on the ice.”
The fourth team in the pool is the Valley West Giants, based in the Surrey, North Delta and Cloverdale area, who sit fifth in the B.C. U18 AAA hockey standings.
Okotoks has five players going into the event with tournament experience in captain Brandon de Haas, speedy forwards Ryan Williamson and Brayden Thurlow along with blueliners Kole Duquette and Jaxson Doyle.
“I hope they just to show the leadership of what to expect and get the other guys calmed down,” Beston said. “It is a nerve-racking experience, your first Mac’s, you get big crowds, lots of scouts so I hope they settle everybody down and just show the leadership that I know they can.”
The Oilers are sixth in the Alberta Elite Hockey League South Division standings where just six points separate third from seventh spot.
“You have a good weekend and you get four points and you could be sitting in third, you lose both and you could be sitting seventh,” Beston said. “It’s a tight, tight battle this year.”
This weekend, Okotoks is home to the second-place Calgary Buffaloes on Dec. 9, a 3:30 p.m. start at Centennial Arenas.
Circle K Classic schedule:
Dec. 27, 4 p.m. Seven Chiefs Sportsplex 1. Bow Mark Oilers vs. St. Louis Blues
Dec. 28, 10:30 a.m. Max Bell Centre, Arena 1. Bow Mark Oilers vs. NAX
Dec. 29, 6:15 p.m. Seven Chiefs Sportsplex 1. Bow Mark Oilers vs. Valley West Giants
For more information on the tournament, visit circlekclassic.ca.
