The Stittsville Rams trounced the Arnprior Packers 6-1 to win the 2015 Atom B Branch Championship of the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association.
The weekend event was hosted by the Muskrat Minor Hockey Association on the weekend at the Astrolabe Arena in Cobden.
While the Muskrat Voyageurs did not make it into the top six teams, because its hockey organiztaion was hostig the event, the team was able to compete.
The teams who earned a berth were Stittsville Rams, Casselman-Embrun Icedogs, Char-Lan Rebels, South Stormont Selects and the Arnprior Packers.
The Voyageurs hit the ice Friday evening and were defeated 8-3 by Stittsville.
At 9 a.m. Saturday morning, the Voyageurs, set to face-off against the Icedogs, lined up on the ice as Rachel Enright sang O Canada.
For the official puck dropping ceremony, OHL member Jared Steege stood at centre ice as the two captains waited for the puck.
Seventeen-year-old Jared is a member of the OHL Kingston Frontenacs and the son of Linda and Brad Steege.
He began his hockey career at three years old with the initiation program organized by the Muskrat Minor Hockey League. He continued with Muskrat, wearing #16, until he went to the Ottawa Valley Titans peewee and minor midgets. After the Titans he played for the Junior B Arnprior Packers and then drafted to the OHL North Bay Battalion and then this past January was traded to the Kingston Frontenacs.
“It’s a real privilege,” he said Saturday morning after dropping the puck. “I played minor hockey for this team. I’ll never forget where I came from.
“I’m proud to show these kids that even coming from a small town you can make it to the OHL.”
Ending this season after playing 67 games between the Battalion and Frontenacs, Jared’s stats show he scored 11 goals and had 12 assists.
Jared is a centreman with the Frontenacs, where he will return to in August to begin training for the next season.
“Every kid’s dream is to play in the NHL and mine is too,” he said. “You have to play for as long as you can in the OHL and if you get a contract (with the NHL), that’s great,” Jared said.
If he had a choice of NHL teams, Jared would play for the Montreal Canadiens.
Jared’s words of wisdom to the young players — “Stick with it. Put the time in. Keep working hard and you’ll get to where you want to go.”
Growing up, Jared said there were no role models for him, but he did watch the Pembroke Lumber Kings for any pointers on being a better hockey player.
Muskrat Minor Hockey executive member Jamie Mick said Jared is the only player in Muskrat to ever play in the OHL, and Muskrat began in 1968/69.
“It’s a very elite group that gets to play in the OHL,” Mr. Mick said.
“You have to be a pretty special player. There’s very few opportunities.”
When players get to the OHL, the skating is what makes them stand out, Mr. Mick said.
“He’s a strong skater,” he said. “He’s always had a tremendous shot, he’s shot like a man since he was peewee,” he said.
Mr. Mick added, “His skating is that much better than everyone else.”
Mr. Mick watched Jared growing up and knows he is a top-notch hockey player.
The Voyageurs ended up losing their three games, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. This was a team that didn’t make it into the top 6, so scoring goals against their opponents was a big deal. They were defeated 5-0 and 5-4 Saturday.
This is the first time Muskrat has ever hosted this tournament, which it applied to host, noted executive member Julie Hennessy. These are the winning teams from each of their respective leagues.
Ms. Hennessy said when discussing who would drop the puck, the answer was simple.
“Kids relate to kids,” she said. “The fact that (Jared) is an 18-year-old and plays in the OHL…
“Every kids dream is to play in the big-wigs, so why not pick the kid that plays in the big wigs.”
Going from a Rep B to the OHL is slim, except for those players who are very good, and Jared is a very good hockey player, she said.
