The Collingwood Jr Blues U13 AE3 team brought home a trio of wins for the town this month: gold in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championships, the Georgian Bay league championships and the regional Silver Stick Tournament.
“They call it a triple crown,” said Darrick Willette, team coach. “I’ve played hockey all my life and I’ve never done this, ever.”
“It’s something special,” he said.
Willette considers the win important as COVID-19 restrictions meant the team had to shut down for three weeks in January.
“It was a bit of a late start but everything went well,” he said. “It was tough on the kids but they bounced right back and came together as a team.”
Typically, of the four major events the team would participate in annually, three were open this year to the team. The Collingwood team did not participate in the fourth – international Silver Stick – due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The team took the OMHA title after a tight game that went into overtime. The final game on April 10 in Windsor was tied 2-2 until Collingwood scored with one minute left on the clock in the third period, moving the final score to 3-2.
“It shows you what a little teamwork and believing in each other can do,” said Willette.
Now that the season has come to a close on a high note, Willette says he’s looking forward to the players being recognized at this week’s Collingwood Blues Junior A game on Wednesday.
“The kids are the ones who did all the hard work,” he said. “I’m proud of them for coming together.”
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