The Junior Skills competition began at 8:30 on the Rideau Canal on Jan. 28, 2012 despite rain and warm weather the night before.
Forty of Canada's top hockey players flew in to Ottawa to test their skills against one another Jan. 28, 2012 on the Rideau Canal. While many of them measured just one third the average height of a professional hockey player, their generally small stature nor the questionnable ice conditions kept these seven to 12-year-olds from showcasing some first-class talent. The Canadian Tire NHL Junior Skills National Championship was the result of cross Canada competitions held over the past several months. "It's really an experience," said Marissa Collins, an Ottawa native and competitor in the competition. "Like, it's really fun and exciting but nervous because you want to do well." Seven competitors were crowned the champions of the tournament (one girl and one boy from each of the three age groups, with one tie), based on their scores in the fastest skater, shooting accuracy, puck control, and passing accuracy competitions.
The champions were:
Novice Boys, Zachary Dean
Novice Girls (tie), Kaitlin Chan and Angela Huo
Atom Boys, Tommy Bouchard
Atom Girls, Sydney Kennedy
Pee Wee Boys, Stevon Hlusiak
Pee Wee Girls, Maggie Connors
