Tokyo Canadians Hockey Club

Tournament Game Reviews

Canadians Stung by Scorpions

October 28, 2006 - Bangkok, Thailand

Game 1: Singapore

First blood was drawn by Tokyo with Guy Roberge and Satoshi Kobayashi discovering their passing games and Kobayashi finishing a beautiful give and go. Late in the game Larose buried a nice pass from Captain Knox for the insurance goal. Strong defence and solid goaltending by Todd Bengert sealed the win shutting down a determined Singapore team.

2-0 Tokyo

Game 2: Hong Kong

Stu Kimoto buried a Knox pass and the Canadians were on their way to another shut out win. The insurance goal was a product of the Guy and Koby passing show, with Roberge on the finish and Koby with the smooth pass. And again the defence corp and Bengert were impenetrable and held the Hong Kong team scoreless.

2-0 Tokyo

Game 3: Indochine Cobras.

A hard fought contest that could have gone either way. Unfortunately it went the wrong way and after a series of strange bounces, and a very skilled and determined Indochine team, despite another snipe by Mike Larose the Canadians came out on the short end of the score.

1-3 Indochine

Quarterfinals vs Gulf Scorpions

The eventual tournament winners proved to be as strong as expected and despite almost stealing the game being outshot by a considerable margin, this was the last game for the Canadians in the 2006 Land of Smiles Tournament. A five star effort from Bengert, who saw more rubber than a.....,,umm,... who faced a barrage of shots from the relentless Scorpions, and a vintage Kimoto strike that had given the Canadians an early lead, were not enough to prevail. Mckaskie, and Didcott came heartbreakingly close to changing the outcome, Didcott having trouble holding on to the puck being slick with Thai massage oil, but in the end an empty netter sealed the Canadians fate.

1-3 Scorpions

Tourney notes:

Thai tourney rookies Holt, Ropponguy Roberge, and Didcott providing some vintage Tokyo Canadian moments. Young Kevin Holt, playing solid D and seeing more r.....sights than many of the veterans had in multiple trips. Mark Didcott for buoying the Thai economy with his support of the massage industry, setting a possible world record for number of massages per day, playing a superlative two-way game throughout the tourney. And also for butting his head into the mix when the going got rough. RopponGuy Roberge, for just being a good "guy" and providing endless entertainment and who discovered the high cost of room service at Thai hotels.

Tourney veteran Mike Larose scoring some nice goals and constantly rallying the troops by flashing his patented "V" for victory sign. And for providing the team with some good laughs with his elegant and eloquent way with words.

Ryo, Yammer, and Chawanya, showing amazing stamina playing for two teams, Ryo with some electrifying rushes in the quarterfinal game, Yammer solid on defense and Chawanya as steady as ever playing whatever role required of him.

Captain Knox, again provided leadership on and off the ice.

Rob Voisine played a strong tourney, with some highlight reel moves. And during the games he did very well also.

James Heather, Jason Young stalwart on defense, solid and dependable as always, providing support for the Jifi the Elder who proved that despite old age and a bum knee one can still play, sometimes even suiting up for hockey.

Veteran Dave Lindsay proving once again that there is life after 40, and that pools and alcohol don't mix, doing the Mark Didcott maneuver on the bottom of the pool.

Stu Kimoto and Kobayashi, as always offensive threats on the ice, and providing some memorable moments off the ice, which sometimes are hard to remember because.....

Scott Mckaskie who broke his record for consecutive games in one tourney, lasting all 4 games and playing a great tourney all around. Also his local knowledge of Thai culture and customs proved invaluable to those new to the country.

And finally Todd Bengert who kept us in the games and was steady and cool throughout the tourney.

Special thanks to Terri and Sita who provided support, patience, and good humor, and most of all tremendous open mindedness, throughout the tourney.

Canadians Bring Home the Kimchee Pot
July 2, 2006 - Seoul, Korea

The Tokyo Canadians took the the road for the weekend of June 28-July 2 with something to prove - to the Seoul Geckos (winners of three straight Kimchee Pots), to the Rocky Mountain Tavern Chiefs (strong team consisting of former Geckos and owners of the best sportsbar in Seoul), to the various government personnel with personal interest in the Kimchee Pot (Canadian Ambassador to Korea and the Mayor of Incheon), and finally to the Canadians themselves, both those that made the trip, and those that stayed behind in Tokyo but rooted for the team all the same...

Canadians 7 - Samurai 0
The Canadians opened the tourney Thursday with a hard-fought game against the Tokyo Samurai. The game saw the Canadians start fast and finished strong, skating to a 7-0 victory behind a hat-trick by centerman Mike Slaton and strong goaltending by Chris Antonelli. All three lines figured in the outcome, with the signature moment a converted 2-1 by Patrick Morris on a bullet snapshot that rattled both the crossbar and glove-side post before settling in the back of the net. While the victory was just the way the Canadians had hoped to start the tournament, the team experienced what was to be the first in a long series of adversity. Following a close off-side call, veteran tough guy Joji Hiratsuka fired a snapshop on the Samurai goalie, resulting in a ten-minute misconduct. Without their offensive stalwart on the second line, the Canadians would get some well-needed practice on shuffling guys in and out of roles. Additional adveristy delivered itself in the form of a broken skate blade for Slaton, who would use a borrowed left skate from one of the Geckos players to get through the game. Beating adversity would be a sign of things to come for this group...

Canadians 5 - RMT Chiefs 2
In the Friday morning game the Canadians faced off agains the RMT Chiefs - their usual friends and occasional foes. The Canadians started off slow, with RMT taking an early 1-0 lead. Despite the slow start, the Canadians came back with a vengeance. Stu Kimoto took charge of the game, diving to bury a back-door goal on a beautiful feed by Kodi Kodrowski that had the fans on their feet. Kimoto again showed he was in charge, setting up Slaton for two late goals, including a perfectly timed breakout pass that saw Slaton cross the blueline and fire, with the puck crossing the goal line a split second before the horn blew to end the period.

The Canadians continued their goon ways (started with Hiratsuka firing the puck on a helpless Samurai goalie after the whistle), with Slaton picking up a misconduct for picking up a broken stick from the ice surface and setting it into the Canadians bench. After the Canadians yelled and screamed about the curious call for 5 minutes, the referee changed his mind and reduced the penalty to a 2 minute minor. Fortunately for the Canadians, the referee, thinking he had issued a 10 minute misconduct, had already allowed the Canadians to kill the entire penalty skating 5 on 5. Regardless, the point was made --- these Canadians will do anything in their power to win...

While the Chiefs battled back viciously, other Canadians stepped up. RopponGuy Roberge converted what would be the first of his several well timed, deciding goals. Additionally, RopponGuy robbed the Chiefs of any momentum they were gaining when he dove to block a slapshot on a Chiefs powerplay, sending the puck into the neutral zone and ending the Chief's chances. Defensemen Jimmer Heather, Mike Doris, and Kenny Takagi ensured that no Chief's player could sustain pressure in front of the net, while Rock Voisine consistently carried the puck up ice and led the Canadians attack - often resulting in goals for the boys in Red. With the victory, the Canadians assured themselves of the number one seed in their division going into the playoffs. What the Canadians did not do, however, was prepare themselves for the final divisional battle in the tournament, a hard fought game against longtime nemesis, the Seoul Geckos.

Geckos Ogilthorpes 5 - Canadians 1
In a sign of the times, young Kev the Kid Holt stepped into the Canadians locker room prior to the showdown with Geckos, and sniffing to identify the dense smell of Icy Hot mixed with sweat, asked the boys, "What's that smell?" With a laugh, Hiratsuka replied, "that's the smell of an aging hockey team," as he applied Icy Hot to his own wounded knee.

The final divisional game agains the Geckos saw the Canadians come out as flat as ever. While the boys played hard and tried to fight through it, the Geckos got on the board early and often. Goalie Chris Antonelli, battling a pulled groin sustained in the morning victory against the Chiefs, played spectacularly, however the lack of defensive support from the forwards left both Antonelli and a hurting defensive line (pulled groin on Heather, strained back on Mike Doris) helpless against the barrage. In a last ditch effort to turn the momentum, the Canadians began to crash the net and stir up trouble. At yet another team-building moment, the line of Kodrowski, Kimoto, and Slaton dug for a loose puck underneath the Korean goalie, when the whistle blew to end the rally. When the whistle blew, Geckos veteran tough guy Jordan Shaw took a swing at the tired Canadians in front of the Geckos net, connecting cleanly on Slaton. Slaton and Shaw exchanged shots 2-3 times, when Canadians teammates Kodrowski and Kimoto swung to even the battle. Displaying his renowned team-first mentality, Rock Voisine skated in from the blueline to engage Shaw, initiating the battle with a cry of "pick on someone your own size." While the game was lost, the Canadians had grown together as a team. The locker room attitude was good despite the loss, with veteran leaders Joji Hiratsuka, Stu Kimoto, and Jimmer Heather diverting the team's attention from the loss into a focus on the forthcoming playoff against the scrappy group from Mongolia (who would surely come out looking for revenge after the Canadians beat them on their home ice to take home the Ulaanbaatar Cup in January).

Quarterfinals: Canadians 7 - Mongolia 1
The Canadians faced off against Ulaanbaatar Cup finalist Mongolia in the quarterfinal match-up. The game saw significant contributions from several Canadians players, including RopponGuy, who took to the ice sans his signature football-type shoulder pads and subsequently buried a few goals, Kev the Kid Holt, who found the back of the net for his second career goal, and Mike Doris, who continued to let fly the booming shot that saw him take part in the Kuala Lumpur hardest shot competition (perhaps some extra velocity present in his shot due to anger as a result of his missing stick bag, which appeared to have been stolen prior to the game). While the outcome was never in doubt, the boys fought hard, and began what would be a critical part of the stretch drive, as several players shuffled through different lines to cover for injured teammates. The CAT was again strong in net, and Bobby Chung emerged as the bench coordinator between shifts in which he and linemates Chawanya, Holt, and Morris dominated the puck deep in the Mongol end.

Veteran speedster Satoshi Kobayashi put on a keep-away display at one point, as he picked up a puck in the Mongol corner, circled around the net a-la Wayne Gretzky, and fired. Always aware, Kobayashi picked up the rebound and circled the net again, shooting when he came out front. The scene repeated itself multiple times, as Kobayashi set Canadians records for longest puck possession, most repeating circles around the net, and most shots on goal in a single shift.

Semi-Finals: Canadians 5 - Incheon IceHoles 3
If the quarterfinals were easier than had been expected, the semifinals were to have been the biggest challenge of the tournament for the boys from Tokyo. The IceHoles, whom the Canadians beat for third place in last year's consolation final, had stacked their already-solid team with three players from the Korean pro league. After seeking the IceHoles dismantle the strong Geckos team that had beat the Canadians in the final divisional match-up, the Canadians knew they must bring their A-game to survive. The line of Kimoto-Slaton-Kodrowski fought hard to make things happen, and created several opportunities from the opening face-off. Kodrowski, who was so snakebitten (zero goals to this point) that he had received ribbing from Kimoto on his ability to bury the puck up high ("we should get Kodi some Viagra to help him get it up!"), finally got on the board with a demanding two-goal performance. Kimoto and Slaton also added tallies for the Canadians, however, parity and strong defense were the story behind this victory. With leader Hiratsuka sidelined with a knee injury, the second and third lines were virtually interchangeable, with players regularly switching positions, linemates, and shifts. What didn't change, however, was their ability to play responsibly in their own end and help Antonelli and the D-men see the puck and clear the rebounds. With the final horn, the Canadians had gotten back to a place they had been several times before - the Finals of the Kimchee Pot.

Following the game, an exhausted IceHole player lingered outside the Canadians dressing room. Confused why another team's player would be staring in, the Canadians asked the stranger, "What are you looking for?" His response: "I wanted to see what a winning team looked like!"

Canadians 5 - Geckos Hansons 4
The Finals had all the makings: two wildly successful and skilled teams, injured players fighting to play, a stadium filled with fans celebrating Canada Day with plenty of drinks complements of the RMT, speaches from government ambassadors from Canada (Ambassador) and Anyang (Mayor), and finally the national anthems of both Korea and Canada - which served to fire-up all the boys, conjuring images of days gone by, and the hard work and dedication that had gotten them back to the Championship game. This would certainly be their year, they thought.....

From the opening faceoff, the Geckos dominated the Canadians. Despite Antonelli kicking, sprawling, diving and fighting for every loose puck, the Canadians still found themselves down 3-0 after one period. For all the excitement the Canadians had felt prior to the game, they had come out flat once again, seemingly letting the opportunity to carry the coveted Pot pass them by.

But letting down was NOT something leaders Hiratsuka, Kimoto, Heather, or Chung had on their minds, as they calmly reminded the boys that there was a lot of hockey left to be played. "Plug again one at a time." "Tighten up in the D-zone." "Don't get down." "We've been in this position before." "We've got depth, let's use it."

The second period was better, but despite the improved efforts, the Canadians still found themselves down 4-1 (the lone goal coming on a Doris blast that found the crossbar and net). While the score didn't bode well, the forthcoming third period offered the Canadians stop-time, meaning they could utilize each second of the 15 minutes on the clock to come together and tie the game up.

Five minutes into a fast moving third period, Rock Voisine launched on one of his signature rushes, eluding Geckos defenders, and grabbing the puck alone in the high slot. Recognizing the opportunity, Voisine unloaded a slapshot that found nothing but net, and the score was suddenly a manageable 4-2. Knowing that they had a chance to climb back in, the Canadians stepped up their defensive pressure, and Antonelli turned away several chances to keep the dream alive. Following a long Geckos rally, Mike Doris saw an opportunity as a streaking Kimoto dashed to the far blue line. Catching Doris' pass in stride, Kimoto found the top left corner to cut the lead even further. With 5 minutes remaining on the clock, the score was 4-3. To the utter disbelief to the Geckos and their fans, this game was going to come down to the wire.

Enter the veteran..... Chawanya, subbing for Hiratsuka on the second line, watched eagerly as RopponGuy and Kobayashi fought for a loose puck off an offensive zone face-off with three minutes left on the clock. Digging, pushing, shoving, and fighting....the puck found it's way to Chaw's stick. The savvy vet, who had been in pressure situations like this many times before, fired his signature wrist shot, which found it's way into the net after passing through the goalie's armpit. The comeback was complete - 4-4.

The next 2:45 saw a seesaw battle where offense outshine defense, but whereby the Canadians defenders stood strong in front and cleared loose pucks resulting from Antonelli saves. As the clocked ticked toward zero, overtime seemed to be forthcoming. Every face-off was a critical and heart-wrenching moment, as centers Slaton and RopponGuy bared down and won when it mattered most. With 0:30 left in the game, Slaton won a draw deep in the Canadians zone, and the ever-thinking Kimoto darted for center ice. Heather saw Kimoto on the move, and hit him with a stretch pass reminiscent of Kimoto's first goal. Kimoto caught the puck, carried it in on goal, faked left, and went right, sliding a backhand through the goalie's legs to put the Canadians ahead 5-4, with 0:14 left to play. Mobbed by his teammates in the corner, Kimoto said, "I had to change my moves, I couldn't beat him on the same one twice." "We've got 14 seconds left boys, you got the lungs to kill it?" asked Slaton.

Off the faceoff, the Geckos controlled play and made one last rush. Antonelli made the save, and Heather held the puck as time ran out. The comeback was complete, the long road neared it's end, and the Tokyo Canadians were 2006 Kimchee Pot Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sweat-filled faces, injured limbs, broken skates, bloody noses, broken sticks, stolen bags, new nicknames, and long nights had led these Canadians to a common status - Champions!

Fittingly, the Canadians supplemented their championship by taking home individual hardware as well:

Best Goalie: The CAT - Chris Antonelli (2nd top goalie award of the year)
Best D-man: Chi Chi Rock Voisine
MVP: Strong and Steady James Heather

Canadians Win Maple Leaf Cup

March 4, 2006 Singapore

The Tokyo Canadians bring home the Maple Leaf Cup from the Singapore Invitational Tournament for the second year in a row. The Canadians defended their title with a 9-2 win over the Nokia Ice Devils from Finland. The Canadians got solid goaltending from Hiroki Narushima and Troy MacPhee, plus some scoring production from the entire squad.

Mike Slaton picked up 3 goals in the final. Adding to the scoring were Chris Antonelli, J.O. Caron, Cam Knox, Scott McCaskie, Dave Lindsay, and young Kevin Holt, who registered his first goal, on his first roadtrip, as a Tokyo Canadian.

The championship game followed a 8-0 victory over Singapore's B&W World Team in the semi-final. Goal scorers in the semi-final were Cam Knox with two, Mike Slaton with two, Dave Lindsay, Scott McCaskie, Jason Young, and one fight short of the Gordie Howe hat-trick, hatchet-man Joji Hiratsuka.

We won't mention the 6-3 drunken loss to the same B&W team the night before, where Jason Young picked up two goals, and Rob Voisine netted one.

Geronimo!

March 2, 2006 Singapore

The Tokyo Canadians came out flying against the Germany Geronimos in the first game of the 2006 Singapore Invitational Tournament. The marathon scoring started with a blueline blast from Keith McQueen that blazed through the German goalie's legs. This was soon followed by a Cam Knox rush and a hard backhander that found it's way between the goalie's legs. After bit of back and forth play, and the Germans getting their first shot on net, Dave Lindsay skated across the blue line and cranked a shot straight at the German goalie's pads, only to see it rip right through and into the net.

Now that Tokyo had figured out the target, more goals followed by Mike Slaton, a pair by Jean Olivier Caron, two by Joji Hiratska, and thanks to some smooth passing from Scott McCaskie, Lindsay put in two more for the hat-trick.

The Germans finally got on the scoreboard late in the game with a quick top shelf shot from in close, making the final score 10 - 1.

Flying Farangs

For Game Two, the Tokyo Canadians went up against a fresh Bangkok Flying Farangs II team, playing in their first game of the tournament. Although the Canadians sent a lot of rubber towards the Bangkok goal, the Farangs' goalie remained solid and Bangkok capitalized on their few first-period scoring opportunities to take a 2 - 0 lead. The Bangkok goalie continued to play brillantly until Cam Knox rifled in a shot low to the glove side. However, the Farangs quickly popped in another one. Rob Voisine brought the Canadians back to within one, netting another blast to the low glove side. Tokyo just couldn't put anymore past the Farangs' goalie, and Bangkok stole the game away from the Canadians with a score of 4-2.

Rusty Blades

March 3, 2006 Singapore

In the third game of the round-robin round, the Tokyo Canadians dusted off the Singapore Rusty Blades. Scott McCaskie started the scoring by shovelling in a well fought for rebound. Cam Knox, Mike Slaton, Rob Voisine, Kevin Meehan and Dave Lindsay all tallied in a penalty-plagued game that became a bit rough and chippy. The Blades only managed to sneek one past goalie Troy McPhee, for a final score of 6 - 1.

Champions Champions Champions

January 29, 2006 Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia

The Tokyo Canadians finally ended the foreign soil championship drought with a convincing 9-4 victory over Mongolia in the Ulaan Baatar Cup finals. The teams agreed to play a four period contest to appease the numerous players attending from the Mongolian countryside. Conditions were dry and cold...

Shaking off the effects of an eventful Chinese New Year celebration, both teams came out flying. Mongolia got on the scoreboard first after opportunistically creating a 2-0 break. Chris Antonelli made the first two saves, but Mongolia scored on the third chance. The Mongol advantage was short-lived however, as Kari (from KL) buried a slapper from the point past the Mongolian goalie to tie the game at one. The teams skated for 15 minutes at 1-1, until Mike Slaton converted a one on one with a lofting flutter shot over the goalie`s shoulder.

Playing with a lead again seemed natural for the Canadians, as they built on the 2-1 advantage with 7 more goals. The Mongols managed to light the lamp three more times, but the outcome had long since been decided. Canadian scoring consisted of Kari (4), Slaton (3), Kodi and Toshi Takahashi (1).

After the presentation of the Governor`s Cup, the boys headed back to the Palace Hotel for a traditional Mongolian award ceremony. Just as they had done on the ice, the Canadians took home the hardware at the ceremony. The following individual awards are coming back to Tokyo along with the Cup.

Memorable Off-Ice Antics - Slaton, Kodi, Kari
Best Female Player - Yakumo Sugiyama
Best Goaltender - Chris Antonelli
Tournament MVP - Mike Slaton

Canadians To Play for Mongolia Cup Championship

January 28, 2006 Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia

In sunny (but frosty) Ulaan Baatar, the Tokyo Canadians have skated to a 2-0 record, and have clinched a spot in Sunday's Mongolia Cup Finals. In Friday's action, TCHC beat the Seoul Geckos 11-1 behind 4 goals from Joji Hiratsuka, 3 goals each from Mike Slaton and Kodi Kodrowski, and one goal by Satoshi Chawanya. Chris Antonelli, strapping on the goalie pads for the first time in five years, was solid in net turning away numerous Geckos chances. Newcomer Mike Doris and first-time visitor Yakumo Sugiyama also played solid games for the Canadians.

In Saturday's action, in much colder weather after a nighttime snowfall, the Canadians battled illness (with a case of food poisoning and frostbite) to emerge victorious over the Rocky Mountain Tavern Chiefs. With the addition of visiting defenseman Kari (Kuala Lumpur) and Toshi Takahashi, the Canadians had the depth they needed to pull through. Slaton led the way with 4 goals, Hiratsuka and Kodrowski had 2 apiece, and Kari netted his first goal in a TCHC sweater as the final whistle sounded with the score 9-1. Antonelli was again solid, wowing spectators with several solid saves, and a spectacular diving stop to seal the victory.

Tomorrow's final pits the Canadians against the host Mongolia skaters, who make up for inferior skill with the depth of a team 30 skaters deep. Game time is 1pm.

In other news, team captains of all foreign teams were interviewed on national Mongolian television Thursday night. All of the Canadians got a chuckle, while the other teams were dumbfounded when Slaton responded to the question, "Why did you guys come so far to visit Mongolia?" Slaton's response: "We're here to win a hockey tournament..."

Nagano Summer Tourney 2005

The Tokyo Canadians embarked on their trip to Nagano on Saturday, July 15th, to play in the Kansai/ Kanto Summer Hockey Tournament. This was the third time the Tokyo Canadians have played in the tournament that draws teams from Nagano, Osaka, and Tokyo.

After a good (hour or two) night's rest, the day would start out just like any other normal Saturday for the Tokyo squad, waking up at 6am and starting out on a soleful mission in quest of hockey glory. Before the departure from Younger's abode, one of the key playmakers of the tournament (Mr. Miller) was carefully strapped into the back of Linds' car, and then the roadtrip officially started with each of the four cars in the caravan heading in a different direction. After a few phone calls, and several changes in direction, the group became one, and raced onto the Chuo Expressway to begin their battle with the holiday-weekend traffic.

During the four-hour drive southwest to the mountainous region of Nagano, veteran center Cam Knox was discussing strategies with Linds, and explaining the benefits of deep meditation.

MTV and pop culture movie lovers alike would have been happy to meet and greet Napolean Dynamite, and his Uncle Rico, as they were on hand to take part in the action. There was some speculation on whether Uncle Rico could actually throw a football over the mountains, but it was never tested.

Once the games were underway, the Tokyo Canadians struggled with the Nagano Kates squad for the first 5 to 10 seconds, but managed to learn from it and were able to skate to a 22-1 victory. With the mountain air being a little bit thinner than the city boys of Tokyo are used to, after the game they headed to the nearest town to load up on liquids, to keep the squad well lubricated for the first night's events.

As everyone knows, great champion breakfasts are made of salad, a bowl of rice, meatballs, and miso soup; which must have been the start the Canadians were looking for. Next, a 30 minute drive filled with at least 15 U-turns was included in the tour de Nagano that ended up at it the local golf course to enjoy some of the recreation facilities on hand. A par 72 mini-putt golf course had everyone looking like giants as the team showed fine golf course etiquette during their one round of tournament stroke play. The TSN turning point of the Nagano Open was on the 16th hole when Knox putted in a hole in one tieing him the lead with 2 holes to play. On the 18th, with the gallery watching anxiously, Knox putts in a 10 foot putt for birdie (ask him and it was 16-20 feet) to win the Nagano Open with a score of 8-under.

Day Two was another challenge for the Tokyo squad as it was the first time the Canadians played the Osaka team, who recently recruited a young university player. The Osaka squad also had a few guys who appeared to be caught up in Lance Armstrong mania, donning yellow jerseys (their team was white). According to local rules, the guys in yellow were "untouchables". Not heeding to any localization, J. Scott Lackey would not give an inch to the men in yellow, winning every race to the puck. Tokyo downed Osaka 18-0. A rookie to the Tokyo Canadian team, recruited from Hamatsucho, but hailing from the Kootneys in the BC Glaciers, standing at 7 feet tall (in skates), the Sasquatch, scored a hat-trick in the victory. Stellar goaltending by Troy "Ginger" MacPhee kept the team together late in game.

The tournament is held in good sportsmanship and everyone had a crack at Tokyo Canadian's MVP Keg Miller during the BBQ after the game. Not taking any gambles, Monster's Guy Le kettle noir kept an eye on the Tokyo Canadians antics to see how the Tokyo Canadians prepare the night before a big game. But he would have had to have been in the Canadians locker room the next morning to see Jifi reveal his new sole that sparked the Canadians to their 14-4 skate against the Monsters.

To understand a three-hour game of cribbage played by monkeys, why Cam and Jay don't wear shirts, a Canadian sun burn, cooking burritos in a kettle, overflowing sinks, and PEI golf etiquette --- you had better go to the Nagano tourney next year!

2005 Kimchi Pot Tournament

The Tokyo Canadians made their third visit to the Kimchi Pot tournament in Seoul, Korea. After being edged out by the Seoul Geckos Glaciers in the last two year's final, the Canadians struggled in the semi-final and finished in 3rd place this year.

Even Stu Kimoto's motivational speeches, like "Okay boys, if we score more goals than them, we win", weren't enough to produce a semi-final victory against the Korean Allstars, who had several excellent college-aged players.

One of the highlights of the tournament was watching team president Jason Young invent and master a new move. Labelled by Joji Hirastuka as "The Starfish", Younger somehow managed to skate in one direction, then collapse in the opposite direction, face first, with all his limbs spread eagle, and using his chin to cushion the fall.

The tournament was full of great hockey action and fun-filled nights out on the town. The Tokyo Canadians wish to thank the Seoul Geckos and the Rocky Mountain Tavern Chiefs for their hospitality, and for once again organizing a fantastic tournament.

2005 Dubai International Tournament

The Tokyo Canadians had to do some recruiting to come up with enough players to help tournament regulars Jason Young, Joji Hiratsuka, Dave Lindsay, Satoshi Chawanya, Mike Slaton, and Cam Knox field a team for the 2005 Dubai tourney. Coming to the rescue were Tokyo Canadian alumni Sean Hopkins, in from Tennessee, Craig Roessel and Matt Peahl from Seoul Korea, James Kodrowski from Malaysia, and goalie Roby Gropp from Vancouver. Other late additions were Johnny Boulianne from Kuala Lumpur, and Dave Peahl (Matt's Dad) straight from vacationing in Mexico.

After retrieving lost hockey bags from the airport, and enjoying the thrills and near-spills of four-wheeling in the desert dunes, the Tokyo Canadians managed to remain undefeated through the preliminary round of the tournament.

Game 1 was a 2-2 tie against the Dubai Buds, with the Canadians coming back after the Bud's Petter Nyberg scored within the first minute of the game. Jason Young and "Kodi" Kodrowski scored for the Canadians.

The Tokyo Canadians got their game together in Game 2 with a 7-2 win over the Dubai Mighty Camels B team. Cam Knox netted two goals, and Lindsay, Chawanya, Young, Hopkins, and Kodrowski all scored one apiece. There was a scary moment midpoint in the game, when Jason Young caught a stick in the mouth. Jay, experienced at bleeding in tournament play, only missed a couple shifts and returned to the game after receiving 25 stitches in his lower lip and losing half a tooth.

Game 3 was a 0-0 battle with the Abu Dhabi Scorpions, until Mike "Slates" Slaton gave Tokyo the win by top-shelving a shot with 18 seconds remaining.

With Dave Peahl out with a knee sprain, the Canadians were down to 7 forwards and 4 defensemen for the semi-final against the Dubai Mighty Camels A team. The Canadians skated steady with the Camels, and were tied at 1-1 on a goal by Mike Slaton, until a deflected shot from the point squeaked under Gropper's pads with 57 seconds remaining in the game.

It was another dissappointing playoff loss for the Tokyo Canadians, but another fun tournament full of good times.

Canadians bring home the Maple Leaf Cup

February 20, 2005 - Singapore

When the Tokyo Canadians called on defenseman Keith McQueen, who now resides in Sydney, Australia, to join the team for the Singapore Tournament, they were lucky enough to have four of Keith's Aussie team-mates also come along for the fun and games. The 'thunder from down under' came up big from the start, scoring 2 of the 3 Tokyo goals in the 3-1 win over the Kuala Lumpur Cobras in the first game of the tourney. The Aussies continued their strong play and goal scoring throughout the tournament.

Sitting in 3rd place after the intial four game preliminary round, the Tokyo Canadians drew the Kuala Lumpur Cobras for the quarter final game. After some bad bounces, and giving up three too many breakaways, the Canadians went down 5-3 to the Cobras, and were knocked out of the race for the Brewerkz Cup.

With the consolation Maple Leaf Cup still within reach, the Canadians (and Aussies) defeated Saudi/Shanghai in the semifinal, and went on to play the Maple Leaf Cup final against the Hong Kong Selects (who picked up some Singapore players to replace the Hong Kong players skating in the Asian division championship).

The final was a fast and hard-hitting game, especially considering it was everyone's seventh game within 48 hours. The Tokyo Canadians continued to out-shoot the competion, as they did in each and every game of the tournament, and won the Maple Leaf Cup with a 3 - 1 victory.

Singapore also marked the rookie tournament appearance of the French Flash, Jean Olivier Caron.

2004 NWA Charity Hockey Tournament

Tokyo – The Higashi Yamoto icehouse was the site of the 2004 NWA Charity Hockey Tournament. The tourney took place on December 3-5, and saw teams from Korea and Japan play for East Asia’s most prized trophy, the TCHC Samurai Sword.

Team communication was at its finest, on the way to the first semi-final match-up at 10:00AM Sunday morning, when five teammates failed to let napping Arron “Bulldog” Dobrescu know that it was time to get off the train. Apparently, Dober (who regularly relies on people to help him get up for a game) managed to get about 6 train stops of extra rest time, missing most of the first period. This late start allowed the Korea’s Geckos Glaciers to tally the first goal of the game. Tournament MVP Mike “Slates” Slaton, playing without the center (who opted to stay home in bed) of the Slaton-McCaskie-LaRose “Production Line”, managed to tie the game late in the final period to even up the game at one apiece. It took only 4 minutes and 17 seconds in the sudden-death O.T. for J. Scott Lackey to fire a bullet over the Korean tender’s shoulder, sending the hometown fans into an uncontrollable frenzy.

The championship game was a rematch of last year’s Red and White game. Defending champions, Team Red, had another strong team this year; however, off-season trades and new acquisitions made for a talented (and hungry for revenge) Team White. Team Red, missing three top defensemen (two were accounted for, and one apparently also opted to stay home in bed) came out flying after losing their first game to Team White. Red managed to get a puck behind White’s rock-solid goaltender Troy MacPhee when Patrick “Just Married” Morris notched his 6th goal of the tournament. With McPhee sprawling and Joji “Jifi” Hiratsuka and Dave Hilson digging, Morris was able to pounce on a loose puck and put Red ahead 1–0. The lead would not last when White’s Mike “Lucky” LaRose kareemed a pass off of Red’s tender Lance “Cooney” Leeder’s derrière. Again it was LaRose who buried the winner in a highlight-reel shot into the top left corner of the cage. Empty net goals by “Koby” Kobayashi and Chuck “Picture Hanger” Vincent sealed the 4-1 win and saw Team White hoist the TCHC Samurai Sword.

Besides playing 7 games of hockey within 48 hours, the Tokyo Canadians stayed busy refereeing; selling T-shirts, raffle tickets, and beverages; consuming Icefield water and other liquid refreshments; keeping the fans warm and entertained; and making sure that the visiting team from Korea got their money’s worth of late nights and good times.

The tournament banquet, held at Mad Mulligans, summed up the weekend tournament and was where the NWA first place raffle ticket winner was drawn, with two roundtrip Northwest Airlines tickets going to the tournament’s Top Defenseman, Geckos’ Mike Rilanti. The banquet was also a place to witness the actual sighting of Scott “I’m too sick!” McCaskie. The party at Mad Mulligans extended past numerous last calls, last songs, and spilt drinks. Good times were had by all!

More importantly, the hugely successful 2004 Northwest Airlines Charity Hockey Tournament raised 200,000 yen for donation to the YMCA Foreign Community Supporting Committee. The YCMA-FCSC are key contributors for the YMCA’s Challenged Children Camps, Youth Leadership Projects, and other related activities for children in need.

Tournament Archives

2004
February, 2004 – Singapore Hong Kong Selects their own ref and win the Brewerkz Cup
January, 2004– Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia: CDNs get cold reception in Edmonton... er... Mongolia

2003
November, 2003 – Bangkok, Thailand: Not such a Great Wall for the Canadians to take down
September, 2003 – Tokyo, Japan: All Canadians Final
July, 2003 – Seoul, Korea: Koreans outshoot Canadians in final

2002
November, 2002– Chiang Mai, Thailand: Canadians capture Chiang Mai Cup
May, 2002– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: World Ice Hockey 5's

2001
November, 2001– Chiang Mai, Thailand: Tokyo Canadians Winless in Thailand