The Junior All-Star Tournament was about much more than the scores of the hockey games. The kids had fun, both at their own games and at all of the All-Star activities.

But for those that are interested, here are the final standings:

Check back later this week, as we have a few more features to put up that we ran out of time to do in the busy weekend.

Tampa Bay was led by Jared Goudreau, who scored two goals. Christopher Lockard added two goals for the Hurricanes.

Final tournament standings will be put up after the closing ceremonies.

Dakota Odgers is 11 years old, and is the son of former Thrasher player and current Thrashers radio broadcaster Jeff Odgers.

 
Q: How old are you, and how long have you been playing hockey?
A: 11, and since I was 2.

Q: What was it like watching your dad play for the Thrashers?
A: Pretty awesome, just being at the rink, and always being at the games.

Q:What was your favorite memory of your dad in a hockey game?
A: It would be probably have to be the last game of the season in '02 against Carolina when he scored a goal.

Q: What was your favorite fight of your dad’s?
A: Todd Fedoruk. Fedoruk’s about 6’5” and my dad just started knocking him in the face a few times and it was pretty awesome to watch.

Q: Who is the coolest player you have met?
A: Coolest player I’ve ever met was Joe Sakic. He’s a really nice guy.

Q: Who was your idol?
A: My dad was my idol because he’s my dad and because he played hockey which is I’ve always wanted to do.

Q: What is Jeff Odgers like as a coach?
A: He is a pretty quiet coach, actually. If you aren’t doing things right he’ll get on you pretty quick but he’s not going to grab your cage and start yelling at you. He will get on if you aren’t doing things right.

Peter Laviolette is the head coach for the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. He spent his Sunday helping to coach some younger Hurricanes, including his son, also named Peter.

“Well I think the tournament was unbelievable, just the way Thrashers made sure it was well staffed and well organized. The kids had a blast.

“I think for the NHL to get involved around a weekend like this with the all-star game and bring the kids in it, that’s what hockey is all about. You start out as kids playing hockey hoping to make it to the NHL so you tie in both things, the best players in the world and the kids. I thought it was terrific the way they did it. It was very well run and very well organized.

“Me personally I never get to see my son play. I am constantly away every weekend, and he goes on these tournaments so this was the great opportunity for me to get to spend some time with him and watch him play a little bit, and I feel fortunate to be here.”

Cameron Martell, a goalie on the Tampa Bay Lightning Pee-Wee squad, will be rooting for his favorite players tonight at the All-Star game just like everyone else.

His favorite player is Martin Brodeur, but since he is not playing tonight, Cameron will be watching his second favorite All-Star, Rick diPietro.

But what makes Cameron different than his teammates is that he will be watching his dad tonight.

Who is his father? Rob Martell, one of the referees for tonight’s game.

Who will Cameron be watching tonight: his father, or his idol?

“Both.”

Bio: Gilbert played 15 seasons for the New York Rangers, scoring 406 goals and 1,021 points. He played from 1960 to 1978, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982. He was the first person to have his number retired by New York, and is the only player to score more than 1,000 points for the Rangers.

Gilbert was a guest coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning squirt team.

What do you think of this tournament?

“I think it’s just a wonderful experience for all of the kids. I was the honorary coach for the Rangers for many years for their pee-wee team, and we went to the tournament in Quebec, and it was awesome. It’s really just about the competition between the kids.

“I was really surprised by the quality of the team that we just played in Carolina. The kids are just mites, and they seemed so well coached.

“The tournament was great, it keeps the interest in hockey alive in the young kids.”

What advice did you give them?

“Well, number one, they have to have fun. And number two, if they have the intention to be good, they have to be really determined and be passionate. For those of us that made the NHL, there wasn’t a day in which we didn’t think about playing hockey, even in the summer, and training for it, and looking at the players ahead of us that had paved the way and seeing what they did to become good.”

What was your favorite event in the skills competition last night?

“The YoungStars was the most fun. The game they played, the 3 on 3, was just great. The whole event was well promoted. The hardest shot is always fun, and I enjoyed the speed skating. The whole event was enjoyable. “

Who was your favorite player growing up?

“My favorite was Boom Boom Geoffrion because I simulated him with my slapshot when I was young and it helped me a lot.”

Squirt:

Atlanta 8, Washington 3
Carolina 9, Tampa Bay 0
Washington 12, Tampa Bay 0

Pee-Wee:

Washington 14, Tampa Bay 0
Atlanta 12, Nashville 0
Atlanta 14, Carolina 0

We will put up the score of the last game and the final tournament standings later this afternoon.

Game 1:

Atlanta Thrashers 8,
Nashville Predators 3

Sunday started off bright and early with the first puck dropping at 6:30 between the squirt level teams from Atlanta and Nashville.

Warren Preston for Nashville and Connor Moore for Atlanta both scored two goals to lead their teams.

The Thrashers squad had a few players with last names many Thrashers fans might recognize: Mitch Eliot, Liam McCrimmon, and Garrett Klee. Other notable player dads included Dan O’Rourke, current NHL referee, and Scott Pearson, former player for the Maple Leafs and Oilers, and who also spent some time with the Chicago Wolves.

The Thrashers won by a score of 8-3, but the real story came after the game. This was both team’s last game of the tournament, so the teams agreed to do a shootout. Every player got the chance to pull their best move on the opposing goalie.

After the game, Coach Brad McCrimmon, Associate Coach for the Atlanta Thrashers, talked about the tournament:

“Everyone’s having a great time. It’s a neat concept, and give Darren Eliot and the hockey staff a lot of credit for it. It’s been well run.”

He also thought the kids had some better moves than the big boys in the NHL did  last night.

Game 2:

Atlanta Thrashers (Pee-Wee) 14
Carolina Hurricanes 0

This game featured the high-flying attack of the Thrashers. The team was led by Anthony Esteves and Austin Lackey who both chipped in with two goals.

Brad Nurnberg scored the first goal of the game, coming in on the left side of the goal, carrying the puck around the back, and tucking in a wraparound.

Another beautiful goal was scored by Austin Lackey, who scored on a backhanded shot that went over the goalie’s shoulder.

Saturday saw a transformation of the city of Atlanta, the CNN Center, and Philips Arena into a hockey Mecca for all in attendance. The parents were as excited as kids, so you can imagine just what it was like for the 9-12 year olds. It definitely was a day no participant will ever forget.

The day started off early, with the puck dropping at 6 in the morning at the Cooler and the Marietta Ice Center. The energy level was impressive, and I could tell that the referees, scorekeepers, and everyone old enough to drive had not completely rolled out of bed yet.

5 games later, all teams headed downtown for the Rockin’ Skate. The Eastern All-Star team took the ice first, with the West following them. Usher, Taylor Kitsch, and Alyssa Milano hosted the event, with the Jonas Brothers providing the post-practice entertainment.

From the sound of intense screams for the Jonas Brothers, just about everybody in attendance was a female in middle school. And from talking to a few of the youth hockey players, they didn’t mind in the least bit.

After a break for all of the teams, they met back up behind Philips Arena around 4 for the red carpet. Most of the kids mentioned that this was an event they were really looking forward to. All of the teams had a reserved spot next to the player walkway, and many of the teams received long looks by the cameras. If you were watching on Versus, you probably saw them.

A bus pulled up, the doors opened, and all of the sudden the young players’ heroes were mere inches away from them. The awestruck facial expressions spoke volumes.

 Vincent Lecavalier signs autographs for a few youth hockey players. © George Lane

This was also the point of the day when the parents joined their kids in star-struck awe. At times, it was hard to tell who was more excited.

All the players got enough autographs to cover their new Reebok jerseys, and then it was time to head inside for the skills competition.

All the teams found their seats, and the view was great. The skill challenges rolled by, with the kids watching their idols do what they do best.

The Washington Capitals players and families chanted “O-vie, O-vie” when Alexander Ovechkin won the Breakout Challenge event. Not to be left out, the Tampa fans made their presence heard when Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier performed well in their events.
 

Tomorrow promises to be another long day for everyone, with the hockey running from 6:30 until 2, followed by the tournament closing ceremonies, and then finally the All-Star game. 
 

While waiting for the red carpet festivities to start today, I had the chance to talk to a couple of players from the Washington Capitals Pee-Wee squad. The 10-11 year olds had the opportunity to have Hall of Famer Tony Esposito guest coach a game on Friday, and they talked about their experience:

Nathan Marks said that Esposito stressed the importance of fun for the kids.

“It was a special experience, and it was really great for everyone on the team,” said Brendan Soucie.

What kind of advice did he give?

“After you get the first goal, it is always much easier to score.”

Washington 12
Carolina 0

In the second day of action the Capitals continued their offensive onslaught, this time netting 12. Josh Larson, Brendan Soucie, Charlie Shepard, and Grayson Runey all scored two goals, while Kevin Diner added 3 assists.

After Drew Blevin’s great game in goal for the Hurricanes yesterday, today was Trevor Lenzmeier’s turn. Don’t let the score fool you, Trevor was played impressively in net, making many big saves, keeping the game close until the third period.

The goaltender duo of Daniyal Hannan and Stephen Morrissey from Washington split playing time, and put up their second shutout of the tournament.  

Game 2:

Nashville 9
Tampa Bay 4

As an avid hockey fan, this was an entertaining game to watch. Both teams competed with great heart, and showed skating skills beyond their age.

Drake Dalton from Tampa Bay scored 1 goal and 2 assists, and John Cuni, Jared Goudreau, and Alex de la Paz added goals of their own.

The play of the day for Saturday was a tie between two Nashville goals. Austin Bachleda scored for the Predators in the first period on a beautiful goal, crossing across the slot and putting in a wrist shot high on the goalie’s glove side.

Also getting play of the day honors was Hunter Saunders, who took a pass from Zach Wertz with time running down in the first period and scored with less than a second left on the clock.

Tomorrow’s Schedule:

6:45 AM: Tampa Bay vs. Washington
8:20 AM: Atlanta vs. Carolina
11:10 AM: Atlanta vs. Nashville
12:35 PM: Tampa Bay vs. Carolina

Squirts:

Atlanta 4, Carolina 4
Nashville 10, Tampa Bay 2
Washington 6, Atlanta 2

Pee-Wee:

Washington 12, Carolina 0
Nashville 9, Tampa Bay 4

Squirt Current Standings:

Washington: 3-0
Carolina: 1-1-1
Atlanta: 1-1-1
Nashville: 1-2
Tampa Bay: 0-2

Pee-Wee Current Standings:

Washington: 3-0
Nashville: 2-1
Atlanta: 1-1
Carolina: 0-2
Tampa Bay: 0-2

Game 1:

Atlanta Thrashers: 18
Tampa Bay Lightning: 0

The first game of the day at the Marietta Ice Center pitted the Atlanta Thrashers Pee-Wee squad against their Tampa Bay counterparts. The Thrashers came out firing early, and didn’t let up.

The home town team was led by Austin Lackey, who scored a hat trick and added 5 assists. Not far behind was Josh Porter, who added a hat trick of his own. Both boys displayed great vision on the ice with impressive puck-handling abilities.

Goalie Cameron Martell was stellar in net, earning the shutout win.

Guest coaching Atlanta was the Sheriff, Jeff Odgers, past player for Atlanta and current radio broadcaster. Jeff was not the only Odger in the game, as his son, Dakota, made his impact felt, scoring 2 goals and an assist.

Game 2:

Nashville Predators: 4
Carolina Hurricanes: 1

Next up on the schedule was the Carolina Hurricanes against the Nashville Predators. The two teams were very evenly matched, and the game ended up being a battle of goaltenders, with Nashville winning 4-1.

Both offenses moved the puck up and down the rink, but the spotlight was stolen by goalies Peter Yasso of the Predators and Drew Blevins of the Hurricanes. Flashy glove saves became the norm by the end of the third period.

The two teams combined for an amazing 58 shots on goal, and yet the final score was only 4-1. Yasso stopped 24, and not to be outdone, Blevins kept 29 out of the net.

The two great goaltenders shared something in common, besides a quick glove: naming Martin Brodeur as their favorite player. That shouldn’t be too surprising, as they would have made Marty proud in this particular game.

Game 3:

Washington Capitals: 6
Atlanta Thrashers: 4

The first game after lunch was the best of the day, with the Capitals and Thrashers facing off. Hockey legend Tony Esposito was the guest coach for the Capitals. Esposito, the longtime Chicago Blackhawk goalie, gave a pre-game speech, signed autographs for both the Thrashers and Capitals players, and then added his expertise behind the bench.

The star of the first game for the Thrashers, Austin Lackey, did not slow down in his second game of the day, this time adding two goals. Washington spread their scoring around, with 6 different players scoring for the Capitals.

Both squads showed remarkable team speed and beautiful passing for the entire 45 minutes. The game went back and forth, with one team taking the lead, only to give it back up shortly after.

The play of the day goes to Tanner Cochran of the Capitals. With four minutes left in the third period, and the score tied, he took a pass from Evan Owens off the boards. Cochran outskated a defender, and then scored on a highlight reel goal in which he faked to the goalie’s blocker side and then changed direction, crossing in front of the net and putting the puck in the right side, all while being hooked from behind by a defender.

Washington didn’t look back, and sealed the win with an empty net goal by Grayson Runey with under a minute left.

Game 4:

Washington Capitals: 17
Nashville Predators: 0

The last game was a hard hitting battle between two teams who were playing their second game on the day. The Capitals scored early, and never looked back.

If a team scores 17 goals, you should expect a hat trick. Not so for this game. The Capitals’ scoring was evenly spread throughout the entire team, with 11 different players scoring.

Julian Cronan, Kevin Diner, Chris Javens, Nick Romanov, Charlie Shepard, and Brendan Soucie all scored twice.

Current Standings:
Washington: 2-0
Atlanta: 1-1
Nashville: 1-1
Carolina: 0-1
Tampa Bay: 0-1

Tomorrow’s Game Schedule:

7:00 AM: Carolina v. Washington
8:20 AM: Tampa Bay v. Nashville

Both games take place at the Marietta Ice Center.

Tomorrow will be yet another fun day for the players, as they head to the Rockin’ Skate after the morning games. Later in the afternoon, they will be lining the red carpet for the All-Star entrances, and then they will head inside Philips Arena for the skills competition.

Most of the players commented on how much they are looking forward to the skills competition, so make sure to check back tomorrow night to read about their experiences.

Day one of the 2008 Jr. NHL All-Star Tournament – Squirts – kicked off at the Cooler early this morning. As each team checked in they received authentic team jerseys, Gatorade towels and water bottles, along with NHL messenger bags full with 2008 All-Star memorabilia.

NHL legend Pat Quinn stepped behind the bench for the Nashville team as their guest coach. Coincidentally, Quinn’s daughter used to work in the front office for the Predator’s team – which gave the team a personal connection to their honorary coach! Before taking the ice, he spoke to the team about the Predators history and their former star Peter Forsberg. Quinn gave them words of encouragement and wished them a good game!

David Ouimet, a member of the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Development Team, was Pat Quinn’s escort for the day…

“When I first talked to the team [Nashville] and met the players, I went in there to get the team excited about meeting Pat Quinn, but my job wasn’t hard, they were already fired up and ready for him! It was great … he graciously stayed long enough for everyone to get pictures and autographs. Even at this age (9-10), it’s a thrill to see them [players] so appreciative of his time – not to mention their NHL messenger bags and all the perks that the tournament is providing!”

Joining Quinn in the guest coach responsibilities was Atlanta Thrashers Associate Head Coach, Brad McCrimmon, who joined ranks with (who else) the Thrashers squirt team – led by Coach Scott Pearson.

Also making appearances at the Cooler were Dan Kamal, Thrashers Radio Play-by-play announcer, and Darren Eliot, Thrashers TV Color Commentator and Community Hockey Liason. Eliot’s oldest son, Mitch, plays for the Atlanta Fire Squirt team and is also a member of the Thrashers team represented in the Jr. NHL All-Star Tournament.

A common theme amongst the teams was how excited everyone was for this one-of-a-kind tournament in conjunction with the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend!

Mitch Hatchett, a Carolina parent from Raleigh, NC, was thoroughly impressed with the event….

“This is a first class tournament, everything is done top notch as far as planning and preparation…everything is covered down to the last detail including transportation! The kids love the fact that they have the guest coaches, they love their bags from the NHL, their hats and pins… we’re very impressed!”

Whether their teams won or loss, there was certainly an electricity in the air as all the kids were exciting about participating in not only the tournament, but all the associated All-Star events.

All participants are going to attend all of the All-Star events! In fact, they will all be lining the red carpet leading into the Young Stars Skill Competition where they will get an opportunity to take pictures and get autographs with all the NHL All Stars and celebrities attending.

Stay logged on for the most up-to-date information on tournament scores and the experiences that these teams will have at the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend!

The Washington team  is comprised of players from Maryland and Virginia and is currently in first place in the Squirt AA division of the Capital Beltway Hockey League (CBHL).

Many of the players have been playing together since they were 5 and 6 years old!

The teams ties to the Washington Capitals go beyond the All-Star festivies this weekend...the Capitals General Manager, George McPhee, and center, Michael Nylander, both have sons on the team.

Additionally, McPhee is a certified USA Hockey Coach who works the bench and assists with practice drills when he is not traveling with the "big boys".

Game 1:

Atlanta Thrashers: 13
Tampa Bay Lightning: 1

The Atlanta Thrashers (1-0) kicked off the Jr. NHL All-Star Tournament with a 13-1 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning (0-1).

Austin Magera and Kyle Galloway led the Thrashers each with hat tricks. Brendan Ferguson and Connor Moore followed behind, each with 2 goals. Mitch Eliot, Chase Pearson, and Kyle Banks each had 1 a piece.

Cole Fisher scored Tampa Bay’s only goal in the second period, assisted by Wilson Conley.

Atlanta plays again on Saturday, January 25, against Carolina at 6:00am at the Cooler. Immediately after that game, Tampa Bay will face Nashville.

Game 2:

Carolina: 3
Nashville: 1

The Carolina Hurricanes (1-0) started off strong with a 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators (0-1).

Josh Wilkins led the Hurricanes with 2 goals, one assisted by Tyler Romel, and Ward Betts had 1 goal.

Jacob Gossett scored the only Predator’s goal in the third period.

Game 3:

Carolina: 2
Washington: 6

Washington (1-0) kicked off their first game in the tournament with a 6-2 victory over Carolina (1-1).

The Capitals first goal was scored by Greg Printz, assisted by Philip Satin. Ross Allen had a hat trick with 2 assist from Graham McPhee. McPhee also held his own with 2 goals, both assisted by Allen.

Carolina goals were scored by Ford Hatchett, assisted by Josh Wilkins, and Ward Betts, assisted by Nikita Anistratov and Josh Wilkins.

Game 4:

Washington: 6
Nashville: 0

Washington (2-0) ended the first day of the Jr. NHL All-Star Tournament with a victory over Nashville (0-2).

Leading the Capitals in scoring was Alexander Nylander who posted a hat trick – the 4^th for the day. Graham McPhee posted 1 goal and 2 assists, Dylan Giorgio also had a goal and an assist. Ross Allen scored 1 goal and Dominik Pettey posted 2 assists.

Washington plays Atlanta tomorrow morning at 9:00am. Nashville plays Tampa Bay at 7:30am – both games will be held at the Cooler.

CURRENT STANDINGS:
Washington: 2-0
Carolina: 1-1
Atlanta: 1-0
Tampa Bay: 0-1
Nashville: 0-2

Tomorrow's Game Schedule:
6:00am:  Atlanta v. Carolina
7:30am:  Tampa Bay v. Nashville
9:00am:  Atlanta v. Washington

Squirts:

Washington 6, Carolina 2
Washington 6, Nashville 0

Pee-Wee:

Washington 6, Atlanta 4
Washington 17, Nashville 0

Squirts:

Atlanta 13, Tampa Bay 1
Hurricanes 3, Nashville 1

PeeWee

Atlanta 18, Tampa Bay 0
Nashville 4, Carolina 1

Remember, this event is all about having fun so the score isn't important, but we do know that parents are checking in to see the results.

All of the kids will be honored on Sunday and will participate in the All-Star festivities. Some of them are even the children of NHL players and coaches. more about that later.

Welcome to the blog. this site will serve as a home for all of your Atlanta Thrashers Junior NHL All-Star Tournament news. The tournament kicks off on Friday at 9:30 a.m. at both the Cooler and Blueland at the MIC and features youth teams from Atlanta, Carolina, Nashville, Tampa Bay and Washington. They'll be visited by NHL alumni like Hockey Hall-of-Famers Tony Esposito and Rod Gilbert, former Thrashers captain Scott Mellanby and former Atlanta Flames Pat Quinn and Bill Clement. 

The Atlanta coaches will even have NHL ties, with Thrashers Associate Coach Brad McCrimmon, former NHL forward Scott Pearson and NHL referee Dan O’Rourke behind the bench for the Squirts and Thrashers Radio Analyst Jeff Odgers and former N.Y. Islander Yan Kaminsky serving as coaches for the Pee-Wee team.

You can get all of the details for the tournament in the press release right here, but keep checking the blog over the weekend for updates, stories and pictures.