Red Pheasant Snipers return home from Las Vegas with new hardware

With many of the same core players back from the year before, the team used that finals loss as motivation this time around.

“Nobody likes to get on that bus after a loss. I love to win, but I hate losing more. It’s just the feeling you get when you suffer a tough loss.”

A few players on the team did not know each other before the tournament, but Helm said the long bus ride to Las Vegas helped them bond quickly.

“They built a camaraderie very quickly,” he explained. “For them to get off the bus after being together for 40 hours and still go hang out on the Strip in Las Vegas was kind of mind-blowing. Anybody I spend 40 hours with; the last thing I want to do is hang out with them.”

Helm said that bond translated directly to the team’s play on the ice.

“It showed. They all showed up ready to play hockey that day. They moved the puck well, and it stemmed from strong forwards to good defence.”

For Helm and the team, it was important to represent Red Pheasant on an international stage.

“To come down from Red Pheasant and represent your nation in the U.S. and take a championship like this at a high-calibre level means a lot to the boys, a lot to me and a lot to chief and council,” said Helm.

“They’ve been carrying their trophy around everywhere they go. I know they’re proud to be from Red Pheasant, and they’re going to continue to be proud because I know Red Pheasant is going in the right direction. There’s a lot to be proud of there.”

With seven players aging out, this tournament may have marked the end of this group’s run together, but Helm believes the future of the program is bright.

“Going forward, I know that we’re going to have teams year after year that are going to be competitive.”

—

Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com

by Ryan Lambert

Red Pheasant Snipers return home from Las Vegas with new hardware

What's Trending