After a hiatus caused by the pandemic, the annual Opeongo Heritage Cup Hockey Tournament returned to Madawaska Valley last weekend. The opening ceremonies honoured Carl Lacombe, Valley resident who died in October 2022 and was Head of Hockey Operation for the Heritage Cup. Also honoured was Gino Odjick an Algonquin NHL Legend as leftwinger for several NHL teams, who passed away in January of this year. Volunteers from the sponsoring heritage organizations ensured that every aspect of the Tournament ran smoothly. Both audience members and players were delighted to be back in person for the Tournament, as Bob Corrigan’s photos reveal. (At top: some Kashub fans. Photo Bob Corrigan) Heritage Minor Hockey Night was enthusiastically received as players from the Barry’s Bay and Area Minor Hockey Association took to the ice. Heritage Cup Tournament team rosters showed a great lineup of all ages for three days of exciting hockey action. Players and spectators also enjoyed a performance by local band Odd Man Out on Saturday evening.
The big result? Both Men’s and Women’s finals saw the German Black Eagles battle it out with the Kashubian Griffins. This year, the Eagles were the winners: in the Mens Open finals, the win came from an exciting 3-2 overtime goal, while the Womens Eagles won their game with a 4-0 shutout.
More important than the scoreboard, though, is simply being part of the event and soaking up the armosphere. Heritage Cup Weekend is all about getting together with old friends, sharing stories, and making new hockey memories. (Above photos Bob Corrigan) This first post-pandemic Tournament was happily received by the community thanks to the many months of preparation by the hardworking horde of volunteers, participants (both players and spectators), sponsors, heritage and hockey organizations.
