The Major Atom Lakers competed strongly at the Compuware-Honeybaked Invitational AAA hockey tournament during the weekend (Sept. 22-25, 2011) in Detroit MI. Their only loss in 4 games during the tournament was to the eventual tournament champion, Honeybaked, a team that was ranked 4th in the entire USA last year. As the tournament progressed, the level of play of the team improved, especially in terms of intensity and speed.
The first game was against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period only to see it disappear with a goal by the opponent in the 2nd period and another one late in the third. Owen Hahn had a strong game in goal, keeping the score close. The boys had difficulty adjusting to the US rules, especially when it came to penalties as the tying goal came on the powerplay. The hard hat award was presented to Reid Campbell (given to the hardest working player on the ice by the coaching staff). The game ended in a 2-2 tie.
In the second game against Compuware, one of the host teams, the team lost one of their defenseman - Griffin St. Onge - early in the game to a leg fracture. The team was distraught by the loss and it showed in a lacklustre effort in the first and if it wasn’t for the acrobatics of goalie Bobby McLachlan, the deficit could have been worse than 1-0 after the 1st period. The boys picked their game up in the 2nd in a tough hitting game and tied the game late in the 2nd. After giving up the lead again early in the 3rd, 2 goals by the Lakers put the squad ahead 3-2 with 4 minutes to play. An offside call that was missed by the officials and a puck that seemed to find space through where none appeared to exist, tied the game with a minute to go. The hard hat award was presented to Joshua Zelek. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.
In the third game, the Lakers jumped out to a a quick 2-0 lead against host Honeybaked in the 1st period and held that lead well into late of the 2nd period when a powerplay goal and a couple of quick goals at the end of the 2nd put Honeybaked up 3-2 going into the 3rd. The momentum shifted in the opposition's favour but goalie Owen Hahn held the fort waiting for the momentum to shift again which never happened. A fourth goal midway through the 3rd deflated the team and 2 late goals sealed their fate. The hard hat award was presented to Braeden Holloway Burdett. The Lakers lost 6-2. The loss to Honeybaked cast the Lakers into third position in their division and a subsequent game against Chicago Young Americans (CYA) for the consolation final.
In the fourth game, the consolation final, shorthanded late in the 1st period, the Lakers found themselves on their heels and gave up a powerplay goal to CYA. Early in the second, the team exploded for 3 quick goals in 3 minutes to grab the lead. The Lakers were hoping that being up by 2 yet again in yet another game in the tournament would not result in the opposition tying them or beating them. The crucial 3 goal differential came with an early goal in the 3rd and sustained pressure resulted with 2 more goals being scored. Goalie Bobby McLachlan shut down the opposition after the 1st goal in a stalwart showing. The hard hat award was presented to Carter McLlwain. The Lakers ended the tournament in 5th position, a respectable showing; including an impressive 6-1 victory over CYA. Better yet, the team left the tournament a stronger team than when they had entered.
Goal scorers during the tournament included Ethan Roche, Joshua Zelek, Maxim Mulder, Kyle Stanbury, Sam Dupuis, Braeden Holloway Burdett, Shawn Barnett, Carter McLlwain, Tanner Reid, Zach Dow and Reid Campbell. Assists were awarded to Tanner Reid, Carter McLlwain, Jake Weston, Braeden Holloway Burdett, Sam Dupuis, Joshua Zelek, Kyle Stanbury and Reid Campbell.