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Springside Arena hosts all-star fest

The National Hockey League gathered over the weekend at Raleigh, North Carolina for the NHL all-star festivities to take place. They were not the only ones to hold an all-star event Saturday afternoon.
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Action from the 2nd Annual MHL bantam all-star hockey game at the Springside Arena. The game included seven players from the Yorkton minor hockey teams.

The National Hockey League gathered over the weekend at Raleigh, North Carolina for the NHL all-star festivities to take place.

They were not the only ones to hold an all-star event Saturday afternoon.

There were a bunch gathered in Springside as the Major Hockey League hosted their annual classic at the Springside Arena.

Albeit not quite as many people were in attendance, the day started with six skill tests, then followed by the game.

Divided into teams North and South, seven local players took part, representing the Quizno's Subs Bantam Terriers and the DR Auto Extras Yorkton Terriers. Carter Flasch, Riley Cmoc, Branden Pelechaty skated for the North, while Tannum Wyonzek, Justin Poirier, Justin Guy and Brett Kitchen played for the South.

All seven, as well as their teammates took part in the skills event which tested everything from puck control to three-on-none breakaway relays.

David Sutter, organizer of the event, said the relay is relatively new to the minor leagues, and added that it's been included as of late to the National Hockey League's skills competition, which took place Saturday evening in North Carolina.

"The goalie competition is very exciting. They started doing it in the NHL a few years ago. Each (event) has its own merits."

Other events were: the hardest shot, most accurate shot, best puck handler and fastest skater.The game and skills competition was hosted by the Springside Recreation Association and was their second year running it.

"The attendance was good," he told the paper in between the skills event and the game, adding that he was hoping for a little more for the game portion.

"It's a good showcase of talent in the MHL (Major Hockey League). Last year's game had all the Yorkton team players on the same side, this year they ended up being broken in half as some played against the others. Sutter said that for such young players, some of them are certainly starting to impress, especially with ability on the breakaway competition.

"These guys are showcasing some pretty good talent. The goalie competition is very exciting."He added that the main focus will always be the game and that the skills events go a long way to help make the day even better.

"It is nice to see the individual skills, but it's just a supplement.

Sutter closed by saying the turnout was a good one but paled in comparison to the Moscow vs Springside hockey game last month which drew 300 spectators, the largest turnout in Springside for hockey.

As for the local scoring in the all-star game, Brendon Pelechaty had an assist for the dark side in the 6-2 win, who also won the skills competition, 16-15.

DR Auto Extras Terrier Poirier and teammate/goaltender Brett Kitchen, won the puck handling and top goaltender recognitions, respectively.