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Strippers tournament brought 40 teams to Estevan for five days of hockey

Saskatchewan’s largest recreation hockey tournament offered five days of games for local hockey fans. The Estevan Strippers 35th annual Molson Spring Bust Tournament from April 5 to 9 at the three arenas in Estevan.
Estevan Strippers tournament
The Estevan Wildcats (gold) faced the Weyburn Oil Queens in the Century 21 Division during the Estevan Strippers tournament.

Saskatchewan’s largest recreation hockey tournament offered five days of games for local hockey fans.

The Estevan Strippers 35th annual Molson Spring Bust Tournament from April 5 to 9 at the three arenas in Estevan. Forty teams flocked to the Energy City to compete in the tournament’s 10 divisions.

Six of the divisions were decided solely through round-robin play, while the remaining four divisions had playoffs to determine a winner.

Two of the round-robin divisions were for women’s teams. The Weyburn Oil Queens finished first in the Century 21 Division, going 3-0 in the tournament. The Estevan Wildcats (2-1) finished second, the Bienfait Bulldogs (1-2) were third and the Norquay Nighthawks (0-3) were fourth.

In the other women’s division, which is the Certified Energy Services Division, the Bienfait Bitches won all three of their games to take top spot. The Moose Mountain Hot Peppers were second at 2-1, the Oxbow Renegades (1-2) were third and the Swan Valley Extreme (0-3) wound up fourth.

There were also three over-45 divisions decided by round-robins. The Estevan Tower Wolves had a perfect 3-0 record to win the Ray Frehlick Division. The Regina Hooters (2-1) were second, the Regina Old Slow Shots (1-2) came in third and the Weyburn Ambassadors were fourth.

The Energy City Wings won the Bill Dutton Division with a perfect 3-0 record. The Melville Moneymen (2-1) were second, the Woodley White 45s (1-2) were third and the Estevan Viking 45s (0-3) were fourth.

In the Murray GM Division, the Brandon North 40 won all three of their games to finish first. The Estevan Capitals (2-1) were second, the Yorkton Old Relics (1-2) were third and the Indian Head Saints (0-3) wound up fourth.  

The Preston Meyer Memorial Division was the over-35 division to use a round-robin. The Oxbow Coyotes finished first with a 2-0-1 record. The Estevan Cougars were second thanks to a 2-1 mark, the Alameda Red Army (1-2) were third and the Regina Blackouts (0-3) were fourth.

The remaining four divisions were decided by playoffs.

The Estevan Flyers won the Days Inn Division, defeating the Torquay Hoppers 12-5 in the final. The Carnduff Chiefs took third with an 8-0 win over the Estevan Broken Arrow Bruins.

In the Westmoreland Coal Division, the Avonlea Antiques defeated the Estevan Sharks 6-2 in the first place game, and the Souris Valley Sioux blanked the Estevan Tower Wolves 12-0 for third.

The Regina Burbot took the Tap House Division with a 4-0 win over the Estevan Vikings, and the Regina Piranhas beat the Woodley Whites 7-3 for third place.

The closest playoff games were in the Einar and Rod Fagerheim Memorial Division. The Estevan Eclipse edged the Regina Hitmen 7-6 for first, while the Estevan Tap House Rookies beat the Weyburn Thrashers 7-5 for third.

Several awards were also handed out. Old Relics goaltender John Garbutt, who is 75 years old, was the winner of the oldest player award. A player can only win the award once.

The Tap House Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to the team with the fewest penalty minutes in the round-robin divisions, was shared by three teams: the Nighthawks, the Extreme and the Renegades. They had zero penalties in two games.

The James Schroeder Memorial Award, which goes to the team with the fewest penalties in the divisions decided by playoffs, went to the Regina Hitmen, who had zero penalties through their first three games.

Cabarets were held on April 7 and 8 at the Power Dodge Curling Centre. Crossroads performed during the first cabaret, and Third Degree Birnz performed at the second. Proceeds from the cabarets, and the tournament as a whole, will be directed towards the Strippers work in the community.

Event spokesperson Rick Rohatyn said they had good crowds at the cabarets each night, and the crowds were well-behaved.

The Fresh Air Fitness program, which is bringing outdoor exercise equipment to Woodlawn Regional Park, will receive $3,000 from this year’s tournament. Rohatyn said they will also support the 2018 SaskTel Tankard men’s curling provincial championship in Estevan, but they haven’t decided how much will be donated.