For the first time anyone can recall, two Leaside Flames teams made their respective provincial championship tournaments this year, representing the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) against the regional champs from other parts of the province.
They both did well, but fell just short of winning it all.
The Bantam As finished second in the round robin tournament format, the Peewee As in a three-way tie for first, forcing a play-off where they ended up third.
The Peewee tournament was held in Mississauga while the Bantams had to travel further to Hearst, Ontario, a 10-hour drive north of Toronto in good conditions, “but with an overnight stop in North Bay and a late-winter snowstorm, it took the Leaside boys nearly 24 hours to make the trip,” said LHA executive Rob Thomson.
Both age groups won the GTHL East title, then defeated the GTHL West and Mississauga champs to move on to the provincial tourney where their opponents were the champs from three other leagues (OMHA, NOHA, and Alliance) as well as a team from the host community.