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NHL pros thrill young hockey players in Watson Lake, Yukon

About 100 kids from communities around the northwest were in Watson Lake over the weekend to learn about hockey from the professionals.

Mike Smith, Arizona Coyotes goalie, Olympic gold medallist and starting goalie for Canada's gold medal performance at this year's World Hockey Championships, led the group of current and former NHL players at hockey clinics on Saturday and Sunday.

With him were NHL free agent David Booth, Smith's former Coyotes teammate B.J. Crombeen, Crombeen's father Mike, who is another former NHLer, as well as former Detroit Red Wing Brent Gilchrist.

They also went out fishing with the kids on Watson Lake and attended community barbecues.

The players were there as part of the NHL Players' Association Goals and Dreams Program. The event in Watson Lake included a gift of 25 sets of hockey equipment to the minor hockey association.

Smith says the intent is to help kids with the financial costs of the game.

"Doesn't matter where you're from, if you put your mind to something you can achieve anything. I grew up in a town with a less than 1,000 people also which is very much like Watson Lake and I believe these kids have as good a chance as anyone else if they have the right instruction. They work hard when they get an opportunity to work hard on the ice," Smith says.

Teamwork a key lesson

Yukon coaches handled many of the drills while the players provided one on one encouragement, but Smith also provided coaching to the goalies and advice to all the kids.

"Hockey's a team sport and you don't get anywhere in hockey without your teammates and that's something we'll preach about, learning to be a good teammate, communicating, working hard and enjoying the game," Smith says.

"It's not fun unless you work at it."

Watson Lake RCMP Constable J.M. Sauve initiated the event because of his concern that hockey is declining in the communities outside of Whitehorse.

"It is my sport, I was born and raised around the Montreal area and every kid plays hockey," Sauve says.

"I happen to live in an amazing community that has an amazing facility and I want my kids to continue playing hockey."

Sauve says he hopes bringing in the NHL Players' Association will revive the sport in the communities.

'A lot of kids love it'

About 50 of the kids in the clinics were from Watson Lake. The other 50 came from communities as far north as Inuvik and as far south as Dease Lake, BC.

"I felt very good about it because it's a small town and we never have that many opportunities especially from NHL people to come down and teach kids to play hockey so yeah, a lot of kids love it," said 11-year old Jaida Allen of Watson Lake.

Mining exec makes impromptu donation at banquet

Some Watson Lake residents were disappointed the town is going to take out the ice now that the clinics are over instead of maintaining it until the regular hockey season starts in October.

At a banquet Saturday night one of the sponsors, JDS Mining chairman Jeff Stibbard, went up on the stage and peeled $1,000 from a roll of cash and donated it to keep the ice in. The visiting hockey players donated another $3,000. It's unclear if the town will make up the difference and leave the ice in.

Any other Yukon communities are eligible to apply for equipment for young players says Devin Smith, the NHLPA's chairman of the Goals and Dreams Program.

Smith says only about eight communities each year get a visit from NHL players. He says in Watson Lake's case Sauve was able to get Smith interested.

The players are heading out on hunting trip this week.