By Robb Fenton
Dany Heatley, Luke Schenn, Dion Phaneuf and Dustin Byfuglien  are just a few of the names that have been there before.
Now, three local hockey players can follow in the footsteps of their heroes as they prepare to take part in The Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament, scheduled to begin June 30 in Edmonton.
“I tried out in Edmonton and Calgary three or four times each and one night at about 10:30 p.m. I got an email from the coach (saying I made it),” Chase Wouters, who will represent Team Brick Alberta said. “I was really excited.”
Wouters plays for the Lloydminster Blazers, alongside Ty Smith and Daniel Hilsendager, who will also participate in the tournament.
Smith and Wouters will be teammates on the Alberta team, while Hilsendager will represent Team Brick Saskatchewan.
The Brick Tournament is an annual tournament held at the West Edmonton Mall, on the ice surface inside the building.
“I was really excited,” Hilsendager said. “It’s going to be awesome and a lot of fun.”
“I was really excited to find out,” Blazers defenceman, Smith said. “I think it’s going to be really fun to play there and it’s going to be a really awesome experience.”
The three not only play together for the Blazers, but also play with the Northern Borderstars as part of the spring hockey circuit in the area.
Their coach for the Borderstars, Nigel Dube, said this is going to be great for the kids to be a part of.
“As a coach it’s great to see players move on. From their point of view, this tournament is going to be like the Memorial Cup, or the Royal Bank Cup, it’s The Brick, it’s great to see and they are going to have these memories forever,” he said. “Some guys on the Chicago Blackhawks, they started off at The Brick Tournament, so it’s exciting for these guys to go to the tournament and experience everything.”
Teams from all over North America attend this tournament, including a California team, Minnesota Blades, Toronto Bulldogs, Vancouver Vipers, Connecticut Yankees, just to name a few.
A total of 12 teams will converge on Edmonton next Wednesday.
Only a few players from this area have attended the tournament, making it a bit more special for this trio.
“It’s really good, it’s just awesome,” Hilsendager said.
For Smith, he had heard about the tournament from a few people around town and now gets to be part of it.
“I have a few friends, Greg Chase who played five years ago and Kale Clague played a few years ago, they are my friends, so I can experience what they did,” Smith said.
The biggest thrill and change the kids will have to deal with is where they play, which is something Wouters is excited about.
“Playing at West Ed. is going to be great,” Wouters said, adding it’s an honour to be one of the few from Lloyd selected. “It feels really good.”
The tournament gets underway June 30, with the finals set for July 4.