Power Edge Pro team participated in North American Spring Showcase

By Sam Laskaris

NORTH BAY – A pair of young Anishinabek hockey players helped a North Bay hockey squad advance to the championship final of a prestigious tournament in Toronto.
Carter Dokis, a six-year-old from the Dokis First Nation, and seven-year-old Dustin Primeau from the Nipissing First Nation were members of a team dubbed Power Edge Pro.
The club, comprised of players born in 2011, participated in the North American Spring Showcase staged June 1-3. The squad competed in the AAA division of the tournament, operated by a company called CCHA Sports Entertainment.
The tournament featured various age groupings for youth born from 2002 through 2011.
Seven clubs participated in the AAA division for those in the 2011 category. The Power Edge Pro side was downed 9-5 by a squad dubbed Toronto Professional in its championship final.
A higher-calibre Elite division, which attracted four entrants, was also held for 2011-born players.
“It’s one of the more prestigious tournaments where a lot of the Elite and AAA teams go,” said Jay Moore, who served as the head coach of Power Edge Pro, which is also the name of the North Bay hockey school he runs.
Moore selected his 15-player roster for this tournament from players who are part of the skills development program he runs through his school. About 35 youth are in this program this year.
Moore chose players to attend four different tournaments this spring. The North American Spring Showcase was the fourth and final event those in the program participated in.
Moore said his charges exceeded expectations at the Toronto event.
“Our goal was to make the playoffs,” he said. “And we were extremely happy we made the playoffs.”
By posting a 2-2 round-robin record, the Power Edge Pro side placed fourth in its standings and grabbed the final playoff position.
The club then earned a berth into the championship final by upsetting the top-ranked Toronto Bulldogs 2-1 in its semi-final contest.
“We certainly turned some heads by beating that Number 1 team,” Moore said.
Moore has been taking a number of teams in various age groupings to Toronto-area tournaments for the past decade.
“This was definitely the most successful team I had at the highest level,” he said.
Moore added it is often difficult to come home with some hardware when competing against Toronto-area clubs as they can recruit players from cities with rather large populations.
Besides the two First Nations players, others on the Power Edge Pro side that took part in the North American Spring Showcase were from North Bay, Sudbury, Powassan, Sturgeon Falls and Astorville.
“The program he runs is exceptional for kids their age,” said Dokis’ father Chris.
Carter Dokis spent the 2017-18 season playing in the Initiation Program run by the French River Minor Hockey Association.
The North American Spring Showcase was the only tournament he competed in representing Power Edge Pro.
“He did really well,” Moore said. “He’s a hard worker in front of the net and was really good at pursuing the puck.”
As for Primeau, he suited up for the North Bay-based West Ferris Tykes during the 2017-18 campaign.
And he took part in all four Power Edge Pro tournaments that 2011-born players were entered in.
“He’s one of our stronger players,” Moore said. “He’s an extremely fast skater and he’s priceless on the back check.”
Both Dokis and Primeau had also represented their First Nation in the Tyke division at this year’s Little Native Hockey League tournament held in Mississauga in March.
For both players it was the second time competing in the tournament, better known as the Little NHL.