THE HABBERSTAD JR ISLANDERS PREP FOR QUEBEC TOURNEY
Youth team hosts Jr. Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum
The Junior Islanders played in their final tune-up on Tuesday against the Jr. Rangers before the big event: the 2007 Quebec International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament 2007. After taking a 2-1 lead against the Jr. Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders eventually fell, but showed some positives coming out with a good start. "I like how we came out strong right out of the game," said head coach Steve Webb. "Against the Rangers last game we had a slow start, and finished strong. We seemed to get a little relaxed when we went up and starting watching. We're trying to emphasize work ethic. If we put together a complete game we should have some success." The Islanders will travel up to Quebec on February 7th to compete in the pee wee tournament, now in its 48th year. The tournament consists of teams from all across the United States, Canada and Europe. The Islanders will first face-off against the Jr. Anaheim Ducks and then a team from Finland. "It's great to see how much this program has grown," said Bobby Nystrom, one of the program's first coaches. "I remember when it was just getting started and very few people knew about the team. Now it's the team on Long Island everyone wants to be a part of at this age. Some of these players have gone onto to play at Division I colleges and a couple of players now are playing in the NHL." Those two players Nystrom referred to are Mike Komisarek (West Islip) and Chris Higgins (Smithtown), who were each drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft in 2001 and 2002, respectively. "It's great to see Bobby still supporting the team after all these years," said Webb. "We owe a lot to him. If it weren't for Bobby, former Islander Gerry Hart and Dan Bedard, who's a current assistant coach, we wouldn't have the opportunity to play up in Quebec. Even when their son's were done playing, they continued to help the program." Many of the Jr. Islanders are aspiring to me NHL players, but right now they're just focused on the immediate task at hand – competing up in Quebec. "A friend of mine played in this tournament in the past and said it was a lot of fun," said Jr. Islanders goaltender Jacob Smart, who allowed only two goals against the Rangers in one and half periods of play. "It's going to be really exciting to play against kids from all over the world." The Jr. Islanders have been successful at this tournament, recently getting all the way to the finals, but Webb explains this competition isn't only about winning. "This tournament about having the experience of a lifetime," said Webb. "The most important thing is that these kids have fun. It's going to be something they look back at the rest of their lives and say what a great time it was playing against teams from all over the world." Besides Webb, the Jr. Islanders are coached by Islanders alum Benoit Hogue and long-time Jr. Islanders coach Dan Bedard. The Quebec tournament runs from February 8-18 and only those teams who have participated in the tournament in the past are invited to play each year. It is one of the largest and most competitive youth hockey tournaments in the world.
