The Airdrie Xtreme are being rewarded for their impressive season with an invitation to a longstanding tournament in St. Albert.

The Major Bantam hockey team was one of six Alberta teams selected to participate in the John Reid Memorial Tournament in January.

It's the first time the Xtreme have been invited to the tournament since 2009, where they lost in the Championship Game to the SSAC Southgate Lions.

Current Lethbridge Pronghorn Spenser Jensen was a member of the Xtreme team that last played at the John Reid Tournament in 2009.

That team included many players who went on to success in the WHL, College and Junior A hockey leagues. Former WHL stars and current University of Lethbridge players Spenser Jensen and Sam McKechnie were part of that team, along fellow Airdronians Anthony Paskaruk, who now plays at Northern Michigan University, and Kyle Baumgardner, who played goal for the Blackfalds Wranglers in 2015.

Several Cochrane players were also a part of that Xtreme team including Calgary Flames prospect Coda Gordon, former Calgary Canucks captain Chandler Irvin and James Robinson, who is now the captain of the Penn State University Hockey team.

The John Reid tournament has been a part of the hockey community in St. Albert since 1979 and is named after longtime coach Jonathan Reid, who passed away from cancer in 2003.

Other notable teams that were given the invitation are the Calgary Bantam Royals, the Lethbridge Golden Hawks, The Delta Hockey Academy and the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes.

The 40th Annual John Reid Memorial Tournament runs from January 18th-21st at four arenas in St. Albert.

 

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