The Christmas Madness Adult 3 on 3 Hockey Tournament saw seven teams face off at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre on Dec. 23-24.
As in previous years, the vast majority of the players in this fifth annual tournament were young adults raised in 100 Mile House returning to the ice when home for their holiday breaks from out-of-town schools or jobs.
Scores for many games showed the usual 3-on-3 activity around the net, with high scores, such as 26-7 and 24-9.
However, the score was 7-5 when Puck Matsuda (100 Mile House) team won the finals against the Thundersticks (Canim Lake/Kamloops) on Dec. 24.
The fast-paced hockey style saw seven teams of six to 10 players send out just three at a time to go for goals with no penalty time and non-stop action.
Canlan Ice Sports general manager Josh Dickerson says the players saw a lot of tiring ice time, particularly those teams with fewer players.
Spectators were a bit sparse so close to Christmas, but he notes about 50 people on average watched family members or friends limber up their muscles, while they competed for the puck and raced for the goals in head-to-head hockey.
First-time program co-ordinator Laura Albert did "a great job" organizing the event, Dickerson says, adding the tourney came off without a hitch and there were no incidents on the ice.