There remain a couple of steps to be navigated, but the road to the 2022 Telus Cup in Cape Breton begins for eight Great North U18 AAA League entries this coming weekend in Kapuskasing. For the first time in GNML history – or at least the first time to anyone’s memory – the northern loop will forego the format of playoff series’ in favour of a single weekend winner take all event.

Ironically, not only does the tournament return to Kapuskasing for 2022, but the timing is nearly exactly two years to the date when the first attempt was derailed with the outbreak of Covid-19, with one day of play already in the books.

“We had great memories from 2020 – we beat the Sault in our first game,” said Sudbury U18 AAA Nickel Capitals' head coach Brian Dickinson with a laugh. This time around, the local U18s avoid the Sault in pool play, with the Caps bracketed with the North Bay U16 Trappers, the much-improved Timmins Majors and the host Kapuskasing Flyers.

Meanwhile, the Soo Jr Greyhounds will join the Sudbury U16 AAA Nickel Capitals, the New Liskeard Cubs and the North Bay U18 Trappers, with the top two in each pool advancing to cross-over semi-final games on Saturday.

Sitting in third place in final league standings with a record of 17-6-0-1, one point back of the U16 Trappers but with the same number of goals as the sixth place Majors (15 points back), Dickinson’s team is not likely to blow any opponents out of the rink.

“We don’t have a scorer in the top twenty in the league, I think,” said Dickinson. “Our game is built on four lines competing, getting pucks in deep, getting in on the forecheck, controlling the corners, using our size, our speed, our strength to command and take over games.”

Despite missing game action for the better part of a six week stretch, with play halted on December 18th and resuming on February 4th, the Nickel Caps are pretty much ready to go.

“It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be,” said Dickinson. “The kids had a real sense of excitement, just to get back in the rink. The conditioning was going to be a question mark, regardless. The first couple of weeks were not very easy on some kids, but we’re back to where we should be right now.”

Though his team is without the services of both Brandon Roney and Drew Duquette, Dickinson has welcomed Confederation Chargers’ forward Ryan Ward to the fold, following the completion of the high-school season.

Play kicks off Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. as the U18 Nickel Caps face the U16 Trappers, followed by the U16 Nickel Caps and the Soo Jr Greyhounds at 7:00 p.m.

Championship final is set for Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in Kapuskasing.