Matched against many very comparable U16 AAA formations at the recent Waterloo Wolves Gold Puck AAA Tournament, the Sudbury Nickel Capitals came through with flying colours.

The team posted an unblemished 4-0-0 mark through preliminary round play, ranking second amongst the 16 teams that were gathered in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, making their way to the semi-finals before being eliminated thanks to a 3-1 loss to the Huron-Perth Lakers.

The Sudbury lads started quickly, doubling the Oshawa Generals 4-2 in the opener, with no one holding a hotter hand early than Cameron Vehkala.

The long-time Nickel City Hockey Association forward netted the first two goals of the tournament for the Nickel Caps and then added another pair of tallies in game two as the northern crew bounced the Markham Waxers 5-1.

Vehkala was joined on the scoresheet by both Keynan Kidd and Max Campbell against the Gennies, while Carter Makasoff, Anthony Bertrand and Cole Dubowski chipped in offensively against Markham.

Coach Jordan Cheechoo and company kept rolling right along as third period strikes from Cale Prpic and Anthony Bertrand snapped a 1-1 tie with the Nickel Capitals going on to register a 3-1 victory over the Whitby Wildcats in game three.

Defenceman Carter Carrière broke the ice for Sudbury early in the second, with Ethan Proctor pulling the Wildcats even later in the frame.

The Great North U18 AAA League representatives made it four for four, taking down the Quinte Red Devils 4-1, with Bertrand showing the way with a two goal effort and Alexander Valade and Nolan Cardinal adding solo markers.

Facing the team that would go on to win the tournament, the Caps played the Lakers dead even through two periods of scoreless action before Dax Vader and Quinn Kipfer vaulted Huron-Perth to a 2-0 advantage.

Carter Carrière got one back midway through the third but an empty-net goal from Kipfer was all she wrote for the locals, resuming league action this weekend with a Friday encounter with the New Liskeard Cubs and a pair of weekend games with the Kapuskasing Flyers.