Last year's Minto heroes become this year's boosters

The Prince Albert Mintos turned to some familiar faces for a lift.

While hundreds of boisterous Mintos supporters packed the Sobey's parking lot Thursday for a pep rally, three were of particular interest to the team.

Ron Meyers, Cody Hobbs and Dustin Tokarski - all of whom were instrumental in helping the Mintos to their first-ever Telus Cup national midget hockey championship last April - have since moved on.

Meyers, last year's Minto captain, spent the year with the Victoria Grizzlies of the tier 2 British Columbia Hockey League, while Hobbs and Tokarski ascended to the Western Hockey League with the Chilliwack Bruins and Spokane Chiefs, respectively.

But the trio didn't think twice when asked to appear at the Thursday's send-off for the team as it prepares for the 2007 Telus Cup beginning Monday in Red Deer, Alta.

"Be proud of them," Meyers said when called to the makeshift stage - otherwise known as a flatbed trailer - to offer a few words of encouragement to this year's squad. "It's just awesome what they've done so far."

Tokarski kept a lower profile at the rally, but appeared no less confident in the team's chances to become the first-ever repeat national midget AAA champions.

"That's not really my fortÉ," Tokarski said with a laugh when asked if he had any pearls of wisdom for Carsen Chubak, who succeeded Tokarski as the team's No. 1 goalie. "But I've been checking up on the team, and their stats are pretty great. Hopefully we'll see them defend that title and bring it home again."

The rally included individual introductions of this year's team, autograph and photo opportunities with the players, a hotdog sale, and other brief speeches by Mintos captain Tommy Brown, head coach Tim Leonard and manager Mike Mazurak.

"I don't think these kids realize how big a deal they are to this city," Leonard said as the parking lot began to fill up before the official start of the rally. "There's no sense setting your sights low, but all we can ask is that they do their best and whatever happens, happens."

- BROWN