The Thompson King Miners definitely came to play this past weekend at the Thompson Regional Community Centre, since they claimed the top spot in the A and AA divisions of the 48th-annual Munn Cup atom hockey tournament.
The atom AA King Miners put on a particularly impressive show Feb. 16–18, beating every single team that crossed their path on the way to the final.
The King Miners remained dominant in the battle for the Munn Cup, beating the Swan River Stampeders by a score of 5–0 to clinch the tournament’s big prize.
To make this victory even sweeter, team captain Daylin Monias was named tournament MVP and received a puck made of nickel for his effort.
This year’s tournament marks the atom AA King Miners’ 15th Munn Cup victory, with their last championship run taking place in 2015.
Meanwhile, the atom A King Miners were similarly unbeatable in the tournament, besting every opponent that was put in front of them throughout the weekend, leading to a showdown with the Stampeders on Sunday.
While this final was much more competitive than the one featuring their AA counterparts, the King Miners managed to squeak by with a single goal and capture the Crockett Cup.
Unfortunately, Thompson’s atom B representatives, the Carroll Aeros, weren’t as lucky. Despite making it to the Timmons Cup final, they got edged out by The Pas Huskies by a final score of 3–2.
The 2018 Munn Cup tournament itself featured a larger than average attendance this year, hosting a total of 21 teams from all over Northern Manitoba, and a few communities from Nunavut like Arviat and Rankin Inlet.
