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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012 25 Local youngster shooting for national skills title By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Paige Lester has a bit of a dilemma this weekend, but it's a problem she's happy to have. The nine-year-old Rotherglen student has a free pass to all the action at this weekend's NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa as one of five atom girls finalists in a national junior skills competition. Her Oakville atom A Hornets are also playing the final two games of their season this weekend, and first place is on the line. What's she going to do? "I'm going to the all-star game," she said with a laugh. Actually, her father Steve -- who coaches the atom A Hornets -- was busy this week trying to figure out a way that he and his daughter could do both. "Her last game is Sunday at 12:45 (p.m.), and the NHL all-star game is at 4 (p.m.). We'll miss (the Hornets') game Saturday, but we're struggling with how to get her home for the last (Hornets) game Sunday in case it means first place," he said. "But she's really excited. She never dreamed of being able to do this." A large part of the excitement will be getting to experience the NHL All-Star festivities in person with access to the NHL Scotiabank Fan Fair, the Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game. Paige was hoping for the opportunity to meet Alexander Ovechkin once again -- the Washington Capitals superstar autographed MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER a T-shirt for Paige at a recent NHL game in SEEING STARS: Nine-year-old Paige Lester, a forward with the Oakville atom A Hornets, is one Buffalo -- to add some more paraphenalia to of five atom girls finalists in a national junior skills competition. The winner will be decided this the walls of her bedroom that Steve describes as a "hockey shrine". Unfortunately, Ovechkin weekend in Ottawa as part of the NHL All-Star Game festivities. was recently suspended by the NHL and has chosen not to attend the all-star game. Perhaps Paige can settle for the possibility of winning a national skills competition title instead. Paige qualified for the Canadian Tire NHL Junior Skills National Championship by recording the third-highest overall score among atom girls in the country at a qualifying event last October. She was the only girl in Canada to hit four targets during the shooting accuracy drill, was fourth overall in puck control and was the ninth-fastest in timed skating. Ironically, her lowest score came in passing, an area in which she's normally quite adept. Was Paige surprised to score so well against competitors from across Canada, some of whom were two years older? "No, I wasn't really surprised," she said. "I am really fast at skating and (good at) accuracy." Her father didn't quite have the same expectations. "It was a pleasant surprise she finished where she did, but I wasn't really surprised once I saw the scores of other girls," Steve said, "because I saw her speed and passing and shot relative to (other girls in the Greater Toronto Area)." Paige also had a secret weapon for the qualifiers. Her late grandmother, Mary Lou Lester, gave Paige a hockey stick for her most recent birthday, just before the qualifiers. Paige used the stick to qualify for the nationals, and hopes there are still a few good shots and passes left in that stick for this weekend. The national skills competition is scheduled to be contested outdoors on Ottawa's Rideau Canal. Blades' annual Pink in the Rink event should be emotional Months of planning and hard work culminate tomorow (Friday) for the Oakville Blades junior A hockey club with its fourth annual Pink in the Rink event. Tomorrow's game against the Orangeville Flyers at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex (7:30 p.m. start) is the centrepiece of a season-long initiative by the Blades to raise money to support breast cancer research. Eight winners were drawn last weekend from entries in the Blades' 2012 lottery to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. Each of those winners has a chance Friday night to win the grand prize, a 2012 Chevy Cruze LT. "As an organization, we want to connect with a cause that resonates with our community," said Carlo Coccimiglio, president of the Blades. "The breast cancer initiative certainly does that, and we know from the pink jersey auction that there are some emotional stories in our community because of breast cancer." As part of the fundraising effort, the Blades conducted an online auction for each of the players' special pink jerseys that will be worn in tomorrow's game. Auction winners were encouraged to put the name of a loved one who fought breast cancer on the back of the jersey. During tomorrow's game, the story behind each one of those names will be told to the crowd. "It's tough to read those stories without getting a bit emotional," said Coccimiglio. "Many of our players have close family members or friends who wrestled with breast cancer. In other cases, it is team supporters who are honouring a loved one. It will be an emotional evening." It should also be fun. In addition to the draw for the new car, the evening will feature a skills competition by Minor Oaks Hockey Association (MOHA) players at 6:30 p.m., a silent auction for sports paraphernalia, and a figure-skating demonstration by members of the Oakville Skating Club. Cupcakes will be on sale all evening, and Canadian novelist Carrie Gray will be on hand to sign autographs. Not incidental to the evening, there will also be a hockey See Large, page 26