TSULQUATE—The Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Regulators topped the Quatsino Roadrunners 12-8 Sunday to claim the men’s championship and the $1,800 top prize in the 11th annual Harvey Walkus Memorial Floor Hockey tournament at Wakas Hall.
The women’s championship went to another team from the host community, with Harvey Memorial Team 2 defeating Koskimo of Quatsino 7-3.
The event commemorated the memory of Harvey Walkus, who passed away in 1998. It drew 12 men’s and 10 women’s teams and had Wakas Hall packed with spectators throughout the weekend.
“I think it was a really big success,” said organizer Gary Walkus, Harvey’s brother. “I was pleased with all the people who showed up and showed their support.”
Walkus said he was especially impressed to see five Harvey Memorial teams formed, comprised of 65 players who chose to play in Harvey’s memory.
For their title, the Harvey Memorial 2 ladies claimed a $1,200 prize. Runnerup Koskimo earned $600 and the Tofino Sharpshooters, one of four teams to travel from down-Island for the tourney, earned $200 for their third-place finish.
The Roadrunners pocketed $800 as runners-up in the men’s tourney. Another $400 went to Skookum, which edged the Fort Rupert Roaches 7-6 in overtime to claim third place in Sunday’s most exciting final.
After tying the game 6-6 with a goal in the final minute of regulation, Skookum’s Albert Charlie ended it just two seconds into the sudden-death overtime when he one-timed the ball off the faceoff into the net from beyond centre court.
