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Huron Expositor, 2015-02-11, Page 66 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Marco Vigliotti Huron Expositor Dr. Heather Percival says the tournament started in honour of her late husband shines a light not on the most skilled but the hardest working players. sea o uronexposi or.com FANSHAWE Edtrcntion Accelerated Career Certificate in 4 Months! Full- time Food Service Worker Program This program fulfills the training requirements for dietary aides working in health care facilities as established by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Employment opportunities range from hospitals and long-term care facilities to private clinics and retirement residences. Starting March 2nd, 2015 Attend an Information Session on Thursday. February 19 from 4-6 pm 169 Beech Street The Reach Centre, Clinton,ON Contact: Heather MacKenzie -Card at hmackenzie-card@fanshawec.ca or call 519-606-1484 ilicrAUt 1 lI kL.1 ; Memorial hockey tournament honours hard workers 111 Event held in memory of Doug Perkes Marco Vigliotti Huron Expositor Heather Percival says the local hockey tournament named in honour of her late husband pays tribute to his memory by handing out awards to the hardest work- ing players as opposed to the most talented. The Doug Perkes Memo- rial Peewee Local League Tournament, now in its sixth year, singles out the unsung heroes who emulate the spirit of the competition's namesake Join us! Be an exercise leader Ilk .„.t:z, Volunteers needed to lead exercise classes in your community. Free training in Clinton March 10, 17, 24, 31 For your own health and helping others Call 1-877-502-8277 Lead free classes for OLDER ADULTS in your community LET'S ALL DO OUR PART! PLEASE RECYCLE by giving it their all game in unteer group. and game out regardless of The competition, she said, whether it wins them a place is always well-received by on the scoresheet, she said. the young participants and "(Perkes) was never the organizers, especially when fastest skater - certainly it comes time to give out the wasn't the tallest - and he awards to the three hardest never scored the most goals. working players in each But what he did do was game. always try his hardest and "What I really like is giving always gave his best," said the kids the awards," said Percival, a local doctor. "He Percival, who also started a used to tell his kids and all of fund in Perkes' name after the kids he was involved he passed to raise money to with coaching that as long as help underprivileged kids you try you very hardest, play minor hockey. "(We you'll always be a stat" give awards) to players who The annual tournament don't normally get the drew about 230 budding awards." young players from across There is also a composite southwestern Ontario to the stick awarded to the tourna- Seaforth and District Com- ment's hardest working munity Centre arena this player, she added. past weekend. In addition to Native son and retired the host Seaforth Stars, the NHL player Boyd Devereaux tournament featured teams was on hand for the ceremo- from St. Mary's, Dunnville, nial face-off before the com- Woolwich, Petroila, New petition's first game Friday Hamburg and Grand Bend, morning. A first-round draft amongst others. pick of the Edmonton Oilers According to Percival, the in 1996, Devereaux played event sees great contribu- more than 600 regular sea - tions behind the scenes from son games in the NHL and players on the local Peewee hoisted the Stanley Cup as a team, the Knights of Colum- member of the Detroit Red bus, who will provide break- Wings in 2002. fast on all three days the Now residing in Kitchener tournament runs, and the with his wife and kids, the fivetosix-membercorevol- Seaforth native still maintains roots to the region, owning a summer property in Bayfield. In an address prior to the face-off, Percival warmly recalled her first meeting with Devereaux in the mid - 1990's when he was seek- ing medical treatment after coming down with mono - an ailment that would pre- vent the then -blue chip NHL prospect from representing Team Canada in the World Junior Hockey Champion- ships that year. She said Devereaux was clearly upset about missing the tournament but man- aged to rebound from the setback to help lead Canada to its fifth straight gold medal at the next Juniors in 1997. The local kid had a phe- nomenal tournament that year, scoring four times - including game -winning goals in the semi-finals against Russia and the gold - medal game against the United States. Devereaux, Percival said, truly "emulates" the central idea fostered by the Perkes tournament that hard -work and perseverance are the true determinants of success.