Walton Wastes No Time in Showing All-Star Credentials

South Island Thunderbirds, January 15, 2010

It is never easy to be a goaltender in an all-star hockey game because such contests typically involve a deadly combination of highly skilled finishers working against less intense defensive systems. That challenge certainly was in evidence at Kelowna’s historic Memorial Arena on Friday night, in the sixth annual BC Major Midget League All-Star game played between Team Blue and Team White.

South Island’s lone representative Mark Walton started the offensive ball rolling in the first minute of play as the sophomore forward scored on a quick snap shot on his first shift to give Team White an early 1 – 0 lead.  While the crowd was still filing in and settling into their seats, the two teams traded another pair of goals on their next two shots as well.  By the time the first period was over, the score was 4 – 4 as the league’s stars raced up and down the ice and traded one quality scoring chance after another.

After the first intermission, during which 15-year-old Evan Richardson of the North Island Silvertips won the fastest skater contest and big 16-year-old Alex Roach of the Cariboo Cougars recorded the hardest shot (96 mph), the blinding pace was pretty much sustained throughout the second period as well.  Each team scored once and the two teams were headed to the second break with the score tied at 5 – 5.  The third period was still in process at the time of writing so the final score and winning team are not yet known.

The two teams demonstrated outstanding skating and puck skills in this new format weekend extravaganza that has brought all 11 of the league’s teams to Kelowna to take part in the All-Star game, then play all 10 of the league’s regular season games in the same place.  With close to 220 players in attendance and a large number of scouts, parents, league officials and other local fans here to watch as well, there were easily 500 people watching in this classic old barn and they were treated to a ton of entertaining action at both ends. 

There was even some hitting in the game, the best example of which was probably Devon Allenby’s crunching body check on a Team White player at the White blue line just prior to Team Blue’s fifth goal nearing the end of the second period.

For Walton, who already counts 12 regular season goals, scoring an All-Star marker on his first shot, with all his South Island teammates looking on, certainly has to rank as a very memorable career highlight to date.  He went on to tally four shots on goal in the first two periods and absolutely looked at home and comfortable with the league’s finest players.  Odds are that a few of these guys will populate a Canada World Junior team and then move on to the NHL in just a few years so Mark was traveling in fast company today.

This was Walton’s first game back after recovering (mostly) from a dislocated rib that kept him out of the Thunderbirds’ lineup for the Christmas tournament in Richmond and the last two T-Bird league games against the Greater Vancouver Canadians.

The Birds’ next games are this Saturday and Sunday (January 16 and 17) against the Valley West Hawks in Kelowna, both starting at 10:00 AM.  South Island’s next home pair comes the following weekend against the Kootenay Ice.