Wyatt Stinton and Ryder Mucha are used to being teammates and best friends.
This summer, they’ll be something else entirely – opponents.
Wyatt and Ryder, both 10, have cracked the rosters of elite-level atom teams that will play at top tournaments across Canada this summer. They will play on different clubs.
Wyatt, who lives in Channing, will be playing with Winnipeg-based Team Manitoba, while Ryder, a Creighton resident, will join the Saskatchewan Jr. Pats in Regina.
The boys will play in five tournaments each this year, potentially facing each other in three of them.
One of those three tournaments will be the Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament at West Edmonton Mall from July 2 to 9.
The Brick Tournament is one of the world’s largest hockey tournaments for atom-age players. Many current NHL stars played in the tournament, including Johnny Gaudreau, Tyler Seguin, John Tavares, PK Subban and Auston Matthews – who happens to be both Wyatt and Ryder’s favourite player.
Wyatt heard about the tournament from a teammate on a spring hockey team and told his parents about it.
“They looked it up and started working, trying to get there and make the team,” said Wyatt.
The teams Wyatt and Ryder will be playing with have their own list of impressive alumni, including several current NHL players. Wyatt’s Team Manitoba side boasts former players such as Jonathan Toews and Mark Stone, while Jaden Schwartz and both Brayden and Luke Schenn suited up for Ryder’s Pats.
“It’s awesome,” said Wyatt. “Really cool,” said Ryder, nodding in agreement.
A gruelling travel schedule awaits the boys, who are the only northern players on their teams. Ryder is the only player north of Saskatoon to make his team and no players for Team Manitoba hail from north of Brandon – except Wyatt.
For the Stinton and Mucha families, who usually travel together, that means even more difficulty.
“We weren’t very happy that they weren’t playing on the same team,” said Carrie Stinton, Wyatt’s mom. “But the tournament rules say you have to play with a team from your own province. That’s why Wyatt’s with Manitoba and Ryder’s with Saskatchewan.”
While they’ll be on opposite sides this summer, the ties that bind Wyatt and Ryder run much deeper than the jerseys they’ll wear. The two were born two hours apart and share a love for the Toronto Maple Leafs and a dream of someday making the big leagues.
When asked how they feel about being pitted against each other, both boys blocked it out.
“I don’t even really think about it,” said Ryder.
The two have already played against each other with their new clubs. The result?
“We beat them 7-2,” said Ryder with a shy smirk.
“They both wanted to win,” said Amber Mucha, Ryder’s mom.
