‘Contractors and Camo’ tourney to benefit Alaska Warriors Hockey

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The 7th Annual Associated General Contractors’ of Alaska Contractors and Camo Hockey Tournament is slated for Saturday, with a full lineup of 3 vs. 3 games set for throughout the day.

“At the end, it’s really just about coming and playing hockey and having fun,” said Brandon Harker, Challenge Alaska’s therapeutic recreation coordinator. “We tell people it’s all about having fun. We have mixed skills on each team. Each team will have three Warrior Hockey team members as well as seven players from the community.”

Warriors programs through Challenge Alaska include hockey, alpine skiing and snowboarding teams; along with cycling, Nordic skiing and biathlon groups.

“All our players on the Warrior program, they served our country one way or the other and have some sort of disability,” Harker said, adding that it can be especially difficult to find connections the way many did during service.

“Now, they feel like they have brothers and sisters that have been through similar experiences that understand what they’re going through – those daily struggles, or looking for jobs or just transitioning back into the community.”

Each team will feature 10 players, to include one goalie each, with games played in a round-robin format. The top two teams will take part in a shootout-style championship.

“If you’re a fan of hockey, it is just fun to watch,” Harker said, “because it’s fast-paced hockey. Unfortunately, the goalies bear the brunt of that, that fast-paced hockey, but we keep it moving. Quick zam’ cuts, 15-minute breaks in between, then we do a quick lunch break just to give the players a chance to refresh, rehydrate before we get back to it.”

As of this past weekend, only a couple of spots remained open for player registration, but Harker said there’s a small chance alternates may be pulled in the day of the tournament.

As a whole, Harker said that a big part of the program overall is that it’s a special type of therapeutic environment.

“Getting on the ice gives you the chance to forget about things for a little bit,” he said. “Get into that flow state and kind of let everything else go for however long you’re out there.”

For Saturday’s tournament, the puck drops around 10 a.m. at the Kelly Connect Ice Center on O’Malley, with games expected to run until approximately 6 p.m.

Admission is free for spectators on Saturday. You can learn more about donating time or money to Challenge Alaska and the Alaska Warriors Hockey program by clicking here.

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