Midget players in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) got a top-flight experience during the 16th Annual GTHL Midget All-Star Festival in mid-January.

For some, it was one of their final memories in minor hockey, but for others, it gave a chance for bright stars to prove themselves in front of Junior scouts.

A total of 116 players across Midget A, AA and AAA played in North York, Ont. The AAA teams were chosen by league evaluators, while the other two squads came from coaching nominations. 

In the AAA matchup, Team Red bested Team White 5-4 behind two goals from Scott Gaetz and two helpers from Erich Roeder. Red was down 4-3 with half the third to play, but countered with goals nearly a minute apart to take the lead. Gaetz won the MVP for Red while White’s goalie James Elmhurst was named his team’s MVP.

Over at the Midget A game, it was an offensive storm, with Red winning the firefight 10-7 over White. With just over two minutes in the second period, Cooper Mair scored for Red to cut the deficit to 7-5 – it was be the first of six straight, including five in the final frame.

Andrew Laver scored twice for Red, while the MVP Matthew Di Poce had a goal and two assists. White’s MVP Aaron Fuss had two goals about four minutes apart in the second.

In the AA game, defence was the story as White stayed winless, falling 3-2 to Red. Thanks to a goal in each period, Red built a lead large enough to ward off the two goals White notched in the final frame. Red’s goalie Dylan Cox and White’s James Keane, who recorded a goal and an assist, were the game’s MVPs.