In the lobby of the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, there was a simple but powerful sign that lists all the contributions made towards enhancing Cochrane's hockey experience thanks to the Yelnats Cup.

But that's only the tip of the blade.

The Yelnat Cup sells out rapidly each year, usually within 24 hours, because it's known for being the icing on the cake for midget hockey players, many playing their last games in minor hockey. Each graduating player in the tournament, no matter where they're from, receives a commemorative blanket that is cherished more as the years pass. In all, 118 players in the tournament received a blanket this year. It's a unique touch unheard of elsewhere and teams line up to be part of it.

Annually, the tournament involves 24 teams and it fills the sports centre with players and families. Off the ice, there's a massive raffle, made possible by a generous community who understand just how important this tournament is to all involved.

The final between Cochrane Red and a Williams Lake team came down to the wire. Red ermeged with a 7-6 come-from-behind win.

Watching this final weekend of play brings joy to parents and grandparents, even tears, as they recount the years spent watching their young stars go from learning to pick themselves off the ice to setting up that game-winning goal.

Co-chair Adele Scott just had her third and youngest son play his last Yelnats Cup and she had a hard time holding back tears of joy when she presented the trademark blanket to him after he played his last game.

"I was fine until I saw the raw emotion on his face and then I lost it. You celebrate the fact that they're becoming adults but it's a bittersweet moment of knowing that this is finished for him. I know he'll continue to play sports but where else do you find an experience in life like this. where you've played hockey since you were a tyke and now you may not play again, or you may play in a beer league."

The players know it's special and many look forward to it after spending much of their life in the Cochrane hockey culture.

Sam Doty and Royce Simeon, who have been together on the Cochrane Reds tier 5 team for three seasons, were able to hoist the Yelnat Cups after their team played a barnburner of a final against a Williams Lake team travelling the furthest to make their first appearance in the tournament. The Reds were down 5-4 at the end of the second and came out with a 7-6 win in a wild third period.

Going out with a Yelnats Cup was special for both but particularly for Doty. He had been kicked out for a game earlier in the tournament and wasn't sure if that was how he was going to end minor hockey.

"I thought that was going to be our last game and I wasn't even going to be able to play. Good thing we won that game 8-0 and just now we came back to win this one, so it was good."

"It's been a great year and I'm thankful to all our coaches and for everything they've done for us. I've had a great time, it was a lot of fun."

Simeon has been playing hockey in Cochrane since he was six and he plans to continue after minor hockey. He's all grins after the game and is enjoying the moment.

"Great times. Great coaches. It's been really fun."

Co-chair Sandra Scott is volunteering for a second time and her son Curtis is also playing in his second Yelnats Cup. She's long volunteered for sports and activities involving her children and enjoys the Yelnats spirit.

These William Lakes parents had a gas cheering on their team. Six of the Williams Lake players were wrapping up their time in minor hockey and received a coveted Yelnats Cup blanket as a keepsake.

"It's the celebration of the end of the year and you see the moms cry and dads cry. It's a big part of your life and I think it's the same with dance or soccer or anything. Your kid learns how to handle defeat, learn how to work hard, and suddenly they're not doing that anybody. They're not doing the things that helped define them during their teenage years."

"Some of the best times conversations I've had with my boy is in the car driving to Stettler for hockey games."

It takes a massive pool of volunteers to make the tournament run smoothly and parents are required to volunteer for three, two-hour time slots during its course.

"The parents have been unbelievable. It's such a community event because we wouldn't be able to hold a tournament of this magnitude without all the help of these parent volunteers," explains Adele.

Players, too, are required to chip in by selling raffle tickets, amounting to $1,650 per team, to cover their entry fee.

The tournament normally raises in the neighbourhood of $10,000 and last year $5,000 went to improve the centre's hockey infrastructure, $2,500 to JumpStart's hockey programs and $2,500 was donated to the Rocky the Waves fundraising campaign.

"We give the bulk of our money right back to Spray Lakes so that they can continue to improve infrastructure for hockey specifically," explains Adele.

"The Town of Cochrane is unbelievably generous. When we canvas various businesses, and we try to get letters to all of them, there are some businesses who are kind of like the teams waiting to get in the tournament; they have their donation ready for us the day that we drop off our letter."

You can be assured teams are already pencilling in the Yelnats Cup on their wish list for next season.