Founder of Wesley Gosse Memorial Tournament pleased to see its spirit still alive
By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Thirty-four years in and the Wesley Gosse Memorial Tournament shows no signs of aging.
The invitational hockey tournament for high school teams was started by Keith Vokey in 1991. It has been held annually every year since, excluding one year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vokey, who is now retired from teaching, recalled that when he was looking for a name for the tournament those many years ago, he didn’t have to search far. Vokey was working as a teacher and hockey coach at Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts at the time, and approached Gosse for permission to use his name.
Gosse had been a hockey player all his life — as a member of the Shearstown Tigers, he even played against the Boston Bruins when they were touring Newfoundland in 1956.
“He was a multi-faceted guy,” Vokey said of Gosse. “Along with being an educator, and principal of Ascension Collegiate, he was director of minor hockey in this area. He coached minor hockey. He was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Bay Arena.”
Gosse also once served as mayor of Spaniard’s Bay. Vokey said the decision to name the tournament after Gosse was easy considering Gosse’s community involvement and contributions.
Vokey said the organizers try to invite the best teams to compete in the tournament each year. There are typically eight teams on the roster. This year the roster consisted of the Ascension Collegiate Astros, the Queen Elizabeth Pioneers, the Gonzaga Vikings, the Mount Pearl Senior High Huskies, the Holy Spirit Falcons, the Holy Heart Highlanders, the Holy Trinity Tigers, and the O’Donnell Patriots. The Huskies defeated the Vikings in the championship, winning the tournament.
“Those tournaments create memories,” said Vokey. “They’re playing the best teams. They’re playing hockey at the highest level in high school in the eastern part of Newfoundland. They get to meet the players on other teams.”
And as good as the hockey was years ago, Vokey allowed it might even better these days, or at least played in a faster style with fewer stoppages in play. He attributed some of it to the skill levels of players steadily increasing because today’s coaches have more information at their disposal. That, and the prevalence of hockey schools and hockey camps these days, which provide players with extra practice and skill development. Whatever the case, it makes for a great tournament.
“The bottom line is that these tournaments create memories that players can carry with them for the rest of their lives,” said Vokey, who while no longer an organizer of the tournament, was invited back this year to participate in a ceremonial face-off between the hometown Astros and the visiting Gonzaga Vikings.
