For the second straight year the Ottawa Jr. Black Bears will be participating in the Jr. NLL tournament. This year’s tournament will be staged in Toronto from August 22 – 24 and features youth teams representing their respective National Lacross League clubs.
The Jr. Black Bears had a strong showing in their debut performance in this tournament last year, highlighted by 11 Jr. Black Bears players who were named to the Canadian Jr. NLL All-Star team, who defeated Team USA 14-9.
This year’s teams were selected earlier this summer and have spent the past several weeks training in the Zone 5 region, holding practices in Kanata, Nepean, Gloucester and Cornwall.
Once again, three age groups – U13, U15 and U17 – will be represented by the Jr. Black Bears.
The U13 team narrowly missed out on a title in 2024 – losing 8-7 in overtime of the championship game. Head coach Barry Powell believes his group is hungry to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss in the final.
“This years U13 Junior Black Bears team will WIN the tournament!! We have three returning players, firstly, Ryan Harper, last years team leading point getter and this year’s team Captain. Secondly. Owen Thorimbert, last years team leading goal scorer and the son of Ottawa Black Bears draw man, Jay Thorimbert. Thirdly, Liam Pulfer who has also been appointed Team Captain and the kindest player, I have ever coached.”
“We have chosen a strong core group of skilled, tough and athletic players to complement our 3 returnees. We have two goalies who are big time gamers, to me that is a coaches dream. Both Zak and I are very excited to have a front row seat and watch the action unfold.”
Last year, the U15 team was honoured as the ‘Team of the Tournament’ in their division.
Kyle McDonald is back to guide the U15 squad and believes last year’s appearance in the tournament is an excellent stepping stone for the players.
“Being named Team of the Tournament last year was an incredible honor for our group. Even though our record was 0–4, every game was competitive and could have gone either way,” says McDonald. “What truly stood out was the way our players competed, with heart, relentless effort, and genuine sportsmanship. That recognition wasn’t about wins and losses; it was about character, resilience, and playing the game the right way. I hope our players took that experience back to their club teams and continued to hold themselves to that standard. This year, our expectations are to build on that foundation. We’re starting from a place of proven effort and team spirit, and now we’re adding more strategy and cohesion. We’ve already had the chance to come together for practices, and this group is showing signs that they can pick up right where last year’s team left off and take it to an even higher level.
In the 2024 Jr. NLL tournament, the U17 Jr. Black Bears were an offensive force to be reckoned with and returning coach Jordan Hendrycks believes they can be even more potent in 2025. He describes this year’s team as “mature” and has set high expectations for his squad in Toronto.
“We fully expect to exceed our offensive output from last year. The goal for the group this year is to really make a splash on the podium to take home some hardware. Hopefully the team can build upon the success that the younger age groups had last year,” explains Hendrycks. “Having many returning players from last years team and a number of them from the best team in the zone this year, chemistry and maturity will be our biggest advantages.”
