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Terrace twins attract attention

Terrace's Jeff and Brendan Kennedy are enjoying their hockey season in the Okanagan as well as looking at Junior A prospects for next year.
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Brendan and Jeff Kennedy in their Okanagan Hockey Academy jerseys.

Terrace's Jeff and Brendan Kennedy are enjoying their hockey season in the Okanagan as well as looking at Junior A prospects for next year.

“As of now we have talked to five or six different teams about the possibility of doing something for next year,” said Brendan. He adds that while nothing is for sure yet, it would be great to get into the league.

The Kennedys currently play on the Midget AAAA team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy (OHA), which is a part of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.

Both Brendan and Jeff have gotten a variety of hockey experience this year, from major midget exhibition games, to league games and tournaments against American teams.

They have both also had the opportunity to play with the Penticton Lakers Junior B team.

“It's not really faster than major midget, they are bigger guys and physical play is a little different,” said Jeff in regards to playing Junior B.

The Kennedys’ coach, Robert Dirk, said the boys are generating a lot of interest from Junior A hockey teams.

“They're going to fly past Junior B and go straight to Junior A,” said Dirk, adding that they have received interest from teams such as Powell River, Penticton, Vernon, Trail and Salmon Arm, among others.

“They are going to have their choice where they play next year,” he said.

According to Brendan it’s not too unusual for players to skip Junior B hockey.

“The level we play at it is still OK to go from midget to Junior A,” said Brendan.

It is the second year at the academy

for the brothers who are both 16 and in Grade 11.

“This year we are older and getting lots of opportunity to get better, and it's starting to pay off, that’s for sure,” said Brendan.

“They are doing extremely well, they have come a long way this year,” said Dirk. He attributes the interest they are generating to work ethic and character.

The Kennedys' weekday schedule consists of school from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then hockey from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Weekends are normally taken up with hockey games and tournaments.

Dirk said the team will get 60 hockey games in this year. “They get their share of hockey,” he said.

They both attend Penticton Secondary School where, according to Dirk, OHA has made arrangements for hockey players to take all core classes in the first three hours of the day.

“Here at the academy if you don't have good grades then you don't play hockey,” Dirk said, adding that school is first and hockey is second.

So far, according to Jeff, the brothers have been lucky enough to be talking to the same teams in regards to plans for next year’s hockey season.

“It’s an exciting time, you get to decide what the next two to three years of your life are going to look like,” said Jeff. “[There are] lots of options and opportunities and hopefully you can choose the best one and make it work for you.”

He said that as a family it makes the most sense to play for the same team, but neither would ever want to take an opportunity away from the other.

“These are two great kids and if I were the coach of a junior hockey club, these are two kids I would want on my team because they are warriors,” said Dirk.