North Bay's Hockeyville status grew in stature Friday with three young Atlanta Thrashers prospects on hand for the unveiling of the Chris Thorburn jersey at Memorial Gardens.

Thorburn played for the North Bay Centennials for three seasons and returned last fall with the Thrashers for the Kraft Hockeyville 2007 exhibition game against the New York Islanders.

The trio of Atlanta ambassadors are in North Bay to take part in the third annual Canadian Pond Hockey Face-Off at Canadore College.

Connor Wood, 11, Andrew Kristoff, 12, and Alex Ayers, 12, have been matched with three local peewee players to form one of 80 teams playing on eight rinks on the college's pond.

Wood said he's been to Toronto twice before, but never saw this much snow, and lacing up to play outside on a pond will be something new. Atlanta Thrasher representative Chris Uber said the three boys were chosen by the different minor hockey associations in the city where 1,600 kids are involved with the sport.

"These are good student athletes who will represent the city and our organization well," Uber said.

'Life experience'

Their North Bay and area teammates are Lyle Hosein, Michael Brideau and Joel Courchesne and their first game is at 9 a.m.

After the Thorburn jersey was unveiled and they exchanged gifts with their new teammates, North Bay Skyhawks from the United States gave them a tour of their dressing room.

Forward A.J. Shiverdecker of Ohio said the Atlanta kids are in for a treat because international exchanges like this help the player grow as a human being.

Shiverdecker said he recalls a peewee tournament in Quebec where they met players from all over the world and they were billeted with a French family.

"It's a life experience as well, and this reminds me actually of what it was like," he said of meeting new friends through sport.

Goalie Ian Wilson of Oklahoma said it's "pretty cool" to see these players from such a small hockey market getting a different taste of the sport.

"The kids are really going to like it," Wilson said of the pond hockey experience, adding his first time playing outdoors was in North Bay.

"It's a different experience," he said of hockey without coaches, parents and all the structure of organized leagues.

"It's just having fun with your buddies."

ddale@nugget.ca