"The whole weekend went great; the games were all very close, which is unique in that tournament," said Lansdowne Avenue resident Jim West, the event's co-chairman.

"Sometimes we've had blowouts where it's seven to one or six to two," he added. "But everything was so close — within a goal or two maximum. In every game it worked out very well."

In all, eight teams from Westmount, Kirkland, Town of Mount Royal and Pointe Claire took part in the three-day event held from last Thursday to Sunday at the arena. Dave Lapointe, a City of Westmount Parks and Recreation official, dropped the final puck in the last game.

Jon Feldman, a team coach who was unable to play this year because of ill health, was awarded the Kenny Sinclair Trophy. "Jon's longtime SWAT leadership was a motivating factor in his being the recipient of the award," said event treasurer Howard Hoppenheim.

Hoppenheim said the silent auction segment led by Claude Bismuth, the SWAT director of player personnel, set a new fundraising record. The final tally of the event's proceeds, to be announced next week, is expected to raise the total even higher. "We've never raised anywhere near that amount," said Hoppenheim.

All proceeds raised from team pledges and program ad sponsorships are being donated to the Montreal Children's and Ste-Justine's hospitals. During the past 17 years, proceeds from the SWAT tournament have resulted in donations of $185,000.

This year, the tournament's organizers also held a 'termite tournament' on Sunday morning, with four teams of boys. "Watching these kids play was absolutely phenomenal," said West. There was also a social dance at Victoria Hall on Saturday evening.

The concept for the SWAT Tournoi arose from the late Nicolas Matossian. At the age of 15, he decided to help future generations of children to survive brain cancer, and organized fund-raising activities for the benefit of the two children's hospitals.

Many of the donations have been made possible due to the support of the many dedicated Westmount retailers who continue to provide program advertising and supplies for the Tournoi, and the contributions of advertisements, donations and products from numerous corporations and professionals.