The Foothills CFR "AAA" Midget Bisons will definitely be one of the teams to beat when the 39th Annual Mac's Midget Hockey Tournament gets going starting Boxing Day.

Bisons forward Kaden Hanas says they know they're a favourite, and so does everyone else.

"A lot of those teams are going to be looking into that before they get here. Especially, those one's in our pool. Everyone's going to be out to beat us. I think we're going to be one of the top teams to beat. And for sure we're going to have a target on our back."

The Bisons are 17-1-and-2 so far this season, with their first loss coming just this last Sunday against Sherwood Park.

In the meantime, the Rocky Mountain Raiders "AAA" Midget girls hockey team out of DeWinton, came very close to their first win at the Mac's last year.

They lost to the Northern Capitals in the finals and Captain Kennedy Brown says they're hoping for redemption this year.

"Maybe redemption, yeah. I mean that's always something you hope for. Coming back to the Mac's, me personally and the other girls on my team that were at the Mac's last year remember what it was like to lose in the finals and we obviously don't want that to happen again."

Rocky Mountain Raiders Captain Kennedy Brown hopes to return to this year's finals at the Mac's, but wants a better result than last year.

The Bisons open the tournament against the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs on Boxing Day at 12:45 P.M. at the Father David Bauer Arena.

The Raiders girls kick off their tournament at 10:30 that morning at the Max Bell #2 Arena against the Kootenay Wild.