McCallum off to Alberta Games

Times Reporter   

 

Fourteen-year-old Hailey McCallum of Strathmore will be competing in the Alberta Winter Games from Feb. 6-9 in Canmore, for Zone 2’s Big Country female hockey team. 

“We all work together,” McCallum said. “We have lots of skill on our team.”

McCallum’s linemate on the AAA Rocky Mountain Raiders of the Alberta Major Bantam Female Hockey League, Taylor Sawka, will also likely be on the same line for the Games, hoping to bring some offense for Big Country. Sawka and McCallum are first and second in league scoring, with McCallum having 22 points in 21 games so far this season.

“I’m excited,” McCallum said. “I’m a good worker I guess, on getting the puck in battles, and then going hard to the net.”

McCallum and Big Country will play four round robin games, but could play up to six including playoffs. This would all be in the short span of three days.

“We need to keep our nutrition up, we need to keep drinking water all the time. Alberta Games was the same,” McCallum said.

Last year, McCallum competed in the ATB Alberta Challenge – the games and the Alberta Cup rotate each year. Having that previous experience eases McCallum’s nerves.

“It’s better now. Last year I was scared, but this year I’m more excited about it,” McCallum said. “I want to go far and play high levels, and then hopefully get a scholarship or, like Team Canada or U18.”

The bantam forward has only been playing hockey for four years, starting with Strathmore Peewee, but had played ringette previously. 

“Grit, aggressive – that pretty much explains her,” father Billie McCallum said. “She’s doing really well.”