Burning the ice in the new year
By Melissa Piche Times Contributor
As the calendar flipped to 2023, it has been a productive season on the ice for a few hockey and ringette associations in and around Strathmore.
Strathmore Minor Ringette numbers are up to 162 from 152 last season and from 142 in 2020.
“All teams are playing well in their respective divisions,” said Ardith Lester, a board member with the Strathmore Minor Ringette Association (SMRA) serving as Director of Evaluations. “Our players are just very excited to be playing a regular season without the stressors of Covid lingering over their heads.”
SMRA has 11 teams plus their newest addition with U14A RISE and U16A RISE teams. The RISE teams are an amalgamation of players from Strathmore, Indus and Rockyford who are looking for a bit more of a competitive edge. This is the pilot year for the program and there is much interest for it to continue. Strathmore hosts the U16 RISE and Indus is home base for the U14 RISE team.
SMRA will be hosting their annual Laurie Morton Ruppe Memorial Tournament Jan. 27-29 with close to 600 players attending. More information on their program can be found at their website (https://www.strathmoreringette.com).
Gleichen and District Minor Hockey Association
The Gleichen and District Minor Hockey Association program is for youth (ages 4-17) at any skill level who like to play non-contact hockey under the Alberta Pond Hockey Program.
Over 80 players have registered with the Gunners Pond Hockey, which runs through their various age divisions Tuesday and Thursday nights from mid-October through to March.
Shannon Zeiman has been the president of the Gleichen and District Minor Hockey since 2016 and has seen the program grow and become what it is today.
“The primary purpose of the Gleichen Minor Hockey Association is to contribute to the development of our youth through the game of hockey,” said Zeiman. “Gleichen Minor Hockey’s commitment is to provide the young athletes with the fundamentals of the sport, the opportunity to have fun while learning basic ice skills and to encourage good sportsmanship – this is what draws many to the league. “As a team sport, hockey affirms the importance of commitment, self-discipline, and sportsmanship among participants. Our commitment is to assure that all young people who participate will develop skills and values which will have lifelong benefit to themselves and to society.”
Gleichen Minor Hockey will be hosting their annual Hockey Day in Canada Pond Hockey Tournament on Feb. 11. Registration opens soon and is limited to 120 participants. Be sure to check their website for more details (http://gleichenminorhockey.msa4.rampinteractive.com).
Strathmore Minor Hockey Association
Strathmore Minor Hockey Association has a whopping 322 registered players with 19 teams, which is similar to the 2021-2022 season.
Number are a little down from pre-Covid years where registration was close to 400 players.
“We are hoping to be back to those numbers within the next couple of years,” said Brett Thurston, President of the Strathmore Minor Hockey Association.
The teams are thriving this season with 10 out of 12 teams currently holding playoff spots. The U18 Tier 1 team is first in their division, currently undefeated.
“We host provincials (for U18 Tier 1) this year which is exciting,” said Thurston. “It’s nice to have those high-profile tournaments in our hometown so we can put on a good show for everyone.”
The U9’s will be hosting a one-day home tournament on Feb. 19, while the U7’s will be hosting one the following day.
Thurston is thrilled to be reigniting female hockey within Strathmore with a female hockey program on Jan. 30. The players will have the opportunity to run some drills with past Storm female hockey alumni players.
“We will follow this with a Female Hockey Day in March” he said.
Thurston is hopeful that having these events will encourage players to come and give it a try, while also increasing registration for the league.
For more information on Strathmore Minor Hockey and all their upcoming events visit their website (www.smhockey.com).