Strathmore to host U11AA, U18 provincial tournaments

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore is soon to see an influx of travelers coming into town, as both the U11AA Wheatland Hawks, and the U18 Wheatland Wranglers Female Hockey teams are both preparing to host their respective provincial championships. 

“This is the first year that Wheatland Athletic Association has taken on the U11AA division for Hockey Alberta, and it is also the inaugural season for U11AA provincial championships, so this is the first time that this has ever happened,” said Jodi Koester, chairperson for the U11AA Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships. “We were fortunate enough to win the bid to host this, and it is a tournament that starts on Thursday, March 27, and ends with the final game being on Sunday, March 30.”

This is the first year the Wheatland Athletic Association has taken over operations for the U11AA team. Previously, it was overseen by the Strathmore Minor Hockey Association.

Koester explained this Wheatland Hawks team consists of nine- and 10-year-old boys from across Wheatland County, as well as a few players from municipalities such as Drumheller, Siksika Nation, and Chestermere. 

“It is a very diverse group of kids who may have battled against each other in previous minor hockey teams in their youth and now they have joined forces to play together and they have done a tremendous job of that,” she said. “They have really bonded together as a group of young boys and grown together as a team, and it is so fun to watch them on the ice. Obviously, they do not win all of their games, but the games they do win are magical.”

Hockey Alberta requires the Wheatland Athletic Association to operate a legacy project, thus any money generated through the tournament beyond covering costs are required to be reinvested into the community in a project tied to local hockey.

Proceeds generated from this year’s provincial tournament will go towards an outdoor ice rink, as well as to contribute towards dressing rooms which would be usable both by patrons of the outdoor rink in the winter, and football teams in the fall.

 Koester estimated it will take approximately $20,000 in order to be able to effectively host the tournament. Financing is being sought through sponsorships to help cover costs. 

Volunteers are also needed throughout the weekend to aid with raffle tables, event entry, and game time announcements.

Koester may be contacted at U11AAprovincials@gmail.com for more information regarding the upcoming tournament.

Meanwhile, the U18 Wheatland Wranglers female team will be hosting their provincial championships, come March 20-23. 

Jodi Vanderlaan, manager for the U18 Wheatland Wranglers, said this is only the second year the team has existed.

“We are trying to grow the girls program, so it will be exciting to host a completely female hockey tournament here in Strathmore. That has not happened here (before),” she said. “We take girls from the Wheatland area including Chestermere, Brooks … Drumheller, then we have Siksika, Strathmore and surrounding area. It has grown quite a bit this year even from last year.”

Like that of the U11AA tournament, any excess funding raised to host the tournament effectively beyond what is required is to be put back into the local community.

Of the teams which will be participating, the host team gets a bye which enters them automatically. The rest of the tournament consists of divisional champions from across the province and two wildcard teams. 

Tickets for the event will be available at the doors of the Strathmore Family Centre over the course of the tournament weekend.