Fundraising hockey tournament celebrates Hockey Day in Canada

Hockey fanatics will be familiar with Hockey Day in Canada, an annual special broadcast to celebrate the game that includes a triple header of NHL action featuring the six Canadian teams. This year, the day will be celebrated Feb. 21 and young Jasperites will have the opportunity take part in a three-on-three hockey tournament in town. 

With a new rink in the parking lot across the road from the Shell gas station on Connaught Drive, the inaugural hockey game is something that Ryan Verge, young adult community outreach worker, would like to see happen every year. 

The tournament’s $50 per team entry fee goes toward the Caring Community Fund. “Hopefully, it’ll go towards someone who is in need of some help for covering the costs of minor sports, so we want it to go to youth specifically,” Verge said. 

Jasper’s next hockey stars should sign up quickly, as the tournament registration capacity of 12 teams is almost full. 

While the format is still undecided, Verge said it would run much like the street hockey tournament organized during the Enviro-Fair last year. “Each team will be guaranteed a few games throughout the day,” Verge said. 

The outreach worker was quick to suggest that should anyone be unable to pay the fee, Community and Family Services would be happy to make arrangements, but he was sure this would be no problem as players could “have six people on your team if you wanted to – each pitching in a few bucks.”