Relax, hockey is fun.
That's the message the 100 Mile & District Minor Hockey Association hoped to get across to parents and players at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre on March 6.
An anti-bullying-themed event saw dozens of young, local skaters – some in pink jerseys with a “stop it right here right now” message printed on the front – take to the ice for three-on-three and five-on-five tournaments, and dozens more in the building off the ice for a mini-stick tournament.
Members of the local RCMP detachment brought out a radar gun so players could test the speed of their shots.
The mini-stick tournament was “hugely popular,” says Denise Balbirnie, one of the organizers.
Local businesses, Ainsworth and TIMBER MART, donated material that organizers used to construct small wooden rinks for the tournament, and a number of 100 Mile House Wranglers players volunteered to help with the event.
Balbirnie says Canadians are serious and passionate about hockey, but there's something people should remember: “You can't let it get carried away and forget the main point of the game – to have fun, get some exercise and be part of a team.”