Greater Trail will celebrate its 66th Minor Hockey Day on Saturday (Jan. 21).
Recognition of the long standing event will go this weekend with most of the action taking to the ice at local arenas.
Every year players and parents look forward to the pancake breakfast, a culinary masterpiece served by United Steel Workers Union 480 from 8 a.m. until noon at the Trail Memorial Centre on Saturday.
While details are still being finalized, Greater Trail Minor Hockey Association (GTMHA) has planned a multitude of games starting with the U15 division taking to the kids rink for a 3-on-3 tournament from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
From 9 to 11:30 a.m. the U11 teams will have a jamboree and skills competition on the big ice, followed by the U7 teams from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and from 1 to 2 p.m. the U9 teams will go head-to-head.
The Trail Smoke Eaters and Beaver Valley Nitehawks are idle on Saturday, with Trail having the weekend off due to the BCHL 60th Anniversary celebration in Penticton.
The Nitehawks are at home Friday night when they host the North Okanagan Knights at 7 p.m. in B.V. and again on Sunday with a 3 p.m. battle against the Nelson Leafs.
However, local fans can also cheer on the U18 Smoke Eaters who have a two-game set versus Williams Lake on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Trail Memorial Centre.
The U11 development team is scheduled to play two games Saturday against Cranbrook at 2:15 and 6:45 p.m. in Trail.
GTMHA is also hosting a U13 House tournament going in the Beaver Valley and Rossland Arenas this coming weekend with a total of eight teams competing.
Youth hockey started in the Silver City in 1934 with 11 teams that included five Bantam, four Midget, and two Juvenile teams participating. By 1939, the Trail Boys Booster Hockey Club replaced the original organization and recruited 130 players to its ranks under the direction of its first president, 15-year-old Jake MacLeod.
The organization grew by leaps and bounds and soon became the Trail Minor Hockey Association in 1950 with over 500 boys registered and teams playing for regional and provincial championships.
In 1955, the first female hockey league in BC was formed in Trail with four teams competing.
Trail minor hockey director Charlie McLean then introduced Minor Hockey Week to the Silver City in 1957.
The following year, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association liked the idea so much, they made it an annual event.
Hockey brings Canadians together unlike any other shared experience. While team allegiances ignite local rivalries and fierce competition in communities across the country, the essence of the sport weaves a common thread that unites us all.
This Saturday, the CAHA celebrates that bond with the 23rd annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada – Canada’s biggest single-day hockey celebration featuring all seven Canadian NHL teams in action.
Communities across Canada celebrate the event, and acknowledge the sport of hockey, its colourful history, and the contributions of its players, coaches, volunteers and parents.
The public is welcome to attend all events in support of minor hockey this weekend.
Read: Trail Minor Hockey Day, more than just another day
sports@trailtimes.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
