Hockey is so thoroughly ingrained into our society and our collective identity as Canadians it’s really no wonder the country is the hockey superpower that it is.
According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, Canada supports 3,300 indoor rinks and 5,000 outdoor rinks, ranging in size from Rogers Place in Edmonton to the Eastglen outdoor rink at Westlock Elementary School.
Those 8,300 rinks provide ice surfaces for 637,000 registered hockey players across the country, including the 12 teams and 160 players, from initiate to midget, in the Westlock Minor Hockey Association and there are many more unregistered players across the region as well.
Places like the Rotary Spirit Centre are more than ice surfaces, they are community hubs.
Drop by on a Friday or a Saturday night to see what we mean.
Not only do we salute the players though, there is a whole variety of people in the background that make organizations like the Westlock Minor Hockey Association, Westlock Fun Hockey and the Pembina Ringette Association operate as smoothly as they do.
The volunteer board, for one, the coaches, the parents, and those who make sure those 8,300 ice surfaces are as smooth as possible. Then there’s the fans.
It’s really a community effort.
That said, a salute also goes out to the businesses that dress our players in new uniforms, whenever it’s needed. There’s a lot of new jerseys on Westlock ice this year and it’s all because of those sponsors.
Unless you’re in the NHL and making millions of dollars, or on the world stage, hockey isn’t about winning championships.
The people who organize and run our hockey leagues recognize that, emphasizing instead fair play, sportsmanship and fun to kids who are developing into not only future hockey stars, but the polite, fair-minded Canadians known the world over.
