As I write this I am sitting pool-side at the Coast Westerly Hotel in Courtenay with the Lakers Novice team, who are competing in a tournament up here.
It has been a great couple of days of hockey for these guys. The Lakers played two games yesterday, with the first resulting in a 6-6 tie and the second a victory for our team by a large margin.
As we all know, away tournaments are not just about the hockey as much as they are about the fun had off the ice in the hotels and restaurants and the kids seem to be maximizing the experience!
It has been a great season thus far for our Atom Lakers as well who are currently sitting second in the Mid-Island Hockey League standings heading into the Christmas break.
It has also been exciting for everyone with the Novice, Atom and Peewee teams all hosting their own tournaments for the first time and putting in a great showing including a nail biting A final for the pee wee C2 team who lost very narrowly in overtime to the Surrey Canucks.
We have had wonderful feedback from all of the teams that attended and participated. One grandfather (Dick Drew, a former Lake Cowichan resident) was so impressed with our renovated arena that he and his family sent in a nicely written letters to the editor that were published in both The Gazette and Leader Pictorial newspapers.
With 2012 right around the corner, the new year has some great things in store for us, too with the Bantam Lakers hosting their annual hockey tournament in mid January and the annual Lakers Jamboree on Jan. 21.
This is probably our most popular event of the year, where we also feature an association skills competition. We split all the players into two teams (white and blue) and send them through some entertaining skills events all to wrack up as many points as they can to see who wins the overall trophy for the year.
I am particularly excited this year, as we will also be featuring our female development league in their very first game in front of spectators. C1 pee wee Lakers coach, Greg Clayton has been heavily involved in this initiative.
The event begins at 7 a.m. with the initiation and kids playing each other. The day draws to a close when the bantam Lakers play at 5:30 p.m.
Teams are putting the invitations out now for who they would like to play for this fun event. There is no cost to attend and the event is always open to the public. There will be wonderful raffle prizes that everyone who buys tickets will have a chance to win. I would also like to thank the community of Lake Cowichan at this time for their continued support of minor hockey.
It was nice to see lots of locals who do not have kids or grandchildren playing in our tournaments and are there to cheer the kids on. And of course a huge shout out goes to the staff of Lake Cowichan Sports Arena for the welcoming and friendly attitudes — this is what makes teams want to come back.
- Jackie Cummings, President of Lake Cowichan Minor Hockey