Lake Cowichan will celebrate its favourite sport on Jan. 21 when the Minor Hockey Jamboree descends on the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena.
Aside from a skills contest, the Lake Cowichan Minor Hockey Jamboree will feature six different Lakers games, ranging from initiation to bantam age groups.
Lake Cowichan Minor Hockey and District Association president Jackie Cummings is thrilled for the organization to host a full-day of Lakers hockey.
“It’s going to be awesome,” said Cummings. “It’s probably our most looked forward to event of the year and it’s a chance to thank all our sponsors for all the work that they do. It’s typically a pretty big even that all of the community comes out for.
Cummings said the skills competition, which features skating, shooting and puck-handling contests, will be the highlight of the day.
“It’s kind of like an NHL All-Stars event where we have the entire association from the little kids all the way up to the big kids. It’s a pretty inspirational day, especially for our younger kids who get to be out there with the older kids and the older kids are helping them out and just being silly on the ice together” she added.
Bantam Lakers assistant coach Steve Vatcher is look forward to the Jamboree, too.
“It’s totally for the kids. The skills competition is awesome. It’s a real homey feeling watching the little ones with the big ones,” said Vatcher.
Vatcher thinks that the Jamboree proves how tightly-knit a hockey community Lake Cowichan is.
“It’s excellent. It shows support for the association in a small community,” he added.
The Jamboree will also feature the female development coordination league for the first time. This initiative was pioneered by Lakers pee wee C1 head coach Greg Clayton last season. The team has not played a live game until now.