Hockey Alberta is excited to present the fifth Annual Western Canada Sledge Hockey Tournament. For the second consecutive year, the event will be held in Calgary from April 3-5, 2009 at the South Fish Creek Recreation Centre (www.sfcra.com ).
This year’s tournament will be hosted by the Calgary Scorpions hockey club (www.calgarysledgehockey.ca ). The event will feature athletes ranging in age from 7 to 45 years. Teams will be traveling from across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan to compete in junior, intermediate and senior age categories.
"We are excited to have the City of Calgary host the Western Canada Sledge Hockey Tournament for a second straight year. Last year’s tournament built a foundation for the event and we hope this year attendance will continue to grow and more people will come out and enjoy the fun filled weekend of hockey," said Brian Scott, Coordinator Grassroots Development, Hockey Alberta.
On the afternoon of Saturday, April 4 at 1:00pm, fans will get a chance to experience sledge hockey, during a free on-ice skills session. This is free of charge and Hockey Alberta will be providing the equipment.
"Sledge hockey isn’t only for people with disabilities, anybody can play. Many of the tournament participants will not have a disability. The on-ice skills session on Saturday afternoon will give everyone the chance to experience sledge hockey for themselves," added Scott.
For the first time, Sledge Hockey Alberta has partnered with the Calgary Food Bank in an effort to help Calgary’s less fortunate. Donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted throughout the weekend as admission. The Food Bank’s most needed food items can be found online at www.calgaryfoodbank.com.
Sledge hockey joined the Hockey Alberta family of programs in the spring of 2004. Funding is provided by Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation which falls under the Ministry of Community Development and Sport Canada. Sledge hockey is an innovative team sport that incorporates the same rules and strategies as regular ice hockey. Players sit on specially designed sleds with skate blades under the seat and use two sticks, to pass, stick handle, shoot the puck, and also propel and maneuver their sleds.
"Alberta Sport, Recreation Parks and Wildlife Foundation are an excellent community partner with a longstanding commitment to youth and sport. Without them, we would not be able to hold events like this. Their continued support will help us make the 2009 Western Canada Sledge Hockey Tournament an unforgettable experience for not only the athletes, but the parents, coaches and fans," said Terry Ledingham, president of Hockey Alberta.
Sledge Hockey is the Paralympic version of ice hockey and has become one of the biggest attractions for spectators at the Winter Paralympic Games since its debut in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994. It is fast-paced, highly physical and played by many clubs throughout North America. |