FORT FRANCES—Young hockey fans, with visions of Sidney Crosby skating victoriously across an outdoor rink on New Year’s Day still rattling through their heads, will get a chance to live out their daydreams when the first-annual Fort Frances Outdoor Open 3-on-3 shinny hockey tournament runs next month.
And they won’t need to have NHL aspirations to compete, either—the tournament is open to both experienced and casual players aged six-12 playing wide open, non-contact shinny hockey with an emphasis on fun.
“Even the kids who play organized hockey, they’re going to find this is a little different because it is like pond hockey,” said organizer Dan Bailey.
“Everything just moves at a fast pace. There’s no time to sit and think,” he added. “There’s no whistles unless a puck is shot out or a goal is scored.”
The tournament, “the first outdoor 3-on-3 shinny tournament in Fort Frances for sure, if not Northwestern Ontario,” according to Bailey, is free of charge and requires a minimum of equipment.
Just a helmet with a full face mask, a mouthguard, shin pads, and elbow pads are required for skaters, although additional equipment can be worn.
The first 40 teams to register, which can be made up of boys or girls, as well as mixed rosters, will get their chance to play against rival trios on the town’s four outdoor rinks from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Feb. 9-10.
Bailey is looking into possible awards, such as most improved or most sportsmanlike team, but assured there would be no finals or championship matches to detract from the focus on a fun, active weekend.
“There’s no winners and there’s no losers,” he stressed. “Everyone’s going to get a minimum of three games per day, and we’ll just keep moving the teams along.
“That way, everyone remains equal, so we don’t end up with one team with a bunch of really good kids on it basically blowing away teams because that’s not the point of it.”
Each game will run 30 minutes, interrupted only when the whistle is blown, without icing or offsides called.
All penalties, including flipping the puck over the boards, will result in penalty shots. Serious roughing calls, or use of abusive language and swearing, will result in expulsion from the tournament.
Teams can have a maximum of seven players. Although they only require three skaters and a goalie, Bailey laughed that no team would be able to last a full game with an empty bench.
Registration forms are available at the Fort Frances OPP detachment, the CC Complex, the Memorial Sports Centre, and Taggs Source for Sports. Forms should be submitted by late January, but team entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The outdoor rink at Couchiching also may be used if enough teams from there register for the tournament.
The early response has been “pretty good so far, both actually for boys and girls, which is good to hear,” said Bailey, adding he’s had a number of comments wishing Bantam- and Midget-aged players could participate.
Bailey said the age limitation was to “start out small” and keep the first year manageable.
“If it works out well, we’ll go from here next year, but right now it’s just limited up to a maximum PeeWee age kids,” he remarked.
He also needs help running the tournament, and is asking the public to step forward and help with what will be a sizable volunteer effort to referee, score, tend to the ice, and manage each rink.
“Right now, I’m kind of a one-man show,” Bailey said.
He figures he’ll need a minimum of 16 volunteers every hour of the tournament, imploring anyone interested in volunteering both days, “one day, or half a day, or whatever they’re willing to volunteer” to contact him.
High school students may be able to count their time at the tournament towards their required volunteer hours to graduate, he added, though that hasn’t been finalized yet.
Bailey also is looking for additional sponsors.
While a number of local businesses have thrown their interest behind the tournament (Canadian Tire is supplying two days’ worth of rubberized pucks, for example), he hopes to offer a giveaway T-shirt or some other souvenir for all the weekend’s participants.
Bailey hopes the necessary support will come—and that the tournament can become an annual event in the local hockey community.
“It’s all about fun,” he stressed. “It’s all about the kids just getting out and having a good time, and just doing something else that no one else has done.”
Anyone wishing to volunteer or help sponsor the tournament, or needs more information, can contact Bailey at 274-5793.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
