Blizzard hockey program to debut this fall

A Blizzard is coming to town. And the forecast for the everincreasing popularity of girl’s hockey was delivered by a pair of Canadian Olympians.

Silver medallists Jill Saulnier and Blayre Turnbull, both Nova Scotians, were at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre over the weekend for a female hockey skills camp.

While there, the pair also helped launch a new program, and name, for girl’s hockey in Cape Breton.

Part of Hockey Nova Scotia, the initiative is called the Cape Breton Blizzard hockey program. It’s sponsored by local Dairy Queen stores and administered by Glace Bay Minor Hockey, the program’s aim to grow girls’ participation in hockey.

The program is open to all girls in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality who want to play

on a girls team and play against other girls teams.

Starting this season, the Blizzard teams are for players at the atom (born 2009) level and higher.

Christina Lamey, chair of the Cape Breton Female Hockey committee, said she is excited about the new program and what it means to local girls.

“We are thrilled we were able to launch the new Blizzard program at the camp,” said Lamey. “And it was great to have Jill Saulnier and Blayre Turnbull here. They’re great role models to encourage girls and young women to be involved in sport, especially a lifelong participation sport like hockey — they’re inspiring a lot of young athletes to dream big.”

The Olympians also modelled the new Blizzard jerseys during the camp.

Parents interested in learning more about the sport and Blizzard hockey are encouraged to visit the organization’s Facebook page.

CONTRIBUTED Nova Scotia hockey players and Olympic silver medallists Blayre Turnbull and Jill Saulnier model the new Cape Breton Blizzard hockey program jerseys during a skills camp for female hockey players at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre on the weekend. A group of camp attendees sit and kneel in the foreground, while the back row from left to right are: Peter McCarron of Dairy Queen, Sydney River, Rob Clemons of Dairy Queen, Grand Lake Road, Judi McCarron of Dairy Queen, Sydney River, Turnbull, Saulnier, Christina Lamey of the Cape Breton Female Hockey Committee and James Edwards of Glace Bay Minor Hockey.