Holiday hockey tournaments work to attract teams, offer bonding experiences and scholarships
Christmas tradition needs incentives to boost participation
Traditionally, youth hockey ranks right up there with eggnog and mistletoe as a holiday staple, but in the past few years, local holiday tournaments have had trouble attracting teams during the Christmas break.
With youth hockey schedules becoming more arduous, with more travel throughout the season, some teams opt to use the two weeks off from competition as an actual break. Others are rendered thin from players and families taking off for vacation.
That doesn’t sit well with some local tournament organizers, who have continued with the long-standing tradition of Christmas tournaments in Edmonton.
“Christmas and hockey tournaments are synonymous,” said Bob Olynyk, the co-ordinator of the Edmonton Bantam Invitational Tournament.
The EBIT tournament has been going on for 33 years, and organizers have had to adapt to the changing landscape by providing incentives. The tournament tries to attract out-of-town teams by providing a liaison for local activities, such as Thursday’s Edmonton Oil Kings game, while trying to appeal to local teams by guaranteeing no more than one game a day. That means teams can participate in the tournament while also making holiday plans around a smaller commitment.
The 18-team AA and AAA tournament has also given out roughly $70,000 in scholarships since 2004, including 17 $1,000 scholarships that will be given out this year based on player interviews.
For the Bill Kurucz midget tournament, getting 18 teams would be a dream. Instead, the midget AA tournament has just five teams this year. But at least they’re playing, which hasn’t always been the case. Despite the tournament’s 29-year history, the Canadian Athletic Club has been forced to cancel the event on multiple occasions in recent years.
“It’s tough to get teams at Christmastime,” said Gary Ash, the tournament chairman. “Coaches are in Hawaii or something like that. Teams are travelling more during the season and there’s more hockey played, so teams say they just need the break.”
If teams can make it work, though, there’s a definite benefit to playing. More hockey isn’t likely to hurt player development, and the tight time-frame and abundance of ice time can be helpful.
“Teams normally have two weeks off at this time of year,” said Brad Hampel, head coach of the CAC Butchers & Packers midget AA team. “This allows the players to get on the ice during that time. Any tournament is also a great teambonding experience.”
The EBIT is taking place at the Callingwood Recreation Centre Twin Arenas until Monday, with the AA final at 11:30 a.m. and AAA final at 2:30 p.m. The Bill Kurucz tournament is taking place at the Canadian Athletic Club Arena until Sunday, with the final set for 1 p.m.