Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

Cameco Hockey Day in Saskatchewan set for two communities

Oct 5, 2016 | 12:00 PM

For the first time ever, Cameco Hockey Day in Saskatchewan will hit two communities in the same weekend.

Both Shellbrook and Pinehouse were chosen to host the annual celebration, which is set for the week of Jan. 16 to 22.

Every year, communities have to apply to be selected to win the right to host.

“In Shellbrook, they put together a fantastic application, complete with a video and everything, and that community is just top notch,” Jonathan Huntington, Cameco director of corporate relations, said. “Pinehouse marks the first time this event has gone that far North in Saskatchewan. It will take on a bit of a different flavour. It’ll be more about youth skill development.”

Events set for the celebration include a banquet in Shellbrook on the Friday night with seven-time Stanley Cup champion Bryan Trottier, plus an SJHL game between the North Stars and the Notre Dame Hounds on the Saturday, as well as a boys and girls AAA midget game in both Shellbrook and Pinehouse on Saturday and Sunday.

Shellbrook is also bringing something new to the table.

“They’re doing a three-on-three hockey tournament involving every one of the youth in the community over the stretch of a few days,” Huntington said. “There are almost 150 kids in the Shellbrook area that are involved in minor hockey, which is quite something when only 1,500 people live in that community.

The organizing committee set a fundraising goal of $100,000 for Shellbrook, which will be used to purchase a new ice plant.

“They often say the rink can be the centre piece of a community and clearly in Shellbrook that is definitely the case,” Huntington said.

The Saturday night SJHL tilt between the North Stars and Hounds will be the fourth straight year the teams face off on Hockey Day in Saskatchewan.

In 2014, with the event in St. Walburg, the North Stars won a close 2-1 game. In 2015, the event was held in Carnduff, and the Hounds took down the North Stars 3-2 in a shootout. Last season, Battlefords got revenge with a 3-1 win in Wadena.

“The opportunity came up that we could go represent our team and our league in Shellbrook and we thought it would be a good fit to be a part of it,” first year North Stars head coach Nate Bedford said. “It’s kind of a big deal right now in Saskatchewan to be a hockey player and to represent your province … especially this year with the Gordie Howe commemorative patches on our jerseys.”

Huntington made it clear the support the North Stars organization has shown Cameco in the past, first from Kevin Hasselberg and now Bedford, is appreciated.

“It goes without saying that the help of teams like the Battlefords Stars and the SJHL are a big help to this whole weekend because their game on the Saturday night in Shellbrook will bring in a big crowd,” Huntington said. “All of the money at the gate goes right to the town and helps with that fundraising total.

“The Battlefords North Stars have really almost adopted, it seems, wanting to be in that game on the Saturday night so we’ve been really been fortunate.”

Last year was the first time a community hit the six figure mark in fundraising, as Wadena raised $101,000 for their arena project.

In 2014, St. Walburg raised over $84,000 and in 2015 Carnduff raised over $85,000.

“It really is a credit to these communities that come in and get the volunteers behind them and do a wonderful job,” Huntington said. “I have all the faith that Shellbrook will hit that mark this year.”

 

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11