CANORA - It was likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Canora, and by all accounts, Hockey Day in Saskatchewan 2025 was an event that will be remembered fondly for a long time.
“It was a huge success!” said Stacy Vangen, president of the Canora Minor Hockey, about the Jan. 14-19 event. “We are amazed at how well it all came together and the support we received from the community.”
The total money raised during Hockey Day in Saskatchewan will be announced during the coming weeks, but Vangen did mention that the Battle of the Blades raised over $15,000; the silent auction brought in better than $17,000 and over $12,000 was raised during the live auction.
Vangen said all six days had their own special and memorable highlights.
“But to name a few, it was amazing to see the Senior Cobras Alumni prioritize this event and travel to be in Canora. The Friday night Goal Line Gala was an unforgettable evening with special guests Marty McSorley, Don Chesney and Barney and Brandon from the Monday Nooner Podcast. It was a fantastic evening with an exquisite menu served by The Iron Grill. Our rink was full all six days, but nothing compared to the Battle of the Blades Sunday afternoon. It was a great way to celebrate a great week and bring everyone together.”
In addition to Canora and area residents, also making the trip to Canora for the week were Albertans and even some Americans.
Vangen said Hockey Saskatchewan made a significant contribution toward the success of Hockey Day in Saskatchewan.
“They provide silent auction and live auction items, booked and paid for our guest speaker, Marty McSorley, as well as cover other expenses. They also provide support and guidance along the way which helped our host committee in decision making and planning.”
Hockey Saskatchewan General Manager Kelly McClintock was quite impressed with the week in Canora.
“Awesome! The people in the community were terrific and the surrounding area truly supported the event,” said McClintock.
“It was great to see the arena filled for all games regardless of the age group. Stacy and her committee did a fabulous job organizing everything and it was great to see so many people step up and volunteer their time and efforts.”
McClintock said there was much to enjoy throughout the week.
“To see the past Senior Team alumni participate with the current team and the camaraderie in the dressing rooms; the banquet and how everything supported the event; the turnout for the U18 AAA games and the SJHL game was terrific; the Battle of the Blades was an awesome inclusion. And any time we can get churches in a community to work together on a community church service, it benefits the community as a whole.”
The Battle of the Blades was a part of Hockey Day in Saskatchewan for the first time in 2025, and McClintock said he would like to see this become a yearly event.
“Very much a success to include another user group of the facility, and who will benefit from a new community arena just like hockey. It was great to see the senior hockey players take on the challenge to participate but also raise the money they did for their community.”
Stacy Vangen said the success of Hockey Day in Saskatchewan 2025 was largely due to the hard work of the volunteers.
“An event of this magnitude requires people to help out in so many different ways. We are so thankful for people sharing the excitement for this event and helping out in whatever way they could. Thank you to the sponsors, donors and attendees for your generosity and time. Dustin Wilson spent his entire week photographing and editing photos of the week to help us remember all that we did and accomplished. Thank you to everyone who joined our host committee, took the time to attend meetings, to work together, and to give of yourselves and your time in making this event possible. Congratulations to everyone on a job well done and a successful event. We could not have done this without each and every one of you.”
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