That autumn chill in the air can only mean one thing: it's time to dig the skates out of the closet.
For those kids who want to glide and stride down the ice but aren't ready to play in a league, Humboldt has them covered.
Rec hockey is back.
"It's for kids who only want to play once or twice a week," said Mike Ulriksen, events manager for the City of Humboldt.
A co-ed league requiring full equipment, it's divided into two age divisions: the younger group is for five to nine-year-olds and the senior group is for 10 to 13-year-olds.
There's also shinny time for those aged 14-17; full equipment isn't required but a helmet is always mandatory.
Only in its second year of existence, Humboldt's rec hockey league is definitely back by popular demand.
"We've already gotten a ton of registrations," Ulriksen said.
And long-gone are the days of hockey leagues being male-dominated.
"Last year, about 20 per cent of our league was girls and this year, we expect it to be from 30 to 40 per cent, so that's pretty cool," he added.
So whether your child is a girl or a boy, a strong skater or a newcomer to the ice, and is looking to have fun, then the rec hockey league is right up their alley.
Each ice time will start off with some skating and fun practice drills before heading into a friendly scrimmage.
The master schedule, which kicks off Oct. 13, currently has both groups playing on Sunday evenings, unless otherwise stated.
That includes this Thanksgiving Sunday. What better, Canadian way to celebrate being thankful than turkey and hitting the ice?
Registrations can be made at the administration desk of the Humboldt Uniplex, or by going to one of the sessions and registering with Mike Ulriksen in person.
Because the league is so popular, Ulriksen said they're looking for additional volunteers to help out on the ice and work with the kids.
For more information on the league and prices, contact Ulriksen at 306-682-2597.
Now what if your child wants to participate in rec hockey but would like to learn to skate first?
That's where Skate Humboldt comes in.
Governed by Skate Canada and Skate Canada Saskatchewan, this popular, local organization has everything from CanSkate, a learn-to-skate program, STARSkate, a figure skating program and even a power skating program for the more experienced skater who'd like to sharpen their skills.
With many programs to offer, it's hard to believe that Skate Humboldt used to have the threat of extinction looming over their heads.
"We were in danger of going under a few years back," said Larry Durand, president of Skate Humboldt. "But some new board members breathed life into the organization and now the turnout is phenomenal."
"We went from about 12 skaters starting out to about 80 now," he added. "It's hugely popular."
One of the programs that seems to have drawn registrations is power skating. A relatively new program, it's geared more towards hockey and ringette skaters who want to continually improve their fast skating.
"The difference in skaters from the time they start the sessions until they're done is night and day," Durand said. "The improvement is incredible."
All coaches are trained and certified by the National Coaching Certification Program; there are two coaches for each of the three programs and Durand acknowledges Humboldt is very fortunate to have two certified instructors for their STARSkate program.
"Figure skating coaches are very hard to come by," he said, "so we're really grateful that they commute to and from Saskatoon to conduct the lessons."
Skate Humboldt's season begins Oct. 18 and continues into the spring.
Durand said they'll be accepting registrations up to and even after the 18th.
"We don't turn people away," he said.
The three programs will run on Monday and Friday afternoons and Wednesday mornings before school.
For more information or to register for any of the programs, contact Larry Durand at 306-231-6339 or Denise Seidle at 306-231-6078.
"We're going to have a really great year," Durand said. "Skate Humboldt is a very active organization. We're the envy of a lot of other clubs in the province."
