ESTEVAN - A new spring youth hockey team has been formed in Estevan, giving local players a chance to further their skills.
Coach Dustin Tangjerd said the Sask. Junior Bears U11 squad, comprised of 16 players from Estevan, Weyburn and Carlyle, all born in 2011, was formed because the 2022 Centennial Cup national junior A Hockey Championship, presented by Tim Hortons, is being played in Estevan, and so the ice is in later than normal.
Local sponsors are Preferred Energy and CFO Oilfield Rentals.
They played their first exhibition game on April 11, defeating the South East Army 12-3. Tangjerd was pleased with the effort. Players from the same community played together on a line or a defence pairing as much as possible.
“The kids were really excited and they played hard with a new team and a new uniform,” Tangjerd said.
The Army had players from Regina, Rouleau, Radville, Midale, Coronach and more.
“It was huge to be able to watch the players and understand their skill sets in an actual game. We’ve only seen them in practices prior. Just to understand how they click and they work and their attitudes and what their drives are – it was great to be able to do that,” said Tangjerd.
Tangjerd hopes they can have a couple more exhibition games.
Their first tournament was the Source for Sports AAA Challenge from April 14-17 in Brandon, Man. They went 1-3 at the tournament, opening with a 7-4 win over Brandon’s Western Canada Hockey Academy 2011, but then losing 9-2 to the Parkland Thunder, 8-4 to Winnipeg’s Professional Hockey Development program, and 9-7 to the Junior Oil Caps 2011.
They will play in the North American Hockey Classic April 21-24 in Winnipeg.
Estevan Bruins assistant coach Phil Fife has helped with development and running practices for the team when available. Fife and the Bruins community commitment have been huge for the team and building the sport of hockey in Estevan, Tangjerd said.
He noted that when ice isn’t available in Estevan in the spring, parents interested in having their children play spring hockey usually have to travel out of the region to practise, which can be costly and a great time commitment. The Bears have offered a lower-cost option in Estevan.
The interest and comment have been tremendous, he said, and they have been able to provide that extra development some players are looking for, while still balanced for those looking to play other spring sports.
Tangjerd said they are hoping the city can commit to leaving one sheet of ice for the month of April every year, in hopes to potentially grow this opportunity for other age groups interested in trying spring hockey.
