NORTHEAST — The North East Aces female minor hockey program is truly going regional, ensuring local girls have a team to play on.
The Tisdale, Melfort and Nipawin minor hockey associations have signed an agreement to run the program together. They expect there will be Aces teams from the peewee level right up to the midget AA level next season.
In the past few years, especially at the higher levels, there was a lot of uncertainty if – and where – there would be teams girls could play on.
“Now they’re going to know,” said Lori Kidney, Tisdale minor hockey’s female division head. “They’re all going to be Aces, we’re all going to be able to fill the team because we’re all going to work together.”
Meanwhile, at the lower levels, there’s more girls entering the sport, so there was a need for a more formalized program to set them up for success.
The regionalization of the Aces came about because of changes within the Saskatchewan Hockey Association. The North Saskatchewan Female Hockey League and the South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League are merging into the Saskatchewan Female Hockey League.
“With those changes, it was time for the different associations to work together and make the Aces a more formalized female hockey program,” Kidney said.
The three minor hockey associations will administer the program through a joint committee. They’ll share funding and the cost of items like jerseys and ice time, as well as the workload that comes from administering the program.
The joint program will also provide more opportunities for APing.
Registration will begin August 1 on the Tisdale Minor Hockey website.
“We’re inviting any girls that is interested in playing female hockey right from peewee to midget AA,” Kidney said.
If necessary, the Aces will add more teams as demand merits.
The plan is to have games in the rinks of all three of the Northeast’s major centres, as well as some of the smaller communities that are contributing team members.
Kidney said there’s a lot of excitement for the program.
“There seems to be a lot of momentum and a lot of excitement in female hockey right now right across the province, so I think the timing on this is good.”
