DIDSBURY-CARSTAIRS - Minor hockey kicked off on the Sept. 7-9 weekend in Didsbury with a three-on-three tournament.
There were six novice (seven- and eight-year-olds) and six atom (nine- and 10-year-olds) competing in the event. The teams were from Olds, Sundre, Cremona, Innisfail, Carstairs and host Didsbury.
Treasurer Andrea Sawatzky said the tournament went very well and acted as an icebreaker for the new season.
"It was really good," said Sawatzky. "Everyone had fun. It was a good start to the season. It was the kids' first skate before the regular season."
Sawatzky said they had a good turnout for registration this year with 20 atoms, 16 novices, 20 tyke (five- and six-year-olds) and 18 pre-hockey (four-year-olds).
In Carstairs, hockey association president Bill Sandilands said that they have around 125 players registered this year with 22 in tyke, 30 in novice, 40 in atom and 23 in pre-hockey/pond hockey.
"We're having condition camp this week," said Sandilands. "We start evaluations next week and the week after. This year we'll have two tyke teams, two novice teams and three atom teams. So we're down one team but the numbers are about the same."
Sandilands said evaluations will end on Sept. 27 and the players will be split into their appropriate teams.
"Games will start around Oct. 6 with league play starting the following weekend," he said. "Hockey commences from there. Generally, the novice and atoms will play six or seven tiering games which will put them in their appropriate tier."
After being put in tiers, teams are re-evaluated after a short time and could move up a tier or down a tier, he said.
"If the teams want to squeeze in tournaments they can," he said.
Carstairs will be hosting a novice tournament on the weekend of Dec. 14-16 , an atom tournament on Jan. 25-26 and a tyke tournament, with the date to be announced.
Carstairs and Didsbury teams both play in the Central Alberta Hockey League. Once players reach 11 years old, they either play in Olds or for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Association (RMAA).
