The World Hockey Tour, a kickoff event to the 2012 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, will make a stop in Innisfail on Dec. 13.
The tour, which is being presented by Hockey Alberta, Hockey Canada, RBC Play Hockey and the World Junior Organizing Committee, will include on-ice skill contests and World Junior exhibition games in 14 Alberta communities. It officially got underway Saturday and Sunday in Stettler and concludes on Dec. 23 in Three Hills. Additional tour stops are scheduled for Fahler, Cold Lake, Thorhild, Edmonton, Calgary, Okotoks, Olds, Red Deer, Camrose, Brooks and Lethbridge.
Nine locations will also host pre-competition games.
“Our focus is to engage Albertans from all corners of the province to create an exciting atmosphere for the World Hockey Championship that extends beyond Edmonton and Calgary,” Rob Litwinski, Hockey Alberta’s general manager, said in a release. “This event will positively impact hockey all around the province and we want as many people as possible to have the chance to say, ‘I was there,’ even if they can’t make a tournament game.”
The tour stops will include on- and off-ice activities – including 4-on-4 Novice and Atom hockey tournaments, coaching clinics, giveaways and prizes for fans, and a replica IIHF locker room.
RBC will also award $70,000 in RBC Play Hockey Grants to Alberta communities to support hockey development, player recruitment and coaching education.
The 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships is scheduled from Dec. 26, 2011 to Jan. 5, 2012 in Calgary and Edmonton.
