The Olds Sports Complex will be the venue for some high level hockey on Dec. 20 as the national junior team from Sweden faces off against its Danish counterpart in an exhibition game prior to the two teams' appearances at the World Junior Hockey Championships being held in Calgary and Edmonton from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6, 2012. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m.
As a result of the game, Team Sweden will be staying in Olds from Dec. 17 to 24. They will also be holding practices for all of those days in preparation for the tournament, although it hasn't been decided which practices will be open to the public or when the team would be practising.
“This is a partnership with the Town of Olds and the Grizzlys to make this happen. This is a pretty big international event that we get to host. This is a chance for local people to come out and see some future NHLers,” said Tammy Moritz, operations manager of the Olds Grizzlys.
“There will be opportunities for minor hockey people and other interested hockey fans to go and see (Team Sweden) practise some of the time,” said Jim Ross, president of the Grizzlys.
Moritz said Hockey Canada approached the Grizzlys in an effort to provide the international teams a venue to practise before the 2012 junior championships take place. She said the idea was to go into communities that already had established junior hockey clubs.
“We were just lucky enough with minor hockey support and figure skaters, that everybody has allowed us to get the ice for basically the times needed to provide this event,” she said.
Ross said to his knowledge, this will be the highest calibre international hockey that has taken place in Olds.
“This is a unique and high-level event for us,” he said.
Ross said Hockey Canada approached several smaller centres – particularly those with Alberta Junior Hockey League franchises – with good infrastructure, to host the teams that will be competing at the WJC prior to the tournament taking place.
Ross said if the game proves as successful as hoped, a profit could be shared between Hockey Canada and the Grizzlys.
Barbara Hill, the town's director of community services, said the town is donating the ice time for the game while Team Sweden's practices will be at the regular rate.
Hill said as a result of the practices and game the Olds Minor Hockey Association, which operates the concession at the Sportsplex, should see a benefit.
“We don't often get international hockey in our community so it's a great opportunity for us to see that. We had to juggle a couple of ice slots for them to make it happen, but (the Grizzlys) helped with that. They're very collaborative and very supportive of all the community events we do so we worked together to make sure we that we could make the ice available for that time,” Hill said.
Hill said if the game and Team Sweden's stay in the community is as successful as hoped, there could be good economic spinoffs as a result. It will also be an opportunity to inspire some youth as well.
“It might inspire kids towards excellence,” she said.
"We don't often get international hockey in our community so it's a great opportunity for us to see that."Barbara Hill, director of community services, Town of Olds
