It felt like the old days when the wolves howled in the building and the bleachers were packed with maroon and yellow jerseys. No, it wasn’t a step back in time to the good old days of the Timberwolves, but none the less, it was good old fashioned high calibre hockey.
On the weekend of September 5 through 7, Crowsnest Pass Minor Hockey hosted Kootenay Ice, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Calgary Hitmen at their ‘barn’ in Coleman.
Rick Yanco, Director of Communications for Crowsnest Pass Minor Hockey stated, “Over 2000 tickets were sold throughout the weekend and the crowds were packed with both old timers and babies all celebrating the great Canadian game”.
This event is a major fundraiser for minor hockey. “It took hundred of hours of volunteer work to pull off this event,” said Yanco. “We not only had hockey parent volunteers and executive members, but also several members of our community volunteered for this worthwhile event.”
The organization ran two food concession areas, a liquor concession, 50/50 draws for all the games, a raffle table, a silent auction table and a wine and cheese evening for sponsors.
As a way of generating revenue the club canvassed businesses, both locally and throughout Canada for donations, monetary and in the form of items for the auction table. “The businesses supported both within and outside the community was amazing. “Because of their generosity the weekend was a huge success,” stated Yanco.
Some of the big ticket items included a jersey and hockey stick signed by six Sutter brothers along with two Calgary Flames verses Vancouver Canucks game. The Calgary Hitmen donated the use of a ‘super suite’ for thirty-four people at a game. There was a signed jersey donated by Chris Versteeg, a former Lethbridge Hurricane player and runner up for Rookie of the Year.