COBDEN — Thirty girls participated in the Try Girls Hockey event held at the Astrolabe Arena in Cobden last Saturday.
Try Girls Hockey is a Hockey Canada initiative sponsored by Esso, to introduce girls to hockey in Canada, explained Chris Pleau, an Ottawa Valley Thunder Atom coach.
“We had approximately 30 girls sign up from all different age groups and skill levels,” he said. “Our youngest girls on the ice were five years old and the oldest was 13.”
The Ottawa Valley District Girls Hockey Association (OVDGA) and Ottawa Valley Thunder use the event to introduce area girls to local hockey leagues in the upper Ottawa Valley, Mr. Pleau said. The OVDGA operates non-competitive girls-only leagues in the peewee, bantam and midget age groups. The OVDGHA competitive teams are called the Ottawa Valley Thunder and have teams in the atom, peewee, bantam and midget age groups, he added.
This year’s Try Girls Hockey event was a two-hour ice time that consisted of break-out sessions in various locations on the ice, with participants completing Hockey Canada drills suitable to the caliber of the players involved, Mr. Pleau explained. There was no cost to the girls who participated.
There was a mix of girls on the ice, such as some who have never played hockey, or played on a mix team or played ringette, Mr. Pleau said. This was an opportunity to try hockey where it’s only girls on the ice, he said.
As the ice time progressed the drills became a little more complex in nature and the day ended with a small scrimmage with ‘lines’ made up of the girls matched in age and skill level, he added.
On ice volunteer instructors to help with the event were Mr. Pleau, Abby McEwen and Brianna Deslaurier, both former Thunder players; Madison Tomasini, a current midget thunder player; Jason Tomasini, current Midget Thunder head coach; and Richard Dufour, current Atom Thunder coach
“It was our third ‘Try Girls Hockey day’ and we fully expect to host another one in the near future,” Mr. Pleau said. “We feel it is a great way to introduce girls to the game.”
For anyone interested in girls hockey, visit the website www.girlshockey.ca, or email Mr. Pleau, [email protected].
