The first puck drops this Sunday, March 19 at the Sportsplex as Terrace Minor Hockey plays host to teams from around the province competing in the 2023 B.C. U-18 Tier 3 Hockey Championships.
Terrace’s own team, the Kermodes, are the defending champions and will be welcoming nine other teams to the tournament, which lasts until March 23.
It’s familiar territory to the Kermodes, having won the U-18 title in 2019 as well as last year in Port Hardy. COVID cancelled the 2020 and 2021 tournaments.
“We found out in the fall that we had been chosen to be the host city for the B.C. Hockey Championships,” said Frances Tooms, host chair.
“The minute I found out, I felt very excited because it’s such a special thing to host…We are actually one of the largest B.C. hockey championships to take place in the province.”
In many ways, the hosting demonstrates the depth and commitment of Terrace Minor Hockey and the community, he added.
“We knew that to host this tournament, we had to raise quite a lot of money. And we looked around the table, and everyone just said, ‘this city is amazing, and we are going to be able to do this.’ And we were not wrong.
“There’s been such an outpouring of amazing support from out community, from the City of Terrace, to all the volunteers that are stepping up, to the businesses that are just being so gracious with their donations.”
Tooms added that the volunteer group being assembled includes relatives of players, previous hockey parents and others from the general community.
“It’s really exciting to feel that support behind our youth, and that they’re just as excited as we are. We hope we get to put on a really great show for everyone.”
Volunteer positions include working at the hospitality table, acting as security, working at the raffle table and working in the penalty box. The tournament dates match spring break around the province.