Players and coaches are all dusting off their hockey gear and set to strap on skates for the beginning of another hockey season, and to date more than 80 players have registered to play from the IP age through to midgets.
“The season will kick off with a three-on-three hockey tournament,” said Kent Seerey, Preeceville Minor Hockey Association president. “The tournament will be held October 11 to 14 with the four age categories all having the opportunity to play. Coaches will split the teams up at the beginning of each ice session. Novices will have the first opportunity to take to the ice, followed by the atoms, peewees and bantam/midgets.”
The ice went into the Preeceville Skating Arena during the week of October 3 and is scheduled to be ready for use on the week of October 10.
Power skating will begin the week of Oct 17 and run for two weeks. Derek Serdachny will be the instructor. Power skating is provided by Preeceville Minor Hockey for novice, atom, peewee, bantam, and midget-aged players registered with the association.
Regular practices will begin after the power skating sessions are completed. Teams and coaches registered for the season include: IP level, Dean Serdachny; novice, Kent Seerey; stom, Jason Anaka; peewee, Wes Jaeb, and bantam, Kipp Bayer. Coaching for the midgets will be shared among the coaches.
The Preeceville Minor Hockey executive for the season includes: Seerey, president; Dean Serdachny, vice-president; Mandy Huska and Lisa Serdachny, secretaries, and Melissa Purdy, treasurer.
Ryan Coleman is the officials commissioner.
Members at large are Kipp Bayer, Jason Anaka, Florian Balawyder, Andrea Tonn, Jocelyn Schultz and Nathan Maier.
The Preeceville Minor Hockey board will be selling squares that feature scores of each game played as well as other fundraisers.
“Something new this year is the cross ice hockey for the initiation players,” said Seerey. “The Saskatchewan Hockey Association has developed and approved new criteria for all players. Effective for the 2016-17 playing season, cross ice hockey will now be the standard for age appropriate players, including all games and scrimmages.
“With cross ice hockey more children will get the chance to play hockey, experience a feeling of success when playing hockey and, in return, hockey will be more appealing and rewarding to a wider range of children,” said Seerey.
Preeceville Minor Hockey will be focusing on a new code of conduct for coaches, players, parents, officials and spectators to ensure a safe and fun environmnet for all involved, he said.This will include families to take the Respect in Sport online clinic. Signs will be posted in the Preeceville Skating Arena. Various announcements with the positive respect messages will also be heard throughout the games.
