With 75 youngsters registered as of last week, Kamsack Minor Hockey Association already has about the same number of players as it had participating in the 2019-20 season.
Last season ended abruptly in mid-March because of COVID, Jared Ruf, president of the association, said last week.
Minor hockey is still taking registrations online at the Kamsack Minor Hockey website at https://sites.google.com/site/kamsackflyersor through Facebook. There is no in-person registration.
“It’s going really good, though,” Ruf said.
“We’re currently developing policies regarding COVID-19,” he said, adding that it has been agreed to have practices at Broda Sportsplex in Kamsack on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with time for cleaning sessions between each group’s time on the ice.
This year the teams have been re-named to: Under 7 (U7) which was formerly known as the IP (Initiation Program) team; U9, formerly novice; U11, formerly atoms, and U13, formerly peewees.
There were only four or five bantam-age players interested, which is too few for a team, he said.
Depending on the numbers of players registered in each group, one or more teams may be formed.
“It’s still too early to announce the names of the coaches and managers of each of the teams,” he said.
It is expected the Sportsplex will be open for the winter season by mid-October, and practices will begin shortly after that, he said, explaining that regarding games, it will be up to Saskatchewan Hockey Association to determine when and if games will be played.
“Maybe by December we’ll be playing games, but it all depends on the SHA,” Ruf said.
The executive committee has decided on holding a fundraising raffle beginning in October with prizes to be won before the end of the year, he said. It is a “support local businesses” raffle in which winners will select their prizes to the amount of their wins from Kamsack and area businesses.
Working on the minor hockey executive committee with Ruf are: Bryce Erhardt, vice-president; Andrea Marsh, registrar; Shaneen Summers, registrar-in-training; Julie Gareau, treasurer; Laura Reilkoff, secretary; Cara Shabatoski, web master; Zach Nahnybida, equipment manager; Chris Leis, fundraising co-ordinator; Kent Hembling, referee-in-chief, and Bart Hunter, Jenna Nahnybida and Logan Hilderman, members-at-large.
