St. Albert minor hockey is laying the groundwork to get kids back on the ice.
The association announced June 15 that registration for the upcoming 2021-22 season has officially opened. Parents can sign up their children before the season gets underway in October.
St. Albert Minor Hockey Association (SAMHA) president Shauna Hudec said it's an exciting first step to get things back to normal.
“We’re very excited to open registration, as it has been a long year-and-a-half waiting for a regular hockey season,” said Hudec. “With registration opening we’ll hopefully move toward a normal hockey season.”
The registration period is open for every age from U7 to U21. The deadline for registration is Sept. 15.
Jane Sedo, the executive director of SAMHA, says the path to a regular season has been much clearer in recent months.
“We were hopeful that with the restrictions changing and the increase in vaccinations that there would be an opportunity to have regular hockey this season,” said Sedo.
The next step for SAMHA is their annual general meeting, which takes place on July 18. The association will have plenty of topics to discuss as they prepare for the new season.
“We will provide updates to the activities of the association this year and a financial update,” said Sedo. “We also will be seeking new members for our board.”
October might seem like a long time for anxious hockey players to wait to play, but fear not, as both Hudec and Sedo say minor hockey is planning to host summer events, such as hockey camps.
“We will be doing some hockey camps and those will be released closer to July and August,” said Hudec. “We normally have a ‘dust the rust off’ skate and that will allow some players to get on the ice as long as Alberta Health Services allows us.”
Parents wondering how to get their kids registered can visit the SAMHA website and fill out the provided form.
No matter how you slice it, a year with hockey is a lot better than a year without it.
“It will be good for the kids to get back on the ice and get back on with friends to play some sports they love,” said Hudec.
