What’s coming up for minor hockey

Leader staff

Yes, it’s still summer, but down at the arena this week in Slave Lake, hockey things are already going on. Registration for the upcoming season closed on Aug. 15.
Starting on Monday, Aug. 18, the Slave Lake Minor Hockey Association (SLMHA) is holding a conditioning camp for players wanting to get a jump on the season. It’s actually called ‘Battle/Checking/Conditioning Camp,’ according to SLMHA President Chris Taylor. No cost for the goalies!
The camp runs to the 22nd, after which there’s a break of a few days before an ‘Increased Performance’ camp, with coach Daniel Wapple fires up. It’s over that weekend, and is for goalies. Wapple is (or maybe was) the goaltenders coach for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League.
No sooner does that end, SLMHA has four evenings of skates for all minor hockey players, “to ensure they are getting ready for the season,” Taylor says. The same thing Sept. 8 – 11.
Evaluations for all minor hockey players commences on Sept. 12, running through to the 14th. That’s what determines who plays on the ‘A’ team, the ‘B’ team and so on, depending on how many kids are signed up in each age division.
The hockey season generally starts on the first weekend of October, but there are no official dates yet, Taylor says.
“There will also be a referee clinic held but also no specific date yet,” he adds.

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