Although physically, hockey isn’t a sport for all ages, those who love it still find ways to play the sport in a capacity that is sustainable to their lifestyle and physical condition.
A number of hockey leagues are offered in the Nicola Valley, each categorized by gender, age, and intensity level. For the recreational players who are looking to socialize and have some fun playing the game they love, without all the aches and pains that traditionally comes with the sport, registration for the Merritt Mixer Adult Rec Hockey tournament is still open.
Taking place at the last weekend of February, the two-day event is a draft tournament, designed to have rec players meet fellow enthusiasts and play in a fun filled weekend.
The mixer was put together as a replacement event for the law enforcement charity hockey event that happened annually before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns took place.
“Basically, this just came from trying to use up some free ice time at the arena,” organizer Brodie Ferris explained. “We just decided to put together this draft tournament and invite all the adult recreational hockey players in town.”
Ferris is an RCMP officer in Merritt. On his free time, he plays recreational hockey at the Masters League, a 40 and over category where intensity and aggressiveness of the game are significantly dialed down.
“Some of the leagues do get intense and competitive, while others don’t,” he said. “This is part of the reason why there’s a separation between age groups. There are a number of players who don’t want to play an aggressive or competitive style of hockey. They are more worried about making it to work on Monday than winning a game.”
With the number of leagues offered in the valley, the mixer aims to have players connect and play with others that they wouldn’t necessarily have an opportunity to.
“There’s quite a bit of adult rec hockey players, both male and female, in the community,” said Ferris.
“They are generally quite eager to get together and play social hockey, that’s why we’ve got quite a few leagues. However, we don’t have anything that brings them together. The idea behind the event was also to bring together all these groups that play separately.”
Unfortunately, different hockey events happening on the same date have decreased the amount of commitment for the tournament, changing initial plans and dates.
“We’ve tried really hard to get enough players committed, but, unfortunately, there’s another tournament happening in town at the same time,” Ferris explained.
“Because the arenas here (NVMA & Shulus) are both busy, Merritt Minor Hockey will have all of their teams playing out of town, pulling even more potential players away for the weekend.”
The initial plan for a three day tournament with six teams have changed. The event will now only take place on Feb. 25-26 with the draft being moved up a day from its original schedule. The draft is now expected to only create four or five teams.
“We just put this out there to get everybody to come out, throw their name in, and mix it up with other players, and have fun.”
With the draft night now happening at the Empty Keg on Thursday, February 16, players are asked to sign up while registration is still open. For more information, please email [email protected] or call (250) 315-5667.
