Riders to wear Indigenous-designed logo during Saturday's game
13h ago
The logo was designed by Chris Chipak, a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation.
There was an assortment of practice jerseys and skill levels out on the Rosemont outdoor rink as 30 kids took to the ice for a quick practice.
It was part of the Ehrlo Outdoor Hockey League, which is now in its 27th season.
The program runs an equipment drive where it takes in equipment donations before the season starts. Once the league begins, it gives the equipment to its players free of charge so that they can take part in the fun.
One of those players is 11-year-old Keigyn Hotomani-Nepinak, who is playing in the league for a third year.
“It has been good for a couple of years,” Hotomani-Nepinak said. “I was a little slower in my first year but now I’m getting faster and faster every year.”
Hotomani-Nepinak said he was a bit scared the first time he put the skates on.
“I’m not afraid anymore,” Hotomani-Nepinak said. “It’s really good to be out here with some of my friends from my school, Rosemont. Some of them are out here.”
His dad, Dwayne Nepinak, remembers playing hockey on the outdoor rinks when he was growing up in Dauphin, Man., and he’s happy his son can also get that experience.
“I couldn’t wait to get my kid into hockey and stuff like that because it’s pretty fun,” Nepinak said. “(Keigyn) looks forward to it every week, just coming out and getting exercise and just being outdoors – he’s an outdoor kid.”
Meanwhile, other families are getting involved in hockey for the first time.
Nathan Clearihue and Crystal Keir have two kids, five-year-old Corbin and 11-year-old Myah.
“We didn’t want to put a ton of money into (hockey) just to find out they’d lose interest right away,” Clearihue said. “At least this way they get to try it out and see if they like it and if they don’t, so be it. Everything so far seems to be great.”
Keir said the program is a wonderful thing to have in the community.
“There’s families that maybe couldn’t afford general sports at all and they get a chance to participate in something like this,” Keir said.
(Britton Gray/980 CJME)
The players even got a special treat during a practice Jan. 21 as Regina Pats forwards Carson Denomie and Jan Cikhart, defenceman Nikita Sedov and goaltender Donovan Buskey took part in the practice.
“It’s really good. They’re my (favourite hockey team). My favourite hockey player is (former Pats star) Sam Steel,” Hotomani-Nepinak said.
Gloria Patrick is the program director. She said the Ehrlo Outdoor Hockey League first began inside a classroom at Ranch Ehrlo when a teacher, Russ Matthews, and his students decided to do an equipment drive to give back to kids that needed it.
“They had overwhelming success and the next year it just grew and grew,” Patrick said.
The program has continued to grow since then and now has around 300 kids on eight different teams this year.
The outdoor hockey league is for kids of all skill levels and also has a learn-to-play program for kids. The teams practise outdoors throughout the week before playing games Fridays at the Co-operators Centre. The year wraps up in March with a tournament in Pilot Butte.
Even the weather doesn’t put a damper on the kids’ mood.
“It was -26 C the one night we were out here,” Patrick said of a recent cold snap. “We did have lots of community come out to join and to play.
“With the Outdoor Hockey League, people know it might be a little chilly on some nights so you come dressed in layers, you take some breaks in the shack and grab a coffee or hot chocolate.”
Hotomani-Nepinak also says other kids should get out and try playing in the league.
“They should try to get out and play sports instead of playing video games and stuff,” Hotomani-Nepinak said. “They have to get out here and get some exercise and stuff. That’s what it’s all about for me and (it’s) fun.”