The eighth annual Chilliwack Spring Kick Off hockey tournament runs April 4-7 at three local rinks.
Forty three teams are in the field, with 730 players hitting the ice, making this one of the largest spring tournaments in B.C.
“We limit our tournament to single-A and double-AA teams. We’re one of few tournaments catered towards those levels and not the gigantic, expensive triple-A programs,” said Clarke Wismer, director of the Chilliwack Jr. Chiefs program. “Because of that we get tons of interest.
“We’ve got three teams coming from Williams Lake, a couple from the Kelowna area and one from the Kootenays,” Wismer said. “We’ve got the North Central Pitbulls coming from Northern B.C.”
Chilliwack has seven teams in the tournament, covering the 2006 to 2011 age groups.
Every team gets a minimum of four games, five if they qualify for a division final.
“My company, netdrivehockey.ca, puts the tournament on and we pay half of the entry fee for those teams,” Wismer said. “So it’s a nice affordable option for our local kids.”
Games will be played at Twin Rinks and Prospera Centre in Chilliwack and the Summit Centre in Abbotsford.
Action isn’t just happening on the ice.
West Coast Amusements is setting up in the Prospera Centre parking lot during the tournament, adding extra juice to the event.
For more info, visit netdrivehockey.ca/spring-kick-off-tournament.htm