By Deneka Michaud
No hockey allowed! A strict rule on the Rideau Canal.
This Winterlude, however, the National Capital Commission is bending the rules a little bit.
“We’ll have 110 rinks created on the canal, going along the whole length,” says Nicole Beauchamp, an NCC spokesperson.
The puck first dropped onto the canal surface during the second weekend of Winterlude with an alumni game between old Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens.
But it’s the third and final weekend when the sticks will hit the ice by the hundreds.
More than 1,000 youngsters aged seven to 12 will be playing in 110 shinny hockey games simultaneously. Shinny hockey is a more relaxed style of hockey.
There are no goalies, no referees and boots are used to mark the goal posts.
The canal will be closed to the public on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. as the kids prepare and play intra-squad games.
The games will be five-on-five. They start at 8 a.m. and will run for 45 minutes.
“What we are trying to do here is to get back to the grassroots of hockey,” says Jeff Kyle, vice-president of marketing for the Ottawa Senators.
The event is being sponsored by the Senators, the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association, and Hockey Outaouais.
The tournament will take place not only as part of Winterlude, but also as part of Hockey Day in Canada.
On this day, CBC airs three hockey games, all between Canadian teams. The CBC also showcases hockey in the community across Canada.
This year, it will be doing a segment on the Rideau Canal hockey tournament, says Kyle.
“We thought, ‘What a great way to highlight hockey day and this treasure (canal) that we have in our community,’” he says.
He also says that the publicity the shinny tournament will receive will be a good tourist draw for Ottawa.
The event is unique and it will also be record breaking, says Beauchamp. Never before has there been so many games played on the same ice surface at the same time, says Kyle.
Having so many games at once will really be a sight, says Hubert Seguin, president of the minor hockey association.
“It’s going to be fun because it doesn’t matter where you are on the canal; you can see far. You may be able to see 30 games at one time and see all the kids having fun on the ice,” he says.
The fun of the event is one reason why it is perfect for Winterlude, says Beauchamp.
It also fits with Ottawa’s winter festival because it’s outdoors, it’s physical, it’s Canada’s national sport and it’s a winter tradition that helps celebrate the season, she says. It may also attract people that may not have been otherwise interested, she adds.
“We hope that they’ll (the kids) take away from it pride in the community,” says Kyle.