FORT MCMURRAY – The focus is on Fort McMurray, as Hockey Alberta hosts its annual Female Hockey Day celebrations at the Frank Lacroix Arena this weekend.
Female Hockey Day, presented by ATB, celebrates female hockey, and brings together players, coaches, officials, parents, and volunteers to participate in the continued development and growth of female hockey, January 26-27.
While Fort McMurray is the hosting site for this year’s event, 12 other communities in Alberta are hosting Female Hockey Day celebrations, thanks to grant money provided by the Hockey Alberta Foundation. Different events are planned in Castor and Coronation (3Cs), Fort Saskatchewan, Grovedale, Jasper, Lacombe (Lacoka), Slave Lake, Smoky River, Spruce Grove, Vermilion, and Whitecourt. Lakeland College and Lloydminster as well as Thorhild and Redwater are co-hosting events.
“Female Hockey Day is a great way to celebrate all aspects of the girls’ game across Alberta,” said Morgen Kidney, Hockey Alberta’s coordinator of female hockey. “It’s exciting to see how many associations will be joining in this weekend through their own events; we have over a dozen MHAs hosting in conjunction with our main event in Fort McMurray. We’re thrilled to be up here for 2024 and to focus and celebrate the growth they’ve had over the past few seasons.”
In Fort McMurray there are several events taking place over the weekend for registered teams and youth hockey players. Day 1 features sessions on Goal Scoring and Defensive Skills. The Goal Scoring session allows skaters to learn how to apply their offensive skills to the game, while the Defensive Skills program focuses on improving defensive skills, tactics, and fundamentals. A school program is also taking place at Good Shepherd Community School.
Day 2 allows youth females to play the sport for the first time with a Try Hockey event. This will be used to learn the basics and get a feel for the game. Try Hockey includes both an on-ice session and off-ice activity/ classroom session. In the afternoon, Goaltending Development is the focus for current female goaltenders, with a variety of fundamentals covered by some of Alberta’s best goaltending instructors.
Female Hockey Day was first celebrated in 2018, and has previously visited Red Deer, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, and Calgary before coming to Fort McMurray.
Celebrating Female Hockey Day in your own community? Share with us by tagging Hockey Alberta on social media and use the hashtag – #whyweplay.
For more information on Female Hockey Day, visit https://www.hockeyalberta.ca/players/minor-female-hockey/female-hockey-day/.