麻豆视频

This week鈥檚 edition of 麻豆视频east Lifestyles features a first for this publication: a salute to the Estevan Minor Hockey Association.

Inside this paper, you鈥檒l find photos of the different minor hockey teams in our city, along with ads from those who are saluting youth hockey in the community.

Of course, we鈥檙e very proud of the minor hockey teams in our city, and in the surrounding rural areas. It鈥檚 a sport that breeds dedication, as the players, parents and coaches (many of whom are parents) spend many hours practising and playing games, and travelling up and down Saskatchewan highways, sometimes in adverse conditions, so that they can attend those practices and play those games.

We have a proud tradition of success in minor hockey in our communities. Walk into any arena in the southeast corner of the province, and you鈥檒l be greeted with banners celebrating league and provincial championships.

And most communities in the southeast have produced a player who has not only gone on to play junior or collegiate hockey, but also professional hockey, or has made it to the NHL.

These players remain incredibly proud of their southeast roots, and are always willing to support their hometown arenas.

We should be thrilled whenever a team wins a league or a provincial title, or when a local product plays that first-ever NHL game. But wins, losses and professional careers aren鈥檛 what minor hockey is about.

Minor hockey is about boys and girls developing a love for the greatest game on the planet. It鈥檚 about gaining such traits such as teamwork and a work ethic, making friends that last a lifetime, getting exercise and having fun.

It鈥檚 about these young people learning that when they travel to road games and tournaments, they are representing their community.

It鈥檚 about getting up early in the morning on a Saturday to catch a bus to Moose Jaw or Regina for a game at noon.

It鈥檚 about walking down a flight of stairs in full gear to get from the dressing room to the arena, and skating in an arena where it is almost as cold as it is outdoors.

It鈥檚 about having great memories and stories to share from spending six months together, and then spending the summer waiting for the start of the next hockey season, so that more memories can be made.

Winning is fun, but the ultimate evaluation for whether a season is successful for a minor hockey team shouldn鈥檛 be how many games they won. It should be whether they had fun, whether they grew as a team, and whether they developed their abilities as a player.

Our minor hockey teams are great representatives of our community. And we鈥檙e proud of what they do each year, regardless of the final score or the number of games they win.聽