Hockey parents, coaches and players discussed Calgary's shortage of ice rinks Wednesday night at the Max Bell Arena, where suggestions included expanding outdoor rinks and creating two or three hockey "seasons."
Calgary has 48 sheets of ice available for public use, most owned by the city or community groups. A report commissioned by the city concluded Calgary will need at least 10 more sheets by 2010.
Bob Nicholson, president of Hockey Canada, suggested having two or three distinct hockey seasons and making more outdoor rinks.
(CBC)
Right winger Cameron Anklewich, 10, took the first shot Wednesday night, directing it at the widely held belief that there should be equal ice time for players of all levels.
Anklewich is an elite player and said higher skilled players like him deserve more ice time.
"Perhaps we should look at giving different divisions different amounts of ice."
Bryan Van Vlit, a hockey dad with a son and daughter playing for Bow Valley in the southeast, doesn't agree with the idea of more ice for the higher levels.
"If you start when you are 10 or 11 years old, you're going to be down in the lower levels to begin with and then if you're penalized by getting only one game and one practice on top of it, you have no opportunity to move up. So you're basically relegated to the lower level for good."
Bob Nicholson, president of Hockey Canada, suggested having two or three distinct hockey seasons, a move that would utilize the indoor rinks year round. He also suggested making more outdoor rinks.
"I think we should be flooding the soccer fields," he said.
Van Vlit said he still has to warm up to the idea of more outdoor rinks.
"They're not going until late November or early December, but the hockey season kicks off in early September, so you're going to go two or three months without any outdoor ice."
Hockey Calgary, the city's minor hockey organization, says there were about 13,000 players enrolled in minor hockey last season, making up about 750 teams.
To ensure players got ice time, team rosters were increased and the length of some games was shaved by 15 minutes. Because some of the prime ice time is booked by adult recreational leagues, who don't want to give it up, many minor hockey players left school early to practise in the afternoon, said the organization.
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