By Peter Watts /

What began a decade ago as an innovative idea to get more young people playing hockey, seems to have hit a bit of a wall in Regina.

The concept was to create a non-contact, competitive program with the emphasis on sportsmanship, fair play, and equal ice time for all players.

Regina was, perhaps, the first community in western Canada to try out the idea. Saskatoon and Calgary have picked it up and grown with it. But there aren’t as many teams now in Regina as there were five years ago.

“Ron Luba and I were involved in the first years of the program,” said sports therapist Mike Souliere. “We started in 1998 with two teams and built it up over the years to 11 teams. Players ranged from ages 13 to 21 and since there was no hitting, we didn’t have a problem with the range of ages.”

But apparently, the board of directors of Hockey Regina did.

“Our board decided a couple of years ago that the age range was too broad,” said executive director Blair Watson. “So, it’s been narrowed to ages 14 to 18 and we presently have three teams playing at the Midget level.”

Costs are a little more moderate, since the teams play about 20 games amongst themselves. The program would seem to be ideal for those players who have other interests and commitments such as school sports, academics, and part-time jobs. The fact that it is a ‘no body-contact’ game doesn’t lessen the competitiveness, nor the fitness level required for good play.

And anything that gets more young people involved in sport and recreation is something to be encouraged.

IT’S A CHALLENGE

Meanwhile, Hockey Regina is gearing up for its Female Hockey Challenge, which will be staged the first week in December.

“We’ve grown it to a 54-team tournament spread across all levels from novice to midget,” Watson said. “It’ll bring together players from across the Prairies and will allow teams to play clubs from outside their usual areas.

“This will be the 16th edition of the tournament and it’s become one of the largest female hockey tournaments in western Canada.”

Growth of the women’s game in Regina has followed the national trend upward over the past few years, although Watson said registration this fall has leveled off a bit.

Perhaps it will take another spurt once the new six-rink complex currently under construction at Exhibition Park is opened in 2010.

‘GREAT’ PROGRAM

Wayne Gretzky retired as a player in 1999 but his foundation and his name continues to give back to the game that made him a legend.

This year, a special promotion with Samsung Canada and Best Buy Canada raised funds across the country to help 99 minor hockey associations across the country with a bursary program.

“Minor hockey clubs across the country often struggle with covering the costs associated with running their programs,” Gretzky said in a statement. “I hope this program will help give more youngsters a chance to be involved in the game.”

Hockey Regina was not involved in the inaugural season.

“But we’ll certainly be looking at it for the future,” Watson said.

SLOW START

The men’s hockey team at the University of Regina is off to a slow start, although it did play well in a couple of 2-1 losses to the Golden Bears in Edmonton as November began.

UBC comes in for a doubleheader Nov. 14-15, followed, a week later, by arch rival Saskatchewan, which is flying along near the top of Canada West and IS looking to build on its lead at the expense of its provincial rival.