By Peter Watts /

The world’s best-known Timbit hockey player is a little busy elsewhere these days. But if he could, I dare say Sidney Crosby would feel right at home at the Hamilton or Balfour Arenas in Regina March 14 to 15.

More than 200 youngsters, ages five and six, are pumped to play in the Initiation tournament. Fifteen teams are taking part in the event which is a fixture on the Regina minor hockey calendar.

“These are full, and very busy, days,” says program director Dale Tesarowski. “The youngsters have had a full season of skating drills and skills development.

“Now they get a chance to play three games and see if they can put all of what they’ve learned into practice. There’s been a lot of great work done all winter by a whole bunch of volunteer coaches.

“They’ve put in a lot of time teaching the youngsters. And they’ve done it in an environment and in a way where players can have fun, which is one of the most important aspects of the Initiation program.

“During the games, there’ll be no goaltenders. We’ll have a goalie stick and players will take turns in the net and playing defense or forward. We want all the players involved and we want them to have a good time.

“And I can’t say enough about the support of Tim Horton’s for this program in Regina. There’ll be treats and lots of coffee for the parents and the players. And the franchises in Regina tell me they’ll be on hand during the weekend to provide whatever assistance they can. All the youngsters get a Crosby piggy bank, which I’m sure they’ll treasure and hopefully fill with coins. Tim Horton’s paid for the sweaters which the players have had all season. And the company will pay for the ice the weekend of the 14th and 15th, which makes all of this possible. So we’re very grateful to the company for its support.”

Tesarowski has first-hand knowledge of the benefits of being involved in the Initiation program for youngsters. He’s had three boys go through minor hockey. The youngest, Jake, graduated from Timbits and went right into an advanced level of hockey as a seven-year-old in Winnipeg.

“I happened to be standing beside the coach one day when he was filling out a lineup card and he was surprised that Jake was playing with youngsters a year or two older than he was,” said Tesarowski. “But he was on the team on merit, thanks in part to the good coaching and what he learned in the Initiation program.”

If nothing else, there are few moments more enjoyable than seeing a whole bunch of youngsters on the ice playing Canada’s national game.

And the thing about it is, you just never know who might show up.

Make sure you’ve got your camera. And make sure you’re not running off in the middle of a game to get coffee. You’ll be standing in line wondering if you missed something.