‘Part of our heritage’: Kids in Edmonton’s Quikcard tournament get a pond hockey classic 

Minor Hockey Week started in Edmonton over the weekend with the youngest players outside on the pond. CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg reports.

The opening days of Edmonton’s largest annual hockey tournament took place where young hockey players may not have been expecting on Saturday – a good old-fashioned mini-rink on a pond.

Teams from age levels Under-9 faced off on 20 different makeshift rinks at the Cattail Crossing Golf Club, which repurposed its off-season ranges for the Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week.

“That experience as a kid, being outdoors and playing hockey on the pond, just chatting with the parents, that’s what they love the most about the opportunity for the kids,” said Jason Wiwad, the golf club’s director.

The pond hockey classic was only introduced to the tournament – which itself is in its 62nd year – last year. Wiwad said the goal is to give younger players a unique chance to experience “innocent” hockey that allows them to make friends and enjoy themselves.

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Emma Kot, the assistant coach for the U9 Edmonton Storm girl’s hockey team, said the pond hockey layout was perfect for socializing.

“They love the game, but they also love just mixing it up with each other,” she said. “That’s what I like about this, is that when they’re on the ice, they’re playing. When they’re off the ice, they’re messing around in snow piles, or throwing snowballs at each other.

“It’s definitely part of our culture, right? Part of our heritage.”

The Quikcard tournament, which began Friday and runs until Jan. 18, has been described as a rite of passage for hockey players across the city. It’s a record-breaking event of its kind and is expected to draw about 13,000 players on 698 teams from age levels Under-9 to Under-18.

Hockey Edmonton’s Kylee Quinn said the Saturday games are a great way to give the youngest players in the tournament a taste of what Qwikcard can be in the coming years.

“I don’t think you could find a more picturesque atmosphere,” she said. “It’s almost a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players to see something like this.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg and Craig Ellingson