Hundreds of young female hockey players are taking the ice in Windsor this weekend for the Windsor Wild Winter Classic Female Hockey Tournament. Players from 56 teams, stretching across Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana are competing in action at the WFCU Centre and Forest Glade Arenas. While the tournament has a longstanding history in the community, for players like Annika Vansintern-Dick and Adelaide Jones of the U-15 Wallaceburg Lakers, this marked their first opportunity to lace up their skates in this type of action. “It’s fun. It’s cool to play against like teams from different areas,” said Vansintern-Dick. The three-day tournament began Friday, with divisions from U-9 all the way to U-22. Skill levels include house league teams and those considered B level rep. “The teamwork and the whole team getting along,” Jones said when asked about her favourite part of the sport. Hosted by the Sun Parlour Female Hockey Association, President Steve St. Louis notes the tournament draws a lot of talent. “[Teams] make it a calendar event, and a lot of the U.S. teams don’t get an opportunity to come to play in Ontario as much as they’d like to. So, when they do get the opportunity they jump at it,” St. Louis said. This year, without a tournament convener, St. Louis says the board has worked to manage all the moving parts. He feels it “stacks up well” verses previous years. “We hosted our annual skills competition last night. Where each team sends a representative and they take part in the NHL style, skills competition, against their peers in the division. I’d say it is successful so far this year,” he said. Hockey action will continue into Sunday with the final games expected to wrap up by 4:30 p.m., St. Louis adds.
