As playdowns begin to wrap up, thousands of amateur male and female hockey players ranging in age divisions from Atom to Senior begin to prepare for the 2009 Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials. Hosted in conjunction with Hockey Alberta and 33 Minor Hockey Associations, over 5000 athletes are expected to take part in the Provincials throughout the province during the months of March and early April.
The 2009 Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials kick off with the first tournament on March 5. The Senior A Womens teams will be battling for the Championship at Canadian Athletic Club Arena in Edmonton. The following weekend March 12-15 athletes from, Senior Female B, Junior Female, Bantam AA, A, B, C, D, Bantam Female A and B, Peewee Female A, Atom AA, A, B, C, D and Atom Female will compete for their respective provincial title. March 19-22 teams battle for the provincial title in Senior AA Female, Midget AA, A, B,C,D, Midget A and B Female, Peewee AA, A, B, C, D, and Peewee Female B. Senior AA and A battle on the weekend of March 27-29 and wrapping up Provincials on the weekend of April 2-4 is Junior B and C.
“This is the largest event our members take part in. The players set their sights on the provincial championships when they start their season in September. Reaching the championship in March is a dream come true for many,” said Terry Ledingham, president Hockey Alberta.
Investors Group is the title sponsor for the fifth year in a row. Investors Group is an excellent community partner with a longstanding commitment to youth and sport. This partnership assists Hockey Alberta in being able to make the 2009 Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials an unforgettable experience for not only the athletes, but the officials, parents, coaches, fans and host communities.
Once again, Hockey Alberta has joined forces with RAMP Interactive to provide each host site with a web site to post scores, tournament information and stats. There is an individual site for each championship linked through the Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials home page: www.provincialchampionships.com. Fans across the province will be able to keep tabs on their favourite team and their journey to the provincial title.
In addition to the Provincial title, teams competing in the Investor Group Hockey Alberta Provincials can also strive for another prestigious award, the Source for Sports Play SMART Team Award. The team selected as the Play SMART Team for the tournament/event will be the team that best reflects the philosophy of Play SMART. Play SMART (Shaping Minds, Attitudes and Respect Together), is a program that encourages all participants to take responsibility and ownership in making the game of hockey an enjoyable experience for everyone. The host committee along with input from volunteers, officials and Hockey Alberta Representatives will make the decision of which team has best exemplified
these criteria.
Ledingham encourages all participating to pursue the Provincial title while maintaining the Play SMART theme - respecting opponents, officials, fans, coaches and event hosts.
“The idea of Play SMART reflects the true essence of the game and I want to wish everyone good luck this weekend and remind them above all else to have fun,” said Ledingham.
Hockey Alberta is also pleased to have Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta, Elite Sportswear and Awards, Newcap Radio as official sponsors and suppliers to
the championships.
Please find a complete list of locations listed by category/division on the left of the page. For live results, or more information about the 2009 Investors Group Hockey Alberta Provincials, visit provincialchampionships.com. |