Hockey, hockey, hockey!
It was all about the hockey Saturday at Horseshoe Resort as Rogers Hometown Hockey opened its gates to stickhandlers of all ages.
Games of hockey skills, exhibits, hot burgers and cool autographs attracted a crowd to the Oro-Medonte Township resort on a bright, sunny day that never got much warmer than eight degrees Celsius.
Five-year-old Tyler Rendell of Barrie posed for his mom, Jaime, with the oversized Hometown Hockey puck in the centre of Horseshoe Resort’s parking lot, which was converted into an outdoor festival.
“We just thought it would be fun for our little budding hockey player,” she said of Tyler and why they came. “Can’t believe we forgot our (Toronto Maple Leafs) jerseys.”
There was no lack of Leafs sweaters at the festival, which also runs Sunday at Horseshoe Resort from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
In fact, easily the longest lineup at midday Saturday was for Darryl Sittler’s autograph. The former Leafs captain and Oro-Medonte resident patiently autographed photos of himself for hockey fans of all ages, many of them wearing Toronto sweaters.
But there were plenty of hockey games for kids to play, too.
Noah Haaland, 14, and his 11-year-old brother Jacob of Oro-Medonte, tested their stickhandling and endurance skills with a lively game of ‘box hockey’. Players must push a puck through small slots on the walls of four shallow boxes to win.
“It’s pretty good,” Noah said of the game. “The boxes fall apart, though.”
Small wonder, given how rough the Haaland brothers were, although there was no body-checking in this game of hockey.
“We’re on opposite sides of the boxes,” Noah explained.
Tristan Damstedt, 12, tested his skills at the shooting accuracy game. Players race against the clock to snipe as many targets as possible before their time runs out. He hit two of five targets, but relished the chance just to shoot hockey pucks.
“I usually play defence,” said the Oro Thunder peewee blue-liner.
Most of the hockey skills games soon had lineups Saturday, but the second largest behind the Sittler line was for hot food.
A complimentary Harvey’s burger and beverage were available for the hungry, and Harvey’s was also accepting donations throughout the weekend for local minor hockey in the community.
The Hometown Hockey festival also featured live musical entertainment Saturday, with Laura Cavacece of Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday and Carl Dixon scheduled for Sunday.
Rogers Hometown Hockey shines a national spotlight on communities across Canada, with a weekend of free outdoor hockey festivities for all ages.
The free event continues on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Proof of full vaccination is required, face masks are mandatory and physical-distancing measures are in place. Full safety regulations are available by clicking here. To manage capacity, attendees need a digital ticket to enter. Details for digital ticketing are available here.
The celebrations culminate Monday night with an outdoor viewing party of an NHL game broadcast on Sportsnet and SN NOW, with Ron MacLean and Tara Slone hosting live on site from the Sportsnet mobile studio.
This week’s game features Los Angeles Kings visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, Nov. 8, with game time just after 7:30 p.m.
