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Minor Hockey: Coast players to represent Canada in Beijing

The Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association hosted several teams from Qiqihar, China in February this year.
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The Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association hosted several teams from Qiqihar, China in February this year. Players participated in a hockey tournament at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre that was built around providing a truly Canadian cultural experience.

The tournament was such a great success that the organizers from the group who helped bring the Chinese players to Canada have now arranged for 17 hockey players to travel from the Sunshine Coast to Beijing, China. The players will depart on Dec. 13 and arrive back in Canada on Dec. 19. A travelling team of 11- to 12-year-old hockey players has been selected to represent Canada in this once in a lifetime opportunity on the international stage.

Vernon Hu, vice president of corporate development at the Group 2022, is spearheading the process in coordination with the Board of Directors at the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association. Hu says that leading up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government has been encouraging participation in many winter sports including hockey as they build awareness around the upcoming winter games.

The Sunshine Coast players, their families and team managers Lisa Stiver and Stu Frizzell are now in the process of applying for travel visas, checking to make sure passports are all up-to-date and setting travel arrangements.

The team will be on a very tight schedule during their six-day trip to Beijing. All games will be held on an outdoor rink, which is being constructed right downtown between two large Olympic venues. The four coaches selected to travel with the team are Aaron Hamilton, Declan McKevitt, Mark Toynbee and Jim Dorey. They will be responsibile for teaching the players any slight nuances of the Chinese game, which is played under the International Ice Hockey Federation rules.

This whole process is happening very fast, but everything is falling into place for the players and families involved. The team will be hosting several fundraising events over the next month to help cover some costs for the team. Here is a list of upcoming activities to attend:

• Saturday, Nov. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - BBQ at IGA Marketplace, Gibsons.

• Thursday, Dec. 6, 6 to 9:30 p.m. - Beer and Burger Night at the 101 Brewhouse, Gibsons.

• Sunday, Dec. 9, 4 to 7 p.m. - Send Off Night at Gibsons Arena.

The team will also be splitting 20 cords of wood as a team building event, that they will be selling by the cord to raise money for the trip. The wood will be available for sale shortly. And team organizers have built a comprehensive sponsorship package and have just received their first platinum level sponsorship donation from MacDev Financial in Gibsons. If you have questions about sponsorship opportunities for your business or would like to donate personally, please contact the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association at admin@scminorhockey.com

– Submitted by Jim Dorey