By Hockey Saskatchewan

ST. WALBURG, Sask. - The Saskatchewan Hockey Association, in cooperation with SaskEnergy, announced today the date and host community for the seventh annual SaskEnergy Hockey Weekend.

The event takes place the third Saturday in January annually.  The 7^th Annual SaskEnergy Weekend is scheduled for January 17^th – 19^th, 2014, and the host community will be St. Walburg.

The main theme of SaskEnergy Hockey Weekend is to promote the game of hockey and to build community spirit by making the arena the focal point of activity for the weekend. One community is chosen annually to serve as the Provincial host of the event and for the 2014 event St. Walburg’s bid has been selected.  One of the criteria for the selection of the Provincial host is that there must be an arena renovation or building project.  St. Walburg is currently raising funds for renovations to the current rink.  Some of the renovations for the facility include rink repairs, a new sound system, dressing rooms, washrooms, painting and much more.

The SHA encourages every minor hockey association to hold an event in their own community to celebrate SaskEnergy Hockey during January.  This promotion is to provide associations a platform from which to raise funds to keep the rinks alive and well in all communities, both big and small.

“The SHA is extremely pleased with the commitment from SaskEnergy to the partnership celebrating the great game of hockey across the province,” says Kelly McClintock, General Manager of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association.  “The event has been a tremendous success for the past six years, and we certainly hope to see that same success and more this year.  We are extremely excited to provide all minor hockey associations across the province an opportunity to focus on the game and to raise funds for their respective local arenas.” 

Over the past six years of the event, the host communities alone have been able to raise funds to help renovate and even build a better facility for hockey in their communities. Since the first SaskEnergy Hockey Weekend the Host Communities have raised a total of $315,369 because of this initiative. More information about SaskEnergy Hockey Day Weekend please go to  http://www.hockeywkndinsask.ca.

Also incorporated into the event is the SaskEnergy Volunteer Champion Award.  The SaskEnergy Volunteer Champion Award is available to be presented to an individual who has provided outstanding service as a volunteer to the local hockey community, either as a coach, an official, a team manager, or an association organizer.  The presentation of these awards usually occurs during the local SaskEnergy Hockey Day in Saskatchewan celebration activities.