Women’s hockey is getting attention right now as the World Championships are on television and the news of a Junior Women’s team for Kimberley next season.
There’s an exciting opportunity this weekend for Kimberley residents to view some elite female college hockey players as a player showcase will be held at the Civic Centre this weekend.
Shane Murray and Brad Park, who are behind the new junior team and hockey school for next year have brought together some top quality college coaches and about forty 13 to 17-year-old top female hockey prospects from B.C., Alberta and Montana.
This will provide anyone interested exposure to top NCAA Division one and three and CIS university hockey.
“We want to raise the profile of this level of hockey in Kimberley and create awareness that there are elite female hockey players from this area,” Murray said.
Eight of the girls who will be taking part in the showcase are from the East Kootenay. They will be working with six college coaches plus the new coach of the Kimberley Hockey Academy, Mikko Makela.
“These coaches will be on the ice with the girls, working with them and coaching them,” Park said. “For the younger players, it’s a chance to get on the radar, get on the recruiting lists and potentially get offers.”
The coaches are coming to Kimberley specifically to help raise awareness of what high level female hockey can look like, now that there will be a team here, but that’s a story for a future edition.
What Park and Murray want people to know right now is that they can drop by the Civic Centre this Friday afternoon, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon to view the games and practices.
“There will be three to four games over the weekend,” Murray said. “The coaches want to see them play against other elite players. The coaches will take turns coaching other teams. So please come down and see some high end female hockey.”