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Kings Hockey ready for big game in Sylvan Lake

Feb 21, 2019 | 12:13 PM

The Red Deer College Kings are stuck in a dog fight among the top four teams in the ACAC men’s hockey standings.

Tomorrow (Friday) they have a big weekend game against MacEwan University Griffins, but this is no ordinary game.

With the Canada Winter Games displacing the Kings from their home rink at the Garry w. Harris Canada Games Centre, RDC will take on MacEwan at the Nexsource Centre in Sylvan Lake at 1 p.m.

Assistant coach Cody Reynolds says the game in Sylvan Lake is a unique experience, but he knows his players will rise to the occasion.

“The guys are mature, they’re mature guys so they look after themselves in the morning in terms of nutrition and what time they need to be up and ready for the game, so I expect them to be ready right as soon as we get out for warm-up’s and carry it right through to the game,” he says.

“We’ve got six people, two staff and four players that are directly related to the community of Sylvan Lake, whether they’ve lived there or have played minor hockey there or coached minor hockey. So we’re very exciting for that many people to have a connection there.”

The game is free to attend but will be raising support for the Community Partners Association.

The entire game is all to support charity, and as Graham Parsons, a Town Councilor in Sylvan Lake, explains, the game is free to attend but will also support The Community Partners Association.

“We’re just excited to have it, we love to showcase our facility because we do feel it’s one of the finest facilities in central Alberta,” says Graham Parsons, Sylvan Lake Town Councillor.

“Public school is out, so we’re hoping for a big crowd,” he adds. “It’s central Alberta’s best kept secret on the real talent level of this hockey club. These are men, they play a man’s game and it’s exciting.”

Reynolds knows this game is very important the Kings.

“MacEwan is very good, they’re very well coached. We’ve built up a little bit of a rivalry with them in the last couple of years because both teams are so competitive and so highly skilled, so I’m expecting a really good game, we’ve been preparing all week for them.”