Megan Kilpatrick, a centre for the U14AA Red Deer Rush, fires a shot on goal on day two of the 36th annual Friends on Ice tournament. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

GAME ON!

‘Friends on Ice’ ringette tourney hits 36th year

Jan 3, 2020 | 10:12 PM

The Red Deer Ringette Association is welcoming teams from as far away as Regina and Hinton this weekend to its annual ‘Friends on Ice’ tournament.

Games run Jan. 3-5 at the G.H. Dawe Centre, the Collicutt, the Kinex and Kinsmen arenas.

RDRA President Carolyn Normand says the tournament, which features 65 teams, including 19 from Red Deer, is the product of a lot of hard work.

“We’re really hoping to grow the sport. All the divisions play at the same time and so it showcases ringette in the community,” says Normand, who’s played the game herself for four decades and now coaches.

“We take a lot of pride in our association, so we put our heart and soul into this to make sure it runs efficiently, and ensure everyone gets to have as much fun as possible. It’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and volunteer hours from the parents.”

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Normand adds that the tournament plays a large part each year in keeping players invested in the sport, which in turn leads some of them to post-secondary ringette opportunities at schools such as the University of Lethbridge, the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary.

The association saw an uptick in participation from roughy 250 to 265 players this season following the 2019 Canada Winter Games. That increase is also despite some players jumping to hockey.

The ‘Friends on Ice’ tournament is open to the public, and the full schedule can be found on the RDRA website.