By rdnewsNOW staff

Sutter Fund Chiefs Bantam Female Elites to host team from China

Nov 23, 2018 | 1:01 PM

The Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs Bantam Elite hockey team will experience what will likely be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this weekend.

On Sunday, the Chiefs will play host to a team from Harbin, China, a place considered to be the centre for female hockey in that country, according to Chiefs manager and assistant coach Ryan Hansen.

“They are coming here for 30 days I believe,” says Hansen. “They’re basically coming here to learn the female game in Alberta. With the Olympics being there in 2022, they’re really trying to expand their knowledge base of the game and who better to learn from really than Canadians?”

Hansen acknowledges this isn’t the first time a youth hockey team from China has made its way to our province.

“There was a pee wee female team that was here in Alberta last year,” he recalls. “This Harbin area seems to be a real hotbed for hockey over there. With the last Olympics being in Asia and the next one being right in China, they don’t want to look bad, they want to be competitive.”

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Hansen says the Sutter Fund Chiefs are extremely excited to face international competition.

“We don’t really know what to expect. We hope it’s a good, close game,” he adds. “The girls are super excited. They’ve got some gifts and will do a presentation for them before the game just to welcome them here in the spirit of friendship.”

Hansen points-out the girls are really hoping to make the most of their unique opportunity.

“They want to swap jerseys, they want to give each other flags,” states Hansen. “It doesn’t matter who you are or how old you are or what gender you are. If you’re on the ice, you’re a hockey player and that’s all they care about.”

As for the Sutter Fund Chiefs, Hansen says their team is made up of 13 and 14-year-old girls from all over central Alberta, including Red Deer, Innisfail, Sylvan Lake, Lacombe, Bentley, Stettler and Coronation.

“Honestly, we feel we have an extremely strong team this year,” says Hansen. “We fully expect to be in the playoffs and we feel that we have a real shot at winning it all this year. We put a bid in for the provincial championships which is held at the end of March and that decision comes down in the middle of December.”

Face-off for Sunday’s game is 12:45 p.m. at the Kinsmen Arena ‘B’. Admission is free.