Hockey Day in Collingwood returns next week with two evening games featuring rival high schools competing for bragging rights.
Jean Vanier Catholic High School’s girls and boys hockey teams will face off against the Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI) Teams on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Todd Hammond, hockey teacher at CCI, said it’s about the 14th year for the game.
Last year, CCI won the girls game and Vanier won the boys game.
Hammond said this is the only time of the year the two schools get to face each other on the ice.
He expects a really close game for the boys. The Vanier team is the reigning AA champion for the Georgian Bay region, and the CCI team is the AAA champion.
Hockey Day in Collingwood also usually involves an annual elementary school tournament, but this year’s tournament is being postponed while the elementary teachers union and the province negotiate a new labour contract.
Hammond expects the tournament will take place in March.
Leading up to the day, Hammond has invited local elementary schools to join his morning hockey class and has had his CCI students working with elementary school students this week and last week So far he has had six local schools from Collingwood, Clearview, Wasaga Beach, and Creemore, join the CCI practices.
“The tournament is all about fun,” said Hammond. “The consolation trophy is about two-times the size of the championship trophy … it gives the kids an opportunity to play with their friends and classmates.”
The town of Collingwood donates the ice time for Hockey Day in Collingwood, and subsidizes the rentals for Hammond’s hockey classes.
The girls high school game starts at 7 p.m. at the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena on Jan. 15 and the boys game begins at 8 p.m.
Admission is by donation, and the proceeds from the games will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Georgian Triangle. The evening games event will also include fundraising activities like Chuck a Puck at intermission.
Anyone is welcome to attend to watch the annual high school rivalry on ice.
