The Inner Harbour in Victoria was abuzz with excitement and a sea of red Hockey Day toques as thousands of Islanders gathered at Ship Point to celebrate Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. The 12.5-hour national broadcast featured segments from Victoria, offering a day filled with hockey-related activities, food trucks, and live music.
The love for hockey was palpable as children joyfully waved mini hockey sticks and lined up for photos and autographs from hockey celebrities. Parents followed along, carrying duffel bags of gear and strollers filled with snacks to keep the day going. The festivities drew in Islanders from as far as Cumberland and Comox, showcasing a true celebration of hockey on Vancouver Island.
The day’s events included various activities such as ball-hockey games, ice-hockey on a synthetic surface, skills clinics, target shooting with a puck, and even a wheelchair-hockey demonstration. The highlight of the day was the Victoria versus Kamloops WHL game at Memorial Centre, capping off a day filled with hockey fun.
Recreational hockey players Chris Nowell and Adrian Luczenko from Comox Valley expressed their excitement about the spotlight being turned onto Vancouver Island. Nowell, who has been playing hockey since childhood, expressed that hockey feels like home to him. Luczenko, who wasn’t allowed to play hockey as a child, finally got the chance to play at the age of 29, showcasing his hard work and determination on the ice.
Heidi Barlow-Lee, the director of operations for Hockey Day in Victoria, was thrilled by the overwhelming turnout of attendees. The event may have broken Ship Point’s winter events attendance record, with an estimated 11,000 attendees at 1 p.m. With the Inner Harbour bustling with energy, it was a true celebration of the sport.
Members of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations paddled into Ship Point to welcome former Vancouver Canucks player Geoff Courtnall to the land. While the original plan was for the Stanley Cup to arrive on the canoe, the sheer number of attendees led to a change in plans, with the Cup being transported to the venue via car.
For Barlow-Lee, Hockey Day in Victoria held personal significance. She expressed that it was a full circle moment for her, as she is originally from Victoria and has a family history intertwined with hockey. Her father, Bob Barlow, was a former player on the Vancouver Canucks and won the Lester Patrick Cup, using the bonus from the win to buy a house in Victoria where the family has been ever since.
The event was truly a celebration of the sport, bringing together Islanders of all ages to enjoy a day filled with hockey-related activities. The vibrant atmosphere at Inner Harbour was a testament to the Island’s love for hockey and the community that surrounds it.
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