The biggest road hockey tournament the city has ever seen is taking place this fall.
The 2016 YMCA Road Hockey Fall Classic will raise funds for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. Assistant Coordinator Moe Bedard says they expect to have 400 people playing in the tournament, and that includes teams from out of town. He says they will be using the small pond hockey nets for this year’s tournament.
He says this is something people will recognize from the popular pond hockey tournaments that used to take place in North Bay. Bedard adds by eliminating a goalie you don’t have someone waiting around to take a shot, and it keeps everyone engaged in the game.
He says everyone is welcome to play and there will be a variety of divisions from kids four and five years old all the way up to a seniors division.
Bedard says bringing in teams from out of town will help with the local economy. He says they like to make sure they are bringing something to everyone in the city, especially those who are involved in the tournament.
Dave Saad is the Co-Chair of the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign and he says this event will go a long way to helping their cause. He says it’s going to generate the dollars they need to ensure children and families can participate in YMCA programs.
Saad says they are building upon something they did last year and making it even bigger. He says anything they have done usually has a three-year shelf life to determine its success and so far this tournament has proven it can meet that target.
Saad says this year’s version is a big step forward and he believes it can be successful.
The games will be played at Lee Park. For information on registering a team you can visit the YMCA website.
