The puck drops at 10 a.m. today (Mar. 27) for the first game of the Yelnats Cup, a unique and celebrated tournament that attracts U18 hockey teams from across Western Canada.
Yelnats, Stanley spelled backward, marks the end of the minor hockey season by giving U18 players a chance to enjoy their final minor hockey games. For some families, it's a teary, sentimental weekend as they watch their children end what has been a huge part of their lives for over a decade.
That's especially true when graduating players receive a commemorative towel to mark the occasion or are among those rising one of the four Yelsnats Cups on the line.
Coordinator Angela Sellwood says we can expect to see some amazing hockey.
"It's just a nice way to tie off the year," she says. "Our Cochrane teams are really lucky to know Yelnats is their final weekend. They don't have to worry about getting kicked out of playoffs and then they're season's over. It makes it special."
Thirty-two teams are competing--nine from Cochrane and 23 from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and B.C.-- playing in six tiers. All teams are guaranteed a minimum of four games.
Round-robin games end at noon Saturday, followed by semifinals. All finals begin Sunday morning around 10 a.m. There's also a Tier 1 and 3 skills competition at Cochrane Arena at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.
During their final game, one Calgary team is taking time to honour one of their graduating players who passed away in November
Annually, Yelnats has a huge raffle to raise funds for the community.
Last year, it raised $10,000 to support three Yelsnats Cup scholarships totalling $5,000 and provided $5,000 to minor hockey to help support families in need. Proceeds have also been used to fulfill other needs over the years. Last year, for example, they replaced the sound systems in Cochrane arenas.