The only outdoor ringette tournament in Alberta skates into action Thursday in St. Albert.
The third annual Stadnyk Frozen Ring features 26 teams, an increase from two from last year after making its 2012 debut with six teams.
The tournament draw consists of six U9 teams, eight U10 teams and four teams in each of the U12 A, B and C divisions.
The host St. Albert Ringette Association is represented by 14 teams.
The U9 division, with players as young as six, is the newest addition to the tournament.
The 49-game schedule includes 36 outdoor games at the Alpine and Willoughby rinks. Each team will also play one game indoors at Servus Credit Union Place or the Akinsdale, Kinex and Canadian Athletic Club arenas.
The tournament starts Thursday night with 12 St. Albert teams kicking off the competition.
Sunday’s semifinals and finals will be staged outdoors. There is no U9 playoffs.
Visit www.stalbertringette.com for the tournament schedule.
The Frozen Ring is named in honour of Glenn Stadnyk, the former longtime St. Albert ringette president.
Stadnyk will perform the ceremonial ring drop in Friday’s exhibition between St. Albert U19 AA Mission and the University of Alberta ringette team at 8 p.m. at Willoughby.
Dan Holowaychuk of St. Albert took another step closer to representing Alberta with the Wade White rink at the national senior 50-plus championships after winning a provincial berth last weekend in Leduc.
At northerns the Crestwood foursome of White, third Dean Ross, second Holowaychuk and lead George Parsons edged Kevin Gunderson 4-3 in an extra end in the B qualifier after losing the A final 7-3 to Brad Hannah, who has Don McKenzie of St. Albert as his second.
Provincials are Feb. 12 to 16 in Calgary and nationals are March 22 to 30 in Yellowknife.
Last year White’s rink of third Doug McLennan, Holowaychuk and Parsons defeated Hannah in the provincial final and at nationals they were the bronze medallists.
Holowaychuk is also going to the Boston Pizza Cup for the second straight year with White’s rink of third Kevin Tym and lead George White of the Avonair as the B qualifiers at northerns. Provincials start Wednesday in Lacombe.
The St. Albert Heavenly Rollers Derby League wheels into its fourth season March 22 at the Tri Leisure Centre in Spruce Grove.
The Arch Angels, the Heavenly Rollers’ travel team, will face the Lakeland Ladykillers of Cold Lake. The first jam whistle is 7 p.m.
The rest of the Heavenly Rollers’ home bouts will be staged at Servus Credit Union Place.
The Heavenly Rollers, St. Albert’s first roller derby league, was formed in September of 2010 to provide a safe place for females 18 years and older of varying backgrounds and athletic abilities to explore the sport.
This is the first season for the Heavenly Rollers in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s (WFTDA) Apprentice League.
The WFTDA is the governing body for women’s flat-track roller derby and a membership organization for the leagues to collaborate and network. It created and maintained the first standardized rule set for the flat-track game.
The WFTDA also serves as the sanctioning body for games, hosts tournaments, sets safety standards and provides insurance to athletes and leagues.
Visit www.stahrderby.com for more information on the Heavenly Rollers.
