The Omineca Ice are up and running to start their eighth season of operation in the Central Interior Hockey league. This league has changed considerably since the Ice came in eight years ago.
In order to operate, the Ice rely on local sponsorship which has been well supported by local businesses in Vanderhoof.
The Ice are pleased to announce that sponsorship is at its peak in comparison to the last two seasons. The Ice is seeking to get home game attendance up and is hopeful that more Saturday home games this season will help.
As a small town team, the Ice has faced its own set of challenges, mainly being forced to compete with larger centers. Over the past eight years, four similar teams have been forced to drop out of the league because of this.
However, the one advantage of the Ice is geography. Our central interior location is a drawing area for quality players which includes Fort St. James, Fraser Lake and Prince George.
In order to support players that come from these communities, the Ice has scheduled one weekend game, both Saturday and Sunday in Fraser Lake and one Saturday night game in Fort St. James.
There are a few positions open on the team this season. Anyone wishing to try out can come out Saturday, September 29, 7 p.m. and Sunday September 30 at 4 p.m. All try outs take place at the Vanderhoof arena and are free of charge. The team is also looking for a qualified trainer.
The Ice’s seasons starts in Smithers against the Smithers Steelheads, October 6-7.