By Michael Joel-Hansen

Minor hockey tournament features almost 40 teams.

Jan 6, 2019 | 8:35 AM

Almost 40 female hockey teams were in Prince Albert this weekend to take part in the Prince Albert Minor Hockey Associations annual tournament.

The tournament is in its nineteenth incarnation and includes a wide range of teams according to Tournament Coordinator Jim Flynn.

“This year we have 39 teams ranging from the novice division all the way up the midget double A division,” he said.

The teams come from Saskatchewan,although one has made the trip from the Alberta side of LIoydminister.

“The rest are mostly from down south and the rural around this area,” said Flynn.

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Flynn was not able to provide specific numbers, but said in the past the tournament has given a boost to the local economy, specifically for hotels and restaurants. He added along with the teams themselves, decent sized contingents of parents and other family members tend to make the trip.

“It’s quite large to bring into P.A. for sure,” he said.

When looking at why they’ve been able to attract so many teams to the tournament this year, Flynn credits the growth of female hockey and the fact that P.A. was one of the first major centres in Saskatchewan to start putting on a tournament.

“Back 18 year ago there was probably P.A. and Regina as the only two centres that had a … female tournament,” he said.

Another factor is that while there are more tournaments for female hockey they tend to be one-day events, while the P.A. tournament runs over multiple days.

Flynn has been helping out with the tournament since 2008. He said in this time he has seen it grow, in some divisions especially.

“The novice and atom division, we only had maybe three or four teams and now we’re up to 11,” he said.

Growth is especially important in those divisions as these are for the younger players.

“It’s really important, because then that keeps our female hockey going and that’s the future,” Flynn said.

Tournament play will be wrapping up Sunday afternoon.  

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn