The Estevan Minor Hockey Association (EMHA) three-on-three hockey league has taken over the ice at Affinity Place and the Lignite Miners Centre.
Six novice, five atom, four peewee and four adult teams will compete in the three-on-three league during the next two weeks. The league features small coed squads that will play 35-minute games where each player gets equal ice time.
Dalton Giblett, president of the EMHA, said the three-on-three league is run annually by the association in the fall and spring, but will go on for a bit longer than usual this year due to the ice remaining in the rinks later because of the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup taking over Affinity Place from April 30 to May 8. He said this spring the league is running from the opening games on April 12 to the closing bell on April 28, which is in contrast to the usual two-week season in late March.
Giblett said the fall league is run the weekend before peewee AA tryouts and bantam AA tryouts in September in an effort to get kids some ice time before hockey season starts. He said this league is normally busier than spring hockey and that is the case again this year considering there are no bantam or midget divisions participating this month, but all the kids who are playing over the next two weeks will see beneficial results.
“Skating and puck handling is what it is,” said Giblett. “It’s moving the puck (and) mostly skating. It keeps the kids active and there is no such thing as bad ice-time.”
Since forming 12 years ago as a weekend endeavour, the EMHA three-on-three league has remained a staple of before-and-after season hockey in Estevan. Giblett said it is fairly popular among the younger skaters because of the extra practise it provides, as opposed to the usual regular-season focus on wins and losses.
“It’s just about getting out,” he said, “getting ice time and having some fun.”
