The Strippers tournament marks the end of the hockey season each year in the Estevan area and with the 32nd edition in the books, the local sports calendar will begin to shift over the next month.
Although there were no championships for the Estevan Minor Hockey Association this year, there were some highlights.
The boys and girls bantam A teams and the junior midget team all made their respective league finals, all of them falling short of a title but capping off an excellent season.
The midget AA Bruins were one win away from their own league final, which would have been their first in several years. The team that stopped them from getting there happened to be the first-place Regina Capitals, who went on to win the championship.
The bantam AAs reached their league's consolation final, and while that's never a goal that any team in any league sets for themselves, it was their best showing in a few years.
April is a transitional month in the local sports scene, as the winter sports wrap up and the spring and summer teams start training in earnest.
Golf, baseball, softball and racing are among the sports whose arrival awaits us over the next few weeks, as the days get longer and the mercury rises.
Meanwhile, there is plenty to keep us busy in April, as the Bienfait Coalers will host a team of former NHLers on Tuesday, the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club opens on Wednesday, the Estevan Bruins will hold their spring camp and sportsman's dinner later this month, and the Regina Riot are coming to town on April 26 to run a camp for girls interested in football.
It's been a long winter. Let the games begin.
Contact Josh Lewis at 306-634-2654 or [email protected]. Although his beloved Leafs screwed themselves out of a playoff spot, he is more than happy to cheer on the Columbus Blue Jackets in the post-season.
