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MEI to host on-ice showdown for local hockey academies

Along with MEI, hockey-playing students from Strathconna, Sardis, Chilliwack Middle, Bateman and Hatzic will participate
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MEI Hockey Academy director Peter Hay (right) and MEI coach Ralph Vos.

There will be a lot of skill on display at Centre Ice Abbotsford next Friday (Feb. 13).

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. high school players from several local hockey academies will be participating in the inaugural MEI Hockey Skills event.

The format is similar to the skills event at the NHL all-star game, with contests held for fastest skater, hardest shot, stickhandling, multi-directional skating, shooting accuracy and a goalie test. In the afternoon, there will be a 3-on-3 tournament.

Peter Hay, director of the MEI Hockey Academy, came up with the skills-event idea for players to showcase their skills against other schools at their grade level for both boys and girls.

With the support of Abbotsford Minor Hockey, B.C. Hockey, and Hockey Canada, Hay sent out an email to see if other academies would be interested in participating in the event. The answer was an overwhelming yes.

Along with MEI, students from Strathconna, Sardis, Chilliwack Middle, Bateman and Hatzic willparticipate. In total, there will be around 160 players in grades 6 to 12.

“I am sure it will grow in the future as other academies hear about the success of the event. My reasoning to building this event was purely out of a need for students in academies to display the skills they are learning over the course of a long year in a competitive yet fun and respectful way against other similar students,” he said. “It gives the players something to work toward. It also helps the coaches to have something to motivate players positively with.”

Hay explained the event is similar in format to a track and field meet as students compete at various skills events. Winners for each grade and each test get a ribbon as top female and top male.

“My larger goal is to see this event grow to a much larger scale and potentially see other areas of B.C. participating and potentially holding their own events. The more we can encourage skill development in a fun way, I believe we are all winning because skill development should be fun and promoted to grow our game.”