Game on, Tri-City street hockey fans: Coquitlam Centre is playing host to Canada's largest street hockey competition June 8 to 9.
Coquitlam was chosen as the Lower Mainland venue for Hockey Night in Canada's Play On! tournament, in part, because organizers know the sport has a dominating presence in the Tri-Cities.
"It's definitely a hockey community, I'd say," explains Lauren Foss, event manager, Hockey Night in Canada Play On! Vancouver.
The event was moved to Coquitlam Centre this year from Metropolis at Metrotown, after the Burnaby mega mall "pretty much ran out out of room" to host the competition.
"With Metrotown, we had rinks on the rooftops, parking lots - there was a lot of unnecessary walking," says Foss. "[Coquitlam Centre's] definitely more spectator friendly. It takes less than five minutes to get from one end of the site to the other."
Play On! Vancouver features four-on-four competitive and recreational street hockey matches for male and female players of all ages and skill levels. Registered players bring their own hockey sticks, while Play On! Vancouver provides the team shirts.
And with weeks to go before thousands of people heralding Canada's pastime descend on Coquitlam Centre, registration for the tournament is ramping up, with organizers on hand at the mall this long weekend to encourage one and all to sign up.
To date, 100 teams have thrown their ball caps in the ring. Last year's Metrotown event boasted 456 teams, 3,000 participants and 25,000 spectators. This year, event organizers boosted the number of rinks from 38 to 40, in the hopes of attracting 500 teams to Coquitlam.
Foss said she suspects the change of venue might be causing potential registrants to drag their feet, as Metrotown is more of a centralized location for Vancouverites. However, she is anticipating a surge in registration in the next two weeks.
"We are trying to get the word out about [Play On! Vancouver]," says Foss. "We were hoping to get a lot of corporate teams this year, because half of those registration fees go to KidsSport BC."
Play On! divisions include:
Tidbit Street (ages 9 and under)
Youth Street (ages 10-19; $250 for five players)
Adult Street (Beginner) (ages 19 plus; $300 for five players)
Adult Street (Intermediate) (ages 19 plus; $300 for five players)
Adult Elite (ages 19 plus, $350 for five players)
Corporate ($2,000 with half the cost donated to KidsSpot BC; tax receipt provided)
Winners from the Elite division will move on to the national championships in Nova Scotia in September - the Redwood Cup - and be recognized as "Canada's Greatest Street Hockey Players" during Sports Day in Canada on CBC.
"[The tournament] is for anyone who wants to play. It's a little competitive, of course," said Foss. "There will be some cool prizes for the winners - Coquitlam Express, Coquitlam Adanacs and B.C. Lions tickets."
The festive event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m each day, will feature barbecue food from Montana's Cookhouse, live entertainment, a celebrity game and a breakaway skills competition - all housed in the southern part of Coquitlam Centre's parking lot adjacent to the Barnet Highway.
The celebrity street hockey match at 12 noon on June 8 will include appearances by Port Moody native and one-time Vancouver Canuck Jeff Tambellini and a handful of city councillors.
Hockey Night in Canada's Play On! Vancouver is a team pre-registration event. For details, visit playon.ca/events/vancouver. Registration closes June 2.
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