Drive through any small town in
Southern Ontario in the winter after 6 p.m. and one might assume
little is going on. The shops are closed on the main street, and,
except for a well lit restaurant or bar, all appears to be quiet.
Well, just off the main drag you will most likely find an arena, the
centre of the community's activity for Canada's longest season -
hockey season. Elmvale is no exception.
Before my son Ben started playing Rep hockey in Elmvale, we would often go to either Penetang or Midland on a Friday night to catch some fast junior action. Little did we know that our own Elmvale rink was the place to be on Fridays. In Elmvale you get three games for the price of one. The Elmvale Lions Club Atom Rep team plays at 7, the Gary Edgecombe C.A. Peewee Rep take to the ice at 8:10, and the Whitfield's Pharmacy Midget Rep skate at 9:20.
This past Friday, the Atom Rep Coyotes were the alpha dogs, beating the Shelburne Wolves 4-0. The Peewee Reps followed with a scrappy but spirited loss to the Wasaga Stars 8-5. The Stars racked up 12 penalties and one suspension in the game. In the main event, the Midget Reps took on the Oro Thunder. Both teams skated hard and made some amazing passes, but in the end, the Coyotes lost 4-2.
The beauty of this triple-header hockey night is that the Atom players and their fans usually stay for the Peewee game. The Peewee players, their fans, and the diehard Atom crowd stick around for the Midget game, leaving few seats available. Even the visiting teams get caught up in the electricity of the evening. If you still need convincing, Marie, the friendly bartender at the Elmvale Curling Club, only 20 steps away, will set you up with a cold one during flooding.
So everybody wins. The young players get to play before a hometown crowd, and have some fun with their teammates watching the big kids play. The big guys get to play before a near capacity rink with younger players cheering them on. And the parents get to watch their kids play, enjoy some adult company, and share a beverage or two.
This Friday, check out Hockey Night in Elmvale. The Atoms play Wasaga, the Peewees play Shelburne, and the Midgets play Georgian Shores. Bring your insulated cushion for the bleachers. The puck drops at 7 p.m.