What began as a simple intramural floor hockey league at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School, culminated with a championship game in front of the entire student body, a ceremonial puck drop from Stanley Cup champion Travis Moen, in-game music from a school band, a gaudy championship trophy presented by RCMP members, trades, suspensions, and most importantly, a donation of over 800 food items to the Salvation Army.
The championship game saw the La Ronge Ice Wolves defeat the Cali Golden Seals 3-0 to claim the Jimbo Salhaney Mega Cup on Wednesday morning.
“The evolution of this was absolutely unbelievable,” said SCCHS Vice Principal Travis Kelln. “It just started out as ‘do you want to play floor hockey?’ Let’s try to get something going, let’s see if we can get a handful of teams. It ended up evolving into fun competition. We ended up having trades, suspensions and appeals and it ended up evolving into something that you saw the culmination of today.”
“It was something that the school has not seen in a long time, not since I’ve been here,” said the Ice Wolves’ Rhett Evjen. “There was a lot of talk in classrooms about it and was something really anticipated. It was really fun playing in front of the whole school and for a good cause. Mr. Carnahan and Mr. Evjen really took off with the idea and really made it into something.”
“First and foremost you see all the kids in here supporting their peers, supporting the teachers, but also supporting the Salvation Army Food Bank,” added Kelln. “There are families within the community that need that support and the fact that we could have a fun activity here before the Christmas break, bring a little bit of school spirit, as well as contribute to the community is what it was all about.”
Evjen was excited to help make a sizable donation to the Food Bank.
“Yeah it was good. Usually you are used to in middle school where you just bring it in and they donate it. But doing it this way was a really fun way and getting the whole school into the floor hockey got a lot of items donated. That was really good to see.”
Kelln was also the captain of the Golden Seals – who were comprised primarily of teachers – as they came up just short of a championship season against a team comprised of members of the Swift Current Legionnaires and the Swift Current Broncos.
“Well they’re a good team. We’ve been bantering a little bit back and forth with regard to that these guys moved here to actually play hockey. So we felt like we were underdogs. I think we played okay. They are good kids, they had fun, and they deserved it.”
“Our strategy was to just throw it down to our forwards and hopefully our forwards could make some plays with our $80 floor sticks,” Evjen laughed.
