It really does mean a great deal to families when their loved ones are not forgotten by the public.
Seven young people who died under tragic circumstances are again being remembered in a special way with the return of the Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey Association’s Memorial Under 18 C Hockey Tournament on the Family Day weekend.
The pain never fully goes away for the surviving family members, but having an event such as this does so much to boost their spirits and embrace the special memories.
Kathy Irving and her husband Dale Irving, Kristen Arnold, Petra van Deventer and many volunteers deserve so much credit for the countless hours that have been put into this tournament over the years.
It began as a memorial to goalie Ryan Clark, with six others added since then with backgrounds in hockey as well.
Anyone who’s played in this tournament will tell you it’s unlike any other. The fact eight teams from the Lower Mainland are entered among the 15 participants tells you a lot about its wide appeal.
Players at the Under 18 C level are recreational and this is almost like their Stanley Cup.
There’s also some great individual awards that are unique to this tournament. It’s not often you see such qualities as fearless player, player with the most character or player with the most passion or personality given any special honours.
And make no mistake about it. These are awards all the players want to win, perhaps even more than the tournament championship itself.
Each one is named after an honouree. The players receiving the trophies would not have known any of them, but learning of their stories will surely bring great pride to the recipients as it has done so many times in the past.
And no one goes away empty-handed in this tournament. The committee goes all out to ensure the memories the players take home with them are life-long.
Each participant receives a special hoodie and commemorative towels are awarded to the most valuable players of each team in all 33 games.
It doesn’t get any better to celebrate hockey in a fun environment and honour some young people whose lives were cut far too short.
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don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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