The Cowichan Valley Memorial Midget C Hockey Tournament is much more than a sporting event.
It is a celebration of the game that was a passion for some young people in the community who lost their lives far too early. It’s also a bonding process for those affected families to come together.
The power of such a concept cannot be overstated. Unless you’ve experienced any personal grief yourself, no one can understand what it’s like to lose a child, a sibling, a dear friend under tragic circumstances.
Some of the losses are recent. Some happened 9-10 years ago and even longer than a decade. But the family members will be the first to tell you the pain never goes away and the support of the community to embrace them in such a way is very special.
Huge kudos go to Kathy Irving and her hard-working committee for all their efforts. There are plenty of memorial tournaments and events out there, but few, if any that we know of, bring together seven families affected in the same way.
This also resonates with the participating players in a remarkable manner. The kids who receive the unique personal awards are so appreciative and understanding of the concept that it’s truly inspirational.
In the bad old days of midget hockey, a tournament at the end of the season without the personal attachment of a memorial would have been a gong show. The testosterone would have been flowing to see who could do the best imitations of the infamous Philadelphia Flyers’ Broad Street Bullies.
There have been incidents because this is hockey, after all, but those are very few and far between.
The respect shown to the families and the enjoyment they derive from it will last a lifetime.