(Submitted photo/Randy Hanson)

By Ben Tompkins

Hockey Day in Saskatchewan

Kinistino announced as host for 2024 Hockey Day in Saskatchewan

Oct 6, 2023 | 6:00 AM

The Town of Kinistino received some exciting news on Thursday as they were announced as the hosts for the 16th edition of Hockey Day in Saskatchewan (HDIS).

The 2024 event will touch down in the northeast community for the first time, as the population of 671 now prepares.

The multi-day event is set to take place over the weekend of January 19-21, with Jan. 20 serving as the official ‘Hockey Day in Saskatchewan’.

According to Randy Hanson, President of the Kinistino Minor Hockey Association, the community is beyond thrilled and in a way has been coincidentally preparing for such an occasion.

“We are super excited for Hockey Day in Kinistino, and along with supporting our arena, it’s a great way to celebrate our love for hockey and our amazing community,” he said.

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“The last couple of years we’ve been hosting a hockey day in Kinistino and our minor hockey association thought it’d be a great opportunity to promote the game in the northeast and maybe help gain some more members to play hockey.”

The main theme of Hockey Day is to promote the game of hockey, build community spirit by making the arena the focal point of activity, and celebrate the many volunteers who assist in keeping local hockey active in their community.

The day also shoots to provide the host community with a fundraising platform to assist in the financing of local rink improvements or a new facility.

“Hosting Hockey Day in Saskatchewan is a remarkable opportunity that not only puts the Home of the Tigers in the hockey spotlight but also highlights the immense dedication of Kinistino Minor Hockey Association,” said Kelly McClintock, General Manager of Hockey Saskatchewan.

“Together, with the support of surrounding communities, they’re poised to make this event an unforgettable celebration of our shared love for the game.”

Situated in Zone Five (8), Kinistino is a small community with deep hockey roots that was selected by Hockey Saskatchewan to help raise funds for vital renovations to the Kinistino Sports Complex, which was built in the early 1970s.

The complex is the social hub of Kinistino and is a combination of a skating rink, curling rink, and upstairs gym for students from the adjacent elementary school.

Rink users also include surrounding communities such as Beatty, Birch Hills, Brancepeth, Ethleton, James Smith Cree Nation, Melfort, Meskanaw and Weldon.

“It definitely means a lot for the community, raising funds to keep our arena going for generations to come, it’s getting older and it needs some renovations and some major maintenance done here in the next couple of years,” Hanson added.

“The rink is probably our little community hub, with senior hockey and minor hockey, we have a school, gym, and the curling rink in it, so it’s kind of the lifeblood of our little community here.”

Hockey Day in Saskatchewan was held in Martensville last season and raised $72,500 for its new rink facility.

Since its inception in 2008, 15 events have amassed over $1,305,000 to help keep rinks alive and well in communities, big and small.

Kinistino’s host committee held a hosting announcement with members of the SMAAAHL’s Prince Albert Mintos and SFU18AAAHL’s Prince Albert Bears to celebrate their winning application on Thursday.

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