After some last minute scheduling, five Special Olympics floor hockey teams will be coming to Prince Albert on Saturday for a one-day tournament.
Special Olympics Prince Albert will serve as the hosts for the event at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, which will get underway at 9 a.m. and run until 6 p.m.
“It just worked out for us this year that we had the facility available here,” Special Olympics Prince Albert chair Mike Svenson said. “Everything came together pretty quickly once Humboldt was selected to be Saskatchewan’s team at the nationals in Thunder Bay later this month as they wanted to have a practice tournament before they went to Ontario.
“Everyone here is excited and we’re looking forward to having a lot of teams come here.”
In addition to Humboldt, teams from Regina, Saskatoon and Nipawin will also be taking part in the tournament, which is free to attend.
“I think we have a good shot of winning it all, but the main point is to have a fun event and help Humboldt out,” Svenson said.
“They love having a big crowd and there’s nothing like the display of sportsmanship and comradery that these athletes have. It’s a really refreshing change from the other competitive sports that we watch.”
The Prince Albert co-ed team, which ranges in age from 13 to 62, plays every Thursday night from October to March at Riverside Public School.
“They all look forward to their Thursday nights, especially when they get to play other teams,” Svenson said.
“The Mintos and Northern Bears have played us quite a bit this year, along with the Midget AA Chill and the Law Enforcement Torch Run. We get a lot of support from within the community.”
Prince Albert’s first game will be at 9 a.m. against Nipawin, with a contest against Saskatoon set for 10:50 a.m.
They will then face Humboldt at 1:35 p.m. and Regina at 3:25 p.m.
