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Months of planning, volunteer effort and long days at the rink brought Hockey Day in Saskatchewan to Avonlea – turning the small community into a hockey hub and hometown pride over the weekend.
The opportunity came after Hockey Saskatchewan invited communities in the region to submit proposals to host the annual event. Avonlea decided to try again after a previous attempt fell short and this time, the town was selected.
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“Once we found out we got it, people really focused up and started planning the best event we thought we could put together,” said Nick Petruic, a member of the Avonlea Hockey Day committee.
Planning began in the spring, bringing together Avonlea’s minor hockey board, rink board and a growing group of volunteers. Petruic said the decision to apply again came down to the confidence in the community’s ability to deliver.
“We’ve always punched above our weight as a community,” he said. “We might be small, but when we commit to something, people show up.”
Community members add their names to a Hockey Day in Saskatchewan sign inside the Avonlea rink as the town prepares to host the multi-day event. (Nick Petruic/Submitted)
That commitment extends beyond organizing schedules and sponsorships. Petruic said generosity from local businesses and residents made the event possible, both financially and through volunteer hours.
“Time is the most valuable resource people have,” he said. “The fact that people were willing to give so much of it tells you everything about this community.”
While organizers worked behind the scenes, the workload at ice level falls largely to Tyler Eason, the caretaker at the Avonlea Memorial rink and his crew. Eason said the job already involves long hours on a typical weekend, balancing floods, scrapes and ice adjustments for different age groups.
“Hockey Day just ramps everything up,” Eason said. “You want to give the kids the best ice you can, especially when you’ve got a warm weekend and a packed schedule.”
Eason expects to put in roughly 12-hour days through the event, keeping the ice in game shape for youth hockey, senior games and multiple AAA matchups. He also referees games when needed, sometimes stepping straight off the ice and into the Zamboni.
“It might look like it’s just me driving around in circles,” he said. “But it takes a whole community to run the rink.”
Volunteers decorate the Avonlea rink with balloons and signage ahead of Hockey Day in Saskatchewan, which brought multiple days of hockey and community events to town. (Nick Petruic/Submitted)
Saturday serves as the centrepiece of Hockey Day, starting with a U11 game before rolling into three AAA contests. The slate includes three AAA games: the Pat Canadians facing the Notre Dame Hounds, the Regina Rebels girls taking on Notre Dame’s girls and the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors playing the Saskatoon Contacts.
Off the ice, the day will include a brisket supper and a family dance, adding to what Petruic described as an experience designed to stick with local kids.
“We want them to remember this for the rest of their lives,” he said. “It shows what can happen when a community comes together for something bigger than themselves.”
A Hockey Day in Saskatchewan Avonlea 2026 cup sits on a table inside the rink as preparations continue for the weekend’s events. (Nick Petruic/Submitted)
