WATCH: Minor hockey, major fun

The Prince Rupert Rampage hit the ice again last Friday. This time though their competition was a tad less intense, as they faced off for fun against the local Timbits hockey kids.

The scrimmage was preceded by a practice where members of the team skated around the ice assisting kids with different fundamentals of the game. This more often that not involved them helping a future star up off the ice after a spill. The Timbits did indeed manage to get up each time though, gaining an early lesson in resiliency.

AJ Movold is a coach with Prince Rupert minor hockey’s Peewee House and IP 2 leagues, the latter of which being the learn to play league that was on the ice Friday. Now in his third year of coaching, Movold explains what he likes to emphasize for kids just starting out in the sport.

“Fair gameplay, everybody gets to play, and everybody’s a team player,” he said. “Go out and have fun, that’s the best thing about hockey.”

“We’re a small little town with a hockey problem,” Movold joked about the high minor hockey participation rate in Prince Rupert. “We’ve got some new tools for the little kids right up to the big ones, so it’ll be fun to see what happens,” Movold went on to say about some of the coaching plans he has for this season.

Like much of the town, Movold is also excited for the arrival of Hometown Hockey in December, one he thinks will only boost interest in the sport further. “That is going to be such an awesome experience for the kids, and for the whole town,” Movold said.

The minor hockey season is now in full swing, with daily practices taking place among the several different leagues.