Achi news desk-
Star Wars characters took over Winsport on Saturday to celebrate May the Fourth.
Although it wasn’t the snowy planet of Hoth, the ice surface was filled with kids wearing themed shirts for the Star Wars Classic.
May 4th has become a tradition among Star Wars fans to celebrate a galaxy far, far away. The date is a play on the words of the iconic phrase, “May the force be with you.”
The annual tournament, hosted by the AMP Youth Hockey Development Programme, brought together 140 children for three-on-three games.
“We have Chewbacca, we have Darth Vader, all the characters, and we bring the characters out on the ice to celebrate with the kids,” said Patrick Breault, director of hockey operations at AMP.
“It’s a really fun way to do three-on-three hockey, which we do throughout the year. But May the Fourth is a special Star Wars weekend for the kids.”
There were three sections of youth teams, under 7, U9 and U11. The divisions were divided into four teams, named after Star Wars characters: Stormtroopers, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and Darth Vader.
Breault said the event adds a little excitement for the kids, outside of their normal drills and routines.
“They still get to play hockey. And sometimes they even play a little more competitively,” he said.
The play-off round will run on Sunday, with the winners picking up Star Wars-themed trophies.
Some of the parents even hit the ice as part of the celebrations, trying sledge hockey with the children.
“We have a good connection with sled hockey and try to develop that program. So this is also a great connection for sled hockey and Star Wars,” Breault said.
With files from Tyler Barrow CTV News Calgary
