Minor hockey tournament in Cole Harbour re-emerges from COVID restrictions
Joe Lamontagne Memorial Hockey Tournament scrubbed for the last 2 years
The Joe Lamontagne Memorial Hockey Tournament is back.
Two years ago this week, the 39th edition of the tournament had to be scrubbed at the last minute in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was wiped out again last year.
But not this year.
"It's really fantastic to have it back and it chokes me up just talking about it," said tournament chairman Jeff McPhee. "The cancellation two years ago came on the eve of the kickoff of the tournament."
This year's event began on March 12 and runs until March 20.
With so many restrictions in place last year, the tournament committee cancelled the tournament. Even this year's tournament was in doubt until late February.
McPhee said the province's decision to begin the second phase of reopening on March 7 instead of March 14 "was huge for us."
"That was a big relief because then we knew that all our hard work and efforts weren't going to go to waste for another year."
The tournament is one of the biggest in Atlantic Canada.
A total of 156 teams compete in several divisions spread out over nine days of play. With nearly 3,000 hockey players and coaches taking part, it's a big week for hotels and restaurants in the area.
"Our kids are just having a great time," said Adam Churchill, the coach of the Yarmouth Mariners U-13A team.
"It was two years almost to the day when we were planning our trip to this tournament and hockey got shut down so, for some of our kids, it's their first time playing in a big tournament like this."
Public health protocols still in place
Organizers are still being careful about COVID-19 protocols.
The number of people allowed in the stands to watch games is limited. Everyone must wear a mask while they are in the building.
"Teams are only allowed to come into the building 30 minutes before game time," said McPhee. "Spectators can only enter five minutes before the game starts and must exit the stands before the next games [that] fans are allowed to enter."
An even bigger minor hockey tournament will be played in several Halifax area arenas later this month when the SEDMHA tournament begins.