The Atom C White Clippers got a boost on Tuesday, January 21 when a trio of Manitoba Moose crashed their practice skate at the Ste. Agathe arena. The initiative is part of the club’s Community Practice Series.
The three Moose players were Logan Shaw, Cole Maier, and Logan Stanley. The team’s head coach, Kevin Boone, ran the practice as normal, with Shaw and Maier participating and encouraging the kids, who are between nine and ten years of age.
Although Stanley did not skate, he was present on the bench and was available to sign autographs after the practice.
“The Community Practice Series gives youth hockey players from six minor hockey teams in the Winnipeg area the chance to get on the ice with the Moose,” read a press release from the Moose. “Groups of Moose players attend each team’s practice to assist coaches with drills, help players with skills, and sign autographs following the skate.”
The Moose also sent players to five other community arenas that day to practice with minor hockey teams from around the province, including the River East Royals 9A1 Grey (Gateway Arena), the St. Vital Chill Red Atom A1 (Dakota Arena), the East St. Paul Crushers (East St. Paul Arena), the Grunthal Redwings Peewee B&C (Grunthal Arena), and the Rockets Peewee A2 White (Kirkfield Westwood).
All six winning teams were drawn from a total of 145 contest entries.
“In order to apply, you had to have available ice time on January 21,” says Noelle Strain, parent and manager of the Atom C White Clippers. “I checked our schedule before I entered and it just happened that we had ice that day and during the hours they needed. So I entered the contest for our team, never thinking that we had a chance of winning or that the Moose would travel out here to see us.”
However, the good news came a week before the event was scheduled to take place: the team had been selected.
She says that the players came upstairs after the practice to meet fans and sign autographs. Everyone in the community was welcome to come and watch that day’s practice and meet the visiting Moose.
