EDMONTON – Dozens of kids, their families and a few famous faces braved the cold temperatures in north Edmonton Saturday afternoon for an old fashioned game of shinny.
“We’re playing hockey,” said Tristan Cale, “with Hall and Eberle.”
The 12-year-old was among a group of people celebrating the grand reopening of the Beacon Heights community rink.
Edmonton Oilers Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall were on hand for the ceremony and took the ice for an outdoor game with the kids, something Hall says practically every player did when they were younger.
“In Canada, this is where hockey players are bred. I know I got better at hockey by playing outdoors and just playing free,” he said. “It’s great to get out there with the kids… as long as kids have fun, I think that’s the best part.”
Many of the kids at the rink Saturday wore Oilers’ jerseys. Cale wore Hall’s name on his back, a player he admires for “his speed and how he scores a lot.”
“One of my birthday presents was an Oilers game and he got a hat trick,” Cale added.
“It’s weird,” Hall said with a smile. “When I was a kid I was wearing Jarome Iginla’s jersey, guys like that. I always looked up to players… So it’s very flattering.”
Beacon Heights’ old rink, which was about 50 years old, was demolished by community members in September when the new one was announced.
READ MORE: Northeast Edmonton communities to get new outdoor rinks
The outdoor rink, along with another new one in Beverly Heights, was funded through a partnership between the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) and the Hockey Canada Foundation (HCF).
Each organization contributed $230,000 to the project, in hopes of providing kids the opportunity to learn and play Canada’s game.
“It’s incredible,” said Richard Wong, chairman of the EOCF board. “When you’re talking about community building, about place, this is what really binds the community together.”
“To have things like this come in and have a brand new facility built – tremendous. Absolutely tremendous,” added Beacon Heights Community League President Mark Stephenson. “Just a fantastic opportunity for the kids in this neighbourhood.”
It’s an ideal that’s shared with the pros and kids, too.
“We saw the importance of this rink to the community,” Hall said. “So for a rink like this to be put up is great for the kids, great for the community, and I can already tell that everyone’s excited about it.”
Because he lives just a couple blocks away from the rink, Cale says he’ll likely be playing hockey everyday, in hopes of one day following in Hall’s footsteps.
“You get practice and practice makes perfect,” he said. “I’d like to play in the NHL.”
Re-development of the Beverly Heights’ community rink is set to begin next spring.
With files from Shannon Greer, Global News.
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