Canada’s biggest ringette tournament is back in Calgary for its 34th year.
The Esso Golden Ring will see 340 games played over the weekend, with many of the country’s top ringette players taking to the ice.
It’s also where many elite athletes got their start.
Six-year-old Maddison Piercey has already been playing ringette for two years, inspired by her older half-sister, Kailey.
“She’s taller than me and works harder than me,” Maddison said. “We’re still learning how to pass far and how to shoot rings.”
“When I was Maddie’s age, four or five, I started ringette and fell in love with it,” Kailey added. “The last two years have been great. I love that she adapted to something I love doing and hope she keeps it up.”
Kailey Piercey will also be one of the busiest people on the ice this weekend.
She’s playing, coaching, and keeping tabs on other younger teams, all while following in the steps of her mom, Sue, who also played in the Golden Ring tournament.
“When I started there was probably just a handful of teams at the Esso,” Sue Piercey said.
In the years since, the tournament has exploded.
“We’ve got 173 teams competing, we’ve got 340 games, that translates to about 450 hours of ice over three days,” tournament co-chair Kate Coolidge noted. “We have almost 2,500 players and 1,000 coaches.”
The highlight of the tournament could be the matchup between the Calgary Rath and Manitoba Intact of the National Ringette League.
The squads face off at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at the North East Sportsplex, with championship games on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at North East Sportsplex, Village Square, Murray Copot, East Twin, and Henry Viney arenas.
The tournament runs until Sunday, marking the start of the competitive ringette season.
Those involved say the Golden Ring’s impact is felt year-round.
“It just keeps going from generation to generation,” Kailey said. “I hope it does for a lot of families.”
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