Ashley Messier builds hockey legacy with sights on PWHL, Olympics
3h ago
Mark Messier is her distant cousin, but this Sask. hockey product is carving her own path.
The Saskatchewan government stepped up in a big way last week with $4 million for junior hockey teams.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League got $1 million to spread across the league to help teams keep the lights on whenever they’re allowed to play again.
The five Western Hockey League teams received $600,000 each. There was some concern about Swift Current and Prince Albert trying to stay in the WHL before COVID-19. And the government wasn’t about to pick and choose between the teams despite wealthy ownership groups in Regina and Saskatoon.
Now comes the what-about-me game. It happened quickly after the announcement and I’ll say it’s a fair game to play when you consider other industries hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions.
However, don’t say junior hockey didn’t deserve the help.
When you look at communities like Nipawin, Melfort, Melville, Kindersley etc., you know the SJHL teams play a role in the annual revenue of the town. Home games can drive dollars for hotels, restaurants, bars and the employees around the rink or the charitable groups linked to them.