Atlantic Canadian players hit the ice for weekend-long female hockey tournament in Dartmouth

A weekend-long hockey tournament that attracts teams from all across Atlantic Canada kicked off in Dartmouth, N.S., on Thursday.

The 2024 SEDMHA Female Minor Hockey Tournament involves 53 teams, with the age groups ranging from U11 to U18.

Trish Fader, chair of the SEDMHA tournament, said it's now into its tenth year and continues to grow in popularity.

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“We used to take weeks to fill up, sometimes close to a month, and this year we had the tournament fill up within hours and have an extensive waitlist,” said Fader.

“Female hockey has definitely grown over the years and girls are excited to come to this tournament.”

Hockey player Aly Legacy says she always looks forward to hitting the ice with teammates.

“It’s really fun and … I really love being on the ice and having a lot of friends playing, too,” said Legacy.

Blair Vanoirschot is an assistant coach of one of the teams. He says it’s great to see how much the tournament has grown over the last decade.

“With it growing so much in all the areas, Halifax, up to Sydney and down to the Valley, and playing teams from New Brunswick and P.E.I., … it’s really good to see so many different teams,” he said.

“The girls love to get away. As a team, it gives them that opportunity to bond early on in the year … and they walk away from it as a great experience,” said Fader.

The tournament is being held at the new RBC Centre in Burnside.

Championship games are Sunday at 2:45 p.m.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.