Jason Wild walks through the doors of Memorial Arena holding two equipment-filled hockey bags, with summer in the rearview mirror and winter that much closer.
It乌鸦传媒檚 the start of a fresh season at the Penticton Minor Hockey Association and a new beginning for more than 475 local youth.
Wild, the association乌鸦传媒檚 current coaching coordinator, opened those historic doors every September the same way he did 25 years ago.
He was a defenceman for the BCHL乌鸦传媒檚 Penticton Panthers, playing alongside future NHLer Duncan Keith.
Before that, he laced his skates inside the Memorial Arena dressing rooms and threw on one of his hometown PHMA sweaters.
乌鸦传媒淲e tell today乌鸦传媒檚 kids about our glory days at the rink,乌鸦传媒� Wild said with a laugh, referring to his longtime friend and current association president Kiel Gatenby, another former Panther and PMHA alumni.
Gatenby and Wild represent two of the more than 250 volunteers in Penticton today who help keep the city乌鸦传媒檚 minor hockey association functional. Half of those people, they said, grew up in the South Okanagan and once played for the association themselves.
It乌鸦传媒檚 not uncommon to see a grandfather coaching his grandson, as a result.
乌鸦传媒淚t takes a whole group of people to make this happen,乌鸦传媒� Gatenby added. 乌鸦传媒淔rom coaches and safety people to coordinators and managers乌鸦传媒here乌鸦传媒檚 a lot that goes into this and it乌鸦传媒檚 quite intensive.乌鸦传媒�
A new minor hockey season in Penticton doesn乌鸦传媒檛 start without all that work. There are meetings to attend and ice time to schedule, even through the summer months.
Every minute of it is worth it, they said. And it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 always happen in the name of loving hockey.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e trying to give these kids a positive environment to not only develop as players but as people, too,乌鸦传媒� Wild said. 乌鸦传媒淕iving the kids an avenue to be on the team and create bonds, friendships, and memories.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 what it乌鸦传媒檚 all about.乌鸦传媒�
Gatenby and Wild lived through it as local players themselves. They recalled their own PMHA coaches in the 1990s helping shape who they are as people today.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 a long history of hockey and community here,乌鸦传媒� Wild said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 those things that benefit you for the rest of your life.乌鸦传媒�
Enrollment for the 2023-24 PHMA season is up from the year before. Around 475 players suit up across 26 teams.
Gatenby and Wild said the association is continuing to thrive. After all, a Penticton without minor hockey is almost unthinkable, they agreed.
The female division, though, is where PHMA has seen 乌鸦传媒渕assive乌鸦传媒� growth over the last five years.
As of January 2024, there are around 10 female teams. In 2015, there were only four.
乌鸦传媒淎 lot of people are doing a lot of work on the female side,乌鸦传媒� Gatenby said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 becoming more popular and it乌鸦传媒檚 growing the game even more in Penticton.乌鸦传媒�
