The Cambridge Ice Hounds will welcome teams from Hamilton, St. Catharines and Rochester, NY for their second Friendship Festival at Galt Arena Gardens on Saturday.
The festivities, which get underway at 9 a.m. and run until 5 p.m., represent an opportunity for players and families to reconnect over a fun filled day of hockey.
“We wanted to find a chance to create connections,” said Cam Linwood, head coach of the Ice Hounds.
“This is one of those events we circle on our calendar. One of the great things about special hockey is the community that exists within it. It’s a great opportunity for families to sit back and watch their kids succeed on the ice.”
The Ice Hounds are a program offered to children and adults with physical or developmental disabilities. They hit the ice every Saturday afternoon from October to March.
It won’t be the first time these teams have met on the ice. The Ice Hounds head to Niagara yearly to take part in a similar style of tournament and typically close out their season with a trip to Rochester.
Being the host of the event, Linwood is excited to showcase all the community has to offer and put on an exciting day for the players, families and people of Cambridge.
“It’s a chance to see some great hockey that will leave a smile on everyone's face,” Linwood said.
“It’s a free event that we want the community to come and experience. People can drop in for an hour or for the day.”
Games will be running throughout the day. Beyond the traditional games, there’s a young stars activity at noon where the Ice Hounds learn-to-skate athletes get the chance to do hockey related activities on the ice.
At 1 p.m. the senior Ice Hounds will play a pond hockey style mixed game where all the teams are combined.
“This is my 16th season being involved with the Ice Hounds program and from my perspective it's a chance to provide our athletes with an experience that a lot of hockey organizations get and to showcase what they've done this year,” Linwood said.
“We get to show what special hockey is in this community and demonstrate how great they've all become.”
For more information on the Cambridge Ice Hounds visit cambridgeicehounds.ca.