The Community of Goderich is in the running to be Kraft Hockeyville 2012.  As fellow members of WOAA, they are looking for our support.  For more information about their bid and to show your support, visit their website at http://goderichminorhockey.ca/Pages/3453/Hockeyville/.

Good luck Goderich!

Goderich is in the running to be Kraft Hockeyville 2012!

1. Click on the following link: http://krafthockeyville.cbc.ca/community/album/aid/8246 to go to the Maitland Rec Center page.

2. Sign in. You can "Connect via Facebook" or join using your email address. Wait until the page reloads and you see "Welcome "Your Name" on the upper right hand side of the page (may take up to 30 seconds)

3. Click on "Join Us" to become a member supporting the Goderich bid. You will know you have joined our community when a "Go to my Community" link appears on the upper right hand portion of the page.

4. Upload a story or picture which displays your passion for hockey in Goderich (optional).

You may know Goderich as “Canada’s Prettiest Town”; a picturesque community on the shores of Lake Huron which swells with tourists during the summer months. You may have seen Goderich on the national news this summer when a devastating tornado ripped through the heart of our community, cutting a swathe through our historic downtown and destroying many homes. What you may not know is that every fall, when the tourists have departed and the beaches close, this town of 8,000 becomes Hockeyville.

After the F3 tornado landed on a quiet Sunday afternoon in late August, Goderich was in shock. It was the worst tornado to hit Ontario in 16 years, causing an estimated $100 million in damage. The arenas became command posts and emergency shelters. Hundreds were homeless, a majority of the local businesses were damaged or destroyed and many found themselves instantly unemployed. The minor hockey executive wondered…should we delay tryouts? Absolutely NOT, was the unanimous response of the town’s residents. Despite the destruction, the state of emergency and the clean-up efforts, within days the children of Goderich were on the ice preparing for the upcoming season. And the children gave back, donning their hockey jerseys to canvass homes in a bottle drive that raised over $5,000 for the Goderich & Area Disaster Relief Fund.

Goderich has a major claim to fame in minor hockey history. It is here that the first ever PeeWee hockey tournament in the world, Young Canada Week, was played in 1950. Each spring since, the YCW has attracted teams from across North America and many young players have travelled through Goderich on their way to the NHL. It is still the premier PeeWee hockey tournament in Ontario and 48 teams compete annually in multiple divisions. For one week each March, the population of Goderich doubles as thousands of people are welcomed into our small town to participate in or witness the competition. The entire community supports this event which is organized by the Lion’s Club. For 62 years, the people of Goderich have volunteered long hours, billeted players, provided hot meals and filled the stands at every game to cheer on all the children. Remember to thank Goderich for starting it all the next time your young player enjoys participating in a minor hockey tournament.

During the winter months Goderich is hockey mad. The Kinsmen sponsor a hockey pool to raise funds for minor hockey and the town eagerly scans the newspaper each week to see who is leading in the standings. Everyone seems to support a different NHL team and talk is often a friendly ribbing about whose favourite won the last game. Every business supports the minor hockey organization in some fashion: with arena advertising, as a team sponsor or with prize donations for the annual fundraising raffle. Our arenas are packed each weekend as fans come out to watch the town’s biggest entertainment draws: the Senior A Pirates, the Junior C Sailors or the minor hockey Sailors and Sailorettes.

Living in isolated, small town Ontario, our minor hockey teams travel long distances, through some wicked winter weather, in their quest to play the game. Everyone has stories of blindly navigating through one of the inevitable white-outs that blow in off the lake. Still, it doesn’t matter what the Weather Network is predicting; if the roads are open the game will go on. Players, coaches, parents and fans will risk getting snow-stayed far from home but they won’t miss their hockey! When our PeeWee AE team recently won a coveted regional Silver Stick competition word spread quickly. By the time the team arrived home a few hours later, businesses had posted signs of congratulations and the town’s fire truck was on hand, ready to take the players on a victory lap around the town square. Perhaps this is why the OMHA ranked Goderich as one of the top 10 centers in which to play minor hockey.

Goderich loves its hockey and epitomizes community spirit.

GODERICH IS KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2012!