Minor hockey association in Carmacks gets a boost by joining Hockey Yukon

The Carmacks Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) has been active for less than a year but earlier this month it hit a major milestone.

The organization in Carmacks, Yukon, is the newest member of the territory's sport governing body for amateur hockey, Hockey Yukon. It joins Dawson City, Haines Junction, Watson Lake and Whitehorse as members.

CMHA president George Skookum said it's an exciting time for his association, and the community. He said being part of Hockey Yukon will open up opportunities for the community's young up-and-coming hockey players.

"It's very empowering," Skookum said. "The kids have an opportunity to be a part of Yukon championships, which is time to spend playing hockey with other kids in other communities.

"Also opportunity to get recognized, to get scouted. There's just opportunity for kids to travel that never leave the community."

Skookum said joining Hockey Yukon was a year in the making, but it took much longer to get the CMHA up and running.

"It's been a long time since we had an association," he told CBC News. According to Skookum it has been since 1997.

"We didn't really have the facility to make things happen," he said.

"There was an outdoor, covered rink. It was very tough to get anything going because of weather, so we never really pursued anything. It just wasn't safe conditions for the kids."

Things changed with the opening of the community's new recreation centre in March. The facility includes an arena.

Hockey coach Justin Lachance is with the CMHA. He said the new facility has been instrumental in creating a successful association.

"[It] allows us to hold the events to have minor hockey practices," Lachance said. "It's [an] amazing opportunity to have that rink built here."

Lachance said there are four people who sit on the CMHA board, and 26 young people who have started playing under the association's banner.

Lachance said becoming involved with Hockey Yukon offers a lot to Carmacks.

"An opportunity to be on a team, that development of life skills by just being on a team ... all of those are a plus for the organization, and for the community."

Skookum echoed Lachance. He said that growing up in Carmacks, he never had those same opportunities.

"Now it's at the doorstep for the kids today. In having that support in the community, funding-wise, and wonderful support by parents bringing their kids to practice, and coming to the meetings ... they recognize the effort is great, and knowing that there's something for the kids to do is more meaningful," he said.

Hockey Yukon's president Krista Strand said the orgnaization's entire board is excited to have another minor hockey association started.

"We always had a number of families travel back-and-forth from Carmacks to Whitehorse to play hockey," she told CBC News. "And now they have the opportunity to do it in their home community.

"The community of Carmacks  should be proud. They have worked a really long time to get an arena for their citizens and now they can start to provide regular programming such as hockey for their kids in their hometown."