ESTEVAN — The largest recreation hockey tournament in the province is going to bring five days of entertaining games to Estevan and Bienfait.
The Estevan Strippers’ Molson Spring Bust Tournament will run from April 12-16 at Affinity Place, the Power Dodge Arena and the Bienfait Memorial Arena. Thirty-six teams will be entered between the tournament’s nine divisions.
The first four games will be played April 12, starting at 6 p.m. Additional contests start at 6 p.m. on April 13. The action ramps up with games at 3 p.m. on April 14 and 10 a.m. on April 15. The championship games for each division will begin at 10 a.m. on April 16. The final games are at 4 p.m. that day.
Steve Godfrey with the Strippers said roughly half of the teams are from out of town and will stay in local hotels, so the tournament carries a big economic spin-off.
“Everybody that comes in always stops and eats here, and it generates all of the revenue for not only the town but the Strippers, with the amount of work that the Strippers do and donate to local charities,” said Godfrey.
The tournament also features a strong social element. The Power Dodge Curling Centre will be the site for beer gardens each night. They run from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. the first two nights, 2 p.m.-2 a.m. on April 14 and 15, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. the final day.
The cabarets, which are a popular fixture of the tournament, will be held at the beer gardens April 14 and 15. DJ Dale Orsted will provide music during the first night, while the band Third Degree Birnz will play on the second night. They have performed at the cabaret in the past.
“Everybody knows what kind of stuff to expect,” said Godfrey. “They’re always current, plus they play some of the older rock-and-roll stuff and a little bit of country stuff, so everybody enjoys them, and we enjoy having them. They’re really helpful in terms of supporting the club.”
The support shown for the cabarets allows the Strippers to donate to a variety of organizations in the community, ranging from youth sports to family programs.
“It’s one of the biggest reasons we have this tournament, is to be able to give back to the community and support the community,” said Godfrey. “And the community really supports us in doing those things, so it’s really a two-way street.”
A Safe Ride Home program, sponsored by Baker Hughes, will be offered the nights of April 13-15.
Godfrey said he has received a lot of emails from people who are excited to come play hockey, enjoy the social element and attend the cabarets.
“Our guys are looking forward to hosting it again, so it’s looking pretty promising,” said Godfrey.
People are encouraged to drop by the rinks and watch what will be some good hockey, he said, but it’s always a lot of fun.
During the past few editions of the tournament, there was 40 teams, but they lost an over-40 division because of a scheduling conflict. Spring Bust is happening later than normal due to the timing of the Easter long weekend, so they are up against the start of the Regina Adult Safe League playoffs. Also, one team from last year doesn’t exist now and another team couldn’t get enough players.
Still, they have two divisions of women’s teams, three divisions of over-45 squads and four divisions of over-30 entries. Each division has four teams.
Despite the loss of four teams, Spring Bust remains the largest tournament of its kind in Saskatchewan.
“I haven’t seen one [that’s bigger], and if there was one in Saskatchewan, we would have attended it,” Godfrey said with a laugh.
Godfrey said they’re now working on last-minute details before the first game. It’s always a busy time in the weeks leading up to the tournament, as they need to get everything together, set up the Power Dodge Curling Centre, secure the prizes and make sure the teams are lined up.
