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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 current coaching coordinator, opened those historic doors every September the same way he did 25 years ago.
He was a defenceman for the BCHL含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淲e tell today含羞草研究社檚 kids about our glory days at the rink,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 minor hockey association functional. Half of those people, they said, grew up in the South Okanagan and once played for the association themselves.
It含羞草研究社檚 not uncommon to see a grandfather coaching his grandson, as a result.
含羞草研究社淚t takes a whole group of people to make this happen,含羞草研究社� Gatenby added. 含羞草研究社淔rom coaches and safety people to coordinators and managers含羞草研究社here含羞草研究社檚 a lot that goes into this and it含羞草研究社檚 quite intensive.含羞草研究社�
A new minor hockey season in Penticton doesn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檛 always happen in the name of loving hockey.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to give these kids a positive environment to not only develop as players but as people, too,含羞草研究社� Wild said. 含羞草研究社淕iving the kids an avenue to be on the team and create bonds, friendships, and memories.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 what it含羞草研究社檚 all about.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a long history of hockey and community here,含羞草研究社� Wild said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 those things that benefit you for the rest of your life.含羞草研究社�
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 含羞草研究社渕assive含羞草研究社� growth over the last five years.
As of January 2024, there are around 10 female teams. In 2015, there were only four.
含羞草研究社淎 lot of people are doing a lot of work on the female side,含羞草研究社� Gatenby said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 becoming more popular and it含羞草研究社檚 growing the game even more in Penticton.含羞草研究社�
