BOW VALLEY – The playoffs are coming up for the Rundle Women’s Hockey League (RWHL), and organizers are looking to expand the community-driven league after an “overwhelming amount of positive feedback.”
The local four-team league, consisting of the Banff Vixens, Banff Shrews, Canmore Jills, and Canmore Minks vie for the 2019-20 Rundle Cup at Banff Fenlands arena beginning Friday night (March 13) at 7 p.m. with the top two squads facing off in the final Saturday (March 14) at 4:15 p.m.
RWHL organizer and Vixens centre, Karli Fleury, said the league was created last year after Banff’s drop-in hockey games starting having a high-number of women show up.
“Everyone was really interested [in starting a league],” said Fleury. “We actually were turning people away … we just wanted each team to have three lines, we didn’t want it any bigger than that [for the inaugural season].”
However, as RWHL’s inaugural season progressed, a growing demand from local women wanting in on the action has given organizers reason to believe they’re ready to grow next season from four teams to six teams.
“We’ve had an overwhelming amount of positive feedback,” Fleury said. “We’re inclusive and community-based and it’s been really great … we did a good job dividing up players and skill levels, it’s a great balance of beginners and experts.”
She added RWHL is a mix of competitive action and fun socialising.
Fleury, along with RWHL organizers Penny Lawless and Brittany Laidman, started the league, which currently has 64 women, mostly from the Bow Valley area, and aged between 24-67.
To divide up players, organizers held a draft and assigned players to teams as evenly as possible prior to puck drop of the 15-game season. All games have been played at Banff Fenlands.
The first-place Vixens are the favourites to claim the inaugural Rundle Cup at the two-day playoffs tournament, which starts at 7 p.m. on March 13. The league’s games are open to the public to watch.
For more information about the league or playoffs, visit the Facebook group Rundle Women’s Hockey League, or email [email protected].
Jordan Small, RMOToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @jordiesmall
