Over the past decade, female hockey registration in British Columbia has grown by over 50 percent. In celebration of girls’ hockey, the Vancouver Canucks, BC Hockey, and Hockey Canada present the annual Canucks Female Jamboree. This year, over 100 girls participated in the non-competitive event, held from March 25-27th at Burnaby 8 Rinks. The Jamboree offered a weekend of new friends and fun hockey to female minor hockey players between the ages of 5 and 13.

The Opening Ceremonies kicked off on Friday night with engaging guest speakers and team building games. After receiving their Jamboree jersey and meeting their teammates, the girls were treated to a warm welcome from the Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development. Tim Gilligan, coach of the Pacific Steelers also spoke. The Pacific Steelers volunteered during the event and offer a Junior program that prepares female players for college level hockey. The last speaker to share her experience is an example of female hockey at its best.

Gina Kingsbury, a two-time gold medal winning Olympian and member of the 2010 Canadian women’s hockey team, is a role model for young female athletes. Gina shared her story of becoming an Olympic level hockey player and encouraged the girls to pursue their goals. The Jamboree players were thrilled to ask Gina questions, hold her gold medals from Vancouver and Torino, and receive autographs from the Olympian.

Before the night was out, the teams regrouped to play some fun team building games. They untangled human knots, popped balloons and piggy-backed their way to the start of a great weekend, while Canucks mascot FIN cheered them on.

Over the next two days, each team played four games with a focus on fair play and development. The Vancouver Canucks, BC Hockey, and Hockey Canada would like to thank all participants for making the weekend a success. A special thank you also goes to the Pacific Steeler volunteers and Burnaby 8 Rinks for hosting the event.