Revelstoke Minor Hockey has almost 40 Novice skaters this year, up from the usual 10-15 for the first time in many years.
“Now they can stay in town and play instead of travelling,” said Matt Cameron, president of the minor hockey association.
The kids have done most of the recruiting themselves Cameron added.
“We should give the kids bonuses,” Clark Traverse, one of the Novice coaches, agreed.
And new this year the club bought a few sets of gear so kids could try the sport before their parents forked out the money for equipment.
With the added Novice teams as well as an Initiation, Atom and PeeWee team the arena is a busy place on Wednesday evenings.
There is a long history of minor hockey in Revelstoke. Registration numbers boomed when the dam was being built and have tapered off since then. There hasn’t been a Bantam or a Midget team in town for a few years, with players having to travel out of town to play.
All of the teams are co-ed, though there is only five or so girls playing at the moment.
Another feature that keeps the kids coming back is that the club has downsized the ice for the Novice and Initiation teams, they play on half the rink instead of the full rink and with smaller nets as well as lighter pucks.
Not signed up yet? Cameron said there is still time to join the team.
