The Outdoor Hockey League (OHL) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. From its humble beginnings in a Regina classroom to a league which is now spread across Saskatchewan, the OHL allows all youth the opportunity to play hockey by removing the financial barriers. Over the next several weeks we will be highlighting stories from volunteers, former players, and the media over the past 20 years. Please tune in weekly for a little piece of hockey history.
In 1992, Ranch Ehrlo teacher Russ Matthews and his students decided to collected hockey equipment as part of a class project. They were going to give the used donations to children whose families couldn’t afford it prior to Christmas.
They had drop-off barrels in all the rinks in Regina so that people could donate their used items. The Ranch students then polished the old skates, replaced worn laces, and mended torn items. The distribution of the equipment to kids in the inner-city community became known as Dress a Champion.
Back in the early 90’s there used to be a Dress a Champion Day on a Saturday in December where hundreds of people would line up to get hockey gear for the kids. Over 100 volunteers would be on hand to help dress players, sharpen skates, and tape sticks. Most of the kids would head over to the local rink after receiving their equipment, which would kick off the start of the outdoor hockey.
“They would walk into that school and walk out a hockey player. A hundred kids would be playing hockey on the local rink that day and from then on in the season the rink is alive,” commented Dress a Champion founder Russ Matthews.
In the first year the event dressed over 400 kids. So many people came that they decided to do the project the next year. And the next and the next.
Volunteers are still dressing a champion today and the program has grown to include the Sport Venture Library where individuals and groups can not only rent hockey equipment but all sports equipment.
We are now accepting registrations for the 2012-2013 season. Click here
2012-13 Regina OHL locations, dates, and times: Click here
