The 27th Annual Atlantic Challenge Cup kicks-off today in Moncton, with gameplay through to Sunday night. This popular tournament brings together the top players from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador in the male U-14 and U-15, and female U-14 and U-16 categories. More than 400 players, staff, and officials take part in this event every year.
Amherst’s location means that a number of Newfoundland and Labrador participants travel through our area after landing in Halifax and driving to Moncton. We reached out to the U-14 and U-16 female teams and extended a warm Amherst welcome.
Because these players live in every corner of Newfoundland and Labrador, they rarely (if ever) have an opportunity to practice together. They were provided with free ice time at the Amherst Stadium this past Wednesday and Thursday nights, to practice all under the same roof before the start of the tournament.
Female players gather in full gear for an on-ice group photo, as pictured on the Female Hockey Newfoundland website.
These two teams and their accompanying family members stayed in Amherst hotels for two nights; they ate at our restaurants and shopped in our stores. It was our pleasure to serve them and help create a memorable experience.
Feedback was extremely positive. Players and their families were very appreciative of this gesture and the opportunity it provided. Many comments were received about the cleanliness and well-kept nature of the stadium, and lots of parents shared how much they enjoyed exploring around downtown and throughout our area.
In addition to the immediate economic benefits of this recent visit, these visitors are going to share their stories about staying in our town, and spread the word throughout Atlantic Canada. This type of exposure is valuable, and it’s something we want to create more of.
Seeking out more opportunities to provide a few hours of free ice time will repeat this process of injecting dollars into our community’s businesses, while helping create positive chatter about Amherst. It’s an investment that we’re happy to continue building upon.
