I don’t think Elmira Sugar King President Laurie Wittie was wearing a smartwatch over the Showcase weekend, but if she was no one in the Woolwich Memorial Centre would have had more steps than her. She and her team of volunteers hosted an incredible weekend of hockey, something Laurie said was important for them. “We have a long history of junior hockey since 1971. We are very proud of our organization, we have a great facility, and it was truly an honour to host. We appreciated the opportunity to welcome everyone so they could see what our community is all about and to showcase this level of junior hockey to our fans.” She added that is what is really important to the team as they try and grow their fan base. “I feel we were able to achieve that. We had some good draw from the other conferences as well,” she added.
Wittie said there was a tremendous feeling of comradery throughout the weekend and every team was there for the same reason – to promote the league and its players. “That’s what we are all here for. I only heard praise and congratulations from the teams on hosting the event including from teams I don’t know well from outside of our conference. They were very impressed with the facility.” She explained they came up with a few extras to help teams stay organized over the weekend. “We set up a dedicated area for trainers with a skate sharpening machine along with a therapy table along with having water and Gatorade ready to go.”
Like so many GOJHL teams the Sugar Kings have a very strong volunteer base, something Wittie said was very evident at the Showcase. “They dedicated a great deal of time throughout the weekend, and we had a lot of support from the township and the facility staff. They were fantastic, and very accommodating every day.”
An important part of the Showcase is to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience for the dozens of scouts on hand to recruit players to the next levels of hockey. Wittie said a local catering company made sure they were well taken care of. “We used Smokin Q from right here in Elmira. They deserve a huge shout out and the home-cooked meals were fantastic, and everyone was very happy,” said Wittie.
Interim GOJHL Commissioner Tim Simmons said the weekend highlighted the strength of the league both on and off the ice. “The Sugar Kings executive and volunteers are an example of just how incredible our teams are. The people behind the scenes work so hard day in and day out which is so important when it comes to keeping the quality of play high on the ice. I want to thank Elmira for being such great hosts for the weekend.” A total of 2,400 fans and 60 scouts attended the three-day Showcase.
