More opportunities are ahead in the 2018-2019 season for young hockey players to get involved with the sport in the Estevan Minor Hockey Association. 

It was announced earlier this week that the EMHA is moving forward with adding a Novice Female squad for the upcoming season.

"Last year, the Novice program had roughly about 20-22 girls in the novice age, and this year we're anticipating between 15 and 17ish. We're just trying to put a focus on developing female hockey at the youngest age possible," stated Chris Hammett, the new appointed Junior Female Director for the program.

"They had a team set up and they practiced once a week on Mondays, and then they just went to a few tournaments and just tried to get some pickup games. So we're actually trying to develop a novice girls program now where we're actually going to have three ice times a week. We're going to have a couple skill sessions during the week with practices and working on skills, and then on the weekends we're going to try and line up games with surrounding areas."

He added that female minor hockey numbers in the EMHA have generally been good, but they hope to give those stats a boost by offering the sport at an even younger age.

Hammett himself brings quite a bit of hockey background, including SJHL with the Estevan Bruins, to the new role, and hopes to get his own daughters engaged as well. With the popularity of female hockey increasing rapidly, they aim to capitalize on the growth and encourage it here in the Energy City.