City hosts first hockey event at Menard Ice Arena

To help celebrate the opening of the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex and the Curt C Menard II Ice Arena and benefit the United Way of Mat-Su, the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, the City of Wasilla and the United Way of Mat-Su hosted the Iditarod Days Hockey Classic earlier this month.

The first annual pucks event featured eight teams in two different age divisions. Athletes competed in the men over 25 and men over 40 brackets. The event was not only the first Iditarod Days Hockey Classic, but the first hockey event to be held at the Menard Ice Arena, since the opening of the sports complex.

In championship action of the event, the Grizzlies of Anchorage defeated the Mat-Su Thunder in the over 25 division and the Old Timers of Anchorage skated past the Mat-Su Fighting Ptarmigan in the over 40 division.

In addition to the games, the event also featured a skills competition. Daryl McKenzie, a member of the Mat-Su Thunder and also the assistant coach of the Palmer High varsity hockey squad, earned fastest skater honors; Greg Urban of the Grizzlies blasted the hardest shot; Chris Faeo of the Mat-Su Thunder recorded the most saves in the goaltender competition and Bill Sturdevant scored a win in the shooting accuracy competition.

All proceeds from the event will go to the United Way of Mat-Su, a nonprofit health and human services agency. Sponsors of the event included MTA, Spinell Homes, Subway, Windbreak Cafe, North Star Multimedia and the

Frontiersman.

Organizers are already planning to host the event next year.

The Menard Ice Arena is a 2,000 seat facility that will host hockey teams ranging from youth to adult in the future.