After a lengthy absence, organized roller hockey is returning to Abbotsford.
The brand-new Abby Roller Hockey league launched an Instagram account earlier this week and announced all boys and girls from ages seven to 18 are welcome to participate.
Games occurs on Thursday’s at the Ag-Rec Building (32470 Haida Dr.) between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. The season is scheduled to begin on April 6 and runs until June 23.
Players will be divided into four age divisions: 7 to 9, 10 to 12, 13 to 15 and 16 to 18. Games will be five-on-five and consist of two 25-minute run-time periods. Play will stop every 90 seconds for line changes and substitutions are not allowed on the fly. All players must wear in-line skates except for goalies. Games are played with the traditional orange ball.
Registration fees include all 12 regular season games, at least one playoff game and a team jersey. There is also an early bird special that offers a $50 discount running until March 1.
Those interested can register online at abbyrollerhockey.com or in-person at Sports Zone in Abbotsford, which is located at 33147 South Fraser Way.
League organizer Mike Nolan stated that he wanted to bring the sport back to Abbotsford and the surrounding communities.
“I noticed how expensive on-ice is and that’s why I wanted to join to bring affordable hockey to everyone in the Fraser Valley,” he said.
Nolan added that he recently retired from playing professional hockey overseas and continues to do some on-ice training. He said there were plans to get the league going earlier, but the Ag-Rec Building was unavailable due to its role as a COVID-19 vaccination site.
Previously, the Abbotsford Ag-Rec Roller Hockey League did run for several years, but last hosted games in 2014. There are also roller hockey leagues in Chilliwack and Langley.
For more information on the league, visit abbyrollerhockey.com.