14 teams compete at Waseca jamboree

The Waseca boys’ hockey jamboree was a great success this past Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29. From 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Waseca’s Community Arena had two games going on at a time.

Fourteen 8U and “mite” teams from around the area took part in the jamboree. Austin had three teams; Northfield, Waseca, and Minnesota River/Le Center each fielded two teams. Other schools that participated were Farmington, Lakeville, New Prague, New Ulm, and Owatonna. Some teams were all boys, some included both girls and boys.

The ice was split in half with a barrier to allow two games to be played at once. Teams played 20-minute periods of hockey with a few minutes of break in between, totaling about 45 minutes on the ice. Unlike typical games, the clock kept rolling with the line change every few minutes at the whistle.

Some teams didn’t have a goalie. In place of a goalie were two tires, one laid down on its side in front of the net and another standing.

During the noon hour on Saturday, all fourteen teams in the jamboree participated in a penguin slide competition.

During the games was a silent auction with various sports memorabilia on display by Universal Sports Auctions. Items ranged from a signed Kirill Kaprizov Minnesota Wild jersey to a portrait of Minnesota Vikings legend Fran Tarkenton.

It was a great day to celebrate the kids’ love for the sport and to further cement Minnesota’s standing as a leader in the sport.