Above: St. Albert and the Sturgeon Hockey Club Mustangs were two of the teams to hit the ice Thursday night.
by Stephen Dafoe
Twenty-eight years after Novice hockey player Dennis Blair Borduzak passed away, his memory is kept alive through a memorial tournament now in its 20th year. The annual 4 the Love of the Game Tournament skated off in Morinville and Legal Thursday afternoon, bringing together more than 300 players and 35 teams for a full weekend of hockey action.
Teams from as far away as Fort McMurray and Mayerthorpe are taking to the ice to pay homage to the game and the young man who loved it so.
Borduzak passed away following his Novice year of hockey in 1989. The name of the tournament pays homage to the late hockey player’s number 4 jersey, which was retired in Legal in 2004.
This weekend’s tournament includes a total of 40 games. Each team will play three round-robin games plus a final game.
The Borduzak family will take part in a ceremonial puck drop in Legal Saturday morning and be present for the awards at the end of the tournament on Sunday in Morinville.
The weekend event will include a Family Fun Zone and Hockey Carnival at the Rendez-Vous Centre from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Jason Dach