Taber takes hockey to the streets with Play On! Tournament

Town of Taber

After a winter that saw the Taber Community Centre close due to damage from an explosion, the Town of Taber is bringing hockey back this spring.
On March 27-28, Taber will host a two-day Play On! street hockey tournament, transforming local streets and public spaces into full-sized street hockey rinks. Open to all ages and skill levels, the event invites everyone to take part.

“This event allows the community to reclaim its season now, rather than waiting months for facility repairs,” reads a statement from the Town of Taber. “Street hockey is inclusive, accessible, and easy to participate in. It removes barriers such as ice time, equipment costs, and facility availability while still celebrating the sport that brings the community together. The Town of Taber also wanted to host an event that lifts spirits, brings our community (and our neighbours) together, and to celebrate that despite adversity, nothing stops Taberites or Albertans from enjoying hockey and community connections.”

Earlier this season, the remainder of local hockey was cancelled, affecting 15 minor hockey teams and more than 250 young players, along with the many events and organizations that call the Community Centre home. Rather than sit out another season, Taber is reclaiming it. 

Town Council approved hosting the tournament to bring the community together, celebrate Canada’s favourite game, and raise funds toward rebuilding the Community Centre. 

Everyone is welcome to attend, from Taber residents to visitors from across Southern Alberta and beyond. Come watch the games and enjoy the food, music, and activities happening throughout the tournament. Full event details are available at http://www.taber.ca/hockey.

You can donate as a fan to support the Community Centre rebuild (https://www.playon.ca/) or volunteer to help make the event a success by emailing ecdev@taber.ca. All registration fees and donations support the Community Centre rebuild. 

The event is not associated with Taber’s ongoing Kraft Hockeyville bid. All Play On! registration fees and tournament-related donations support the Community Centre rebuild. Funds raised through Play On! go toward the restoration and future sustainability of the Community Centre following the explosion damage. 

Anyone can register to play: all ages, all skill levels, no hockey experience required, no skates needed. Participants can build teams with friends, family, coworkers, or community groups. Spectators are also welcome from Taber, across Southern Alberta, and beyond. 

Play On! Canada has hosted 181 events nationwide, welcoming more than 400,000 players and over two million spectators and volunteers. They also hold the Guinness World Record for the largest street hockey event. 

“Taber is proud to bring this nationally recognized format to southern Alberta, and we’re anticipating a very large turnout, as we are also inviting communities across Southern Alberta to attend, as a thank you for their generosity in lending our hockey teams ice time during the loss of our arena,” said the Town in a statement.

Up to 10 guest celebrities will participate as players or coaches. The top 10 fundraising teams earn a draft pick, with the highest fundraising team choosing first from a list of 10 soon-to-be-announced celebrities. 

“This event is about more than hockey. It is about resilience. It is about giving young players and families something to look forward to after a difficult winter. It is about reminding the community that even when a season is lost, the spirit behind it is not,” said the Town in a statement.

Taber Community Centre update

Mayor Prokop announced on Jan. 30 that the Auditorium and East Wing of the Community Centre (which was undamaged) will reopen March 1, and the Large Ice (which can be isolated from the rest of the damage and cleaned of the asbestos and minor damages it received) tentatively on August 1. 

At their Feb. 9 meeting, Council allocated $6.2 million to make the above reopenings possible, which is only Phase I of the Community Centre reopening and rebuilding. The more damaged areas (Small Ice and Curling Club specifically) have not had any decisions made regarding their future, or what (if any) renovations or rebuilds will take place. Those decisions are expected to happen later in 2026, with public engagement to occur when Council reaches further phases of the project.