Floorball season set to begin. You in?

Toronto Floorball League picks up steam for fourth season

 

You may think this is another sports posting and you’d be right and wrong! It is about sports and much more. Although I do have a penchant for staying active through sports, a by-product of engaging in various physical pursuits is the myriad quality folk you meet along the way.

I stumbled upon floorball almost by accident, by way of covering the inaugural Canada Cup tournament a couple of years ago whilst working for Vapaa Sana. Soon I was playing the sport and one of the engaging young chaps I met was Juha Mikkola, Toronto’s floorball guru. I now have a clutch of floorball friends, and while I am taking this season off (these old knees are crying for a break), I would strongly recommend you to check out the scene if you are looking for a fun way to stay fit.

Floorball is an exciting cross between ice hockey and floor/ball hockey, employing the best of both without the stickwork or contact. It also incorporates elements of basketball and the result is a fun, fast-paced indoor hockey game. It has quickly grown from a grassroots sport in Sweden to the sport of choice in Sweden, Finland (Finnish floorball info), Czech and is now quickly gaining fans in Canada. 

The Toronto league has both competitive and social divisions and is stacked with all manner of Finns, Swedes, Canadians, amongst others all playing and partying together. Another bonus is that the league is fully co-ed with men and women playing together. Or, if you prefer (and are female ;-), there is a women’s division.

AND, it’s cheap. All you need is a stick and sneaks and you’re set to go!

Check out the Toronto Floorball League and Social Scene for more info and to sign up, and for more on floorball itself, surf to Floorball Canada’s site. The league starts soon so don’t delay.

The Finnish SISU needs you!

Finnish hockey team looking for elite players for CMHL tournament

 

Last year the inaugural championship tournament of the Canadian Multicultural Hockey League took place in Toronto. It featured sixteen teams of various etnicities battle it out for three days for the Canadian Cup. The Irish Shamrocks, loaded with ex-NHL and other pro and junior-level talent, beat a skilled but undermanned First Nations Thunderbirds squad for the title. The tournament proved to be a great success (with the trophy and jerseys on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame) and even greater expectations await this year’s tournament.

The Finnish SISU, the first team to sign on in the new league, has its work cut out for it. After an impressive debut that saw them finally bow out to the Korean Tigers in the consolation semi-finals, the SISU look to add depth to their roster for the coming season.