Story and Photos by Janet Schultz © NYHOL
Team USA for Ringette paid a visit to Western New York recently and put on a clinic for anyone interested in learning the sport.
Hosted by the Buffalo Regals Girls Hockey organization, participants were introduced to the sport of Ringette.
Played very similar to hockey it does have major differences. First the stick has no blade and rather than passing a puck, you pass a round rubber ring with a hole at its center. There are no face-offs, instead teams are awarded ring possession. Games are stop time and a 30-second shot clock contributes to the game’s reputatiohn as the fastest on ice.
Equipment is basically the same…skates, helmets, pads and the straight stick.
Players are prevented from carrying the ring across the blue lines, so they must pass to another teammate. Only three players from each team, plus the defending goalie, are allowed in the end zones at the same time. The rules of the game have demanded that players develop strong skating skills and encourages them to focus on speed and agility.
“One of the reasons I brought this clinic to Buffalo was to show that the skills in Ringette are good for ice hockey,” said Scott Then of the Buffalo Regals.
Ringette is played in a number of countries including Finland, Canada and the United States. Also in France, Slovakia, Russia,the Czech Republic and Abu Dhabi. Ringette found its prime years in the 90’s with St. Paul, Minnesota hosting the World Ringette Championship. The USA is working to grow the sport throughout the nation introducing it to older players first, then youth.
Anyone interested in learning more about Ringette or getting involved should contact Team USA and they will work to bring a “Come Try Ringette” session to your rink. Coach Then hopes to bring the clinic back to Buffalo early in 2025.
Learn more about Ringette at http://www.ringette.cc
