Hockey has been a part of Craig Kickley's life for as long as he can remember, whether it’s as a player, a coach, a volunteer, a fan or even a researcher.

His introduction to the game came when he was four years old and living in Lampman. He still plays, and he has coached a variety of local minor hockey teams. He also helps maintain the outdoor rink at the Rusty Duce Playpark in Estevan's Pleasantdale subdivision.

The rink is just about half a block from his front door.

“When you look out the window and you see the kids just givin' 'er and having a blast, that's what makes it worthwhile,” said Kickley.

A lot of children who play hockey use the rink as a place to improve their skills. They have an opportunity to improve their skating and shooting abilities, and get extra ice time, Kickley said.

A lot of children who don’t play hockey also use the rink, Kickley said. Some of those children have parents who can’t afford hockey. Others have parents who won’t let them play the game.

“They're the first ones who are over there and asking 'When is the ice going in'” in the fall,” said Kickley. “I really like it when those kids get out there and enjoy the ice. Their only hockey is that rink.”

When the Kickley's moved to their house a few years ago, Kickley told his son, Dallas, that he would love having the outdoor rink nearby. But renovations were underway at Rusty Duce, and the rink wasn’t open that winter. Dallas was disappointed, and Kickley promised his son there would be an outdoor rink the following winter.

“That's how I got involved,” said Kickley. “So I found out where the boards were, and got the ball rolling. It takes somebody to organize it. There are a lot of people that will help, it's just that somebody needs to take the bull by the horns.”

In recent years, new boards have been constructed, board supports have been built, a light has been installed at the east end, and mesh for the nets have been changed.

“When I first put the boards up, people that had taken care of it before told me 'It's way bigger than it used to be, it's 30 feet longer than it used to be,'” said Kickley.

The outdoor rink is typically open from early December to the end of February, he said. Some maintenance and clean-up work is completed during the season.

Kickley was presented with the local SaskEnergy Volunteer of the Year Award this year, thanks partially to his efforts to maintain and improve the outdoor rink.

The timing of the award was surprising, he said, since he has taken a reduced role with the rink this year. Another hockey parent, Kent Pachal, is doing a lot of the work at Rusty Duce.

“The reason I took care of the rink had nothing to do with winning any awards,” Kickley said. “It was strictly because of our love for hockey, and seeing the kids have a place to go. The award was a bonus.”

The children and their parents are appreciative of the efforts of Kickley and other volunteers who maintain the rink, he said. Kickley believes 95 per cent of the children and the parents involved in the game are good people.

His father, Earl, who was involved in many aspects of the Lampman community for a lot of years, taught Craig Kickley about the importance of volunteering.

“I never saw a guy volunteer for so much,” said Kickley. “I don't volunteer anywhere near as much as he did. But you try to do something for the community, and for me, I do it for the kids.”

The real hockey heroes, though, are the parents who have three or four children in hockey, Kickley said.

His commitment to the game has extended to the publishing world. In 1999, Kickley compiled a history book in honour of the 40th anniversary of the Big 6 Hockey League. He didn't write the book, he said. He just took the stats and the stories from the Big Six’s first 40 years, and wove them together in a two-volume celebration of senior hockey in southeast Saskatchewan.

“I thought it would be like a big scrapbook for everybody,” said Kickley. “They'd go back to the years they played, or they were a fan, and read and say 'I remember this series.'”

He noted that he spent 19 years playing in the Big Six, so he was a part of the league for nearly half of its history at one point.

Kickley still plays the game, and he is coaching Dallas’ current team, the Sherritt Coal Midget A Bruins, who are gunning for league and provincial championships this year.