The Cowichan Secondary Ice Hockey Thunderbirds are hosting "Hockey Day in Cowichan" in February to help bring more girls to the sport. (Cowichan Secondary/Facebook) 

Hockey Day in Canada is celebrated across the country by young and old players in hundreds of associations. Over in Cowichan on Vancouver Island, a few days after the national day recognizing the sport, a local team is hosting their own day for puck.

Cowichan Secondary is holding a Hockey Day in Cowichan on Feb. 15 in the hopes of bringing new players into the sport, or bringing those back who may have quit.

The high school’s hockey team, the Thunderbirds, have gained a number of new players for this season, plus a few who had quit but are back on the ice, according to the Cowichan Valley Citizen.

Now the team is turning its focus to getting more girls into the sport. They are planning activities where current players will be working with fresh faces, before concluding the day with a mini-tournament.

Cowichan Valley has a number of communities in the area so the number of potential players is quite large. Located in Duncan on the south end of Vancouver Island, Cowichan Secondary will host the event at the Island Savings Centre on February 15.