Coach Of The Month - December

Jason Schuller coaches the Novice Eliminators in the Confederation Hockey Association.

Jason works very well with the kids, ensuring that learning is fun, individually and collectively. He runs practice focusing on all types of skills, skating, hockey, and rules. Jason also leads the coaching team by distributing work among the coaches based on their skills and experience. He brings a simple, progressive approach to skill development, and has helped the players enjoy the sport. All coaches, players, and parents are made to feel included and their participation valued. He is a great leader for the players and the parents!

For more details on Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month, click here.

Hockey Canada, in partnership with Hockey Alberta, the Red Deer Minor Hockey Commission and the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League (AMMFHL), announced Friday the schedule for the 2015 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship.

The tournament takes place April 19-25 at Red Deer Arena in Red Deer, Alta. The AMMFHL’s Red Deer Chiefs will serve as host team, and welcome regional champions from Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec and West.

Full-tournament ticket packages for general admission to all 19 games, including 15 preliminary round games, both semifinals, the bronze medal game and gold medal game, are now on sale for just $50 each.

“The Red Deer Minor Hockey Commission, along with the host Red Deer Chiefs, are excited to host the 2015 Esso Cup,” says Todd Thiessen, chair of the host organizing committee. “It’s hard to believe we’re only three months away from puck drop; we can’t wait to have some of the nation’s best female Midget hockey talent in our backyard this spring.”

“The 2015 Esso Cup is a terrific opportunity to showcase the top female Midget hockey players in the nation. Players in Central Alberta, and across the province, will be able to watch some very talented role models for their own hockey careers,” said Rob Litwinski, executive director of Hockey Alberta. “This is exciting for Red Deer; based on the city’s history of hosting excellent national championships, we expect this event will be no different.”

“We’re excited to get to Red Deer and drop the puck on the 2015 Esso Cup,” said Dean McIntosh, senior director of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “There is a passion for Midget hockey in Central Alberta, and we’re looking forward to fans filling Red Deer Arena, which will be a tremendous venue for Canada’s National Female Midget Championship.”

A memorial service for Gary Tremblay will be held on Friday, January 23 at 3 pm in the soccer field house at the Recreation Centre in Leduc.

Gary died suddenly on Monday, January 19. He was a long-time volunteer in various capacities with Hockey Alberta, including North Zone Referees, Leduc Minor Hockey Association, and the Zone 4 administrative team.

Gary believed that minor sports should be affordable and accessible to all children. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Tire Jump Start program, or to trust funds for his children Zachary, Hayley and Cassidy at the LeducScotia Bank.

Deepest sympathies are extended from Hockey Alberta to the Tremblay family.

Hockey Alberta Foundation in partnership Fort McMurray Minor Hockey Association is excited to announce the Every Kid Every Community Speaker Series, presented by ATB Investor Services will be coming to Fort McMurray on Wednesday, February 18, 2015.

The dinner event will feature TSN Hockey Analyst and former NHL goaltender, Jamie McLennan, and TSN Radio Host and former NHL defensemen, Jason Strudwick.

All proceeds from the event will go to Fort McMurray Minor Hockey Association’s No Kids Left Behind Program and the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s Every Kid Every Community Program both aimed at increasing access and decreasing financial barriers to the game of hockey for kids.

“We are a thriving community in the North and we, as a recipient of revenue from the event, we were excited to get involved when presented with the idea from the Hockey Alberta Foundation,” said Fort McMurray Minor Hockey and Wood Buffalo Hockey Development President Travis Galenzoski. “This unique event will not only allow us the opportunity to host a couple of entertaining NHL celebrities in Fort McMurray, but will also serve to bring local hockey community partners together to support Wood Buffalo kids in need with an opportunity to play hockey.”

The dinner event will take place from 4:30pm – 6:30pm on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 in the Timberline Room at the Sawridge Inn & Conference Centre Fort McMurray at 30 MacKenzie Boulevard.

Ticket prices include individual, table and sponsorship options. Individual tickets are available for $80, tables of eight for $600 and sponsorships vary. Tables, Tickets as well as Sponsorships can all be purchased online.

“One of our mandates as the Hockey Alberta Foundation is increasing access to the game of hockey which is why we created the Every Kid Every Community Program. In order to help others we have to rely on individual and corporate donations, both locally and provincially in order to ensure we can continue to support programs like the No Kid Left Behind,” said Executive Director of the Hockey Alberta Foundation, Scott Robinson. “We hope bringing our Every Kid Every Community Speaker Series event to Fort McMurray with Strudwick and McLennan will spread our message and awareness of the financial support we need.”

The Every Kid Every Community Program started in 2011 as a test pilot program and his since grown to include both program and player assistance grants. Local community groups can access these grants through an application process in order to create and sustain programs that can address the diverse landscape of kids today. To date the impact of the program has included over $77,000 in grants awarded, in 24 different Alberta communities which included over 1400 kids.

Registrations for this year’s ATB Alberta Cup zone camps and ATB Alberta Challenge selection camps are now open.

ATB ALBERTA CUP

The 2015 ATB Alberta Cup zone camps are an open tryout for all male 2000 born athletes.

All eight zone camps will take place March 27th-29th, 2015 at the following locations:

Northwest - Spruce Grove (Tri Leisure Centre)
Northeast - Vegreville (Recreation Centre)
Edmonton One – Edmonton (Terwilleger)
Edmonton Two - Edmonton (Terwilleger)
Central - Blackfalds (Blackfalds Multiplex)
Calgary North - Calgary (East Twin Arenas)
Calgary South - Calgary (East Twin Arenas)
South - Strathmore (Strathmore Family Centre)

The 2015 ATB Alberta Cup will take place in Canmore from April 29 – May 3, 2015.

The ATB Alberta Cup program is a core Hockey Alberta Development Program. It provides players, coaches, trainers, administrators and referees an equal opportunity to discover the great qualities of competitive hockey in a well-organized and fair Zone Camp and Select Team competition.

The ATB Alberta Cup prides itself on the aspects of equality and fairness when evaluating and selecting the top 20 athletes, three coaches, one trainer and two referees to represent each zone in the ATB Alberta Cup competition.

ATB ALBERTA CHALLENGE

The 2015 ATB Alberta Challenge regional camps are an open tryout for all female 2000/2001 born athletes.

Two regional camps will take place in April at the following locations and dates:

North Regional Selection Camp - Fort Saskatchewan (April 9-12, 2015)
South Regional Selection Camp – Strathmore (April 17-19, 2015)

The ATB Alberta Challenge will take place in Medicine Hat from April 29 – May 2, 2015.

The ATB Alberta Challenge program is a core Hockey Alberta Female Development Program. It provides all players, coaches, trainers and referees an equal opportunity to discover the great qualities of competitive hockey in a well-organized and fair Zone Camp and Select Team competition. The program is held in years opposite of the Alberta Winter Games.

The Regional Camps are designed to give all players, coaches, trainers and referees an equal opportunity to show their skills as well as receive top level instruction and evaluation from quality people identified by Hockey Alberta. As part of the program an emphasis is also placed on the development and identification of Alberta’s best hockey people, who might have an opportunity to represent Alberta at future national or international events.

ATB Financial is the title sponsor of all Team Alberta programs, including the ATB Alberta Cup and the ATB Alberta Challenge. The Team Alberta Male Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Cup, a U15 age level event, and progresses to the U17 age level. The Team Alberta programs feed into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.