National Volunteer Week: Wally Kozak and Perry Cavanagh

National Volunteer Week is April 24-30. Throughout the week Hockey Alberta is showcasing individuals who have dedicated their time to giving back to the game.

RED DEER – Calgary’s Wally Kozak and Perry Cavanagh epitomize the definition of volunteers who have given back to hockey not just across the province, but across Canada as well.

Kozak was instrumental in the development of female hockey in Canada. Known as one of the best technical hockey coaches in the world, Kozak has more than four decades of involvement at all levels. His work includes serving as head scout and manager of player development for Canada’s Women’s Team, and winning a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics Gold Medal as an assistant coach for Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team.

While Kozak reached national success, he never forgot about the grassroots and continues to serve the game at all ages and levels. To share his knowledge and continue to learn, Kozak started the “Sharks” Club. What started in a small coffee shop in Calgary, now has well over 150 weekly members from across the world who share their experience, leadership and hockey wisdom.

After leaving Hockey Canada, Kozak dedicated himself to serve “the good of the game,” bringing his knowledge and experience to Hockey Alberta. For more than a decade, Kozak has served as a writer/developer, skills coach, course conductor and mentor in Team Alberta’s grassroots program. In 2018, Kozak was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

Cavanagh is a devoted volunteer. Like many, Cavanagh began volunteering in minor hockey as a coach for his oldest son’s team. From there he moved to the administrative side. Taking on several branch committee responsibilities, he also served as a member of Hockey Alberta’s Board of Directors. Cavanagh also served as President of Hockey Calgary and was the Board Chair of Sport Calgary. During his tenure with Hockey Calgary, he was influential in the implementation of the Respect in Sport program throughout the organization. He has been an avid supporter of minor hockey in Calgary for over 30 years.

To recognize Kozak’s and Cavanagh’s contributions to the game, the City of Calgary announced the renaming of two arenas in Calgary in March. Max Bell Arena #2 will be named the Perry Cavanagh Arena and the Village Square Leisure Centre Arena #2 will be known as the Wally Kozak Arena.

In the City of Calgary press release to announce the renaming of the arenas, Ward 10 Councillor Andre Chabot said:

“Calgary has a rich sporting history and Perry Cavanagh and Wally Kozak’s contributions are unquestionably a part of that fabric. Their success and excellence as sport and community leaders merits this recognition.”

For Kozak and Cavanagh, an arena seems like the most fitting legacy.

“We believe that the arena is the heart of every community, and we can’t think of better men to share their names and legacies on facilities in the City of Calgary,” said Rob Litwinski, Hockey Alberta’s Chief Executive Officer.

Volunteers like Cavanagh and Kozak are key builders to the development and growth of hockey in Alberta. To every volunteer who continues to give back to the game, thank you.

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the coaching staff that will join Head Coach Serge Lajoie behind the bench for Team Alberta U16 Male at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.

Joining Lajoie are Assistant Coaches James Poole (Calgary) and Cody Reynolds (Sylvan Lake), along with Video Coach Derrick Martin (Edmonton) and Goaltending Coach Derek Purfield (Calgary).

“We are extremely excited for the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and to go through the entire process with such a talented staff,” said Michael Kraichy, Manager, Elite Male Hockey for Hockey Alberta. “The combined experience amongst these coaches is second-to-none, and we’re looking forward to seeing what this group can accomplish.”

Other members of the staff for Team Alberta U16 Male include: Athletic Therapist Paige Shannon (Calgary), Equipment Manager Dave Campbell (Grande Prairie), Head Scout Bobby Fox (Calgary), Coach Mentor Barry Medori (Spruce Grove) and Director of Operations Michael Kraichy (Red Deer).

Lajoie – currently the Head Coach of the OHA Edmonton U18 Prep team – has a storied history in the Team Alberta program. He was an assistant coach with the Team Alberta Male squad that won the bronze medal at the 2011 Games in Halifax, and head coach of the gold medalist U16 male squad at the 2013 Western Canada Challenge Cup. He served as Head Coach for Team Alberta once again at the 2021 WHL Cup, earning a silver medal.

Poole is currently the U18 Prep Head Coach at the Edge School, a position he’s held since 2017. He previously served as the Head Coach and General Manager for the Okotoks Oilers from 2010-2016, and the Calgary Canucks from 2016-2017, both in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. This will be his second time with Team Alberta, having served as Video Coach for the 2021 WHL Cup in Red Deer.

Reynolds is currently an Associate Coach with the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings men’s hockey team, a position he also held from 2016-2020, and returned to for the 2021-22 season after serving as Head Coach of the Red Deer U18 AAA Chiefs for the 2020-21 season. This will be Reynolds’ second time as Assistant Coach with Team Alberta, having been behind the bench at the 2019 WHL Cup in Calgary.

Martin is currently the U16 Prep Head Coach at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Edmonton, and Purfield is the goalie coach for the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

The 2023 Canada Winter Games run February 18 - March 5 in Prince Edward Island.

CALGARY – Two Albertans have been selected to represent Canada at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. Josh Davies (Airdrie) and Rieger Lorenz (Calgary) will head to Germany as part of the Canadian contingent. Both players competed in the 2019 Alberta Cup and 2017 Prospects Cup (then known as the Peewee Prospects Cup)

Joining Davies and Lorenz from Alberta will be Goaltending Coach, Brad Kirkwood (Calgary) and Equipment Manager, A.J. Murley (Beaumont).

On April 18, Hockey Canada unveiled the 25 players named to Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team for the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship, April 23-May 1 in Landshut and Kaufbeuren, Germany.

The three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards who will look to defend Canada’s 2021 gold medal were selected by Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, Ont.), manager of hockey operations, with assistance from Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of hockey operations.

The roster includes one player who won gold at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship (Bedard), three players who participated in the 2021 Capital City Challenge (Dragicevic, Howe, Wood) and three players who won bronze at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Delic, Fantilli, Fimis).

“We are excited to unveil the 25 players that will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship and take on the challenge of winning a second-consecutive gold medal,” said Millar. “For many of these players, this is the first time they will represent their country in international competition, and we know they are excited for the opportunity to compete on the world stage.”

Canada will open the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship against the United States on April 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, and will also take host Germany on April 24 and Czechia on April 26.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 13 games throughout the tournament, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, four quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal games.

Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), in addition to one silver (2005) and three bronze (2012, 2014, 2015).

For more information on the Team Alberta program, Alberta Cup, or Prospects Cup, visit hockeyalberta.ca. Or for more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

In collaboration with the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL), the Elite Male Committee and the AA Committee, Hockey Alberta is announcing a number of changes to AAA and AA male hockey. Changes include:

• AEHL transitioning U16 AAA to U17 AAA.
• U16 AA expanding to provincial pilot project.
• U13 AA structure changes, including new criteria on the minimum number of U13 players in a recruitment area and amending the numbers at which more than one team is required.

Please direct any questions to Hockey Alberta.

Please refer to Information Bulletin 21-07 for more information regarding the changes.

Info Bulletin 21:07 >

PICTURE BUTTE – Ten female officials were a part of Hockey Alberta history in Picture Butte during the U13 Female A Provincials this past weekend.

For the first time in Provincial Championship history, the officiating crew at the tournament was made up of all female officials.

Among that group was 15 year-old Picture Butte resident Rayann Campmans, who, with just two years of officiating under her belt, was the youngest official on the crew.

“When I was growing up, there were no female officials to be seen (in Picture Butte), or even Lethbridge, so I feel honoured to be a part of it,” she said. “Female Hockey has started to become a big thing, and there’s a lot of changes happening, so I feel proud to be part of that change.”

Campmans added it was a welcome sight to have fans back in the stands in her hometown rink, and a relief to be back on the ice.

“I am very elated that hockey is back,” she said. “I played for the majority of my life, and I missed it so much. Now, I’m proud that I can be giving back in a way that keeps me skating and keeps me involved in the game.”

Ten-year officiating veteran Brooke Akune, who turned 21 the day before the tournament kicked off, is happy to see increased visibility for female officials, and was honoured to be a part of history.

“I’ve always reffed with boys,” she said. “This is kind of my first two years of reffing female hockey. I was born in a small town, and that’s where I started reffing – with a bunch of boys.”

Piper Ell, an 18-year old official with six years of experience, echoed Akune’s sentiment, and hopes to be a role model for younger females in the game.

“It means quite a bit,” she said. “I grew up in boys hockey, and I never had a female official in my town, so it was always really cool to see a female official. Now, I’m really happy to be able to be that female official for the young girls.”

Francis Rankin, the Officials Supervisor for the U13 Female A Provincials, and the Female Coordinator for the Southern Region Officials Committee, said all ten officials earned their spot in the tournament, and should be incredibly proud to be a part of history.

“It shows and showcases what these females have accomplished,” he said. “They’re not out there just because they happen to be female. “They’re out there because they’re the ones who are qualified to do this tournament. Hopefully, this continues and will encourage younger females to stick with the game.”

RED DEER - Despite a pair of hard-fought series, the Alberta Female Hockey League’s Edmonton U18 AAA Pandas and the Alberta Elite Hockey League’s Calgary U18 AAA Buffaloes both fell in the Pacific Regional Championships over the weekend.

Taking on the Fraser Valley Rush, the Edmonton Pandas lost Game One 4-3 in overtime, and then fell 3-2 as the Rush swept the best-of-three series to advance to the 2022 Esso Cup, which will be held May 16-22 in Alberta.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Buffaloes were looking to punch their ticket to the 2022 Telus Cup against the Vancouver NE Chiefs. After winning Game One in overtime, Vancouver held off a late Calgary comeback to win Game Two in overtime 4-3, and then held on for a 2-1 win to advance to the National Championship tournament, which also runs in Alberta May 16-22.