Hockey Alberta Calling for Board of Director Nominations

The Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (Hockey Alberta) is seeking qualified candidates for three (3) Director at Large positions on its Board of Directors. Deadline to submit a nomination package is AUGUST 31, 2021.

APPLICATION / NOMINATION FORM >

Hockey Alberta is the governing body for organized amateur hockey in the Province of Alberta. The Board of Directors builds and monitors the strategy of the organization through its vision, mission, values and strategic direction. The Board operates under a Policy Governance Model and delegates operations to the Chief Executive Officer. The Board is elected by and accountable to the members of Hockey Alberta.

The Board holds regular meetings, either in-person in Hockey Alberta’s head office in Red Deer or via phone/ digital platform.

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Candidate Qualifications

The Board of Directors is focused on being a diverse group comprised of individuals with a variety of skill sets and experiences. For 2021, candidates with previous board experience are being sought to fill the three available positions. Criteria to be considered by the Nominations Committee for each candidate include:

I. Skills/ Experience

• Advocacy (such as government relations/ lobbying)
• Communications/ Marketing/ Social Media
• Equality, Diversity, Inclusion
• Human Resources
• Environmental and Social Responsibility

II. Diversity

• Female
• Visible Minority
• Indigenous
• Younger Age Demographic

In addition:

• Previous experience on the Hockey Alberta Board is an asset.
• Previous experience on a not-for-profit board and knowledge of the workings of a board from a good governance perspective are preferred.
• Experience and understanding of the workings of a Provincial Sport Organization is an asset.
• Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check is required.

DIRECTOR AT LARGE JOB DESCRIPTION >

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Process Overview

The Governance Committee of Hockey Alberta has created an external three-person Nominations Committee that includes a former Chair of the Board of Directors.

All submitted applications are reviewed by the Nominations Committee. Through the application and interview process, the Nominations Committee will prepare a group of qualified candidates to be presented to the membership for election.

Board of Director positions are elected by the Members of Hockey Alberta at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Elected individuals will serve a term of three years.

To be eligible for the Board of Directors, a candidate is required to be nominated by a Member of Hockey Alberta, as defined in Article 2 of the Bylaws of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association.

The links below to the Hockey Alberta website provide more information on Hockey Alberta Bylaws, and the Board’s Governance Model, Code of Conduct, and Conflict of Interest policy. Candidates are required to complete a conflict of interest declaration with their application.

I. BYLAWS AND REGULATIONS >

II. BOARD GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE AND POLICIES >

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For more information, please submit an email to:

[email protected]

RED DEER – Indigenous youth face many challenges when it comes to participating in hockey in Alberta.

And while the challenges are significant, the opportunities and potential solutions were an important focus during Friday night’s keynote discussion to open Hockey Alberta’s Indigenous Hockey Summit.

The virtual event opened with a Zoom roundtable featuring Theoren Fleury, Wacey Rabbit, Marvin Yellowhorn, and Jordan Courtepatte. The discussion was moderated by Travis Plaited Hair of the Blood Tribe.

Fleury is well known for his career with the Calgary Flames, and as a victor over trauma and abuse. Rabbit played on the 2003 Team Alberta squad that won gold at the Canada Winter Games, enjoyed a successful junior hockey career, and played professionally around the world, most recently in the East Coast Hockey League. Courtepatte’s career included junior hockey in the BCHL, and a professional stint in the Central Hockey League in Texas. And Yellowhorn has been involved in hockey most of his life as a parent (he is Rabbit’s father), coach, and volunteer.

FULL PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES >

As the panelists reflected on their careers and lives in hockey, they identified three areas where the hockey community can focus to help increase the number of Indigenous participants and improve their experience in the sport.

One area is cost. Rabbit reflected on how much the cost of a hockey stick or a pair of skates has increased since he played as a child, and said he believes “a lot of natural athletes are missing out because of the pricing.”

Courtepatte, who helped found the Enoch Cree Minor Hockey Association near Edmonton, said the sport is simply getting too expensive.

“The average family can’t afford to pay for one kid… There needs to be additional resources in place to offset costs,” said Courtepatte, adding that it’s also important to make sure parents are educated to know where to apply for assistance.

The second area that must be addressed is racism.

Courtepatte said that while steps have been taken to address racism, it continues, and it’s not acceptable.

“It’s a lonely place when it feels like no one wants you,” Courtepatte said.

Rabbit said he has experienced racism while playing hockey.

“It’s in the world right now, it’s happening everywhere,” Rabbit said. “It’s happened to everyone on this panel. It is important for minor hockey associations to acknowledge (when racism occurs) and do something about it.”

The third area involves understanding the challenges that Indigenous youth are facing in their personal lives. Fleury talked about a need for “trauma-informed education” within schools and the sporting community.

“We have no idea what these kids are experiencing before they get to the rink,” Fleury said. “A lot of their behaviour is based on what they’ve experienced at home. We have to be aware that when a kid is acting out it’s because of their trauma experience, not because he’s a bad kid. Often, the only place he gets peace and joy is playing hockey, so we’ve got to make it the best experience we can.”

The panelists agreed that a key part of the solution involves more Indigenous people being involved at all levels of the sport including board members, coaches, managers, and officials.

“When you come to the rink and see a person who looks like you, that’s important,” said Rabbit. He also reminded everyone that it’s important to celebrate the success stories, highlighting Brayden Arcand, an official who is now working in the Western Hockey League.

The panelists agreed that the benefits to addressing these challenges are immense. Positive hockey experiences will help Indigenous youth learn to deal better with adversity, develop important life skills, and have family and community growth opportunities. And, as Fleury suggested, he believes the next Wayne Gretzky is out there, if given the chance to play hockey.

Hockey Alberta, in partnership with the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta, is hosting the Indigenous Hockey Summit to gather hockey leaders from around the province to continue the growth of the game in Indigenous hockey communities and allow for networking and sharing best practices.

The Summit continues Saturday with separate day-long sessions for Minor Hockey Administrators, Coaches and Officials.

RED DEER - Thirty-six players from across Alberta have been selected to attend the 2021 Team Alberta U18 Female Fall Camp.

The Fall Camp roster is comprised of 2004-2005 born players, including four goaltenders, 12 defence and 20 forwards.

TEAM ALBERTA U18 FEMALE FALL CAMP INVITES

The camp will run September 24-26 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer. The Team Alberta squad that will compete at the 2021 National Women’s U18 Championship in Dawson Creek, BC will be named following the fall camp.

Players earned Fall Camp invitations through the Summer Selection Camp held August 13-15 in Red Deer. The summer camp was a three-day session where a total of 136 players participated in on-ice sessions that included game formats.

“It was extremely exciting to get these players back on the ice for summer camp over the course of three days," said Kendall Newell, Hockey Alberta’s Manager of Female Hockey. “As an open camp, we were able to see more talent from across the province and are very pleased with the level of competition that was displayed, and are confident that this success will transfer over to our upcoming fall camp.”

The 2021 Team Alberta tryout was open to any 2004-2005 born player from Alberta registered in a Hockey Alberta/Hockey Canada sanctioned program in the 2020-21 season.

For more information on Team Alberta, please visit hockeyalberta.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

In just a few weeks the 2021-22 hockey season will be underway. Players across the province will be on the ice for practices, tryouts, evaluations, games and tournaments. They will be joined by coaches, officials, safety staff, and other volunteers whose hard work ensure that opportunities to play hockey exist across Alberta.

From the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Hockey Alberta established COVID-related plans for our sport based on the guidance and requirements of the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services. As Hockey Alberta prepares for the 2021-22 season, our planning continues to be based on current direction from those bodies. That also means we will adapt to any new directions that may be provided if circumstances change in Alberta.

Currently, the Government of Alberta has no Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) orders that place any restrictions on sport programming. Therefore, Hockey Alberta is preparing for a 2021-22 hockey season with few to no COVID-related restrictions.

At this time, there are no limits on the number of participants on the ice, use of dressing rooms, or access for spectators (unless other requirements are in place through the municipality or facility). Tournaments can be hosted, and Hockey Alberta is planning for the return of provincial championships in March after a two-year hiatus.

In preparation for the 2021-22 season, there is a lot to be done. Here are a few reminders:

• Member Partnership Presentation – On August 25, a Zoom presentation is being hosted to outline partnership opportunities for Hockey Alberta Members.
• Indigenous Hockey Summit – Hockey Alberta’s inaugural Indigenous Hockey Summit will be held August 27-28 via Zoom.
• Player Registration – All member organizations are currently open and seeking players (MHAs, Recreational Hockey organizations, Para Hockey organizations, Accredited Schools, Junior and Senior Teams).
• Coach Certification – Clinics are being scheduled, and registration occurs, through the HCR 3.0 platform.
• Officials Certification – Clinics are being scheduled, and registration occurs, through the HCR 3.0 platform.
• Tournament Sanctioning – Requests for tournament sanctions are now being accepted through the Centre Ice Portal. Sanctioned tournaments are listed on the Hockey Alberta website.

Hockey Alberta is excited to be planning for the 2021-22 season. But we also want to remind everyone of the ongoing need to be safe and vigilant. Throughout the past 18 months, everyone involved with our sport has focused on the health and safety of our participants. The health and safety of our participants remains paramount.

Hockey Alberta recommends the continuation of the hygiene and sanitization processes that became second nature to us last season. Hockey Alberta is not mandating vaccinations as a requirement to play hockey. However, the Government of Alberta and the Chief Medical Officer of Health have stated the importance of all eligible Albertans getting fully vaccinated as the most effective way in protecting yourself and others.

Finally, we ask everyone to remember that current plans could change at any moment (as we learned last year and even last week with the Government announcement on August 13), based on new decisions or requirements implemented by the Government of Alberta. As changes occur, and as hockey activities are impacted, Hockey Alberta will continue to work with the hockey community and our government partners to adjust and to ensure the safety of our participants is foremost as our sport returns for the 2021-22 season and beyond.

Hockey Alberta is ready and working with our Members and stakeholders, and we will provide regular updates and reminders, as we prepare for the 2021-22 season.

RED DEER - Seventy-two players from across Alberta have been selected to attend the 2021 Team Alberta U16 Male Fall Camp.

The Fall Camp roster is comprised of 2006 born players, including eight goaltenders, 24 defence and 40 forwards.

Team Alberta U16 Male Fall Camp Invites

The camp will run September 17-19 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer. The Team Alberta squad that will compete at the WHL Cup will be named following the fall camp.

Players earned Fall Camp invitations through the Summer Regional Camp held August 3-8 in Red Deer. The summer camp was divided into three, two-day regional sessions where a total of 394 players participated in on-ice sessions that included game formats.

“This year has been an anomaly on many levels, including our camp process,” said Michael Kraichy, Hockey Alberta’s Manager of Elite Male Hockey. “We opened the camp so we were able to see more talent from across the province and we are confident that the fall camp will offer a selection of competitive and skilled individuals for Team Alberta.”

The 2021 Team Alberta tryout was open to any 2006 born player from Alberta registered in a Hockey Alberta/Hockey Canada sanctioned program in the 2020-21 season.

For more information on Team Alberta, please visit hockeyalberta.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.