Hockey Canada Foundation Legacy Donation to EKEC

RED DEER – The Hockey Alberta Foundation has a new Chair and Vice Chair of its Board of Directors after the Foundation’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday at Red Deer College.

Dennis Zukiwsky (Red Deer) was acclaimed as the new Chair, taking over from John Windwick. Jeff Robson (Calgary) was acclaimed as the Vice Chair, taking over from Dennis Zukiwsky. Zukiwsky previously served as the Board’s Vice Chair, while Robson was previously a Director on the Board.

Two new Board Members were also voted in. Todd Thiessen, from Red Deer, and Kent Smith, from Medicine Hat. Both bring a wealth of experience and are sure to be an asset to the Board.

Board members continuing to support the HAF are John Windwick (Calgary) as the Past Chair, John Kosolowski (Edmonton) who remains the Board Treasurer, Bob Bartlett (Lethbridge), Graham MacLachlan (Calgary), Lorne Radbourne (Grande Prairie) and Chris Turchansky (Edmonton).

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta has a new Chair and Vice Chair at the helm of its Board of Directors after the organization’s 112th Annual General Meeting on Saturday at Red Deer College.

Len Samletzki was acclaimed as the new Chair, taking over from Terry Engen. Allan Mowbray was acclaimed as the Vice Chair, taking over from Fran Zinger.

Both step into their new positions from previous Director positions. Samletzki, from St. Albert, previously served as the Board’s Finance Director, while Mowbray, from Calgary, was a Director at Large.

Other Board members are Michael Bates of Cochrane, Francois Gagnon (Fort McMurray), Wilson Gemmill (Grande Prairie) and Brock Harrington (Drumheller). Engen remains on the Board as the Past President, taking over for Rob Virgil. Joining the Board, as the new Finance Director, is Donna Gallant of Edmonton. And Zinger is also staying on the Board for an additional year, as she was appointed to the final year of Mowbray’s Director at Large term.

In his inaugural address to the Members, Samletzki highlighted his three key priorities for the Board and Hockey Alberta over the next three years: growing the game, continuing to develop players and coaches, and the ability to be agile.

“We need to be able to react quickly to the changing face of hockey,” said Samletzki. “There is a great opportunity for us in the coming years.”

In his final formal action as Chair, Engen announced the 2019 Chair of the Board Award recipient is Aaron Rawlake. The formal presentation will be made to Rawlake at a future date.

In his closing address as Board chair, Engen reflected on how his work with Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada has “given me much more than I can ever give to them as a volunteer.”

He also reminded the organization to remember that they have great resources in the Life Members, five of whom attended this year’s AGM.

“It’s very important to be able to go to the Life Members for their input. We should never forget what history has done for us,” Engen said.

Long-time Hockey Alberta Board member, Rob Virgil (centre) was presented with a Hockey Alberta jersey at his final AGM as Past Chair. Rob Litwinski (CEO) and Terry Engen (outgoing Board Chair) made the presentation.

RED DEER – Who is your customer? What does that customer want? What can you do to improve your customer’s experience?

Three key questions involving one common theme – if you don’t know what the problem is that you are trying to solve, your attempts at change will not be successful.

For 90 minutes on Friday night, Matt Symes stated, stressed, discussed and reinforced these questions and themes during the keynote address to open Hockey Alberta’s 112th Annual General Meeting and Hockey Conference at the Cambridge Hotel.

Symes is a founding Partner at Symplicity Designs who has helped introduce more than 350 organizations to the principles, methods, and tools of performance excellence. He has worked with numerous organizations in all sectors, including Hockey Nova Scotia and the Francophone education sector in New Brunswick.

The Friday evening presentation set the stage for a workshop session on Saturday morning, which Symes will be leading with Minor Hockey Association representatives and Hockey Alberta volunteers.

“Hockey is a hard game to change,” said Symes.

He talked about the challenges involved with change, being prepared to move fast enough, and making sure that the proposed changes solve the problem. Identifying the problem is the first step.

“You have to define the problem before you work to solve it,” Symes said. “You have to understand your organization from the outside in, not the inside out. Do you know what your customer is saying? Are we making decisions based on what the customer wants?”

The Hockey Conference continues Saturday morning at Red Deer College with the Leading Change workshop led by Symes. That will be followed by a session on Complaint Handling and Policy Development led by Steve Indig of the Sport & Law Strategy Group, and a hot-stove session will be held to discuss some of the sport’s hot topics.

The Annual General Meeting gets underway at 2 pm.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is seeking two Bantam A or B female players to represent the province at the 2020 Global Girls’ Game on February 7-9 in St. John’s, NL.

The Global Game embodies the spirit of enjoyment, teamwork, and collaborating with those from diverse backgrounds. This unique game starts on February 8 and is played in 28 different countries across the globe before being handed off to Canada to play the final segment. A cumulative score is kept across all 28 countries between Team White and Team Blue with a winner being declared after the Canadian portion of the game. The goal is to unite all females currently playing hockey as one global family.

Two teams made up of participants from the 10 Hockey Canada branches compete for Team White and Team Blue in the Canadian portion of the Global Game. The participants selected for the Canadian game will be placed on a team with other players from across Canada. As a visiting province, Alberta has been given the opportunity to select two players to participate: one forward and one defense.

Applicants must be Bantam age and registered to a Bantam A or B level female hockey team within Alberta for the 2019-2020 season. Accommodation will be covered for the participants selected. If you are interested in participating in the 2020 Global Game weekend festivities, please fill out the application below and submit it to Hockey Alberta by Monday, December 9th at 5:00pm.

APPLICATION >

2019 Global Girls Game Video >

CALGARY – At its Winter Congress this weekend in Montreal, the Hockey Canada membership approved a regulation change proposed by the board of directors to revise the naming of the age divisions used in minor hockey across Canada.

Following the recommendations of a task team, the age divisions will become U7, U9, U11 and up, impacting all minor and female hockey programs under the Hockey Canada umbrella. The change was initiated by Hockey Canada and its 13 provincial and territorial members and will be implemented nationally with their input and support for the 2020-21 season.

Age divisions can continue to be subdivided as they currently are in some parts of the country. For example, in the Intro to Hockey model in Alberta, where Major and Minor Novice divisions are used by some Minor Hockey Associations, division names would become U8 for Minor Novice and U9 for Major Novice.

“We believe everyone should feel welcome in the game and in our ongoing effort to make hockey more inclusive, the Members at the Hockey Canada Annual Meeting determined that the names of our age Divisions will change,” said Michael Brind’Amour, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “Following a comprehensive review, we believe this change will simplify the system for families who may be new to the game. The new age Division names will be implemented for next season.”

RED DEER - Are you a member of the board or executive with a Hockey Alberta member minor hockey association, club team or registered program?

Is your organization looking for answers on how to deal with the fast-paced changes in our sport and society?

There is still time for to register to attend the 2019 Hockey Alberta Annual General Meeting and Hockey Conference, with Matt Symes set to deliver the keynote address. The Hockey Conference runs Friday evening and Saturday morning on November 22 and 23, with the AGM set for 2 pm on November 23 in Red Deer.

Register >

Matt Symes is a founding Partner at Symplicity Designs. Over the last decade, he has helped introduce more than 350 organizations to the Principles, Methods, and Tools of Performance Excellence. Over the last six years, he has guided the deep transformation of numerous organizations in all sectors. Matt has led the successful transformation of companies as large as $30 million in revenue to as small as a two-person, $250,000 PR firm. Matt has also worked to help Government improve and co-led Symplicity’s largest and longest transformation with the Francophone education sector in New Brunswick

Symes will also present on Saturday morning with a leading change workshop, followed by a session on complaint handling and policy development, led by Steve Indig.

Indig began his career with the Sport Law & Strategy Group in 2003 immediately after being called to the bar as a lawyer. Steve has had the opportunity to work with over 650 national, provincial, and local sport organizations providing consulting and legal services related to governance, employment, contracts, policies, disputes, and privacy. He is a regular guest speaker and presenter at AGMs, conferences, and workshops, and also acts as a mediator and adjudicator. During the early years of his career, Steve was certified by the NFL, CFL, MLS, and FIFA to represent professional athletes as a sports agent. He continues to be involved in sport as an athlete in swimming, hockey, basketball, softball and golf.

Full Schedule >

For more information on the Hockey Alberta Annual General Meeting, go to hockeyalberta.ca or email Michelle Skilnick at [email protected]

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta’s February Coach of the Month, sponsored by Players Bench Team Apparel, is Greg Northcott of the Sturgeon Midget AA Sting.

RED DEER - The deadline is fast approaching for 2007-born male athletes to register for regional selection camps for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

The 2020 Alberta Winter Games run February 14-17 in Airdrie.

NOTES:

1. Registration is limited at each position at each camp.
2. Only Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta Registered Athletes are eligible to register.
3. All camps are currently full for the goaltender position. Please contact Bryden Burrell at [email protected] to be place on a waitlist.

All four male regional camps will take place December 6-8 at the following locations (dates and locations subject to change):

Calgary - East Calgary Twin Arenas
Capital - Kinsmen Twin Arena (Edmonton)
North - Vegreville Recreation Centre
South - Olds Sportsplex

Register >

Space at each regional camp is limited, and registration is on a first come, first served basis.

Regional Directory > | Regional Map >

If you are unsure in which region you reside, or have any other questions, please contact Bryden Burrell at [email protected] prior to registration.

The deadline to register for a male regional selection camp (subject to capacity) is Friday, November 15.

The deadline to register for female regional camps has now passed. Please contact Taryn Baumgardt at [email protected] with any late registration inquiries.

WINKLER, MB - Team Alberta wrapped up the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship with a 4-1 loss to BC on Friday, finishing the tournament in sixth place.

Following a two-goal performance on Thursday, Jaden Bogden scored her third goal of the tournament to put Alberta up 1-0 early in the first, but BC would counter just minutes later.

After a scoreless second period, BC scored three unanswered goals in the third period for a 4-1 victory.

It was a 24-24 tie on the shot clock, with Holly Borrett making 20 saves in her second start of the tournament. Dayle Ross earned Player of the Game honours for Alberta.

Boxscore > | Game One Recap > | Game Two Recap > | Game Three Recap > | Team Alberta Roster >

The U18 Nationals wrap up on Saturday, with Ontario Blue and Quebec going for bronze, and Ontario Red and Saskatchewan going head-to-head for gold.

For more stats and results from the 2019 U18 Nationals, click here.

WINKLER, MB - Team Alberta earned its first win of the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship on Thursday, defeating Team Atlantic 2-1 to finish third in Pool A.

After a scoreless first period, Jaden Bogden scored on the powerplay two minutes into the second, and added her second of the game just minutes later to put Alberta up 2-0. Dayle Ross and Sierra LaPlante earned the sole assist on each goal, respectively.

Team Atlantic got on the board partway through the third with a powerplay goal of their own, but Alberta shut the door from there to seal the 2-1 victory.

Alberta out-shot Atlantic 26-22, with Elise Hugens making 21 saves to earn her first win of the tournament. Bree Kennedy earned Player of the Game honours for Alberta.

Boxscore > | Game One Recap > | Game Two Recap > | Team Alberta Roster >

Team Alberta will wrap-up the tournament Friday afternoon at 6:00pm MST in Winkler in the fifth place game against BC, who finished third in Pool B.

For more stats, schedule, and ticket information for the 2019 U18 Nationals, click here.

WINKLER, MB - Team Alberta fell to Ontario Red 4-1 in their second round robin game at the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship.

Ontario Red opened the scoring just under eight minutes into the game, and added a power play goal to lead 2-0 after the first period.

They would add to their lead in the second period with goals 1:01 apart. Team Alberta Captain Alexandria Spence scored on the power play with seven seconds left to get the score to 4-1 at the intermission.

Both teams earned power plays and scoring chances in the third, but no one could find the back of the net and Ontario Red hung on to a 4-1 victory.

Final shots were 33-31 for Ontario Red, with Holly Borrett making 29 stops in the loss. Alexandria Spence earned Player of the Game honours for Alberta.

Boxscore > | Game One Recap > Team Alberta Roster >

Team Alberta (0-2) will finish off their round robin play against Team Atlantic (0-1-1) on Thursday. Game time is 12:00 p.m. MST at Winkler Arena.

For more stats, schedule, and ticket information for the 2019 U18 Nationals, click here.

WINKLER, MB - Team Alberta began their 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship with a 3-2 loss against Team Saskatchewan.

It was a tight first period with both teams getting good scoring chances, but no one could find the back of the net.

The back and forth action continued into the second period, where once again the teams would head to the dressing room tied at 0-0.

Team Saskatchewan opened the scoring with a goal six minutes into the third period. Alberta’s Brooklyn Schroeder would score just under halfway through the period to tie the game up at 1-1. Saskatchewan would once again take the lead just minutes later and add on an insurance goal on the power play with 1:05 left to play. Taze Thompson scored with 24 seconds left to pull Alberta within one, but Saskatchewan would hang on for the 3-2 victory.

Final shots were 37-33 for Saskatchewan, with Elise Hugens making 34 stops in the loss. Jaden Bogden earned Player of the Game honours for Alberta.

Boxscore > | Team Alberta Roster >

Team Alberta (0-1) takes on Ontario Red (1-0) on Wednesday. Game time is 4:00 p.m. MST at Winkler Arena.

For more stats, schedule and ticket information for the 2019 U18 Nationals, click here.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the leadership group for Team Alberta’s U18 Female team for the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championships in Morden & Winkler, MB.

Alexandria Spence (Lloydminster) will captain Team Alberta, with defender Sierra LaPlante (Calgary) and forwards Bree Kennedy (Chestermere) and Brooklyn Schroeder (Whitecourt) serving as Assistant Captains.

The 2019 U18 Nationals run November 5-9 at the Access Event Centre in Morden, and Winkler Arena in Winkler, MB. Tickets are available HERE.

Team Alberta kicks off round-robin play in Group A against Team Saskatchewan on Tuesday at noon MST, with games against Ontario Red (4:00pm MST) and Atlantic (noon MST) set for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Semi-finals will be played on Friday, with the Group B winner and Group A runner up playing at noon MST, and Group A winner and Group B runner up at 4:00pm MST. The bronze medal game is set for Sunday at 11:00am MST, with the gold medal game to follow at 3:00pm MST. FULL SCHEDULE >

Team Alberta U18 Roster >