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RED DEER - JOIN THE CELEBRATION & HELP US SHARE #WHYWEPLAY JANUARY 24-26 FOR FEMALE HOCKEY DAY WEEKEND.

HOCKEY ALBERTA IS OFFERING UP TO 10 ASSOCIATIONS OR TEAMS A $1000 EVERY KID EVERY COMMUNITY GRANT TO HELP US GROW THE GAME AS PART OF FEMALE HOCKEY DAY WEEKEND.

ELIGIBILITY: Hosts must include a “GROW THE GAME” component as part of their event.

IDEAS:

- Try Hockey (ice or floor) for new participants

- “Skate with the players” - Following a community game

- “Bring a Buddy” – Existing players bring a friend to try it out during a practice

- Mother / Daughter skate / scrimmage

- Other exciting ideas!

DEADLINE TO APPLY: December 20th with successful host sites contacted December 27th.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Applications will be reviewed by the Female Hockey Day Committee & those successful applications will be required to complete a brief post-event survey along with submitting of event photos.

APPLY NOW >

EDMONTON/RED DEER - Excitement is building with the return of the IIHF World Junior Championship to Canadian ice in just over a year in Edmonton and Red Deer, and fans can be the first in line to access ticket packages.

On Tuesday, the 2021 host committee, in partnership with Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League, officially announced the priority ticket draw for all fans interested in the 45th edition of the World Juniors, Dec. 26, 2020 to Jan. 5, 2021.

“The priority draw is the only way for fans to guarantee their chance to see the tournament live and in person, and we encourage everyone to enter the draw ahead of the Jan. 5 deadline,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “When Alberta last hosted the championship in 2012, over 175,000 entries were received for the priority draw. Based on the tremendous success of that tournament and the passion for hockey in the province and across the country, we’re expecting another exciting World Juniors.”

Fans can register at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets until the deadline at 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Fans randomly selected in the priority draw will be notified in early January and given the exclusive opportunity to purchase ticket packages in Edmonton and/or Red Deer.

Edmonton offers two ticket packages of eight games each, both starting at $495. Each package includes two preliminary-round games featuring Canada’s National Junior Team and either the bronze medal game or gold medal game. The Red Deer ticket package starts at $490 and features 16 games, including two pre-tournament games featuring Canada’s National Junior Team, 10 preliminary-round games and two quarter-finals.

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Junior Team and the IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the male rosters for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

Eight teams will take to the ice in Airdrie on February 14-17, with 160 male athletes born in 2007 ready to take the first step in the Team Alberta program.

2020 Alberta Winter Games Male Rosters >

Twenty players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, coach mentor, and director of operations, as well as four trainers. Rosters were selected based on performances at regional camps held December 6-8 in Vegreville, Edmonton, Olds and Calgary.

The 2020 Alberta Winter Games female rosters were announced on December 3.

The Alberta Winter Games is a multi-sport event for developing athletes, aged 11-17 years old. The Winter Games were first hosted in 1976 in Banff, and occur each even-numbered year. The athletes are selected to represent the eight zones in Alberta in 20 sports such as hockey, badminton, gymnastics, skiing and skating. Hockey Alberta coordinates the ice hockey portion of the Winter Games, as a core segment of its Development Program.

RED DEER - Seventeen of the top 2005 and 2006-born male athletes living north of the 55th parallel have been selected to represent Team Alberta North for the 2020 Arctic Winter Games.

Team Alberta North Male Roster >

Damon Jeffs and Kevin Kuryluk will serve as Team Alberta North Male’s Head Coach and Assistant Coach, respectively. Jeffs returns to Team Alberta North after winning a silver medal in 2018 as an Assistant Coach. Selection camps ran December 6-8 in Fairview, and saw over 90 athletes turn out to compete for a spot with Team Alberta North.

Hockey Alberta’s Bantam Male squad, along with a Junior Female team, will compete in the Arctic Winter Games March 15-21 in Whitehorse, YK.

Female team selection camp runs December 20-22 in Manning.

The Arctic Winter Games are the world’s largest northern multi-sport and cultural event. The Arctic Winter Games are a celebration of athletic completion, culture, friendship and cooperation between northern contingents. Athletic competition features sports that enjoy worldwide popularity alongside traditional Arctic Sports and Dene games. The cultural component is a pillar of the Games, featuring visual arts, dance, ceremonies and galas with participants from across the circumpolar region.

Each hockey team is comprised of 17 players and two coaches. Teams participate in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding for medal-round pairings. One gold ulu is awarded in each division. Teams that regularly participate in ice hockey include Alaska, Yukon, Alberta North, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Eligible communities for the Arctic Winter Games are located North of the 55th Parallel.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta’s November Coach of the Month, sponsored by Players Bench Team Apparel, is Sheldon Ghostkeeper of the Slave Lake Atom and Novice Thunder.

RED DEER - The Hockey Alberta Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Future Leaders Scholarship.

Eight outstanding post-secondary students were chosen from the 2019 Future Leaders Development Program to receive a $1,000 scholarship, with the opportunity to receive an additional scholarship for achieving "distinguished leader" status. Distinguished Future Leaders will be announced in January.

The 2019 Future Leaders are:

• Teagan Borbandy (University of Saskatchewan)
• Laura Jardin (McGill University)
• Danica L Dahlin (University of Lethbridge)
• Paige Grenier (University of New Brunswick)
• Braden Bystrom (Red Deer College)
• Jantzen T Leslie (Red Deer College)
• Ryan Graham (University of Calgary)
• Annaliese Meier (University of Calgary)

“The Future Leaders Hockey Program allowed me to see the game I love from a whole new perspective, as a coach. I developed a better understanding on how to breakdown plays and skills to their basics, and then rebuild them through progressions,” said Borbandy. “This not only helped me better understand how to develop a practice plan, but also how to better explain and break down situations on the bench during a game. These are skills I believe will benefit me as I move forward in my coaching career”

For Jardin , she came away from the Future Leaders program with a different outlook on the game of hockey.

“As a player following coaches’ instructions is crucial. When you are on the receiving end of the instructions, not a lot of thought is put into what the purpose of a drill is. The Future Leaders program has broadened this view by teaching me to structure a practice, identify the key teaching points in a drill and to develop a coach’s philosophy,” said Jardin.

The Future Leader Development Program is designed to develop and train post-secondary students in the area of coaching. Areas of focus include proper instruction, administration, leadership, technical and tactical skills in hockey, so that the future leaders can carry those skills into our communities.

Learning how to coach players with a range of attitudes was a key area of growth for Leslie.

“I was able to take my learning in the Future Leaders Program and reflect on each coach’s style. The program taught me that players respond to each coaching style differently and to take elements of each coaching style I have personally experienced and add them to my own coaching style so that I can in turn find the correct coaching method for each individual ,” said Leslie.

For Grenier, she gained a better overall understanding of the work coaches undertake.

“The Future Leaders program gave me a greater respect for all the work coaches put in, not just for a single practice but all the preparation for a season. I feel more prepared and capable for all my future coaching endeavors whether that be with a team or even just for camps,” said Grenier[BEL] .

Since the Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1998, Hockey Alberta Foundation has invested annually in the development of great leaders for the future of the game and our communities in Alberta. The scholarship program operates in alignment with the Future Leaders Development Program, which focuses on educating and training our post-secondary student coaches to be strong and effective on-ice leaders.

RED DEER – More than 4,600 hockey coaches in Alberta attended National Coach Certification Program (NCCP) and other professional coach development clinics offered this season through Hockey Alberta.

"One third of all coaches in Alberta have attended a Hockey Alberta hosted clinic so far this season. These coaches are showing great dedication to the game and their players by building their knowledge,” said Stephen Pattison, Manager, Central Regional Centre and Player Development for Hockey Alberta.

While the overall numbers are impressive (4,618 coaches in total attended a clinic), the benefits experienced by players across the province are the most important outcome. For every coach who has attended a clinic and learned current coaching techniques and philosophies, that coach is able to provide learning and development for the 15-20 players on his or her team, as well as other team members and members of their minor hockey association.

“Ultimately it is the players who really see the benefits from the skills and tactics learned at these clinics,” said Pattison.

Hockey Alberta offers two types of coach development - NCCP certification clinics and Instructional Stream clinics.

Specified levels of NCCP certification are required to coach certain age divisions, and more than 3,000 coaches completed that required certification this year.

In addition, another 1,600 coaches have attended at one of 75 free Instructional Stream and Professional Development coach clinics covering such topics as Creating Offense, Developing Defencemen, Goaltending, Small Area Games, Skating, and Skill Development.

The Instructional Stream program was created by Hockey Canada to provide opportunities for coaches of all levels to enhance their knowledge and development in specified areas of the game throughout the season. The clinics consist of three hours of classroom and on-ice instruction and offer coaches practical sessions on teaching skills and tactics. The clinics provide a welcoming environment for coaches to educate themselves on new skill development techniques for their players.

Instructional Stream clinics are offered free of charge to coaches in Alberta and are delivered by Hockey Alberta-trained instructors. Clinics are ongoing at various locations around the province until the end of January.

UPCOMING CLINICS >

NCCP coach clinic season begins in late August and runs until the coach certification deadline on November 15. This year, 164 NCCP clinics were hosted by Hockey Alberta instructors over the course of 15 weeks, including Coach 1, Coach 2, Development 1 and Checking Skills.

For more information on Coach development and certification, go the COACHES TAB at hockeyalberta.ca.

Breakdown by clinic:

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the female rosters for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

Six teams will take to the ice in Airdrie on February 14-17, with 120 female players (born in 2005 and 2006) ready to take the first step in the Team Alberta program.

2020 Alberta Winter Games Female Rosters >

Twenty players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coach, apprentice coach, coach mentor, trainer, and director of operations. Rosters were selected based on performances at regional camps held November 29 - December 1 in Innisfail and Wetaskiwin.

Of the 120 players selected, 106 play in the Bantam Elite division of the Alberta Female Hockey League.

The Alberta Winter Games is a multi-sport event for developing athletes, aged 11-17 years old. The Winter Games were first hosted in 1976 in Banff, and occur each even-numbered year. The athletes are selected to represent the eight zones in Alberta in 20 sports such as hockey, badminton, gymnastics, skiing and skating. Hockey Alberta coordinates the ice hockey portion of the Winter Games, as a core segment of its Development Program.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the host sites for the 2020 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial.

The month-long “March to a title” features provincial championship tournament action during three weekends in March and April, along with five champions crowned through league playoff series. Organizations interested in hosting a provincial championship tournament completed a detailed bid process, with a bid committee evaluating the submissions.

2020 Provincial Host Sites >

A total of 40 Provincial Championships will be hosted across the province, at locations ranging from Grimshaw in the north and west, Claresholm in the south, and Lloydminster in the east.

In addition, Hockey Alberta is expanding the Provincial Championship Model trial that started last year in the Peewee Division. The Bantam and Midget divisions are joining the Peewee division in the transition to Tiers 1-4 championships from A-D levels. Each Tier provincial championship with have eight teams - the host, a wild card, and the champions from Hockey Calgary, Hockey Edmonton, Central Alberta Hockey League, Northern Alberta Interlock, All Peace Hockey League, and North Eastern Alberta Hockey League.

Week one (March 19-22) features 17 tournaments: Minor Midget AAA, Midget Female AAA, Bantam AA, Bantam Tiers 1-4, Bantam Female Elite, Bantam Female A and B, Atom AA Major, Atom AA Minor, Atom A-D, and Atom Female.

Another 16 tournaments are set for week two (March 26-29): Senior AA, Midget AA, Midget Tiers 1-4, Midget Female Elite, Midget Female A and B, Peewee AA, Peewee Tiers 1-4, and Peewee Female A and B.

The 2020 Provincials wrap up with Junior B, the lone tournament running April 2-5.

The following provincial champions will be decided via league playoffs: Senior AAA, Junior A, Junior Female, Midget AAA, and Bantam AAA.

ATB Financial will once again headline as the presenting sponsor of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, continuing a long-standing relationship with Hockey Alberta.

Atom teams participating in Provincial Championships qualify by winning a zone playdown. A playdown pilot is being undertaken in Bantam and Midget Female A and B, as the playdowns are being held within their respective leagues. Leagues involved in the pilot are Hockey Calgary, Hockey Edmonton, Rocky Mountain Female Hockey League, East Central Female Hockey League, and All Peace Hockey League.

Hosts for the following events are still being accepted and reviewed: Midget Female A, Midget Female B, Bantam Female B, Peewee Female A, Atom AA Minor, and Atom D. Interested applicants can contact Bryden Burrell, Coordinator, Hockey Programs.

Hockey Alberta would also like to congratulate the Wainwright Bisons and the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs, who have been selected to host the 2021 Junior B and Senior AA Provincial Championships, respectively.

HOCKEY ALBERTA HOSTS 112TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & HOCKEY CONFERENCE

Hockey Alberta held its 112th AGM and Hockey Conference on November 22-23 in Red Deer. Matt Symes was the keynote speaker, talking about the importance and challenges of change. The Hockey Alberta Board of Directors has a new Chair and Vice Chair with Len Samletzki acclaimed as the new Chair and Allan Mowbray acclaimed as the Vice Chair. The Hockey Alberta Foundation also made changes to their Board, as Dennis Zukiwsky was acclaimed as the new Chair and Jeff Robson as Vice Chair. KEYNOTE ADDRESS > | HA BOARD > | HAF BOARD >

HOCKEY CANADA ANNOUNCES CHANGE TO AGE DIVISION NAMES

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. INFO >

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR 2020 GLOBAL GIRLS’ GAME

Hockey Alberta, in partnership with Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), is participating in the Global Game on the weekend of February 7-9 in St. John’s, NL. The Global Game is an IIHF initiative focused on uniting female hockey players across the globe through sport in this one, global continuous game. APPLY NOW >

ARCTIC WINTER GAMES REGIONAL SELECTION CAMPS - MALE DEADLINE - NOV. 30

The deadline is fast approaching for 2005-2006 born male athletes to register for the 2020 Arctic Winter Games Selection Camps held in Fairview on Dec. 6-8. Spots are still available for the Female Selection Camps held in Manning on Dec. 20-22. The deadline to register for the female camps is December 15. MALE REGISTRATION > | FEMALE REGISTRATION >

HOCKEY ALBERTA HOLIDAY SKILLS CAMP IN RED DEER

Hockey Alberta is bringing a Holiday Skills Camp to Red Deer during the Holiday Break on January 2-3, 2020 for 2007-2010 born players. The Holiday Skills Camp is designed to provide your player with additional skill development sessions that will benefit the player during in game situations. REGISTER > | MORE PLAYER CAMPS >

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR 2020 FEMALE HOCKEY DAY IN LETHBRIDGE

Registration is now open for Hockey Alberta’s Female Hockey Day on Saturday, January 25 at the ATB Centre in Lethbridge. The day will feature on and off-ice development sessions for players, goalies, coaches, and officials – all to celebrate female hockey. INFO > | REGISTER >

• Alberta Sledge Announces 2019-20 Roster
• The Challenges of Change - Matt Symes
• Spots still available for First Shift in Red Deer

SUPPORTING HOCKEY ALBERTA AND YOUR COMMUNITY - DRAYTON VALLEY AND LACOMBE FORD

Drayton Valley and Lacombe Ford are a proud partner of Hockey Alberta and powering your community. For information on your next vehicle visit their website at direct2wheels.ca >

RED DEER – Two central Alberta charitable organizations are the beneficiaries of a contribution $170,000 for 2019 from Curtis Glencross & Friends.

The contribution includes funds raised through the 8th annual Glencross Invitational Charity Roughstock Event, and a new undertaking in 2019 in conjunction with the Roughstock, a Truck Raffle.

Hockey Alberta Foundation, and its Every Kid Every Community program, and Ronald McDonald House Charities® Alberta, share the proceeds from the fundraising endeavours.

As well, one lucky individual is driving home with a new 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Truck with elevation package, provided by Kipp Scott Motors in Red Deer. Mike Commodore had his ticket drawn and was presented with the truck on Friday.

The 2019 Roughstock event, which was co-sponsored by ATB and Calgary Flames Foundation, was hosted in August in Red Deer, and included a sponsor-only poker tournament and the charity rodeo. The Truck Raffle had 999 tickets available at $100 per ticket.

In total, over the eight years of the Roughstock event, more than $1.7 million has been raised for worthy organizations in Alberta.

Curtis Glencross was joined by event organizers on November 29 at the Hockey Alberta office at Red Deer College to present cheques to the event beneficiaries.

"This year, to celebrate eight years of the Charity Roughstock event, we tried something a little different to benefit Ronald McDonald House and Every Kid Every Community. The addition of the Truck Raffle allowed us an additional opportunity to raise funds to benefit families throughout central Alberta,” said Curtis Glencross. “None of this is possible without our dedicated volunteers, and the generosity of our supporters and sponsors. My thanks to everyone who worked so hard this year because otherwise there are many families across Alberta who would be looking elsewhere for support.”

The funds for Ronald McDonald House® go towards serving families, keeping the House operational, and ensuring that there are rooms available whenever they are needed.

"We want to thank Curtis, his family, and the hard-working committee and volunteers who made this event and raffle such a success. The impact of their donations over nearly a decade has increased our capacity to serve more families from more communities and we are incredibly grateful,” said Jason Evanson, CEO of RMHC Alberta. “Their efforts ensure that families are able to stay together when they need it most – during the serious illness or injury of their child.”

For the Hockey Alberta Foundation and Hockey Alberta, this funding goes to Every Kid Every Community, which has a goal of ensuring a pathway to play hockey for any child in Alberta who is interested in the sport.

“Curtis, his family, and the incredible group of volunteers supporting the Roughstock event and Truck Raffle have done an incredible job again this year raising funds to help families not just in central Alberta, but across the province,” said Tim Leer, Executive Director, Hockey Alberta Foundation. “The goal of Every Kid Every Community is to provide kids with the pathway to experience our great sport for the first time, and more kids now have that opportunity through program and player grants.”

	Mike Commodore (centre) is presented with his 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 by Calvin Kokotailo (General Sales Manager) and Mike Samson (General Manager) of Kipp Scott GMC Cadillac Buick. Also on hand were Curtis Glencross and Kelsey Angeltvedt (Glencross and Friends).
	Curtis Glencross addressing the media conference.

RED DEER - Registration is now open for Hockey Alberta’s Female Hockey Day on Saturday, January 25 at the ATB Centre in Lethbridge.

The day will feature on and off-ice development sessions for players, goalies, coaches, and officials – all to celebrate female hockey. All ages and skill levels are welcome to join. To help us celebrate, and to conclude a full day of Female Hockey Day activities, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns will host the Mount Royal Cougars in a U SPORTS Hockey game at Nicholas Sheran Ice Centre.

Player Sessions - Player Development sessions are ongoing throughout Female Hockey Day, including on and off-ice instruction for current female players at all levels, from Intro to Hockey (Initiation and Novice) to Midget.

Goalie Sessions - An on ice goalie development session will be held for female goaltenders of all ages. A variety of skills and fundamentals will be covered by some of Alberta’s best goaltending instructors.

Try Hockey (youth and adult) -There will be Try Hockey sessions offered for both youth and adult females who are looking to play hockey for the first time. Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank will be on site to outfit all new players with equipment.

Coach Development Session - A Coach Development Session is being hosted for all coaches involved in female hockey, which includes a classroom seminar, and on ice instruction.

Female Officials Clinic - Female officials are invited to take part in Female Hockey Day with an afternoon clinic, that includes classroom and on-ice sessions.

REGISTER >

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the coaching staffs for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

The six coaching staffs for the female program are comprised of one director of operations, one coach mentor, one head coach, one assistant coach, and one apprentice coach. The eight coaching staffs for the male program are comprised of one director of operations, one coach mentor, one head coach, and two assistant coaches.

Female Program Staffs > | Male Program Staffs >

Female regional selection camps kick off this weekend, November 29 - December 1 in Wetaskiwin (North) and Innisfail (South). Male regional selection camps run the following weekend, December 6-8 in Vegreville (North), Edmonton (Capital), Olds (South) and Calgary.

The Alberta Winter Games are set for February 14-17 in Airdrie.

RED DEER - Alberta Sledge is proud to announce the 17 player roster for the Alberta Sledge Program during the 2019-20 season.

The roster was finalized following a two-day tryout camp at Pason Centennial Arenas in Okotoks, Alberta. The camp included skills evaluations and two Intersquad games. A total of 20 players were in contention for the 17 roster spots.

Roster >

This program selection is not a reflection of the final team roster that will represent Alberta in the 2020 Canadian Sledge Hockey Championships in Leduc, Alberta this upcoming May. A final Team Alberta roster announcement will be made in the spring of 2020.

Alberta Sledge’s program roster includes two goaltenders, five defensemen and ten forwards. Head Coach Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB) assembled the roster with support from Assistant Coach Chris Cederstrand (Okotoks, AB), and Team Director Dean Krawec (St. Albert, AB).

For more information on Alberta Sledge, please contact Dean Krawec, Team Director, at [email protected] or 780-991-5507.

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

EDMONTON – As a result of funds raised at the 2019 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf, hosted in Edmonton last June, two Alberta charities are benefitting. The $371,649 legacy funding will be split evenly between the Oilers Entertainment Group’s 2nd Shift program and the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s Every Kid Every Community programs to help provide children of all backgrounds and circumstances the opportunity to experience hockey.

Yesterday the Hockey Canada Foundation brought together members of the 2019 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf legacy committee at the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame to present the legacy cheques. Event co-chairs Ashif and Zainul Mawji and Hockey Alberta Foundation vice-chair Dennis Zukiwsky were on hand to accept the cheques.

The generous donation by the Hockey Canada Foundation will help ensure that any child in Alberta who wants to will be able to enjoy the game of hockey through the EKEC grant program.

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.