The Future is Female: March 25, 2017 by HockeyNow

TOP 31 NHL PROSPECTS NOLAN PATRICK BRANDON (WHL)

NICO HISCHIER HALIFAX (QMJHL)

OWEN TIPPETT MISSISSAUGA (OHL)

GABE VILARDI WINDSOR (OHL)

TIMOTHY LILJEGREN ROGLE (SweE)

+ Full List Inside

OHL CUP DOWN TO THE WIRE BUZZER BEATER GIVES MISSISSAUGA REPS THEIR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCLE REPEATS AND UPSETS HIGHLIGHT EXCITING U SPORTS HOCKEY FINALES

THE FUTURE IS FEMALE GRASSROOTS INITIATIVES AND CHANGING MINDS OPENING NEW DOORS FOR FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYERS March 25, 2017

–SERIES– 19th ANNUAL

HockeyNow.ca

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

PEAK TIME

S WE ALL KNOW, MARCH IS HUGE IN

hockey and once again, there have been a ton of great stories coming out of the game this month. We’ve seen champions crowned in university and female NCAA hockey, plus some stellar games and upsets in the final playoff and provincial rounds of minor and school leagues. Both the CWHL and NWHL seasons were also capped off by upsets, with favourites unseated in both leagues. On the CJHL side, the playoffs are well underway and have already claimed a few victims. And the postseason is finally sorted out for the OHL, Q and the Dub. All in all, it’s been a great month. As always, a huge highlight at the end of the season is the OHL Cup. We hope you’ve been following all our Cup coverage – make sure to read up on our website if you haven’t yet. What an incredible tournament it was this year. Of course, it’s always great to see a team come back and take advantage of a second chance. The Reps did not disappoint and no question that final marker will be talked about for a long time. Second only to Dennis Golovatchev’s heroic game winner following Lucas Rowe’s perfect assist off the face-off is Marlies F Graeme Clarke’s lacrosse-style goal. Make sure to catch it online if you didn’t see it the first time around. Clarke just happens to be one of the shortlisted candidates for HockeyNow’s Minor Hockey Player of the Year award so this wasn’t the first we saw of his physics-defying goal, and all-around skill to go with it, but it was great to see it displayed on a national stage. On top of Clarke, we also got to watch nine other recent Ontario POY nominees show their stuff at the OHL Cup this year. On the winning team, Jamieson Rees was a name we heard all tournament long and he nabbed a second place point finish to go along with the Cup. Ryan Suzuki and Jeff Burridge both managed five points in six games for the tournament favourite London Knights, who had a great showing at the tournament until they were upset in the semis by the eventual champion Reps. For their part, a strong Mississauga Rebels squad fell at the hands of the Vaughan Kings for a quarterfinal exit. Anthony Aguanno led his team in points and fellow POY finalists Duncan Penman, Philip Tomasino and Michael Vukojevic gave the Rebels four straight wins, until they lost when it counted most. Our final two nominees, Jack Hughes and Brandon Coe, also made an appearance at the OHL Cup. Hughes managed seven points in five games with the Marlies for a seventh place point leader spot and Coe was a key player for the Nats, who made it all the way to the championship final, only to be defeated in the last 12 seconds of play. Rees and Aguanno were also both named to the Gatorade All-Star Team. Obviously our POY committee has made some strong choices this year. It’s still early and we’ll definitely see some new names pop up in the coming months. Then we’ll be narrowing it all down as we get closer to July and our award presentation. You can find a lot more on these plus B.C. and Alberta shortlisted players in this issue and online. Finally, this month was also marked by some pretty major news coming out of the U.S. women’s national team, who announced they would be boycotting the Women’s Worlds unless USA Hockey makes changes in how the team’s members are paid and treated. This story is still unfolding so we’ll see what ultimately transpires. No question, it’s an exciting time to be part of women’s hockey and we’re seeing so much come out of the sport. Yes, there’s still a lot to be done but there are more opportunities and more support than ever before. For this month’s cover feature, we heard from Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Digit Murphy and some other hockey greats who are trailblazers in their field. Make sure to check it out and let us know what you think on our website or our Twitter and Facebook pages. And if you’re not already one of our social media followers and newsletter subscribers, it’s a great time to sign up. We’ve been giving away weekly prizes for our subscribers since January and we’re coming up to our grand prize draw. It’s easy to sign up and you’ll get all the latest from HockeyNow delivered to your inbox every week. As always, thanks for reading and see you at the rink.

LARRY FEIST, Publisher On Twitter: @HockeyNow

NEXT EDITION: April 22, 2017 CONTACT THE EDITOR: larry@hockeynow.ca

FOLLOW US [@HockeyNow] We absolutely love hearing from you. So, tweet us about what’s going on with your team or your world—tweet us anything that you want to talk about. NATIONAL EDITION Vol. 19, No. 3, Issue 674 - March 25, 2017

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PUBLISHER Larry Feist larry@hockeynow.ca

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ART + PRODUCTION Stacey Coleman stacey@hockeynow.ca

EDITORIAL INTERN Kirk Budden

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Astra Groskaufmanis Kirk Budden Mike Beasley Iain Colpitts Sam Laskaris Randy Lucenti Marshall Mackinder Ryan McCracken Kristi Patton

COVER PHOTO Justin Sinclair Photography

HockeyNow 3012 6 Ave S Lethbridge, AB, T1J 1E8 Telephone: 1-877-990-0520 Contents copyright 2017 by HockeyNow. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or duplicated in print or online without the written permission of HockeyNow. The opinions conveyed by contributors to HockeyNow may not be indicative of the views of HockeyNow. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, HockeyNow does not assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions.

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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HockeyNow March 25, 2017

CONTENTS 18 | ON THE COVER

MARCH 25, 2017

THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF FEMALE HOCKEY

features... 9 PROSPECT

PROFILES –SERIES– 19th ANNUAL

SCOUTING REPORT: LANE ZABLOCKI, MATTEO PIETRONIRO & BEN JONES

15 ISS

HOCKEY SCHOOLS HANDOOK

ISS RELEASES MARCH’S TOP 31 RANKED PROSPECTS FOR NHL DRAFT

23 POY

PRELIMINARY LISTS FOR B.C., ALBERTA & ONTARIO

24 MOM’S CORNER

PLAYOFF ADVICE FOR NEWBIE HOCKEY MOMS

in this issue... 6 WHL

REGINA PATS DOMINATE TO THE END, RETAIN TOP SPOT IN THE STANDINGS

12 MINOR

WILD CARD MISSISSAUGA REPS CLAIM FIRST OHL CUP IN DRAMATIC FASHION

7 OHL

17 FEMALE

8 QMJHL

33 U SPORTS

10 CJHL

34 NCAA

PLAYOFF PICTURE FINALLY SET AS RACE COMES DOWN TO THE WIRE

GATINEAU’S ZACK MACEWEN LANDS DEAL WITH VANCOUVER CANUCKS

JACK MCBAIN ON TRACK TO FOLLOW IN FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS TO THE NHL

UPSETS ABOUND IN CWHL CLARKSON CUP AND NWHL ISOBEL CUP FINALS

VARSITY REDS DEFEND MEN’S CROWN AND PANDAS RECLAIM WOMEN’S TITLE

CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS DEFEAT FAVOURITE WISCONSIN BADGERS

10 March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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WHL

KEITH HERSHMILLER PHOTOS

MAJOR JUNIOR

Regina Pats teammates (from right) Connor Hobbs, Adam Brooks, Dawson Leedahl and Nick Henry celebrate a goal in a WHL game against the Saskatoon Blades on March 14, 2017.

A CUT ABOVE

The Regina Pats finish off the WHL regular season in style as they set their sights on Calgary STORY Ryan McCracken

HERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, THE WHL’S REGULAR season belonged to the Regina Pats, but standout defenceman Connor Hobbs knows as well as anyone that it only gets harder from here. The Pats capped off their 72-game docket by making franchise history, and in fitting fashion to boot. With a staggering 52-12-7-1 record to close out their final weekend before playoffs, this season’s Pats squad became the first in the team’s 50-year history to crack the 50-win plateau. It’s a benchmark the Pats have been working toward breaching for the past few seasons, starting with a trade that secured Hobbs’ presence on the blue line back in 2015 – but the league-leading defensive scorer stresses the achievement doesn’t mean much until they back it up in the playoffs. “We’re not satisfied until we can reach that main goal, which is getting it done in playoffs. We’re just super excited moving forward here, just to prepare and be ready for the playoffs,” said Hobbs, adding it’s still a nice feather in the cap. “It’s hard to explain I guess. It’s pretty special obviously. A lot of work got put into this season and it feels great to be up there in the history books.” The Pats have been building toward this very opportunity over the past few seasons — and Hobbs has been there from the ground up. The 20-year-old Saskatoon product became a Pat halfway through the 2014-15 - Connor Hobbs season in a trade with the

Medicine Hat Tigers — one that signalled a rebuild year for the Regina franchise. Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock gave up former captain Kyle Burroughs and top tier goal-scorer Dryden Hunt to acquire Hobbs — along with second and third round draft picks — but the trade helped firm up what would become one of the most dominant teams in the franchise’s history. “We talked a lot about the standard of excellence and building the program,” said Hobbs. “When I got traded there, they talked about putting the right pieces in place and I’m glad they chose me because, man, is it fun. It’s so much fun right now and it’s just really humbling to be a part of this team.” Hobbs finished the season off with 1.27 points per game, good for the best defensive marks in the league. He was sitting on a plus-30 rating and contributed on 42 power play goals and four shorthanded markers. He wasn’t alone atop the statistic leaderboards either. Pats forward Sam Steel wrapped up his 18-year-old season with a league-best 131 points, while overage captain Adam Brooks was hot on his heels with 130. Brooks notched seven of those points in the Pats’ last two games of the season, a 7-1 win and a 6-0 shutout over the Brandon Wheat Kings. Brooks and Steel also led the league in assists, with 87 and 81, respectively, while Brooks compiled a league-high 22-game point streak from Oct. 12 to Dec.

“IT’S SO MUCH FUN

RIGHT NOW AND IT’S JUST REALLY HUMBLING TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM.”

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

Regina Pats defenceman Connor Hobbs celebrates scoring his 30th goal of the season in a 6-2 win over the Swift Current Broncos on March 15, 2017.

9 — collecting an overwhelming 48 points along the way. “It’s incredible. Those two guys are amazing. Some of the stuff they do I just shake my head at it, I don’t know how they do it,” said Hobbs. “It’s pretty special and pretty amazing. They’re a huge part of our team.” Even after grabbing onto the CHL’s No. 1 ranking early this season and very rarely letting go, the Pats still went back to work at the trade deadline. Paddock executed a handful of trades that Hobbs says gave Regina all they should need to defend their place as the league’s top seed. From the added depth provided by centre Wyatt Sloboshan — picked up in a trade with the Spokane Chiefs — to the back-end presence of defenceman Josh Mahura — acquired alongside Jeff de Wit in a blockbuster trade with the Red Deer Rebels — Hobbs says Paddock managed to make the Pats a deeper, more complete team at the deadline. “Mahura is a really good player, a guy who can score. And the same goes for Jeff and Wyatt. They’re just great guys and that’s huge for our team, having a good group of guys,” said Hobbs. “I guess you can’t go too far in hockey without meeting a good guy but I thought that was important, having good people on our team. It sure pays off when they play the way they do as well.” Given their season-long streak of dominance, which included a country-best 24 weeks in the CHL’s top 10 rankings, the Pats will undoubtedly have a target on their backs as the puck drops on the playoffs. Thankfully, says Hobbs, it’s a symbol the Pats have become accustomed to wearing this season. “We’ve kind of been gunned after all year. Teams bring their best to us every single game, every night with us being up in the rankings and that sort of thing,” said Hobbs. “Teams want to knock us off the top. I think it gives us more energy and more drive to play better when teams bring their best. It’s just exciting.” Round 1 of the WHL playoffs kicks off on March 24. The Pats will be welcoming the eighth place Calgary Hitmen at the Brandt Centre for Game 1 of their series.

OHL

DOWN TO THE WIRE

If the race to the postseason is any indication, the first round of the OHL playoffs is bound to be an exciting one STORY Iain Colpitts

T TOOK UNTIL THE FINAL GAME OF THE OHL SEASON to solidify the playoff picture. While the regular season was supposed to conclude on March 19, there was a rescheduled game that still had to be played between the Mississauga Steelheads and Sudbury Wolves two days later. The Wolves pulled off an important 4-2 victory to surpass the Ottawa 67’s for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. It helped set the stage for what should be a very exciting playoffs. Here’s a look at all of the matchups.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) ERIE OTTERS vs. (8) SARNIA STING (ERIE WON SEASON SERIES 3-1)

(1) PETERBOROUGH PETES vs. (8) NIAGARA ICEDOGS (PETERBOROUGH WON SEASON SERIES 3-1)

OHL leading scorer Alex DeBrincat had a storybook season, becoming the first player in four decades to record three straight 50-goal seasons and the Otters became the first team in the OHL to win 50 games four seasons in a row. Standing in their way of their first OHL championship since 2002 are the Sarnia Sting, a club that watched three players eligible to return (Travis Konecny, Pavel Zacha and Jakob Chychrun) move onto the NHL instead. Jordan Kyrou did his best to make up for that deficit with a 94-point season, as well as a league-best 30-game point streak. PREDICTION: ERIE IN FOUR

The standings show a 33-point differential in Peterborough’s favour, but there’s one glaring similarity between these teams. Niagara’s Stephen Dhillon and Peterborough’s Dylan Wells have faced more shots than anyone in the league, although Dhillon has faced almost 500 more than his Petes counterpart.They both have save percentages around the .915 mark as well. Nikita Korostelev, acquired midway through the season by Sarnia, finished the season as Peterborough’s leading scorer and defenceman Matthew Timms was one point behind. For Niagara, veterans Johnny Corneil and Ryan Mantha were the top scorers while the youth movement, led by rookie Akil Thomas, is heading in the right direction. PREDICTION: PETERBOROUGH IN SIX

(2) SAULT STE. MARIE GREYHOUNDS vs. (7) FLINT FIREBIRDS (SAULT STE. MARIE WON SEASON SERIES 5)1) An all-around solid attack has led the Greyhounds to second place in the Western Conference and their second 100-point season in the last three years. Bobby MacIntyre and Zach Senyshyn have guided one of the league’s best offences while rookie Matthew Villalta has stabilized the Greyhounds between the pipes. On the other side of the ice will be the Firebirds, who were expected to be the laughing stock of the OHL following last year’s shortfalls on the ice and controversy off the ice. The trio of Ryan Moore, Kole Sherwood and Nicholas Caamano leads a potent attack. PREDICTION: SAULT STE. MARIE IN FIVE (3) OWEN SOUND ATTACK (6) KITCHENER RANGERS (OWEN SOUND WON SEASON SERIES 7-1)

TERRY WILSON/OHL IMAGES

vs.

Goaltender Michael McNiven has been a linchpin for the Attack and should be considered for the Red Tilson Trophy. He was a vital piece during the Attack’s league-best 15-game winning streak while Petrus Palmu and Nick Suzuki each came within five points of the 100-point plateau to finish among the league’s top five scorers. Not to be outdone, Kitchener boasts a 100-point man in Adam Mascherin while eight rookies have helped keep the Rangers in the middle of the pack in the West. Goaltending has been an issue as Luke Opilka had a solid first-season in the OHL last year, but has struggled since coming back from hip surgery. PREDICTION: OWEN SOUND IN FIVE (4) LONDON KNIGHTS vs. (5) WINDSOR SPITFIRES (SEASON SERIES TIED 3-3)

OHL leading scorer Alex DeBrincat and the Erie Otters finished atop the powerful Western Conference and are preparing for a long playoff run.

MAJOR JUNIOR

In September, many expected them to meet in the OHL final, but instead they’re going head to head in the first round. Both teams are built similarly, starting with strong goaltending from Windsor’s Michael DiPietro and London’s Tyler Parsons. Jeremy Bracco, Windsor’s biggest trade acquisition, recorded points in 26 straight games with Kitchener prior to winning World Junior gold with the United States. For London, Cliff Pu has led the offence with 86 points and was among the league’s top five scorers for a good chunk of the season. PREDICTION: LONDON IN SIX

(2) MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS vs. (7) OTTAWA 67’S (SEASON SERIES TIED 2-2) It should be a fast-paced series as both teams wield a number of weapons up front. Owen Tippett, Michael McLeod and Spencer Watson have been lethal for Mississauga while Ottawa can counter with 85-point scorer Artur Tyanulin as well as young teammates Austen Keating and Sasha Chmelevski. The Steelheads have the edge in defence with six strong rearguards, led by Vili Saarijarvi and Nic Hague. As well, Matt Mancina and Jake Ingham have been a strong tandem in goal. However, the 67’s have pulled off two overtime wins against Mississauga, one in which they overcame a 3-1 deficit in the final five minutes. PREDICTION: MISSISSAUGA IN SIX (3) OSHAWA GENERALS vs. (6) SUDBURY WOLVES (SEASON SERIES TIED 2-2) The Generals sat atop the Eastern Conference in January before they traded stars Anthony Cirelli and Mitchell Vande Sompel in an attempt to add pieces that will make them stronger next year. Backed by Jeremy Brodeur in goal and led by Domenic Commisso and Medric Mercier among others, they didn’t miss much of a beat and finished just four points back of Peterborough in the East. Sudbury is known for playing a gritty, hard-hitting kind of game, but can pack some punch offensively, most notably from 48-goal scorer Dmitry Sokolov. PREDICTION: OSHAWA IN SEVEN (4) KINGSTON FRONTENACS (5) HAMILTON BULLDOGS (SEASON SERIES TIED 3-3)

vs.

This has the potential to be the closest series in the opening round as these teams were separated by just one point in the middle of the conference. Even though Kingston finished last in the league in terms of offence, Jason Robertson, Linus Nyman, Jacob Paquette and Eemeli Rasanen have emerged as strong prospects for the 2017 NHL Draft. In goal, Kingston’s Jeremy Helvig and Hamilton’s Dawson Carty have both been more than stable options to turn to. Hamilton has a lot of offence to speak of with 2017 NHL Draft prospect Matt Strome leading the way among six Bulldogs who have scored 20 goals or more. PREDICTION: KINGSTON IN SEVEN

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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MAJOR JUNIOR

QMJHL

SURLEVIF.NET PHOTOS

A change of scenery has done Zack MacEwen a world of good. With 74 points in 66 games this year, the centre/right winger has almost doubled his output from his 2015-16 season in Moncton.

BACK ON TRACK Overager Zack MacEwen can finally rest easy after a strong season in Gatineau lands him a contract with the Canucks STORY Mike Beasley

T’S AMAZING HOW QUICKLY ZACK MACEWEN’S hockey future has changed. At the start of the current season, the Gatineau Olympiques centre faced the reality of being an overage 20-year-old finishing out his major junior career with questions as to where he may land next year. That uncertainty was quickly resolved when the native of Stratford, PEI signed a three-year entry-level deal on March 3 with the Vancouver Canucks. “Being offered and signing the contract with Vancouver was like lifting a huge weight off my shoulders,” said MacEwen. “I had had some other offers from a couple of other NHL teams but after visiting Vancouver, meeting with the Canucks staff and seeing their resources, I went with my instincts and signed with them.”

Up until signing with Vancouver, MacEwen’s path in hockey wasn’t exactly a clear one. Last summer, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound forward wasn’t sure if he would be returning to the Moncton Wildcats for his third and final QMJHL season “I loved my stay in Moncton but I knew that they could keep only three 20-year-olds and would have to have to make a decision. It dragged on almost all summer before they called me a week before training camp started to say that I was traded to Gatineau,” MacEwen remembers. “I was happy to be going to Gatineau. They have a great organization and deep tradition of winning. I remembered playing against them last year in the playoffs and really liked the feeling around the rink as well as their passionate fans.”

puck s t o p p e r s. c om 8

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

Upon hearing the news, the Maritime native was relieved to be going to a team that wanted him and could provide the opportunity to display his high end, all around skills. Another confidence builder for MacEwen came in the form of an invite to the Anaheim Ducks training camp two days before its start. “That whole experience was a real eye opener. I learned so much from my time with the pro guys. Watching how they train, practice and prepare for games was a defining moment in my hockey career. I got a taste of what it was like and decided it was what I really wanted to accomplish.” After a couple of weeks with the Ducks organization in Southern California, Zack made his Olympiques regular season debut on September 30, 2016 against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The former Amherst Rambler in the MJAHL made his presence felt right away, scoring a goal and earning the game’s third star in a Gatineau 2-1 victory. From that game forward, he has been one of Gatineau’s most productive and entertaining players. In 66 games, Zack has picked up 31-43-74 points for second best on the team, behind only Vitalii Abramov, the Q’s leading pointgetter. Not bad for a kid that was passed over in the QMJHL Draft and wound up playing Jr. A hockey in Nova Scotia after spending time with the Pownal Red Devils Bantam AAA squad and Charlottetown Islanders Midget AAAs. Now, with the QMJHL playoffs only days away, MacEwen is focused on leading his squad to a deep run into the spring. “I really like the way we are playing right now. We are coming together at the right time. I know exactly what my role is and will do whatever it takes to help Gatineau succeed.” Once his junior season is over, MacEwen knows that he will be on the move once again. But unlike last summer when he was unsure of his next destination, MacEwen will be headed to Utica, New York, the home of the Vancouver Canucks AHL affiliate. From there, he will train in Vancouver in the spring before the team’s development camp in July, which suits MacEwen just fine. “It’s been a crazy ride that I hope doesn’t end for a long time.”

BY Marshall Mackinder

Ultimate Spring Hockey League

CANDICE WARD

Hockey for the fun of it! LANE ZABLOCKI RW – RED DEER REBELS

HEIGHT: 6’0" WEIGHT: 184 lbs. SHOOTS: Right BORN: December 27, 1998 - Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada

DRAFTED: 2013 WHL Draft – Round #5 (109th overall) by the Prince George Cougars

LaneZablocki is one of those character players every team likes to have. He can play top line duty or fourth line minutes depending on how the team is doing. Mixes skill with toughness and is not afraid to get his nose dirty. He has trouble staying consistent but has surpassed the 25-goal mark and will finish with 100+ penalty minutes. Likes to park himself in front of the net and dig for rebounds and wreak havoc for opposing defencemen. Has a quick release when he shoots but is also a playmaker who likes to look for his streaking linemates down the ice. Has good speed for his size but could spend more time battling in the corners to be more effective along the wall.

5 on 5 Hockey League Starts April 1 – June 11 2017 Langley Sportsplex

TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES

Atom – Midget

Non-Contact

www�Ultimate�hockey�com BEN JONES

C – NIAGARA ICEDOGS HEIGHT: 6’0" WEIGHT: 187 lbs. SHOOTS: Left BORN: February 26, 1999 – Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

DRAFTED: 2015 OHL Draft – Round #1 (7th overall) by the Niagara IceDogs

MATTEO PIETRONIRO D – BAIE-COMEAU DRAKKAR

DENIS THIBAULT

Ben Jones is a productive forward who makes the most of his time wearing out defenders in the offensive zone. Jones is a balanced skater who has mobility in all four directions. He has quick, agile hands in tight and can stickhandle in and out of traffic. Has a unique skill set and likes to showcase his offensive ability to deepen the offensive attack and may try to do too much by himself at times. Plays the role of agitator and likes to get under the skin of opponents. A two-way centre who has good success in the face-off circle and as a former defenceman, he understands the importance of helping out in your own end. Likes to compete hard in the dirty areas and continues to build his strength to be effective below the goal line.

HEIGHT: 6’0" WEIGHT: 178 lbs. SHOOTS: Left BORN: October 20, 1998 – Boise, Idaho, United States

DRAFTED: 2014 QMJHL Draft – Round #4 (66th overall) by Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

Matteo Pietroniro is a real gritty, heart and soul type of player who has quickly taken on a leadership role and plays an offensive role from the blue line. Developing a good shot and has worked on his quickness and foot speed. Will get his nose dirty in the corners and clears the front of his net. Has a strong first pass on the breakout and will sacrifice his body blocking shots. Has a mean streak and has been known to drop the gloves. Comes from a background of family playing in the QMJHL and older brother Chad recently graduating after 71 games with Val D'Or, Baie- Comeau and Sherbrooke. March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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JUNIOR

CJHL

ANDY CORNEAU/OJHL IMAGES

GROWING THE LEGACY

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

The West Kelowna Warriors provided proof this season of just how cyclical things can be with junior hockey teams.

As for this year, it wasn’t quite the riches to rags story. But the Warriors did finish with a sub. 500 regular season record, earning 56 points in 58 games courtesy of its 27-29-2-0 mark. West Kelowna though was unable to enjoy any postseason success this time around. The Warriors failed to win a single playoff contest.

STORY Sam Laskaris

WARRIORS BOUNCED EARLY FROM PLAYOFFS

A year ago, the Warriors racked up 15 playoff victories over four rounds to capture the BCHL championship. The West Kelowna squad also went on to win the national crown, the RBC Cup.

With an impressive OJHL rookie season in the books, all signs point to Jack McBain staying in the family business HOULD HE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS, JACK MCBAIN is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a professional hockey player. During his 13-year pro career, Andrew McBain appeared in 632 National Hockey League contests. He played for four NHL franchises: the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators. As for the younger McBain, he’s been earning rave reviews in his rookie season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, members of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The 17-year-old forward produced almost at a pointper-game clip, earning 41 points in 42 regular season outings. And the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder is being tabbed as a potential pick, possibly even a first-rounder, for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Andrew McBain was chosen in the first round, eighth overall, at the 1983 NHL draft. The younger McBain said he’s yearned to become a pro player for as long as he can remember. And he’s thrilled that many others believe his dream will eventually become a reality.

AROUND THE BCHL

Toronto Jr. Canadiens rookie forward Jack McBain is being touted as a possible early pick in the 2018 National Hockey League's Entry Draft.

“It’s obviously an unbelievable feeling,” he said. “It’s still a ways away. But it’s really cool that’s a possibility.” McBain has also been pleased with how his OJHL rookie campaign has transpired. “It’s been really good and I’ve had some good opportunities,” he said. Those opportunities have included competing in a pair of prestigious tournaments. For starters, McBain was picked as an assistant captain for one of the three Canadian entries that participated in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge this past October in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. But after playing in one tournament game McBain was sidelined as he discovered he had suffered a broken hand in a league game a few days beforehand. Not long after recovering from his injury, McBain got another opportunity to don a Canadian jersey. He cracked the roster of the Canada East team that ended up winning the silver medal at the World Junior A Challenge, staged in December in Bonnyville, Alta. Jr. Canadiens head coach Jeff Angelidis said he noticed a significant change in McBain after he returned from Bonnyville. He was no longer the quiet 16-year-old who had primarily kept to himself early on in the season. “Once he got back in mid-December, he was very vocal in the room and on the bench,” Angelidis said. “I don’t want to say he was like an assistant coach but he started telling guys what to do, things like finishing their checks.” Though he’s not wearing a letter for the club, McBain, who turned 17 in early January, has become one of the leaders on the team. “It just took him some time to navigate through the league,” said Angelidis. “He’s really stepped it up since the month of January and [has continued that play into] the playoffs.” McBain racked up 10 points in seven games as the Jr. Canadiens downed another Toronto franchise, the St. Michael’s Buzzers, in their opening playoff round. In March, McBain also committed to Boston College, starting with the 2018-19 season. It remains to be seen whether he’ll return to the Jr. Canadiens next season. He could possibly head to Nebraska to play for the Lincoln Stars, who own his United States Hockey League rights. McBain though doesn’t want to look too far ahead. “We’re just focusing on finishing this year,” he said.

West Kelowna was swept 4-0 in its best-of-seven opening playoff series by the Merritt Centennials.

EXPRESS CONCLUDE DISAPPOINTING SEASON The Coquitlam Express will have only one place to go next season. Up. That’s because the Express languished through its worst year in franchise history during the 2016-17 campaign. Coquitlam posted a disappointing 11-44-1-2 record. The Express not only finished in the cellar of the league’s six-team Mainland Division, but the squad also placed in the basement of the overall standings in the 17-team BCHL. Besides scoring a league-low 121 goals in its 58 matches, the Coquitlam side also allowed a league-high of 305 goals against. This marked just the fourth time in the franchise’s 16-year history that the team failed to advance to the playoffs. The Express finished 15 points behind the Surrey Eagles, who placed fifth in the Mainland Division with 40 points. And Coquitlam was a whopping 31 points back of the Prince George Spruce Kings, who grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot in the division.

TRAIL CAPTAIN PROVIDING LEADERSHIP Connor Brown has been enjoying a decent rookie season with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. And in the BCHL, a player with a the same monicker, plus one surname, has been having a rather decent year in his swan song in the junior ranks. Trail Smoke Eaters captain Connor Brown-Maloski averaged just more than a point per game this season. He earned 54 points, including 15 goals, in 53 regular season matches. Brown-Maloski is in his fourth BCHL season and third with the Smoke Eaters. He had spent his first year in the league with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Brown-Maloski continued his solid play in the playoffs. He collected nine points in five matches as Trail downed Salmon Arm 4-1 in its opening round best-of-seven series.

CJHL

AROUND THE AJHL

AROUND THE OJHL

JUNIOR

AROUND THE CCHL

SPRUCE GROVE CAPTAIN EARNS SCHOLARSHIP

LEAGUE EXPANDS AGAIN

SCORING CHAMP WINS MVP AWARD

The OJHL’s developmental league has grown once again.

Spruce Grove Saints captain Dexter McLeod will be getting a little bit of help with his postsecondary education.

The Ontario Junior Development League (OJDL), which is entering its third season of operations, will feature 15 entrants this year.

The CCHL’s runaway scoring champion was also selected as the league’s most valuable player.

The 21-year-old defenceman is this year’s winner of the AJHL’s Gas Drive Scholarship. He will receive $1,500 to be used towards his college or university expenses. All 16 squads in the AJHL put forward one nominee for the scholarship. Each applicant was required to submit a nomination letter from a member of his coaching staff. And those who applied for the award had to send in an essay, detailing what they have learned from playing hockey and how those lessons can be applied in their lives after their sporting days are complete. In his essay, McLeod wrote that he discovered the best way to lead was not by talking constantly but by conducting himself appropriately and being an example for his teammates to follow. McLeod, an Edmonton native, joined the Saints early in the 2015-16 season via a trade with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Trail Smoke Eaters.

The circuit, which runs during the spring and summer, enables Junior A prospects the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of OJHL team officials. Just four squads took part in the OJDL’s inaugural season in 2015. That number jumped to 14 entrants last year. The Burlington Cougars and Newmarket Hurricanes will enter two teams each in this year’s league, which kicks off on May 14. As in previous years, the OJDL will feature three divisions with all matches being staged in Oakville, Oshawa and Toronto. The Oakville division will consist of both Burlington clubs as well as teams from Oakville and Milton. Oshawa’s five-team division will feature squads from Cobourg, Kingston, Pickering, Stouffville and Whitby.

He went on to earn a dozen points, including two goals, in 41 regular season matches last year.

And the Toronto division will include the two Newmarket entrants as well as the Toronto Patriots, Markham Royals, North York Rangers and Orangeville Flyers.

While donning the ‘C’ this season, McLeod collected 14 points in 54 regular season contests. He has also been a key point producer for Spruce Grove so far through the first round of the playoffs.

All OJDL squads will play a minimum of 12 games, May through July. And they will all participate in a pair of Showcase Weekends, slated for May 19-21 in Cobourg and June 24-25 in Oshawa.

McLeod will be attending the University of Alberta this coming academic year.

The first showcase will be held during the RBC Cup, the national Junior A tournament, which the Cobourg Cougars are hosting from May 13-21.

CO-WINNERS NAMED FOR AJHL STAR OF THE GAME A pair of AJHL veterans who switched teams mid-season ending up as co-winners of a league-wide award. Bryson Traptow, a Camrose Kodiaks forward, and Okotoks Oiler’ forward Jordan Xavier were named co-winners of the Viterra Cup. This award is presented to the player(s) with the most player of the game selections over the course of the regular season. Traptow and Xavier were named as their club’s top player 13 times each. Traptow joined the Kodiaks this past November via a trade with the Whitecourt Wolverines, the franchise through which he broke into the AJHL back in 2014. Xavier arrived in Okotoks this past December in a deal with the Calgary Mustangs. Both Traptow and Xavier will head to NCAA squads next season. The former will head to the Rochester Institute of Technology while Xavier is joining the University of Alaska Anchorage.

CLARKE NAMED HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR North York Rangers captain Kyle Clarke more than doubled his offensive production this year and became close to a point-per-game player. The 19-year-old forward, who was in his third season with the Rangers, also was rewarded for his numerous off-ice charitable efforts. Clarke was chosen as the OJHL’s Humanitarian of the Year. For more than a decade now, Clarke, who is asthmatic, has been a spokesperson and ambassador for the Lung Association. Clarke has also made a pair of trips to the Dominican Republic in recent years, volunteering with the Live Different organization. His efforts included helping to build houses and a school. Clarke will also serve as an assistant coach for an under-14 Toronto hockey squad that will compete in a tournament in China this summer.

Cumberland Grads star forward Grant Hebert ended up atop the CCHL scoring race, racking up 91 points (27 goals and 64 assists) in 60 regular season outings. Hebert finished 17 points ahead of Hawkesbury Hawks forward Charles Levesque, who placed second in the scoring race, with 74 points. CCHL officials announced their award winners for the year two days after the CCHL regular season concluded. Though he didn’t win the scoring race, Levesque was chosen as the league-wide recipient for an award honouring his sportsmanship and ability. Hebert, 19, certainly stepped up his game in his sophomore season with the Grads. He more than doubled the 41 points he collected a year ago as a rookie with the Cumberland squad. Hebert has accepted an athletic scholarship from Pennsylvania-based Robert Morris University, a Division 1 squad, starting with the 2018-19 season. Meanwhile, the Carleton Place Canadians, Cornwall Colts and Brockville Braves all ended up with a pair of major award winners each. Carleton Place’s Owen Grant was named top defenceman while Jason Clarke was selected as the GM of the Year. Cornwall’s Ian MacInnis was picked as the Coach of the Year while Grant Cooper was chosen as the top graduating player. Brockville’s Henry Johnson was selected as the Top Goaltender while his teammate Cameron Crotty was named Top Prospect. Another award winner was Merrick Rippon of the Ottawa Jr. Senators, who was named the Rookie of the Year.

RANGERS PLAY FINAL GAME The Gloucester Rangers era came to an end in mid-March. The Gloucester franchise, which is relocating to Rockland for next season, played its final regular season match on Mar. 12, beating the host Cumberland Grads 5-2. Had the Grads registered a victory in their final game, they would have advanced to the playoffs. Cumberland, however, ended up in ninth place in the league standings, one point behind the Nepean Raiders, who grabbed the eighth and final postseason berth. Gloucester also missed the playoffs, finishing in a tie for 10th overall.

KANATA FORWARDS CRACK ALLROOKIE TEAM

OIL BARONS EXTEND KECA’S CONTRACT

SPIRIT VOLUNTEER RECOGNIZED

This year’s AJHL Coach of the Year recipient has been rewarded with a contract extension.

One of the OJHL’s longest serving volunteers has earned some recognition.

The Kanata Lasers had their share of struggles this season, winning just 22 of their 62 matches and finishing 11th in a 12-team league.

Fort McMurray Oil Barons bench boss Tom Keca signed a three-year deal to continue coaching until the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Lorna Burrows, who has assisted with the Stouffville Spirit for the past 15 years, was named as the league’s Volunteer of the Year.

A bright spot for the Lasers though was the play of first-year forwards Luca Nocita and Samuel Bitten. Both were named to the CCHL’s All Rookie team.

Keca, who doubles as Fort McMurray’s general manager, was appointed the team’s head coach in June of 2015.

Burrows, 76, co-ordinates the club’s game day operations and is also one of its most vocal fans in the stands.

Nocita had 37 points in 61 games while Bitten appeared in 51 matches and notched 30 points.

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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MINOR

FEATURE

ERIN RILEY

Dennis Golovatchev scored a goal in the dying seconds of a tied game to win the Reps the Cup.

WILD CARD WIN Mississauga Reps claim OHL Cup with heroic buzzer beater in championship game STORY Mike Beasley

ISSISSAUGA REPS MINOR MIDGET AAA HEAD coach Harry Evans always believed in his team, and he knew they would come through when it counted the most. Evans was right on the money when his team delivered the goods to win the 2017 OHL Cup powered by Under Armour. The Reps entered the event as a Wild Card team but left with the trophy as Ontario’s Minor Midget champions when they defeated the Toronto Nationals 3-2 in the championship final. “This season, our goal at every tournament was to play on championship day, we didn’t win all of them but we did get there,” Evans said. “Entering play at the OHL Cup our goal was no different than the rest of our tournaments: play on the final day of the event.” What makes the Reps' victory such a great story is that they were eliminated from the GTHL playoffs on February 7, five weeks before the drop of the OHL Cup powered by Under Armour. The Vaughn Kings knocked the Reps out of the playoffs in the first round, winning the series eight points to four, leaving Mississauga with a slim chance of earning a spot at the provincial Minor Midget AAA championship in mid-March. With the unknown looming, Evans, his coaching staff and players decided to go to work and face adversity head-on. “We practised three to four times a week just like we always do and prepared for whatever lied ahead,” Evans explained.

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

As the GTHL playoff door closed on the Reps, another one opened in the form of the Kraft Cup – and they took full advantage of it. The Reps and their hockey cousins, the Mississauga Senators, squared off in a seven-game series with a guaranteed OHL Cup Wild Card spot on the line for the winner. The Reps won the series (4-3) and locked up a spot in the OHL Cup Wild Card Play-In schedule with a game against the Halton Hurricanes (OMHA), which suited Evans just fine. “I was really happy that we had a chance to play for a spot in the OHL Cup and prove ourselves once we got there. We didn’t play Halton this season but I knew a lot of their players and what kind of team they would have.” Mississauga made short work of Halton, handing the Hurricanes a 5-2 defeat, to became one of 20 teams in the round robin portion of the tournament. The Reps joined the Shanahan Division as its fifth team which already consisted of the Toronto Marlboros (GTHL Finalist), Ajax-Pickering Raiders (OMHA Semifinalist), Eastern Ontario Wild (HEO Rep) and Thunder Bay Kings (HNO Rep). Thirty-six days after the Reps had been eliminated from the GTHL playoffs, their OHL Cup dream was still alive. They were right back in the thick of things. “Three of the four teams in our Division were very familiar to us,” Evans admitted. “We played the Marlies a couple of times during the season and beat them every game but one. Thunder Bay was big and physical and we knew that matchup would be a challenge because we are not overly big.” Evans was right once again as his troops defeated the Marlboros 3-1 in their opening game. They edged Thunder Bay 3-2 in Game 2, then played to a 2-2 deadlock with Ajax Pickering. In their final round-robin game, the Reps registered their highest goal total when they overpowered the Eastern Ontario Wild 5-3, finishing with a 3-0-0-1 record. With seven points in four games, the Reps finished atop the Shanahan Division and faced the Toronto Jr.

Canadiens (second place Subban Division) in quarterfinal action. “I wasn’t sure which way that game was going to go because the Jr. Canadiens matched up well against us all season. We played them three times, with each team winning once and one game finishing in a tie,” Evans explained. The Reps head coach really had nothing to worry about because his charges had little trouble disposing of their quarterfinal opponents with a convincing 5-1 win. The tournament was starting to heat up for the Reps as they were headed for a head-on collision with the London Jr. Knights (ALLIANCE Champion). The Knights entered the OHL Cup powered by Under Armour as the top ranked team, finishing the round robin undefeated with a perfect 4-0-0-0 record. “I knew the Jr. Knights were an excellent team, we certainly had our work cut out for us. We played them back in October in London at the Wendy Dufton Memorial Tournament and won 4-1 in the championship final. I liked our chances, but it all came down to how well the kids played.” Despite being outshot 44-24, the Reps continued their magical run with a 3-1 upset win over London to advance to the championship final against their GTHL rivals, the Toronto Nationals. The Junior Nats were also a wild card team that fought and scratched their way to the big dance. The Nationals and Reps saw a lot of each other during the year with Toronto finishing atop the GTHL standings with a 23-7-3 record and 49 points while Mississauga was 20-5-8 for 48 points. In three head-to-head meetings, their record was 11-1, so there was not a lot separating these two teams, something that soon became apparent in the championship final. With the score knotted up at two goals apiece and only 12 seconds remaining on the game clock, it looked like the finale was heading to overtime. Extra time did loom large until Dennis Golovatchev decided the outcome of the game for Mississauga with a flick of his wrists to score the tournament winner. The deciding factor was an offensive zone face-off that Mississauga used to notch the dramatic game-winning goal. With the draw set up to the right of Toronto Nationals G Zach Roy, Mississauga centre Lucas Rowe snapped the puck back to Golovatchev who was standing and waiting for a pass near the top of the faceoff circle. “We've worked on that faceoff play all season," said Golovatchev, following his late game heroics. "We pulled it off perfectly. Rowe won it back to me and I just shot the puck.” With less than ten tics on the clock, overtime was on everybody’s minds except Mississauga’s. “We didn’t want to go into overtime because we knew it was going to be nerve-wracking. When coach put me on, we said 'number two’ – that’s our faceoff play – and it worked.” The win marks the first OHL Cup powered by Under Armour championship for the Mississauga Reps Minor Hockey Association, an honour that every player and coach will cherish forever. “Making history, you can’t say that very often, it’s an amazing feeling and we’re honoured as a team,” said Golovatchev, who will forever be remembered as “the Reps player who scored the winning goal.”

ACROSS CANADA

MINOR

STORY Kirk Budden

BRITISH COLUMBIA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

ALBERTA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

BURNABY CAPTURES CSSHL ELITE 15S CHAMPIONSHIP

ST. ALBERT SLASH PULL THROUGH

LASALLE TEAM HONOURS TEAMMATE

The Burnaby Winter Club Academy Elite 15s took home the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) Elite 15s division Championship with a 6-3 win in the final game. BWC came into the postseason with a 21-5-4 record for a second place finish in the regular season. BWC beat the Northern Alberta Xtreme 6-3 thanks to stellar play by Sean Donaldson, who posted two goals and an assist. Donaldson led the way as he’s done all year, ending the season as BWC’s top point producer with 37 points in 30 games, and notching 12 points in the playoffs. Gabriel Suessenbacher-Fu, Tristan Fraser, Ryan Denney and Nick Bochen put up the rest of the offence for BWC, which saw goaltender Kaeden Freer-Lane stop 38 shots. Denny followed up his regular season’s 24 points in 29 games with three points and only his second goal of the playoffs in the finals. Northern Alberta leaned on Braden Potter, who turned away 27 of the 32 shots he faced while Bruce MacGregor, Greyson Stewart and Matt Raymond posted the goals.

POE WINS CSSHL MIDGET VARSITY AND BANTAM PREP TITLES British Columbia’s Pursuit of Excellence (POE) had a successful weekend at the CSSHL championships. The Bantam Prep team took home the championship victory on the back of Connor McClennon, who scored three goals leading his team to a dominant 7-1 victory over Delta Academy. While McClennon led the way with the hat trick and added an assist, teammates Kyle Crnkovic had a five-point night and Jordan Borysiuk had a pair of goals. Delta Academy and POE finished first and second, respectively, in the final league standings. These finals were viewed as a great showcase for the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft in May and featured some of this year’s top eligible prospects. For their part, the Midget Varsity team used a plethora of scoring to win the CSSHL Midget Varsity championship. POE Midget Varsity was able to get to Pilot Mound Hockey academy early on route to a 6-3 win. Pursuit didn’t lean on any one player, rather 12 players recorded at least a single point in the championship game. Jared Pitkethly, Alex Gilowski and Nicholas Cherkowski all put up two points each, Pitkethly and Cherkowski had a goal and an assist, while Gilowski added two assists. Goalie Noah DeSouza made 29 saves on 32 shots and only allowed one goal through the first two periods. Kobe Campbell was the lone highlight for Pilot as he tallied two goals in the championship game in the losing effort.

The St. Albert Slash dominated the regular season, ending the year as the number one seed finishing 26 points above the next best team, but they needed some luck to get their provincial championship victory. The Slash easily walked over the Calgary Fire in their first game of the playoffs, beating them 6-0, which proved to be their key to a championship. They lost their second game to Red Deer 2-1 and their third game to host Rocky Mountain Raiders 3-2. This left St. Albert’s season in the hands of Calgary, who played Red Deer in the final game of the round robin. As their last chance to advance, the Slash needed the Fire to win and they would be in the gold medal game, which is exactly what happened. St. Albert caught the undefeated host Rocky Mountain in the gold medal game. The Slash managed a 2-0 victory to become the 2017 Female Midget AAA provincial champions. Kaitlyn Pelley’s first period goal was her only mark of the playoffs and ended up being the championship winner. As the provincial champions, the St. Albert Slash will now represent Alberta at the 2017 Esso cup.

COMMITTEE FORMS TO SAVE ARENA A group of people in Medicine Hat are putting together a plan to stop the closing of the 4,000seat Medicine Hat Arena that has stood for nearly 50 years. The city has stated that operation costs are exceeding $700,000, a cost the city budget could no longer support. With the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL moving to the newer Canalta Centre, the sustainability of the old arena came under fire. But a group of Medicine Hat citizens is fighting to keep the arena open. The “Save the Arena Committee” argues that the facility will be greatly missed and is needed for local minor hockey games and events, as well as other activities. The committee is chaired by Bill Yuill, the head of Monarch Corporation and the owner of multiple minor-pro teams. Yuill and the committee are proposing that a not-for-profit entity be formed to manage the arena. The committee’s plan is to manage the rink and try to alleviate the operating costs associated with the facilities to protect the city from the financial exposure. The committee is made up of local business owners and presidents and organizers of local minor hockey. They plan to put a proposal to the city in the spring and hope to take over management of the arena soon after.

The LaSalle Minor Hockey Association was covered in yellow following the death of a teammate. The league mourned LaSalle midget house league player Nick Dyer, who recently passed away in a car crash. Teams sported yellow to honour Dyer, who wore a jersey with a large yellow #77 on the back. Multiple teams from across the province shared their tributes to the family by taking team photos with bright yellow Bristol boards reading: “#LoveforNick,” “Thinking of Nick,” and the number 77. The phrases were made into hashtags which people used to flood social media with memories, thoughts and condolences. Teams from Brampton and London along with LaSalle all showed their support by only using yellow hockey tape for their shin pads and sticks. Some even wrote the number 77 and Dyer’s initials on their blades as a tribute. Even referees taped ‘77’ in yellow on their backs while officiating games. Dyer’s teammates plan to use the yellow tape for the rest of the year.

WATERLOO HOSTS JAPAN The Tomakomai All-Stars are a team of Bantam hockey players from Tomakomai, Japan set to travel to Waterloo for a five-day hockey adventure. Last year, the Waterloo Wolves minor Bantam AAA team got to visit Japan, and now they have the opportunity to host. The Tomakomai All-Stars will be traveling nearly 10,000 km for the weekend of events they call the Toyota Challenge. The Toyota challenge is an exchange of culture between the Canadian and Japanese Toyota manufacturers. It involves teams from the Tri-Cities, Waterloo, Cambridge and Kitchener, and last year marked the 10th time a team from the Tri-City area traveled to Japan as part of the Toyota challenge. Cambridge has gone to Japan five times, Waterloo has made the trip three times and Kitchener made their way to Tomakomai just twice. The trip will see the Tomakomai team and Waterloo share five days together. On day one, after they land in Canada, the Tomakomai All-stars will visit the Waterloo team’s school, share a practice and celebrate their arrival that night. The next day, they will visit Niagara Falls and play their first exhibition game. On the third day, the teams will play the feature game and host players from the All-stars to a home visit after the game. Finally they will end the trip with a full day of Toronto sightseeing and a farewell dinner. Toyota takes care of all the expenses for both parties. March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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HockeyNow March 25, 2017

RANKED PROSPECTS

HE ONLY JUNIOR A ENTRY ON ISS’S TOP 31 PROSPECTS THIS MONTH (AND THIS season), Cale Makar has been killing it since he joined the Bandits last year, earning AJHL and CJHL Rookie of the Year honours and this year’s league MVP award. Makar broke the Top 31 in January and has maintained his position at #13 ever since. He is the AJHL’s top scoring defenceman for the regular season as well as so far in the playoffs. POS

BIRTH

HT./WT.

TEAM

NOLAN PATRICK

9/19/1998

6.02.75/198

Brandon, WHL

NICO HISCHIER

1/4/1999

6.00.75/176

Halifax, QMJHL

OWEN TIPPETT

2/16/1999

6.01.5/202

Mississauga, OHL

GABE VILARDI

8/16/1999

6.03/201

Windsor, OHL

TIMOTHY LILJEGREN

4/30/1999

6.00/191

Rogle, SweE

CASEY MITTELSTADT

11/22/1998

6.00.75/201

Eden Prairie, MN-HS

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN

4/17/1999

6.05.75/215

Tri-City, WHL

CALLAN FOOTE

12/13/1998

6.03.5/213

Kelowna, WHL

KLIM KOSTIN

5/5/1999

6.03/196

Dynamo, KHL

JUUSO VALIMAKI

10/6/1998

6.01.5/204

Tri-City, WHL

EELI TOLVANEN

4/22/1999

5.11.25/170

Sioux City, USHL

NICOLAS HAGUE

12/5/1998

6.05.5/206

Mississauga, OHL COURTESY OF THE BROOKS BANDITS

PLAYER

13 CALE MAKAR Brooks Bandits, AJHL

BORN November 30, 1998 in Calgary, AB, CAN POSITION Defence

SHOT R

HEIGHT WEIGHT 5.11.25 179

CODY GLASS

4/1/1999

6.01.75/180

Portland, WHL

ELIAS PETTERSSON

11/12/1998

6.01.25/156

Timra, SweAl

KOLE LIND

10/16/1998

6.01/176

Kelowna, WHL

MARTIN NECAS

1/15/1999

6.00.5/167

Brno Kometa HC, CzeE

MAXIME COMTOIS

1/8/1999

6.02.25/199

Victoriaville, QMJHL

RYAN POEHLING

1/3/1999

6.01.75/183

St. Cloud State, NCHC

KAILER YAMAMOTO

9/29/1998

5.07.5/153

Spokane, WHL

SHANE BOWERS

7/30/1999

6.01.25/178

Waterloo, USHL

ISAAC RATCLIFFE

2/15/1999

6.05.5/196

Guelph, OHL

NICK SUZUKI

8/10/1999

5.10.75/187

Owen Sound, OHL

JOSHUA NORRIS

5/5/1999

6.01.25/192

USA U18, NTDP

URHO VAAKANAINEN

1/1/1999

6.01/187

JYP Jyvaskyla, FinE

HENRI JOKIHARJU

6/17/1999

5.11.75/176

Portland, WHL

LIAS ANDERSSON

10/13/1998

5.11.5/198

HV71, SweE

JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN

9/12/1999

5.11/188

Spokane, WHL

KRISTIAN VESALAINEN

6/1/1999

6.03.25/207

V. Frolunda, SweE

LUKAS ELVENES

8/18/1999

6.00.5/173

Rogle, SweJE

ROBERT THOMAS

7/2/1999

5.11.5/185

London, OHL

GOALIE

POS

BIRTH

HT.

TEAM

UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN

3/9/1999

6.04.5/196

HPK Hameenlinna, FinJrA

JAKE OETTINGER

12/18/1998

6.04/203

Boston University, H.E. March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

BWC BRUINS TEAMMATES FACING DIFFICULT DECISION PAIR OF SKILLED 16-YEAR-OLDS AT JUNIOR HOCKEY CROSSROAD Massimo Rizzo and Elan Bar-Lev-Wise have a very important decision to make in the next little while. The two members of the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins Prep team will graduate from minor hockey after this season. The duo will be looking at making the jump to the junior ranks in the fall. The impending question that lies before both of them is, do they go the major junior route with a team in the WHL or play Jr. ‘A’ with a squad in the BCHL? “I haven’t made a decision yet and plan to keep my options open for a while, I’m focusing on this season with the BWC,” said Massimo who has agreed to finish the year with the Penticton Vees in the BCHL after his Bruins season is over. Watch for Rizzo to give the WHL some serious consideration after being selected in the first round (15th overall) by the Kamloops Blazers at last year’s Bantam Draft. Rizzo was an offensive juggernaut for the Bruins in 2015-16 as his squad captured the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship. The Burnaby, B.C. native was named a first team all-star and led the event in scoring with three goals, eight assists and 11 points in five games. During the regular season, the 5’10” 165 lb forward racked up 60 goals and 77 assists for 137 points in 61 games. This year, Rizzo is putting up huge offensive numbers once again with 19-59-78 points in 43 contests. Rizzo’s long-time Bruins teammate Elan Bar-Lev-Wise is in a similar situation with his hockey services in demand by both the WHL and the BCHL. The native of Vancouver, B.C. has been with the BWC since he was a wee lad skating in the Rascals program. Bar-Lev-Wise was also a member of last season’s championship Major Bantam squad that ended up with a record nine players being

selected by a WHL team. The smooth skating centre was scooped up by the Victoria Cougars in the sixth round, 132nd overall, but has already played two games in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. “It’s a great compliment and honour to be drafted by Victoria,” said Elan. “Making a final decision won’t be easy so I’m going to give it some more time and play Jr. ‘A’ next year in Salmon Arm. I’ve committed to them for next season. I’ll see what happens after that. I am leaning towards playing in the NCAA but things can change.” Both players are quick to give credit to the Burnaby Winter Club and the high end skill development and coaching they received coming up through the ranks of minor hockey. “I started in Rascals and have been there ever since,” Rizzo said. “It’s been an unbelievable experience, ever year has been special. The hockey development has been outstanding the coaches have all been first class and excellent teachers. I’ve learned a ton of life lessons made friends that will last a lifetime.” Bar-Lev-Wise agrees with Rizzo’s assessment of his time with the BWC. “I’ve been playing with the BWC for 11 years now and loved every second of it. I had the opportunity to leave and skate with other associations or hockey academies but never wanted to leave the Bruins.” From the skills sessions run by Leland Mack to the coaching of Joe Saloustros, Brad Reynolds, John Batchelor and Maco Balkovec, these two young players have greatly benefited from their days at the BWC. “I’m very happy to say that the Burnaby Winter Club has turned into my home away from home,” Bar-Lev-Wise said. “All the hockey goals that I set out for myself like getting drafted and garnering attention from an NCAA school has been made possible through the help of the staff with the BWC.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

CWHL/NWHL

FEMALE

Rougeau, one of just two national team members on Les Canadiennes compared to the 13 rostered with the Inferno. “To lift it in my arms, share it with family who came to Ottawa to watch – for me it means so much.”

BUFFALO BEAUTS UPSET BOSTON PRIDE IN ISOBEL CUP FINAL

Les Canadiennes de Montreal pose for a selfie after defeating the Calgary Inferno to earn the Canadian Women’s Hockey League Clarkson Cup.

CLUTCH CHAMPIONS Canadiennes and Beauts upset favourites to win CWHL and NWHL titles STORY Kristi Patton

HEN THE PRESSURE IS ON, ONE PLAYER IN women’s hockey has consistently proven to step up. In the Canadian Women’s Hockey League final, the story was no different. With two golden goals under her skates at the Olympics with Team Canada, Marie-Philip Poulin came in clutch for Les Canadiennes de Montreal scoring two goals, including the game winner. Poulin led Les Canadiennes in the Clarkson Cup final to defeat defending champions Calgary Inferno 3-1, a team that handily dispatched them in the finals the year before with a score of 8-3. “I think this one was pretty special,” said Poulin. “From last year when we lost in the final, I think we have been on a mission. We have been on a mission all year long. We had ups and downs and I remember a road trip to Toronto we lost both games and it was not easy but we stuck with it and trusted in the process and it brought us the Clarkson Cup.” Montreal opened the scoring at 12:36 of the first period

when Katia Clement-Heydra dug the puck out of the corner to the slot where it took a strange bounce that she knocked down to her stick and put it over netminder Emerance Maschmeyer’s shoulder on her backhand. Les Canadiennes captain and 2017 CWHL MVP Marie-Philip Poulin added to the lead at 5:24 in the second period. Poulin skated across the blue line and wired a shot between two Inferno defenders that Maschmeyer got a piece of before it rolled behind her and across the line to give Les Canadiennes a 2-0 lead. It wasn’t until the third period that the Inferno got on the board. Rebecca Johnston snuck behind the Canadiennes net to intercept a pass sending it out front to a wide-open Jill Saulnier. The Inferno forward one touched it up and over Canadiennes netminder Charline Labonté to bring them within one. With the Inferno goalie pulled, Poulin put the final touches on the victory with an empty net goal at 18:08. Labonté, who just two days before the game was given the CWHL goalie of the year award, turned away 26 shots earning her the game’s first star and the Clarkson Cup playoff MVP title. It was the fourth Clarkson Cup title in nine years for Les Canadiennes and their third straight appearance in the final. “For me, I won it as a sub player in 2009 and to win it as a full-time player means so much,” said Lauriane

Buffalo Beauts goaltender Brianne McLaughlin saved her best for last. “I felt great,” McLaughlin told NWHL.zone. “We knew exactly what we had to do and that was just get all over them, block shots and be in the way, be annoying and that’s exactly what we did, so it made my job a little easier.” After announcing earlier in the season that she would be retiring from hockey at the end of the year, McLaughlin helped the Beauts skate to an against-the-odds win over the undefeated Boston Pride to claim the National Women’s Hockey League championship 3-2. It would be redemption for the Beauts who lost in the Isobel Cup finals the year before. “Last year kind of left a sour taste in our mouth,” said Beauts defenceman Emily Pfalzer during a press conference the day before the final. “I think we’re all excited to come back and have a good rematch against Boston.” Turning aside 60 pucks, McLaughlin was named MVP. The Beauts led the game 1-0 within the first two minutes of the opening face-off when Megan Bozek blasted a slap shot over Brittany Ott’s glove off the post and in. With plenty of chances on both ends, the Beauts struck again for a 2-0 lead when Emily Janiga scored in front of the net. The relentless pace continued in the second period when the Beauts Corinne Buie, who was part of the Pride team that won the cup the previous year before being traded, chased down a puck in the neutral zone fighting off Pride defenders and slipped the puck past Ott. “I’m not sure how the puck got out to where it was,” Buie told NWHL.zone. “But I saw it near the blue line and there was a Boston defender there. I turned the jets on and I somehow got there and I took it far post and I stuck it past Ott.” That goal would chase Ott from the net with Pride backup Lauren Slebodnick taking her place. It wasn’t until the last five minutes when the Pride’s peppering of pucks at the net would result in something on the scoreboard. Alex Carpenter’s power play tally would ruin McLaughlin’s shutout and give the Pride a lift of confidence. Known for mounting successful comebacks, the Pride pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the final seconds of play to get within one goal. However, with 4.2 seconds on the clock, it was too late. The Beauts have five Canadians on the roster including Kristina Lavoie, Sarah Casorso, Devon Skates, Harrison Browne and Amanda Leveille.

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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COVER STORY | THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

It’s about growing heroes, role models and leaders. - DIGIT MURPHY

IT’S A BRAVE NEW WORLD FOR FEMALE ATHLETES. ON TOP OF AN INCREASE IN PARTICIPANTS AND LEAGUES, WE’RE ALSO SEEING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYERS THAN EVER BEFORE, BOTH ON AND OFF THE ICE. HERE, WE EXPLORE THE GRASSROOTS INITIATIVES, PIONEERS AND EVEN THE RECENT BOYCOTT THAT ARE ALL GEARED TOWARDS THE SAME THING: GROWING THE GAME AND OPENING NEW DOORS FOR FEMALE PLAYERS. STORY | KRISTI PATTON ittle girls faces frozen in awe as Marie-Philip Poulin signs an autograph for them says it all for the Canadian Women’s Hockey League commissioner — awareness of female hockey is growing. “Then there is the mother that wrote us saying Natalie Spooner gave her daughter a stick after the game and she has yet to be able to take it out of her hands three days later, even as she sleeps in bed. The partnership with Girls Hockey Calgary, creating the junior Inferno program and seeing all those little girls so proud to wear that logo on their jerseys,” Commissioner Brenda Andress shared as a few examples she’s seen lately of just how awareness is growing. That grassroots component is key, said Andress, not only to the league’s survival but to furthering other opportunities for women in the sport – from playing, coaching and reffing, to operations, whether in the CWHL, minor hockey or other leagues. “That is exactly what the CWHL started out to do 10 years ago. The main goal is to increase grassroots, which will increase women in other hockey related positions and non-traditional jobs,” said Andress. “We now have girls wanting to grow up to be like Poulin, Caroline Ouellette, Haley Irwin, Natalie Spooner, [Laura] Fortino — all these players

are phenomenal role models and young girls asking to see them and saying their names is a massive shift from 10 years ago.” Andress attributes the shift to the work the league and the players do to break down barriers and engage with the community. This season was a breakthrough for the CWHL, with multiple games on Sportsnet, 8,100 fans turned out for the all-star game and all this comes not in a build up for Olympic hype, or just following the Olympics, where most traditional growth has come. “We then see the Calgary Flames’ newest player in a press scrum with an Inferno hat on. How great is that? The support we are receiving from the NHL and that simple gesture is a huge step,” said Andress, referring to Curtis Lazar on his first day with the Flames. What happens off the ice is almost as important as what is taking place on it for the league and the players. “Our mission statement is building leaders, building dreams. It is the fabric of the league, that comes in two different forms. One is to show off their skills on the ice and two is interacting with the players by introducing them to sponsors and female leaders off the ice,” said Andress. To ensure that growth continues in the league and in women’s sport, and to celebrate the

COURTESY OF WWW.CASSIE77.COM

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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COVER STORY | THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

COURTESY OF THE CSSHL

The Delta Female varsity team recently won the CSSHL championship. The league just announced the addition of Delta, along with Banff and Shawnigan, to their female prep program.

league’s 10th anniversary, the CWHL launched the 25 for 10 Campaign, with a goal of raising $25,000 to use towards operational costs.

FROM THE ICE, TO THE BENCH, AND BEYOND A 16-year-old Cassie Campbell-Pascall saw many of her friends quit playing hockey. With a lack of opportunity and role models, they found other things to pursue. But Campbell-Pascall was determined to keep skating. Pondering a teaching career while attending the University of Guelph as her competitive playing days were coming to an end, rumours of a national team kept swirling. Two Olympic gold medals (one silver) and six gold world championships later, she is thankful she stuck with the sport she loves, even though it wasn’t as accessible as it is to today’s youth. While it is easy to get 300 girls to show up to a Scotia Bank Girls HockeyFest now, Campbell-Pascall can remember the days where it would be just her and maybe a couple of female players at hockey schools. “That first Olympics that included women’s hockey in ’98 gave us exposure that we never had before. The U.S. winning on that stage taking the sport outside of Canada and then fighting back to win the gold at the Olympics in 2002 just elevated it even more,” she said. Again with her playing days coming to an end, Campbell-Pascall had decisions to make. But the contacts she made, thanks to the growing exposure of women’s hockey, allowed her to stay involved in the sport. On Oct. 14, 2006, Campbell-Pascall provided CBC Hockey Night In Canada’s first female voice in colour commentating. She was then the first woman to work on the NHL Network, and her career kept growing through appearances on CTV, TSN and The Score. “The things I learned during my playing days — hard work, dedication, sacrificing for something I love — carried on to the next chapter in my life. I would have never thought I would have had a - HILARY KNIGHT career in broadcasting,” said Campbell-Pascall. A governor on the CWHL board,

Campbell-Pascall also stands beside the mission to grow the grassroots of the game to give kids opportunities that were not even on her radar at that age. Opportunities seized by former CWHL player and University of Alberta Pandas alumni Kristen Hagg, now assistant GM of the Calgary Inferno, or, Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux, the CWHL Les Canadiennes de Montreal assistant coach. Also a pioneer in women’s hockey, Breton-Lebreux went from an eight-year veteran CWHL career to helping the Canadiennes hoist the Clarkson Cup this season as a coach. Four-time Olympic gold medallist and Canadiennes player Caroline Ouellette was recently named to Canada’s coaching staff for the upcoming Women’s World Championship. For her part, she points back to her time playing with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, where she learned she could have a long future in hockey, even after she retires. “After I was done playing for the Bulldogs, my favourite coach in the world, Shannon Miller, asked me to consider coming back as assistant coach. I did for two years and I loved it,” said Ouellette, who coached in 2012 and 2013 with the University of Concordia Stingers and returned to the coaching staff in 2016. Ouellette wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement after college, but still had a passion to play hockey. That passion grew into a desire to pass on the same love of the game to the next generation of players. “I think Shannon developed my desire to mentor young players. I was also fortunate enough to have one of the greatest mentors, Mel Davidson, in my life,” said Ouellette of Hockey Canada’s women’s high performance coordinator. “She was remarkable for my growth as a coach and allowing me to truly learn. She encourages current players to coach and gets us involved early on to see if that passion for coaching will develop.” Ouellette also coached a girls team to the finals of the International Quebec Peewee Championships in Quebec City. "Our crowds have been growing every season. We played in front of more than 6,000 at the Bell Centre, a moment I'll never forget," said Ouellette at a recent press conference. “We need media to bring people in and we need to bring people in so media gets interested. It's the same with sponsors, which will be the difference in whether our league succeeds and thrives. I think by talking about the female game we grow it everyday.” “Women’s hockey reaches more girls now than ever. We see how passionate they are about hockey,” Marie-Philip Poulin said in a press conference after winning the Clarkson Cup (and after picking up the league’s MVP honours, Jayna Hefford award and Angela James Bowl, shared with Brampton’s Jess Jones). “When I won my awards last weekend, I thanked those young girls who decided to play hockey, for helping grow our game and for sharing our passion. We’re trying to be role models for them so they can grow up dreaming of playing for Les Canadiennes or the national team one day. That’s one of our goals. It’s been incredible to see how much the sport has evolved.”

I think this will definitely change the map for our sport.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAN EVER BEFORE During the 2013-14 academic year, U SPORTS (previously known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport) provided almost $16 million in athletic scholarship money. That was double the amount from 2006-07, where $6.9 million was awarded. For women,

TARA PEACH PHOTOGRAPHY

the largest athletic scholarships were provided in basketball, volleyball and hockey. There was a talent drain happening in Canada, with many hockey players heading to U.S. colleges, opting for the better scholarship money offered south of the border. In 2014, U SPORTS launched a five-year pilot project to award scholarships to cover up to the cost of tuition and compulsory fees, plus room and board. In early March, the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) announced the addition of three new schools (Banff Hockey Academy, Delta Hockey Academy and Shawnigan Lake School) to their female prep program to bring the total to nine. As well, they have added Pilot Mound Hockey Academy to the female varsity program. “We are bringing in programs that are established but are playing in non-traditional set-ups. We are giving them a formalized league structure but it also allows them to reduce the expensive costs to families because it will mean less travel and time away from school, while still playing at a competitive level,” said CSSHL chairperson Andy Oakes, who is also the president and director of the Okanagan Hockey Group. The league was launched to give elite level student-athletes an opportunity to increase their skills on and off the ice and provide athletes with a high level of competition and exposure. Since adding a female division for the 2015-16 season, the CSSHL expanded the following year and split the program into prep and varsity divisions. Oakes said the CSSHL is considering joining the female and male championship into the same week. The male championship has been hosted in Penticton for three years, and is a week-long celebration. Players like Sarah Potomak and Emily Clark have moved through the Pursuit of Excellence and Okanagan Hockey Academy and are having success at the NCAA level. Both Potomak and Clark were recently named to the senior national women’s team that will compete at the world championship. Oakes said OHA does believe having former players and women in leadership roles is essential to the growth of the female game. “We had Gina Kingsbury, a former Olympian, come right to us after she retired from playing to grow as a coach and pass on her experiences to our players. Delaney Collins was another coach we had for part of a season that helped her development and moved her on to elite level coaching with Hockey Canada. Over at the Edge School, you have former Olympian Carla McLeod. We have all these great players who come back and want to coach and need to be supported. We get to help them develop those skills while the players benefit from learning from their role models,” said Oakes. While growth is always top of mind for everyone, the talent pool at elite levels also has to be respected. According to Hockey Canada, female registration has seen minor increases each year over the past decade. In 2005-06, there were 69,557 female registrants in the country. Last year, there were 87,494 female players (compared to 549,614 males), 882 more female players than 2013-2014. Oakes, who also coaches atom and peewee female hockey in his hometown minor association in Penticton, said he has seen the sport grow in leaps and bounds at the local level. “Three years ago, we had a gap between basically novice and bantam. We are now going into next season with teams in novice, atom, peewee and bantam. In three short years, we managed to fill all the divisions. I think in Penticton we have one unbelievable champion in Barb Main who has some really great people working with her to bring those numbers up through Try it Days, bring a friend recruitment drives, and having the women’s national team out to skate with some of the kids before the world championships in Kamloops last year. These are all just great grassroots initiatives to get kids to the rink for a fun, positive social experience,” said Oakes.

GROWTH ON THE WORLD STAGE BRINGS GROWTH AT HOME From player to coaching college, the U.S. national team and the CWHL, to becoming the first U.S. female colour analyst for a

Danielle Grundy is the co-founder of the Grindstone Award Foundation which offers grants to young female hockey players to help pay for costs associated with the sport

Growing up, Danielle Grundy didn’t come from an affluent family. At one point, her parents put a second mortgage on their house, but still they found a way to keep her in hockey. “I didn’t realize that as a kid, all the struggles they were going through. They wanted me to stay on my hockey path and it was such an important part of my life and who I am today, it was because of hockey,” said Grundy. By the time she turned 16, she had multiple schools offering her postsecondary scholarships. Grundy went on to play for the Dartmouth Big Green in the NCAA and after graduation, played professional hockey in Switzerland at a time when that was a rare thing for a North American player to do. “I was so fortunate for all the things I got to experience. I travelled across Canada and the world and met so many people. It gave me the characteristics to succeed now in my professional career,” said Grundy. It is also her main drive behind the Grindstone Award Foundation, a charity that enables young female players to participate and improve their skill development in the sport of hockey. The intent is to provide support to the Kelowna, B.C. community where she now lives and address the needs of players who have a desire to play, but are unable to for financial reasons. The foundation provides grants to female players under the age of 19 who have expressed a desire to pursue their goal in athletics. Selection is based on financial need and desire, not on hockey ability. “I want to help kids that were like me, to give them a chance. They don’t need to go on and play for the national team to have hockey affect them in a positive way. Hockey has so many benefits beyond your playing years. I just want to give female players a leg up,” said Grundy, who is co-founder of the foundation with Sasha Podolchak. The foundation was highlighted on Chevy’s Power of Play segment on Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet in March. Grundy said they hadn’t heard of anyone else with a charity like the Grindstone and wanted to highlight it for the good work it does. Now established as a registered charity, they have started a partnership with SportChek and are hoping to hold a fundraising event in July in the form of a three-day female jamboree for all skill levels. “We want it to be the ultimate female hockey weekend, a place where female adults can play and have their kids watch mom play and maybe give it a try too,” said Grundy. For more about the foundation visit www.GrindstoneAward.com.

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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COVER STORY | THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

by talking about the female game we grow it everyday.

COURTESY OF THE CWHL

- CAROLINE OUELLETE

women’s ice hockey game on TV at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Digit Murphy has seen all aspects of hockey. As part of the IIHF mentorship program, she was serving as a coaching consultant with the Slovakia national women’s team. She was recently hired by Kunlun Red Star in China, as the chief coach for the country’s first professional women’s ice hockey team. Murphy is tasked with building the national youth women’s ice hockey team as they look to grow their hockey base ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympics. She will also serve as board member for Kunlun Red Star along with former NHLers Phil Esposito, Mike Keenan, Bobby Carpenter, and others. While it boils down to what is happening on the ice, Murphy also is a firm believer in a movement to empower females of all ages around the world. “It’s about growing heroes, role models and leaders. It is what I have lived by in North America and now I am doing it internationally in China and with the Olympic movement behind it. I hope growth in China can happen as we build heroes, role models and leaders in women’s hockey and that it has a spillover effect to other countries,” said Murphy. She also believes the game will continue to grow but there is only one way to get paycheques in the hands of women. “People, sponsors have to see the benefit of women’s sport and that is what is missing. Once they see the benefit, it will open up the markets. The thing with hockey is it is all about ice time and rink space. Resources are already scarce and now if you open that up to half the population, it becomes even scarcer. Right now, unless the business model changes you will not see huge growth in the game. We are 100 years behind the men and it is their history we have to contend with. We can’t always look to big brother and ask why they aren’t taking care of us,” said Murphy. As co-founder of Play It Forward Sport Foundation, created to push forward gender equity in women’s sport at all levels, and the United Women’s Lacrosse League in 2016, Murphy said laying the seeds at the grassroots both at home and abroad is important. Developing professional teams in non-traditional hockey countries could be a boost back at home, said Murphy. An addition of resources and push for women’s hockey in Asia, could in turn encourage countries like Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia to advance their female athletes said Murphy.

“Hats off to the CWHL and Hockey Canada’s Mel Davidson who really spearheaded the ‘grow the game’ vision,” said Murphy. “However there needs to be a business model that works to ensure continued growth. I believe that will not happen until other countries also recognize the significance of women’s hockey.”

PLAYERS WORKING HARD TO ELICIT CHANGE As you’ve all heard by now, members of the U.S. Women's National Team have also taken a stance to elicit change to help further women in hockey. Just weeks before the IIHF Women's World Championship, members of the U.S. national women's team posted a letter via social media stating unless major change comes they would not be participating in the tournament that is being hosted in Plymouth, Michigan from March 31 to April 7. "Specifically we have asked for equitable support in the areas of financial compensation, youth team development, equipment, travel expenses, hotel accommodations, meals, staffing, transportation, marketing and publicity," the letter stated. The team members said significant progress will have to made on the already year-long negotiations with USA Hockey over fair wages and equitable support for them to change their minds about playing in the world championship. "This isn't just sport specific, it is bigger than sport and we hope for women worldwide it will spark a change in 2017. We are too far behind the times," said Hilary Knight, a two-time silver medallist at the Olympics and six-time gold medallist at the world championship. The U.S. women receive a stipend of $1,000 a month from USA Hockey, but only during the six months they are centralized as they train for the Olympics. For the U.S. players who are not in college, they play in the National Women's Hockey League. The fledgling league, only in its second year, set out to pay the players. However, it is a measly wage in comparison to their male counterparts in the NHL. The top end of the NWHL salary is $26,000, which is the wage Amanda Kessel receives. This season, the league was forced to ask players to cut back their wages due to lack of sponsorship support. Some players, such as Knight who plays for the NWHL Boston Pride and on the national team, have sponsors that also help support them throughout the year. Others must make personal sacrifices such as not pursuing full time careers with good wages in order to train and play hockey for virtually no money. "I think this will definitely change the map for our sport. It's going to change the way people view the sport. I think it stinks that we have to do it this way because yes, I want to play. That is my passion. At the same time it is exciting and I was anxious to get out there and speak about the things we have been battling for so long. I have been in this program for 10 years and have kept the good face and now it's like no, these things have to change and we want people to know about it," said Knight. A repercussion of the best U.S. women's players not attending the world championship potentially could be a significant loss in ticket sales. Canada is scheduled to play the U.S. on opening night of the championship on March 31, an event that has in years past played in front of a sold out crowd. The world championship takes place in non-Olympic years and the U.S. are the defending gold medal winners and ranked number one in the IIHF standings.

Canadian Women’s Hockey League player Marie-Philip Poulin got down one one knee to present teammate Caroline Ouellette (left) with the Clarkson Cup after they beat the Inferno in early March.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MINOR

BRINGING IT HOME W

E COULDN’T BE PROUDER OF THE HOCKEYNOW Minor Hockey Player of the Year Award and what it represents for minor hockey. For the 18th year, we will be presenting the award to a player in each B.C., Alberta, and Ontario who not only shows great hockey ability, but also brings strong sportsmanship and leadership to the table as well as proven participation in their school and community. And how do we select these fine young individuals? We rely on a selection committee—headed by B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and Vancouver Canucks alumnus Dave Babych and International Scouting Services founder and head scout Dennis MacInnis—who carefully put together monthly regional lists of their top selections. This month’s list features players who are getting noticed

by major junior leagues and who, in one way or another, have shown their leadership abilities on and off the ice. Standouts have been showing us what they’re made of in the final stretch of the regular season, through the playoffs and beyond – from the Ontario minor midget leagues, and particularly the OHL Cup, the BCMML, the AMMHL and sport school leagues. As you’ll see, we have a very strong showing this year and the final decision certainly won’t be an easy one. The good news is that we don’t have to zero in on our winners just yet. The HockeyNow Minor Hockey Player of the Year awards are handed out in July, which still buys us a bit of time, but we’re certainly sharpening our pencils and paying very close attention to these exemplary players as we count down the days until the big presentation.

PRELIMINARY LIST BC 2002S, MARCH 2017

PRELIMINARY LIST AB 2002S, MARCH 2017

PRELIMINARY LIST ON 2001S, MARCH 2017

BORYSIUK, JORDAN [C] Attacks with speed, likes to beat defenders 1 on 1 , has good size, makes smart decisions with and with out the puck.Very good on the cycle and uses size to protect the puck.

BENNING, MICHAEL [D] Shifty, offensively dangerous defender wasn't afraid to take the puck up the ice on his own. He consistently made crisp tape to tape passes and he got his wrist shot off very quickly.

AGUANNO, ANTHONY [D] Good, strong skater with speed and showed the ability to rush the puck. Walks line with the puck well and has a heavy point shot.

BOWEN, ETHAN [C] Strong skater with good speed. Was strong on the for check and supported well on the back check, Good offensive upside due to his vision and his skating.

CRNKOVIC, KYLE [C] Highly skilled smaller dynamic player, scored 2 goals in final game and was top forward in the tournament. Fast and quick with excellent hockey sense

BURRIDGE, JEFF [RW] Has a tremendous shot, hard and accurate. Knows where he needs to be in the O-zone, is strong in the corners off the cycle.

DE LA GORGENDIERE, AIDEN [D] De La Gorgendiere had 15 points (1G, 14A) in 6 games. Was named the top defenceman in the tournament and was one of the best players in the tournament period. All situations defender that does it all for his team. Good size and skates efficiently around the ice. Potential to make an impact in the WHL in the future.

DUBINSKY, COLE [C] Crafty little offensive player with slick passing skills and offensive instincts. A natural play-maker with excellent vision. Very high hockey IQ

CLARKE, GRAEME [RW] He is a shooter; takes a high volume of shots. Protects the puck well in the offensive zone and is dangerous working off the cycle.

GREIG, RIDLY [C] Greig had 8 points (1G, 7A) in 6 games. Really good performance for a kid that may be flying under the radar. Played top line, PP, PK. Skilled, offense first player with the ability to push the pace offensively. Breaks into the offensive zone with speed forces defenders to back off. Creates space for teammates.

COE, BRANDON [RW] A powerful offensive winger who is hard for any defender to handle. Drives the net hard to create chances, and chips it in well to use his strong board play to retrieve. Can handle the puck at top gear, which coupled with his size makes him a dangerous offensive weapon.

GENDRON, JACOB [D] Loves to take the puck end to end and control the game. Has a very good shot off the rush and from the point, can beat defenders to outside and through mid ice, uses his strong skating ability to get away from trouble. HELLIWELL, RYAN [D] Very good dman, uses size to advantage, strong on puck and strong on the boards. Passes hard and makes good decisions with and with out the puck, hard to play against and defends well. Impact player on the ice and very noticeable. HOOGENDOORN, KURT [D] Very smart defenseman who rarely gets caught out of position, and makes good plays with the puck. Nice skater and has deceptive speed. No shortage of upside, and should become a solid WHL defenseman with some work. KING, BEN [C] King had 10 points (2G, 8A) in 6 games. Solid two way forward who doesn't have many holes in his game - versatile player who compliments his linemates Good vision and smarts and really good passer with good vision. Good all around player who is the kind of player you win with. MOUNT, PAYTON [C] Very skilled player and a strong two-way forward. Very good skater and has excellent vision. Should be a high pick in the WHL Draft and has the potential to be a strong player at that level. SHEPARD, COLE [LW] Quick, smart , fast and creates chances with speed, protects puck down low and takes puck to the net hard. Undersized but uses speed and quickness to elude defenders. SOURDIF, JUSTIN [C] Top prospect, Can do it all, skate, shoot, check, was dominating all weekend. Scored big goals in tournament and was a force. Total package and compete level is high.

GUHLE, KAIDEN [D] Smooth skating and his ability to control the pace of the game. Guhle has the potential to be a 2-way defender in the WHL in the future. MCCLENNON, CONNOR [C] Top 3 prospect in BC.controls game, sets pace and tone, has excellent hockey sense and awareness on the ice, works hard and isn't afraid to mix it up. NEIGHBOURS, JAKE [LW] Lot of offensive upside. Strong kid that is very tough to take off the puck once he has possession, Uses his body well to protect the puck and win battles. Excellent vision and makes outstanding offensive decisions.

HUGHES, JACK [C] Great skater; very good edge work and top end speed. Hard snap shot that he can get away on the rush at full speed. Projects as a top line forward at the OHL/ NCAA level. PENMAN, DUNCAN [D] Smooth skating intelligent defenseman. Doesn't play a flashy game. Very effective at transitioning the puck up ice. Has potential as a top four defenseman at the CHL level. REES, JAMIESON [C] Center with average size. Very good skater with good speed and quickness. Quick hands. Can make plays with the puck at top speed.

PLASCHEWSKY, BRADEN [C] Was a threat every time he is on the ice. Great at reading the play. His hands allow him to make creative passes to his teammates and generate scoring chances. Can make high end plays at full speed.

SUZUKI, RYAN [C] Has elite vision and passing/playmaking abilities. Excellent puck control, always comes out of a scrum with the puck, seems to have it on a string. High hockey IQ, seems to be thinking 2 steps ahead of everyone else on the ice.

PROKOP, LUKE [D] Very solid, plays against top lines , shut down d man. Plays a big role on a good team and kills PK and plays PP. Solid prospect that contributes to the team success.

TOMASINO, PHILIP [C] Very gifted player that has a lot upside to his game. Loves to have the puck on his stick and he does a great job of push the pace up ice. Has great speed and loves to drive the puck wide.

SEXSMITH, JOEL [D] Sexsmith had 3 points (0G-3A) in 5 games.Smart and reliable defender that makes simple plays to get the puck out of DZ and to his forwards. Not flashy but able to contribute at both ends of the ice. Can carry the puck up ice but is more likely to make an outlet pass.

VUKOJEVIC, MICHAEL [D] Excellent ability to quickly turn a defensive stop into offence. He played physical, and he uses his elite size well and his long reach to his advantage in order to knock pucks loose or breakup a play.

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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HOCKEY MOMS CORNER

PLAYOFF ADVICE FOR NEWBIE HOCKEY MOMS I

F YOU’RE A NEW HOCKEY MOM, YOU ARE THIS CLOSE TO THE END OF YOUR VERY first year of hockey. Congratulations! It’s been exciting hasn’t it? You’re on the home stretch now and playoffs are underway. It’s a cake walk, right? Not so fast. There are a lot of things about playoffs that I took for granted as a new hockey mom, not least of which was the fact that I saw them as just an extension of the regular season. That’s my first piece of advice for a new hockey mom: do not suggest to anyone playing hockey that the playoffs are anything but an entirely fresh start. Anything can – and often does – happen during playoffs. And do not under any circumstances think you, as a hockey mom, can advance though the playoffs like they’re just another hockey game. You just found out that your child’s team finished in the bottom half of their league. That’s it, right, show’s over? Not so fast. There’s a B pool. And there are playoffs for the B pool too. You might think it’s a perfect time to wash that putrid Under Armour. A fresh and clean start for the playoffs, right? Not so fast. Those crazy new hockey superstitions that have plagued inspired your young player over the regular season now go into power play mode … with double overtime intensity! And you already know not to touch that tape ball, right? Speaking of equipment, you might be thinking that the playoffs are a good time to replace your child’s helmet, or skates, or even skate laces, right? Not so fast. Don’t. Just don’t. Don’t touch anything in your child’s hockey bag or that crushing defeat in the dying moments of the third period of the seventh game will only be the beginning of your woes. It’s too late for this season probably but remember for next season: you really should always buy two hockey sticks. What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks? Your child will only use his or her “lucky” stick throughout the playoffs but if Lucky comes to an unfortunate demise (i.e. breaks, gets stolen, falls off the back of the pick-up, whatever), you’ll need a stunt double pretty darn quick. With the Easter weekend coming up, you’re probably thinking it’s a good time to get a haircut. Hopefully the playoff schedule will allow for Grandma to see a game or two over Easter weekend while she’s visiting. You want your baby to look snappy-do1 for Grandma, right? Not so fast. There is zero chance of cutting off the flow during the playoffs. Great plays on the ice are entirely attributable to great hockey hair. And let’s just say if he could grow a beard, he would! You might be looking forward to the end of the hockey season but you’d never say that out loud, right? Doing so would assure the team goes to the maximum number of games possible in each round and hand you tickets to front row, on-the-glass seats. Hockey mum’s the word! There are lots of things to remember as you go shift to playoff mode. The most important thing is not to forget to make the shift to playoff mode! Three cheers for the new hockey moms who’ve made it this far – and may your playoff season be a winner! 1 The actual word my vecmāmiņa Anna Groskaufmanis used to describe her grandchildren when they were all dressed up! I think it should make a comeback don’t you?

ASTRA GROSKAUFMANIS

Ottawa mom of three poking fun at motherhood, middle age and minor hockey! Author of Offside by a Mile – Confessions of a Hockey Mom WEBSITE: astragroskaufmanis.com TWITTER: @mydustbunnies

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

HANDBOOK – 2017 –

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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Barrie Colts Hockey School is one of the largest hockey programs north of Toronto. Our summer camp takes place at one of the worlds longest fresh water beaches, Wasaga Beach during the weeks of July 10th, 17th & 24th for ages 9 to 19. The three-week camp offers an in-residence overnight program along with day camps, which includes 2 hours of ice and 2 hours of dry land training each day. The camps will be dedicated to youth between the ages of 7 to 12 years old. Each day will consist of 2-½ hours of on-ice training with Barrie Colts Assistant Coach Todd Miller and other special professional guests including Barrie Colts Head Coach and NHL Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, Barrie Colts players and more. The on-ice training will be accompanied with 1-½ hours of Strength and Conditioning Training with Head Athletic Therapist for the Barrie Colts, Andrew Sachkiw.

barriecolts.com *tmiller@barriecolts.com Barrie, ON Wasaga Beach, ON

International Hockey Camps has been teaching players (around the world) for the past 31 years. The goal of the camp is to make players better hockey players and better people. This is achieved through expert coaching (experienced coaches only teach at IHC), a low student – coach ratio of 7 to 1, specialized camps focused on specifics, an on-ice teaching/ learning system that has been perfected and upgraded yearly. Innovative seminars focus on hockey and mental training skills. Coach Enio Sacilotto, Assistant Coach of the Victoria Royals (WHL) has 35 years of experience coaching at all levels (including 20 years in Europe). He is an excellent teacher/ communicator and with his enthusiasm and passion personally leads all the Camps. You will be a better player guaranteed! • • • • •

Defensemen Camp Forwards Camp Battle & Compete Camp Bantam & Midget Prep Camp Dynamic Skating and Puck skills Camp

• Junior/Pro Conditioning Camp Locations at Victoria, Nanaimo, Burnaby, Coquitlam and North Delta.

coachenio.com *iihsi@shaw.com Victoria, BC Nanaimo, BC North Delta, BC

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HockeyNow March 25, 2017

WELCOME ALL ATHLETES The CAC Hockey Development Camp celebrates 35years of instruction. Our Hockey Development Camp strives to provide kids from all over the country with the skills to play our greatest sport hockey. Complete Training in Skating, Hockey & Ringette for: Tots to Adults Beginner to Advanced Parent & Child Learn to Skate & Learn to Play Hockey Warrior Learn to Skate for Tots & Youth Warrior Learn to Play Hockey for Tots & Youth Power Skating for Hockey, Ringette, Rep Prep & Beginner

Our goal continues to be to provide a fun, learning environment for young hockey players at an affordable price. The Instructors and their assistants come from varied backgrounds. Some have attended the CAC Hockey Development Camp, some have played in the CAC Program, others have played Junior A, WHL, University and college hockey and have coached at many levels from Minor and up. As we head into the next 35 years we would like to thank the hockey community for the support they have shown to our program and extend our heartfelt thanks to all the people that have participated and volunteered their time to make this one of the best hockey development camps in the country!

Adult Skating & Skills Development

beaudieshockey.ca Langley, BC Mission, BC

Jr.Hitmen Hockey Development offers a variety of fun and professionally run Summer Camps for all levels of hockey. Full Day Camps for all ages, Powerskating with experienced Instructors, Putts & Pucks – a Full Day Hockey & Golf Camp, Snipe & Dangle Skills Camp to work on your hands or position specific sessions like the Dynamic Defenders Camp or Checking the Right Way! Join our 3 on 3 Pond Hockey League for a fast & fun weekly session! Jr.Hitmen has a camp for everyone! Affordable Payment Plans available!

jrhitmenhockey.com *info@jrhitmenhockey.com London, ON

cac-hockey.com *info@cac-hockey.com Edmonton, AB

The Notre Dame Hounds offer four hockey schools, each offering something for a young player at any level. The Male Elite, Male Development, Female Development and High Intensity Goaltender camps will push you to become a better player. Each camp offers a variety of features, whether you are a recreational player or play competitively. Our camps include 12-15 hours of on ice instruction, off ice conditioning, mental prep sessions, power skating, meals, dorm room and much more. To register, visit www.notredame.ca. For more information call (306) 732-1246.

notredame.ca Wilcox, SK

Canadian Hockey Enterprises is excited to be offering our world-class hockey camps for the 30th year. With programs running all over North America between July 12th and August 25th, boys and girls of all ages and skills can pick the program and location that fits them best. Each summer we have more than 1600 camp participants from around the world, coming together to learn from professional players, coaches and scouts about how to improve their individual skills.

chehockey.com *goals@chehockey.com Kelowna, BC Peterborough, ON Whistler, BC Canmore, AB Calgary, AB Lake Placid, NY Las Vegas, NV Traverse City, MI

Established in 1963, Okanagan Hockey Camps offers over 50 years of professional hockey instruction. We have programs designed for all levels of players, from ages 5-17 years old. With summer camps out of Penticton and Kelowna, BC and Calgary and Edmonton, AB, we have developed three specific streams of hockey training: Development, Advanced Development and Specialty Programs. We offer instructional camps for both players and goaltenders; including specialized programs for forechecking, power skating, shooters and defensemen. All Camps are full day, fully supervised and consist of a targeted balance of On-ice training, Off-ice training, Skills sessions, and Off-ice activities.

okanaganhockey.com *info@okanaganhockey.com Penticton, BC

Breakaway from boredom and unleash your child’s inner athlete by adding some excitement to their vacation with a Canlan Hockey Camp. Our camps offer an action-packed week of hockey conditioning, skill development and off-ice games for children of all ages and skill levels. Let our qualified and friendly instructors improve your child’s hockey skills by focusing on progression and proper technique. Participants will learn new skills and drills in an environment that fosters sportsmanship, teamwork and most of all fun.

icesports.com *cdeleon@icesports.com Scarborough, ON

Puckstoppers has been professionally training goaltenders for nearly 3 decades. Now one of the longest running goalie development programs on the planet, having schools on 3 continents, students from 18 countries and instructors from 6 countries. The philosophy and methods are different from other goalie schools, says President Chris Dyson. The focus is on mastering the Core Essential Goaltending Skills, while expanding the students level of ‘compete, at the same time ensuring our students are having fun. Over 85% of the students advance to higher levels, due to their improved technical skills, enhanced mental approach to the game and newfound understanding of just how much more they are capable of achieving.

puckstoppers.com *info@puckstoppers.com London, ON

Edge Hockey Schools has been expertly running Hockey Schools for 24 years. Our curriculum was developed by the world-renowned, University of Calgary Kinesiology Department and we are recognized for using a progression based learning model. Our coaching team is chosen for their hockey skills, enthusiasm and experience working with children. Daily, our player participants are individually recognized for their accomplishments and effort. Encouragement, respect and inclusion provide the foundation for everything that we do each day. Our goal is to help your child learn and improve their hockey skills while emphasizing the fun and joy that hockey brings all Canadians.

edgehockey.net *info@edgehockey.net Cranbrook, BC Edmonton, AB Airdrie, AB Calgary, AB

This elite program is geared for players that are striving for excellence on ice.Too many times skills are taught by demonstrating the end result. When students fall short of achieving them they do not know why. There are basic building blocks to learning all skills. With better understanding and a clear knowledgeable instruction they are able to accelerate their learning and elevate their skills to new levels. The Steve Serdachny Skating & Hockey System will demonstrate excellent technique, but will not stop there. It teaches students to break down their skating, stick handling, passing and shooting into crucial components. The students are shown how to strengthen weak areas, so they can continue to grow and develop their skills and move onto more advanced abilities. Program include Accelerate and Elevate Powerskating, Defensemen Camps, Stickhandling & Moves skills series, Shooting & Scoring camps and much more. Spring and Summer Development Programs run April - September in: Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Medicine Hat, Winnipeg, Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland). Programs are designed for players from Novice - Pro who are wanting to Accelerate and Elevate all aspects of their skating and hockey skill development.

elitepowerskating.com Calgary, AB Edmonton, AB Medicine Hat, AB Regina, SK Saskatoon, SK Stockholm, SWE Helsinki, FIN

Sheer Hockey Training focuses on the empowerment and development of players and specifically goalies both on and off the ice. Sheer Hockey Training is proud to feature many female only programs in addition to private sessions for all goaltenders of any level or age. Sheer Hockey’s Goalie training takes many forms including private 1-on-1 or 2-on 1 instruction at your team’s practice ice time as well as summer camps, monthly clinics, off-ice training and seminars on various topics related to hockey. Check out Sheer Hockey’s website and social media! Instagram: @sheerhockeytraining Facebook: Sheer Hockey Training Twitter: Sheer_Hockey

SKILLZ HOCKEY is a full-service hockey school geared towards young players from diverse backgrounds who aspire to take their game to the next level. The school is dedicated to serving the development of players from all cultural and financial backgrounds, and promotes some of the highest levels of professional instruction rivaling any of the top training institutes in the country. Talent, spirit and a willingness to learn are all you need and with a number of current NHL player alumni, we express opportunity and potential to all players. Access is our game!

sheerhockey.com *info@sheerhockey.com

skillzhockeyinc.com *Kirkb@skillzhockeyinc.com

Burnaby, BC

Toronto, ON

Having more than 45 years of experience in conducting hockey schools Réal Turcotte has designed a systematic approach in the art of stickhandling, passing and shooting that guarantees each individual an improvement in their skills. Give your son or daughter a chance to develop to their fullest potential and let them experience the fun of learning different stickhandling moves. For more information visit our website at www.turcottehockey.com or call our office at 800.732.2894.

turcottehockey.com *info@turcottehockey.com CANADA USA isit site for multiple locations V

SHOULD

During the summer of 2017 World Class Hockey will be operating over 35 camps in Canada and the US. Our full day camps will consist of up to 25 Hours of on-ice instruction per week. 25 Hours allows the opportunity for our experienced staff to breakdown each skill or theory so our students get a thorough understanding of the game of hockey. We offer summer programs for house league to AAA players. Our camps and are always grouped by age and caliber so you won’t have to worry about too wide a range of skill level in any camp.

worldclasshockey.com *worldclasshockey@sympatico.ca Mississauga, ON

World Pro Goaltending, Western Canada’s Premier Goaltending School continues to help develop some of the best young goaltenders around. This year’s summer camps will help goalies to continue to build their foundation and excel in preparation for the coming 2016-17 season. Sign up now, and start building your goaltending future today! Call us at our office at 403-259-4625, email at info@worldprogoal.com or check out our website www.worldprogoal.com

worldprogoal.com *info@worldprogoal.com Calgary, AB Prince George, BC Medicine Hat, BC

YOUR SCHOOL BE LISTED IN OUR

HOCKEY SCHOOLS HANDBOOK? EMAIL: larry@HockeyNow.ca to secure your spot!

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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DOUG ABBOTT PHOTOS

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

KODIAKS AND ICE HAWKS SET TO MEET IN PJHL FINAL It’s down to two in the PJHL playoffs.

After finishing atop their conferences in the regular season, the Aldergrove Kodiaks and Delta Ice Hawks each went through two playoff rounds to earn the right to challenge each other for this year’s championship. Both teams had a fairly smooth ride to the final round, with the Kodiaks losing only one out of nine games en route to the Brittain Conference playoff title and the Ice Hawks taking the Shaw Conference with back-to-back 4-1 series wins. Both teams have been riding hot streaks that began long before the playoffs in mid February. Since the beginning of December, the Kodiaks are 24-3 and the Ice Hawks are 24-5-1. Two of Delta’s losses in that span came against Aldergrove as the Kodiaks won the regular season series 3-1, outscoring the Ice Hawks 16-11. The winner moves on to the Cyclone Taylor Cup, where they’ll challenge for the privilege to represent BC in the Keystone Cup, awarded to the Western Canadian Junior B champions. Aldergrove went 36-7 this season to win the Brittain Conference by a landslide while Delta (31-12-0-1) went through a tougher road as they finished tied with the Grandview Steelers in points atop the Shaw Conference, ultimately earning the title with three more wins. The Kodiaks also boasted the league’s best offence, thanks in large part to the league’s top two scorers, overagers Eric Callegari and Cameron Davitt. They’ve been effective in the playoffs too, but it’s teammates Matt PJHL leading scorer Eric Callegari and the Aldergrove Kodiaks are set for the championship series against the Delta Ice Hawks.

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

Oliver, Quincy Leroux and Kyle Bosko who are all part of a five-way tie for the scoring lead with 12 points. Delta defenceman Cameron Cuthbert is part of that group too while teammate and fellow blueliner Gary Dhaliwal has six goals, the most among all defencemen in the playoffs. Delta’s rookies have played an important role this season as Jordan Bogress and Jonathan Stein were the team’s leading scorers while goaltender Jordan Naylor played in 27 regular season games and was one of the league’s top netminders. Naylor has continued to excel through the playoffs with a 2.00 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. He faced more than 35 shots in three games against the North Vancouver Wolf Pack in the opening round before sealing round two with a 23-save shutout against Grandview. This will be the second championship series between Delta and Aldergrove. They met in 2010 with the Kodiaks winning the series four games to two in just their second season of operation. Aldergrove also won the championship in 2014, coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Richmond Sockeyes to take that series in seven games. Meanwhile, Delta last won the title in 2012, beating Abbotsford in a six-game series. They were also champions in 2001 and 2006.

SEASON SERIES (3-1 ALDERGROVE) • Oct. 19: 4-2 Aldergrove • Nov. 15: 4-2 Delta • Jan. 2: 5-2 Aldergrove • Jan. 17: 5-3 Aldergrove

LEADING SCORERS THROUGH PLAYOFFS ALDERGROVE DELTA Matt Oliver (7-5-12) Cameron Cuthbert (4-8-12) Quincy Leroux (6-6-12) Jordan Deyrmenjian (4-8-12) Kyle Bosko (4-8-12) Gary Dhaliwal (6-2-8)

GOALTENDING MATCHUP ALDERGROVE: Dawson Rodin (8-1, 2.77 GAA, .889 SP) DELTA: Jordan Naylor (8-2, 2.00 GAA, .926 SP)

ROAD TO THE FINAL BRITTAIN CONFERENCE Round 1: Aldergrove Kodiaks (1) vs. Mission City Outlaws (2) • Game 1: 8-5 Aldergrove • Game 2: 4-1 Aldergrove • Game 3: 5-3 Aldergrove • Game 4: 8-0 Mission • Game 5: 7-4 Aldergrove Round 1: Abbotsford Pilots (2) vs. Ridge Meadows Flames (3) • Game 1: 6-5 (O/T) Ridge Meadows • Game 2: 3-0 Abbotsford • Game 3: 3-1 Ridge Meadows • Game 4: 3-1 Ridge Meadows • Game 5: 5-1 Ridge Meadows Round 2: Aldergrove vs. Ridge Meadows • Game 1: 4-1 Aldergrove • Game 2: 6-3 Aldergrove • Game 3: 4-2 Aldergrove • Game 4: 7-2 Aldergrove SHAW CONFERENCE Round 1: Delta IceHawks (1) vs. North Vancouver Wolfpack (4) • Game 1: 3-2 North Vancouver • Game 2: 4-3 Delta • Game 3: 6-2 Delta • Game 4: 5-1 Delta • Game 5: 3-2 (O/T) Delta Round 1: Grandview Steelers (2) vs. Richmond Sockeyes (3) • Game 1: 3-1 Grandview • Game 2: 7-1 Richmond • Game 3: 3-2 Grandview • Game 4: 5-4 (O/T) Richmond • Game 5: 3-2 (O/T) Grandview • Game 6: 3-2 (O/T) Richmond • Game 7: 3-2 Grandview Round 2: Delta vs. Grandview • Game 1: 4-1 Delta • Game 2: 3-2 Delta • Game 3: 6-3 Delta • Game 4: 3-1 Grandview • Game 5: 1-0 Delta

Everest and CAD Sports group TEAM TO OFFERGTA's GTA's MOST COMPLETE EAM UP TOUPOFFER MOST COMPLET HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS EVEREST ICE

• Ice Rentals • Youth & Adult Leagues • Food Services, Pro shop

EVEREST ACADEMY

• Private school for athletes 1 • Grades 1-12, small class sizes • dry-land Training Facility • S.A.T. and a-p classes in-house • daily skills training

CAD SPORTS GROUP

• Weekly Clinics • Holiday & Summer Camps • High Performance Summer Programs • Spring Teams & Tournaments

905.763.9180

www.everestice.ca

905.881.3335

www.everestacademies.com 32

HockeyNow March 25, 2017

416-564-9319

www.cadsportsgroup.com

COLLEGE

COURTESY OF U SPORTS

IAN MACALPINE PHOTO

U SPORTS

The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds successfully defended their U SPORTS (formerly CIS) men's hockey title on March 19 with a 5-3 victory over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in Fredericton, N.B.

The University of Alberta Pandas shaded the McGill Martlets 2-1 in double-overtime to capture the 2017 U SPORTS (formerly CIS) women's national hockey crown on March 19 in Napanee, Ont.

WINNERS CIRCLE Varsity Reds repeat as U SPORTS men's champs and Pandas win women's crown in double OT thriller STORY Randy Lucenti

HE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK VARSITY Reds defended their U SPORTS (formerly CIS) men's hockey championship crown on home ice by downing the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 5-3 in the title game in Fredericton, N.B. Meanwhile in Napanee, Ont., the sixth-seeded University of Alberta Pandas shocked the eight-team women's field, including a thrilling 2-1 double overtime victory over the No. 4 seed McGill Martlets in the championship final. Despite being the fifth seed in the eight-team field and heading into the national championship tournament as the runners-up in the AUS conference, the Varsity Reds reeled off three straight wins to repeat as champs. Cam Braes proved to be the hero in the championship finale as he tallied four times to lead the offensive charge. Mark Simpson scored the other UNB goal while Philippe Maillet, the tournament MVP and Canadian university player-of-the-year, chipped in with four assists. Connor Gay, Jordan Fransoo and Kohl Bauml replied for the Huskies. Back-to-back U SPORTS goaltender-of-the-year Jordon Cooke was tagged with the loss despite making 31 saves in the contest. Etienne Marcoux of the Varsity Reds stopped 18 shots to pick up the win. In the semifinals, UNB blanked the Acadia Axemen 3-0 while the Huskies thumped AUS champion and the second seeded St. FX X-Men 8-0. The quarterfinals threw the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament into a tailspin as three higher seeds fell to lower ranked schools. No. 8 Acadia dumped top-seeded Alberta Golden Bears 4-1, No. 6 Saskatchewan got by No. 3 York Lions 1-0 and No. 5 UNB downed No. 4 Queen's Gaels 5-1. The only top seed to win was No. 2 St. FX as they beat No. 7 McGill Redmen 4-1. In the all-AUS bronze medal match, the Axemen dropped the X-Men 7-3. Daniel Pettersson and Michael Clarke each scored twice for Acadia with singles going to Liam Maaskant, Boston Leier and Taylor Makin. Sam Studnicka, Eric Locke and Nathan Pancel replied for St. FX.

The tournament all-star team included goaltender Etienne Marcoux of UNB, defenceman Geoff Schemitsch of Acadia, defenceman Jesse Forsberg of the Huskies, forward Philippe Maillet of the Varsity Reds, forward Cam Braes of UNB and forward Levi Cable of Saskatchewan. The Varsity Reds will also play host to the University Cup again next season as they go for three in a row. In the women's final, Taylor Kezama's goal at the 8:13 mark of period five ended the marathon and gave the Pandas their eighth national title. Amy Boucher opened the scoring late in the second period for the Pandas and MĂŠlodie Daoust, on a power

play early in the third frame, knotted things up for the Martlets. Lindsey Post, who was named tournament MVP, made 40 saves in picking up the win, while Tricia Deguire stopped 24 in a losing effort. In the semifinals, Alberta downed the Concordia Stingers, seeded No. 7, 6-2, while McGill edged the top-seeded University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 1-0. A couple of upsets highlighted quarterfinal action as Concordia defeated No. 2 seed Guelph Gryphons 4-3 in a shootout and the Pandas knocked off No. 3 seed St. Mary's Huskies 2-1. UBC edged the host Queen's Gaels 2-1 and McGill got by St. FX X-Women 3-1 in the other matches. The Thunderbirds rebounded to claim the bronze medals with a 2-0 blanking of the Stingers. Cassandra Vilgrain and Logan Boyd had the markers for the winners while Amelia Boughn made 21 saves in picking up the shutout. The tournament all-star team included Lindsey Post of Alberta between the pipes, forwards Daoust and Gabrielle Davidson of McGill along with Alex Poznikoff of the Pandas. The defence pairing was Emilia Cotter of the Martlets and Kelly Murray of UBC.

March 25, 2017 HockeyNow

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NCAA

TERRY SIMPSON/CLARKSON ATHLETICS

COLLEGE

The second time was a charm for Canadian goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens of the Wisconsin Badgers. The La Malbaie, Que. native, who was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA Division 1 women's hockey last season, was named winner of the prestigious award on March 18 during the women's Frozen Four in St. Charles, Missouri.

The Clarkson Golden Knights, the No. 2 seed, captured their second NCAA Division 1 women's hockey national title on March 19 with a 3-0 victory over the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the tournament finale.

She lost out to senior forward Kendall Coyne of the Northeastern Huskies in 2016.

RECLAIMING THE CROWN STORY Randy Lucenti

ENIOR FORWARD CAYLEY MERCER FROM EXETER, Ont. scored twice to power the Clarkson Golden Knights to a 3-0 victory over the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Division 1 women's championship final on March 19. It was the second national title win for the Knights and Mercer, named MVP of this year's Frozen Four tournament, was one of five seniors on this year's squad that also claimed the crown in 2014. Junior goaltender Shea Tiley from Owen Sound, Ont. picked up the shutout and out-duelled senior netminder and 2017 Patty Kazmaier Award winner (top player in NCAA hockey) Ann-Renée Desbiens from La Malbaie, Que. Tiley faced 41 shots while Desbiens was tested just 20 times in taking the loss. Savannah Harmon opened the scoring with what proved to be the winning marker on a power play just 27 seconds into the second period. Mercer scored on a breakaway in the final frame and then iced it with an empty net counter in the last minute of play. The loss ended a 22-game unbeaten streak by Wisconsin, including a pair of regular season victories over Clarkson. It marked the fourth straight Frozen Four appearance by the Badgers, who lost out in the semifinals to Minnesota in the last three. Clarkson (32-4-5) reached the Frozen Four final with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Rhyen McGill from Whitby, Ont. notched the semifinal winner with just 1:43 remaining in regulation time. Geneviève Bannon from Candiac, Que., Loren Gabel from Kitchener, Ont. and Harmon had the other counters. Mercer chipped in with a pair of helpers. Sarah Potomak from Aldergrove, B.C., Kate Schipper and Sophie Skarzynski replied for Minnesota. Wisconsin (33-3-4) earned the other berth with a slim

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1-0 decision over the Boston College Eagles. Mellissa Channell from Oakville, Ont. fired home the lone goal with just 16 seconds remaining in regulation time while Desbiens stopped all 22 shots she faced for her 55th career shutout. The Frozen Four All-Tournament team included both Mercer and Desbiens along with Wisconsin forward Annie Pankowski, Bannon, Channell and Harmon. Twenty-eight players from north of the border competed in this year's women's Frozen Four. The following is a list of the Canadians: CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (16): senior forward Cayley Mercer (Exeter, Ont.), senior defenceman Corie Jacobson (Warren, Ont.), senior forward Jessica Gillham (Uxbridge, Ont.), junior forward Lauren Lefler (Windsor, Ont.), senior forward Geneviève Bannon (Candiac, Que.), freshman defenceman Ella Shelton (Ingersol, Ont.), junior forward Amanda Titus (Stittsville, Ont.), sophomore forward Loren Gabel (Kitchener, Ont.), sophomore defenceman Emma Keenan (Calgary, Alta.), sophomore forward Cassidy Vinkle (Belleville, Ont.), junior forward Katelyn Fournier (Ottawa, Ont.), sophomore forward Rhyen McGill (Whitby, Ont.), sophomore forward Kelly Mariani (Mississauga, Ont.), junior forward Brielle Bellerive (North Vancouver, B.C.), sophomore defenceman Josiane Pozzebon (Bourget, Ont.), and junior goaltender Shea Tiley (Owen Sound, Ont.).

Desbiens, 23, dominated her final season of university hockey, leading the nation in save percentage with .963, goals against average at 0.69, wins with 25 and shutouts with 15. She held opponents to one goal or less in 24 of 30 games in 2016-17. Only two other goaltenders have captured the award, Jessie Vetter of the Badgers in 2009 and Ali Brewer of the Brown Bears in 2000. Mercer led the Knights in scoring this past season with 55 points. Her 25 goals led the NCAA and she placed third overall in points. The 23-year-old is the second all-time leading scorer at Clarkson. In 155 games, she has tallied 77 goals and added 94 assists for 171 points. Desbiens and Mercer both played prominent roles in the Frozen Four final as Mercer tallied twice against Desbiens as the Knights claimed the national crown with a 3-0 victory over the Badgers.

WISCONSIN BADGERS (8): senior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, Que.) senior forward Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont.), senior defenceman Mellissa Channell (Oakville, Ont.), sophomore forward Sam Cogan (Ottawa, Ont.), senior forward Sydney McKibbon (Oakville, Ont.), junior defenceman Lauren Williams (Windsor, Ont.), junior forward Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask.), and freshman goaltender Nikki Cece (Oakville, Ont.). MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (3): freshman forward Lindsay Agnew (Oakville, Ont.), sophomore forward Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.), and freshman goaltender Serena D'Angelo (Stoney Creek, Ont.). BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES (1): senior forward Kristyn Capizzano (Oakville, Ont.)

UW ATHLETICS

Canadians lead Clarkson Golden Knights to NCAA Frozen Four upset

This season, Desbiens was in the final trio with Clarkson Golden Knights forward Cayley Mercer from Exeter, Ont. and Lucerne, Switzerland native Lara Stalder of the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

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HockeyNow March 25, 2017