Rise of the Multi-Sport Athlete: March 26, 2016

TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS AUSTON MATTHEWS ZURICH ZSC (SuiA)

JESSE PULJUJARVI KARPAT (FinE)

PATRIK LAINE TAPPARA (FinE)

ALEXANDER NYLANDER MISSISSAUGA (OHL)

MATTHEW TKACHUK LONDON (OHL)

+ Full List Inside

THE OHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW TOP PLAYERS AND PREDICTIONS BRACKET-BY-BRACKET PLUS OHL CUP FAVOURITES

LIGHTING UP THE Q QMJHL’S PAST AND PRESENT TOP SCORERS

CHOOSE THE PERFECT SKATES EVERY TIME WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE FIT GUIDE

GOLDEN GOPHERS DO IT AGAIN

MINNESOTA WINS BACK-TO-BACK NCAA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

RISE of the MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE KICKING, SWIMMING AND SWINGING YOUR WAY TO BEING A BETTER HOCKEY PLAYER

March 26, 2016

OUR PREVIEW OF THE CIS MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WHL ED CHYNOWETH CUP HockeyNow.ca

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

WE KNEW WE WERE ON TO SOMETHING…

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T’S BEEN A BIG MONTH in minor hockey, and we’re just getting started. A huge March highlight has of course been the OHL Cup, which slates 20 Minor Midget teams from across Ontario and some of the United States in a showcase tournament. The top teams in the GTHL, OMHA, ALLIANCE, HEO, HNO, NOHA, and two teams from the States make up the 16 teams who are guaranteed spots, plus another four wildcards, bringing the total to 20.

The Cup is a treat to watch because we get a glimpse of the next big stars—and it’s extra special for us at HockeyNow as we get to see some of the guys on our Minor Hockey Player of the Year preliminary lists shine.

As our valued readers know, the Player of the Year award is given out annually to a player in BC, Alberta, and Ontario who shows great promise in sportsmanship, leadership, hockey ability and performance, and school and community participation. Leading up to the award presentation in July, our selection teams rank players in each province and eventually narrow the list down to 10 finalists per region.

And we get the privilege to watch these shortlisted players in tournaments such as the OHL Cup. This year, 11 players on the Player of the Year preliminary list for Ontario represented at the showcase tournament. We saw Dennis Busby of the Barrie Colts, Declan Chisholm of the Don Mills Flyers, Nathan Dunkley of the Quinte Red Devils, Hunter Holmes of the Niagara North Stars, Owen Lalonde of the Windsor Spitfires, Travis Maillot and Luke Moncada of the Toronto Red Wings, Jack McBain of the Don Mills Flyers, Allan McShane of the Toronto Marlboros, Ryan Merkley of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Peter Stratis of the Mississauga Rebels.

All of these players achieved so much just by being there—don’t forget it’s only the top seeded teams who are invited to participate in the prestigious affair… ok, plus a few wildcards.

Merkley and McBain helped bring their teams to the semifinals, McBain squeaking onto the Top 10 OHL Cup scorers list. McShane showed well with 5 points in 7 games and made it all the way to the championship round, only to lose in double overtime to the York Simcoe Express.

Perhaps the most incredible story is that of Niagara North forward Hunter Holmes. There’s no question his team had a disappointing run at the cup this year. The Stars only played four games and saw all but one loss during their time in Toronto. But here’s the incredible part—in those four games, Holmes scored six goals and notched three assists, putting him at the top of the lists for top scorers (#3), goal leaders (#2), goal streaks (#2), power play goal leaders (#2), and assists streaks (#3) at the OHL Cup this year. Wow. So, good job prospective HockeyNow Minor Hockey Players of the Year!

We can’t wait to watch what you’ll do next.

Make sure to follow along with our selection process. Preliminary lists are published in the print edition, as well as online at hockeynow.ca.

We hope you enjoy this month’s edition. Thanks for reading and see you at the rink!

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NATIONAL EDITION Vol. 18, No. 10, Issue 659 - March 26, 2016

Share your news and your photos from the rink and you could get published in HockeyNow's Hometown Rink Report.

CONTACT THE EDITOR: larry@hockeynow.ca

FIND ME FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! Visit hockeynow.ca/contests or scan the above QR code after you find Billy Blueliner hidden in an image somewhere this issue, then upload a picture of where you found him for your chance to win a BAUER YOUTH TRAINING SHIRT!

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mike Beasley, Iain Colpitts, Astra Groskaufmanis, Sam Laskaris, Kelly Lockwood, Randy Lucenti, Marshall Mackinder, Ryan McCracken, Kristi Patton, Ben Smith, Mike Toth

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Contents copyright 2016 by HockeyNow. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or duplicated in print or on websites without the written permission of HockeyNow. The opinions conveyed by contributors to HockeyNow may not be indicative of the views of HockeyNow or Metroland Media Group Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither HockeyNow nor Metroland Media Group Ltd. assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions.

Congratulations to Muhammad from Vancouver B.C. for finding Billy and winning a COLT hockey stick.

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

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44

–SERIES– 18th ANNUAL

PG 31

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EVERY ISSUE 6 | WHL The Raiders, Warriors and Pats vie to bring the Chynoweth Cup back to Saskatchewan

7 | OHL Our comprehensive OHL Playoff Preview

10 | QMJHL Another Q player gets the top spot for points in the CHL

14 | CJHL Cougars look ahead to RBC Cup hosting gig

18 | MINOR Surrey teen hits surprise jackpot at the RBC Training Ground

24 | ON THE COVER BEATING HOCKEY BURNOUT 30 | FEMALE Team Canada determined to get the gold back at IIHF Worlds

43 | NCAA

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30 FEATURES 11 | PROSPECT PROFILE Featuring the nation’s top draft eligible prospects from across the junior ranks

Minnesota Golden Gophers win the top prize in NCAA hockey

28 | NHL DRAFT

44 | CIS

36 | PERFORMANCE

Men’s and women’s titles on the line in Halifax and Calgary

ISS hockey top 30 ranked prospects A Guide to Choosing the Perfect Skates

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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WHL

PHOTOS BY LUKE CHUDLEIGH

MAJOR JUNIOR

Prince Albert Raiders forward Reid Gardiner enters the offensive zone during a WHL contest this season.

Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Loch Morrison battles for the puck with Brandon Wheat Kings centre Tanner Kaspick.

top performer in the league.

Most of all, however, Gardiner says the Raiders have been finding success through good old-fashioned Saskatchewan work ethic.

“I think the Saskatchewan guys and everybody alike, we pride ourselves on our work ethic first and foremost,” said Gardiner, who recorded career bests in goals and assists this season. “We want to win games on our work ethic. I think we’ve done a good job so far.”

Moose Jaw also boasts one of the brightest young goaltenders in the game. Eighteen-year-old Zach Sawchenko has been making a name for himself in the Jaw, reaching career bests in goals against average (3.04) and save percentage (.916) entering the WHL’s final weekend of regular season action. But he too is untested in the postseason.

The Regina Pats also have a shot at the Chynoweth playoff picture, the Raiders currently stand as the provCup after locking up a playoff spot for the fourth time ince’s best odds-on chance at a return to glory. in five seasons. A trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers “Growing up as a kid watching the Raiders, they strugearned the Pats some added veteran presence and playoff gled, but they’ve come back to build a character organiexperience in former 50-goal scorer Cole Sanford. Add zation with great coaching,” said Raiders blueliner and to that the league’s leading scorer in Adam Brooks—who Prince Albert native Loch Morrison, adding he believes had 38 goals and 77 assists entering the final weekend they have what to takes to clinch the Cup. “This is a huge of the regular season—and the Pats are more than capable push for our organization. We have the team to do it and of pulling off an upset. if we play like we can, I think we have a good shot at While the Pats are looking to improve on a few strong going all the way.” recent seasons, both the Warriors and the Raiders hope But the Moose Jaw Warriors also pose a significant to avenge some turbulent history when the puck drops threat in the Eastern Conference. After locking up a place to kick off the playoffs. Prince Albert’s 37-24-7-1 record in the postseason for the first time since 2012, the Warriors entering the final weekend of the WHL regular season will be looking to erase a few years of bad luck with a is the best the Raiders have seen in more than a decade. strong run into April.

While they’ve reached the postseason twice in the last Moose Jaw has been led back to the promised land three years, both resulted in four-game sweeps, at the thanks in part to a standout season from big bodied winger hands of the Red Deer Rebels in 2013 and the Edmonton Dryden Hunt—who led the WHL in goals with 56, while Oil Kings in 2014.For the Raiders’ young veteran players, adding 57 assists for second in scoring entering the final this postseason represents both a shot at redemption and weekend of the regular season—not to mention the veta window of opportunity reaching far beyond the duration eran leadership of Team Canada’s World Junior Chamof their WHL careers. pionship captain Brayden Point.

“It means a lot,” said Gardiner, who will approach the The Raiders boast a wide array of scoring prowess as NHL draft for a third time this off-season. “This is my well, with Gardiner (40G, 49A), centre fourth year and I’ve only played eight Jordan Tkatch (24G, 41A), leftwinger playoff games in my career.”

Simon Stransky (18G, 41A) and defenceWhile Gardiner’s teammate, Morrison, man Jesse Lees (22G, 32A) all surpassing experienced the highs and lows of the the 50-point mark. postseason last year as a member of the Prince Albert has also been sound beCalgary Hitmen—who fell to the Brantween the pipes this season. In his second don Wheat Kings in the Eastern ConferThe WHL currently full season with the Raiders, Saskatoon ence Final—there’s something about this has 5 teams from native Rylan Parenteau recorded career season’s run with the Raiders that’s bound Saskatchewan: bests in save percentage and goals against to make it even more special.

Moose Jaw Warriors average (.914 and 2.77 through 54 Hometown playoff hockey.

Prince Albert Raiders games). While he has yet to taste post“It’s huge,” he said. “Being a hometown Regina Pats season action, the 19-year-old netminder kid playing for a hometown team is sure Saskatoon Blades has been quietly proving his place as a an honour.”

Swift Current Broncos

SASKATCHEWAN ON THEIR SHOULDERS With over two decades since the province last saw the trophy, the Prince Albert Raiders, Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats are more determined than ever to bring home the WHL’s Chynoweth Cup STORY | Ryan McCracken

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ASKATCHEWAN’S TRIO of WHL postseason teams have an entire province on their shoulders.

It’s been 23 years since the WHL’s Chynoweth Cup has been hoisted on Saskatchewan soil, when the Swift Current Broncos defeated the Portland Winterhawks in seven games back in 1992-93. Now the Prince Albert Raiders, Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats enter the second season looking to bring the hardware home—and with nine Saskatchewan natives on the Raiders, leading scorer Reid Gardiner says they all know what they’re fighting for.

“It’s great to bring the playoffs back to Prince Albert because the city really deserves it,” said Gardiner, a native of Humbolt, Sask. “To play for a Saskatchewan team—and I was actually born in Prince Albert—it means a lot to me and to my family.”

The Raiders have suffered through a difficult history of late, missing the playoffs 11 times in the 22 seasons since the Chynoweth Cup called Saskatchewan home.

But with a strong footing in the Eastern Conference

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

OHL

OHL TOP DOGS Otters and Frontenacs wrap up the regular season in first place; here’s how they stack up against the rest of the pack STORY | Iain Colpitts

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T’S BEEN A LONG SEASON and a wild race to the finish for many OHL teams. First place overall wasn’t decided until the Erie Otters defeated the London Knights in their final game of the regular season, while many teams in the Eastern Conference shuffled between fourth and seventh, up until the final afternoon of play. Here’s how the first-round matches stack up.

OHL CUP PROVIDES A LOOK AT FUTURE STARS The next batch of future OHL stars was on display in the OHL Cup showcase tournament in Toronto from Mar. 15 to 21. The OHL Cup has paved the way for players like Connor McDavid, Sean Monahan and Max Domi.

The following players are just a small sample of the stars at this year’s event who could have a very bright future in the game.

AKIL THOMAS, TORONTO MARLIES

Speedy, hardworking forward led the tournament in scoring with 13 points, including six goals in seven games.

RYAN MERKLEY, TORONTO JR. CANADIENS

Smooth skating defenceman can make great plays that leave scouts speechless. Expected to be a top-two pick in this year’s OHL draft.

KIRILL NIZHNIKOV, TORONTO JR. CANADIENS Arguably the most skilled forward eligible for this year’s draft. Already has a large frame and a dangerous shot to work with.

HUNTER HOLMES, NIAGARA NORTH STARS Big two-way forward led all players with nine points in the round-robin and was team MVP in four out of five games.

ANDREI BEREZINSKIY, YORK SIMCOE EXPRESS Tournament MVP won all five games he started in goal, highlighted by a 39-save performance in the 2-1 championship game win over the Marlies.

WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) ERIE OTTERS VS. (8) SAGINAW SPIRIT The Otters came close to winning the championship last year, falling to the eventual champion Oshawa Generals, and lost a number of players, most notably superstar Connor McDavid, after that run. However, Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat returned and each recorded over 100 points for the second straight year. Erie finished the season 49 points ahead of Saginaw, but they split the regular season series two games apiece and the Otters had a hard time solving goaltender Evan Cormier.

TOP PLAYERS uErie: Dylan Strome (forward), Alex DeBrincat

(forward), Devin Williams (goalie) uSaginaw: Mitchell Stephens (forward), Artem Artemov (forward), Connor Brown (forward) PREDICTION: ERIE IN 6

(2) SARNIA STING VS. (7) SAULT STE. MARIE GREYHOUNDS The Sting have arguably been the busiest team on the trade front this season, most notably picking up Philadelphia Flyers prospect Travis Konecny. The moves have paid off with the West Division title. Sarnia won all but one out of seven games against the Greyhounds, who’ve recorded a league-low 605 penalty minutes and have played better against the Sting as the year went on.

TOP PLAYERS uSarnia: Travis Konecny (forward), Jakob Chychrun (defence), Pavel Zacha (forward) uSault Ste. Marie: Blake Speers (forward), Zachary Senyshyn (forward), Brandon Halverson (goalie PREDICTION: SARNIA IN 6

(3) LONDON KNIGHTS VS. (6) OWEN SOUND ATTACK London’s offence has ran wild all year with a staggering 319 goals as three players surpassed the 100-point plateau.

The offence is well documented, but they’ve quietly become the league’s best defensive team as well, finishing with 182 goals against, one less than Erie. The Knights posted the league’s best power play too. London won three out of five games against Owen Sound this year and finished 30 points ahead in the standings.

TOP PLAYERS uLondon: Christian Dvorak (forward), Mitch Marner (forward), Tyler Parsons (goalie) uOwen Sound: Bryson Cianfrone (forward), Petrus Palmu (forward), Santino Centorame (defence PREDICTION: LONDON IN 4

(4) KITCHENER RANGERS VS. (5) WINDSOR SPITFIRES

MAJOR JUNIOR

EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) KINGSTON FRONTENACS VS. (8) OSHAWA GENERALS Kingston easily won the regular season series seven games to one and grew significantly stronger halfway through the season with the addition of former Generals Michael Dal Colle and Stephen Desrocher. The Fronts finished 35 points ahead of Oshawa. Since he was acquired on New Year’s Day, Dal Colle has recorded 55 points in 30 games with the Fronts.

TOP PLAYERS uKingston: Michael Dal Colle (forward), Spencer

Watson (forward), Roland McKeown (defence) uOshawa: Anthony Cirelli (forward), Mitchell Vande Sompel (defence), Jeremy Brodeur (goalie) PREDICTION: KINGSTON IN 5

(2) BARRIE COLTS VS. (7) MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS The Colts enter the series as heavy favourites, having won five out of six regular season meetings, two of them by scores of 6-0 and 8-0. They have an intimidating offence led by overager Kevin Labanc and his single-season franchise-high 127 points. On the back end, they have Mackenzie Blackwood, Canada’s goalie at the 2016 World Junior Championships.

TOP PLAYERS uBarrie: Kevin Labanc (forward), Andrew

Mangiapane (forward), Mackenzie Blackwood (goalie) uMississauga: Alex Nylander (forward), Mike McLeod (forward), Nathan Bastian (forward) PREDICTION: BARRIE IN 4

(3) NORTH BAY BATTALION VS. (6) PETERBOROUGH PETES The Battalion are one of the most experienced teams in this year’s playoffs. Led by highly-regarded coach Stan Butler, the Troops are two years removed from an appearance in the OHL final and they reached the Eastern Conference final last year. Against Peterborough, they split the regular season series with each team winning two.

TOP PLAYERS uNorth Bay: Mike Amadio (forward), Cam Dineen (defence), Jake Smith (goalie) uPeterborough: Hunter Garlent (forward), Eric Cornel (forward), Dominik Masin (defence) PREDICTION: NORTH BAY IN 6

(4) NIAGARA ICEDOGS VS. (5) OTTAWA 67’S

Both of these teams have been among the OHL’s elite all season. The Rangers started out the year with 39 out of a possible 46 points while Windsor and Sarnia have jostled for positioning atop the West Division, with the Spitfires finishing just four points behind. Windsor finished eight behind Kitchener and won two out of three regular season meetings.

The IceDogs were expected to be a powerhouse in the East this year and looked strong through stretches of the season, but at other points, they’ve left people wanting more. Still, this year’s team had a good season and the IceDogs have plenty of options to go to offensively. They’re up against the 67’s, who they defeated in three out of four games and finished two points ahead of in the regular season.

Mascherin (forward), Luke Opilka (goalie) uWindsor: Christian Fischer (forward), Mikhail Sergachev (defence), Michael DiPietro (goalie) PREDICTION: KITCHENER IN 7

(forward), Vince Dunn (defence) uOttawa: Dante Salituro (forward), Jeremiah Addison (forward), Stepan Falkovsky (defence) PREDICTION: NIAGARA IN 6

TOP PLAYERS uKitchener: Ryan MacInnis (forward), Adam

TOP PLAYERS uNiagara: Josh Ho-Sang (forward), Brendan Perlini

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

IN THE COMMUNITY

HOCKEYNOW TEAM MANAGER AWARD

TEAMMATE TECHNOLOGY STORY | Astra Groskaufmanis

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ECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN a game changer for minor hockey team managers. I remember the days when I would use red ink only to input all our kids’ hockey-related activity on the family wall calendar in the kitchen. With three kids in hockey, practices, games, dryland training and goalie clinics made their mark – literally – and there was something in red pretty much every day of the week for eight months straight. I then graduated to Outlook and sent meeting invites to my husband to make sure everyone’s schedule made it onto his Blackberry too. Soon most associations offered team schedules you could import to your computer or mobile device and our family wall calendar became obsolete.

I’ve been a hockey team manager for the past seven seasons and have seen an explosion of technology that has eased the administrative burden of managing a sports team, and indeed, the job of a hockey parent, tremendously. Of course technology is only as good as the person using it. After I’ve written a detailed email about all logistics for an upcoming tournament – including schedules, venues, accommodation links, and restaurant reservations – there will always be that one parent who asks me at the practice prior, “So, what exactly is the plan this weekend?” because they haven’t read my email. And by “they,” I mean my husband who is typically the last in our family to adopt any new technology!

Speaking of hockey managers, I am sure most hockey parents know one or two managers in their child’s hockey life that have truly gone the distance in making the hockey season a great success. If you’ve had a great experience at a team icebreaker party, there was probably a team manager to thank for that. Never got lost heading to an arena in a strange town? You can probably thank a team manager for that too. Always have the team schedule at your fingertips at all times? You can bet the team manager is behind that. If you never had to worry about where the team dinner was being held, you guessed it, the team manager took care of that too. Basically, a team manager is responsible for arranging so much of what goes on behind the scenes of a typical hockey season.

I can think of no better way to thank an awesome team manager than to nominate them for HockeyNow’s first annual Team Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by FlipGive.

FlipGive is a relative newcomer to the team. It offers

an ingeniously simple and effective online fundraising platform where your team can raise money by shopping online with such popular retailers as Under Armour, Starbucks, REI, Anthropologie, ALDO, Fanatics and many, many more while earning up to 50% back on spending.

FlipGive puts the ‘fun’ back in ‘fundraising’ because it takes out all the begging and pleading, and no leftover unsold chocolate bars. As a proud sponsor of the Team Manager of the Year Award, FlipGive will provide the winner with $250 for their 2016-17 FlipGive team fundraising campaign, along with many other surprises.

You will find the entry form and details on the FlipGive Team Manager of the Year Award at hockeynow.ca/contests.

Nominate your child’s team manager today – they deserve it!

And don’t forget to share the TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference event with your team staff as early bird registration fees expire soon. Visit thecoachessite.com for more information.

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MAJOR JUNIOR

QMJHL

DANIEL ST. LOUIS PHOTO

SCORING BIG Lemieux. Lafleur. Crosby.

Garland. With yet another QMJHL player leading the CHL in points, we look at incredible Q point producers over the years.

STORY | Mike Beasley

I Moncton Wildcats forward Conor Garland leads the CHL in scoring, with 128 points in 62 games.

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T’S NO SURPRISE that Conor Garland is leading the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in point production.

The Moncton Wildcats forward led the nation in scoring this season with 128 points (39G, 89A) in 62 games, averaging just over two points per game.

Plus, his already vastly impressive total would most likely be even higher as Garland missed six contests during the course of the regular campaign.

The Scituate, Mass. native and 2015, fifth round pick of the Arizona Coyotes was the CHL’s Top Scorer during the 2014-15 season, with 129 points.

Being at the head of the scoring leaderboard is nothing

HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

new for the Wildcats forward.

This year he was closely followed by Kevin Labanc from the Barrie Colts, who collected 127 points in 65 contests.

In the WHL, Adam Brooks from the Regina Pats showed well with 120 points in 72 matches, but it was basically a two-man race between Garland and Labanc for this year’s CHL Top Scorer.

Their final tallies were determined during the last weekend of play in the QMJHL and OHL. It’s really no surprise that a player from the QMJHL leads the country in goal scoring, assists or total points.

Q fans like to watch games that feature tons of offence and the league usually caters to that kind of play.

If you delve into the CHL history book and research past scorers, a familiar name from the Q with some impressive scoring numbers will immediately jump out.

For example, Mike Bossy, the Hall of Fame right winger from the New York Islanders, owns the record for the most goals (309) by a CHL player during his five-year junior career with the Laval National (1972-77).

The CHL record for career assists (408) is the property of Patrice Lefebvre as a member of the Shawinigan Cataractes from 1984-88.

Lefebvre also owns the CHL record for most points with 595.

The CHL record for most goals in one season is predominantly a QMJHL monopoly.

Mario Lemieux is at the top of the scoring pile with an incredible 133 goals in 70 games as a member of the Laval Voisins during the 1983-84 regular season.

Lemieux beat Guy Lafleur’s longstanding record of 130 markers in 62 games when “The Flower” played right wing with the Quebec Remparts in 1970-71.

Pat Lafontaine hit the back of the net 104 times in 70 games back in 1983-84 with the Verdun Juniors.

Lafleur had the CHL’s fifth best goal scoring season in 1969-70 when he clicked for 103 goals in 56 matches.

There’s always been something about the QMJHL and its ability to produce offence and goal scoring.

Since its early beginning as a league in 1969, the Q has produced its share of offensive superstars.

Every decade has featured some of the best and most exciting players to have played the game.

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Lafleur put on a show almost every game, in the mid to late 70’s, Bossy and Denis Savard (Montreal Juniors) were exceptional.

The 80’s featured Dale Hawerchuk (Cornwall Royals), Lemieux, Lafontaine and Luc Robitaille (Hull Olympiques).

In the 90’s, Daniel Briere (Drummondville Voltigeurs), Mike Ribeiro (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) and Brad Richards (Rimouski Oceanic) topped the scoring charts In the new millennium, Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Oceanic), David Krejci and Claude Giroux (Gatineau Olympiques), and Jakub Voracek, Jonathan Drouin and Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads) continued to take fans out of their seats around the Q. Over the last two seasons, the scoring torch has been owned by Conor Garland, who has held it high.

As a 1996 birth year, Garland is eligible to return to the CHL next season as an overage player but the question is, will he remain in junior or graduate to professional hockey somewhere within the Arizona organization?

If he sticks with Moncton, there’s a very good chance he could earn back-to-back-to-back scoring titles.

If he moves on to the next level, who will take over as the next QMJHL scoring sensation?

With the Q’s impressive track record, we can’t wait to see just who that will be.

MARIO LEMIEUX, SCORING MACHINE There’s a reason why Mario Lemieux is nicknamed “Le Magnifique.”

“The Magnificent One” clearly describes his play in the NHL and his junior days in the QMJHL. In his three seasons with the Laval Voisins (from 1981-1984), Lemieux racked up a total of 562 points.

If Mario had played a fourth year with Laval he would have easily shattered the CHL record for total points (595) set by fellow QMJHL alumnus Patrice Lefebvre, who played with the Shawinigan Cataractes from 1984 to 1988.

The NHL Hall of Fame centre still holds the QMJHL record for most points in one season (282) when he lit up the league’s goaltenders in 70 games during his final year in the league (1983-84).

When he was drafted at age 15, he declared that he would break league records.

He did just that in his final QMJHL season.

In 1983-84, Lemieux not only broke the league record for points in a season with 282, but eclipsed Guy Lafleur's season goal output of 130 by ending the year with 133 markers.

In his last game of the regular season, Lemieux needed three goals to tie Lafleur's record. Mario scored six goals and added six assists in a 16-4 victory.

STEPHEN SIMON PHOTO

BY Marshall Mackinder

BRETT HOWDEN C – MOOSE JAW WARRIORS

Height: 6’3" Weight: 190 lbs.

Catches: Left Born: March 29, 1998 – Oakbank, Manitoba, Canada A two-way forward who uses his large frame to his advantage standing in front of the net screening the goalie and collecting rebounds. Will battle hard in front and in the corners with a real physical edge. He won’t drop the gloves but plays a game that suits his size. Has a real long reach that he uses to protect the puck. Has shown much improved play in the defensive zone over the season and is a real mature puck distributor. Skating needs some work and he needs to remember to keep his feet moving away from the puck.

AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

GRADE: Howden has all the tools NHL teams look for in a high draft pick and he most likely will play in the NHL but how much he can contribute on a consistent basis is the question. A-

ALEXANDER NYLANDER

RW – MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS

Height: 6’0" Weight: 170 lbs.

Shoots: Right Born: March 2, 1998 – Sodertalje, Sweden Dynamic skating ability with a very strong lower body. Real sharp on his edges and can turn and pivot on a dime. Highly skilled forward with a high level of compete and determination in his game. Real soft hands around the net and very creative stick handling ability. A pure goal scorer’s shot but also a very high skilled passer who will put a pass right on the tape in mid-stride. Terrific offensive instincts who has quite the highlight reel of goals already.

VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV RW – ACADIE-BATHURST TITAN

DANIEL DOUCET PHOTO

GRADE: Nylander has the potential to be first line NHL player as early as next season. Older Brother William is waiting in the wings in the Toronto system. A+

Height: 6’2" Weight: 215 lbs.

Shoots: Left Born: February 18, 1998 – Russia A real big bodied kid in a man’s body. Had trouble adjusting to the North American style and got off to a slow start but really turned his game on in the middle of October. Still has some growing to do but uses his size to protect pucks along the boards and always comes away with the puck from the corners. Likes to shoot and does so with a heavy release and good accuracy. He needs to let his feet catch up with the rest of his body as skating is a weak spot in his game.

GRADE: Hard to imagine Kuzentsov is still growing but once he stops, he will have a good combination of size and skill to go along with his intimidating size. B

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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CJHL

BRIAN WATTS/OJHL IMAGES

JUNIOR

AROUND THE BCHL Goalie Stefano Durante and his Cobourg Cougars teammates will host the 2017 RBC Cup tournament, the national Junior A championship.

ON THE HORIZON The Cobourg Cougars aren’t letting their disappointing OJHL postseason bring them down as they gear up for the 2017 RBC Cup STORY | Sam Laskaris

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IKE THE 15 OTHER Ontario Junior Hockey League squads that advanced to their league playoffs, the Cobourg Cougars were hoping for a lengthy postseason run.

But the Cougars only ended up playing four games. Cobourg was swept 4-0 in its best-of-seven North-East Conference quarterfinal series by the Kingston Voyageurs.

Those in the Cougars organization, however, realize that next year will be a different story. Regardless of how the squad fares in regular season and playoff league action, Cobourg will still be playing some rather meaningful matches in May. That’s because as hosts, the Cougars have an automatic entry into the national Junior A tournament, the RBC Cup. Though that event is still 14 months away, Cobourg general manager Brent Tully said the franchise has been preparing for the 2017 nationals for some time.

“Realistically, we started at the beginning of last year when we knew we were going to host,” Tully said.

As a result, the Cougars purposely iced a younger team during the 2015-16 campaign. Tully said it was tempting at various points in the season to bring in some older bodies.

But the decision was made to stay the course and give younger players more experience.

“On a night-to-night basis they played some big

minutes for us,” Tully said of the numerous youthful athletes in Cobourg’s lineup.

The Cougars brass is hoping that giving these younger players more playing time this season will pay off huge dividends next year.

All but three of the team’s players are eligible to return for the 2016-17 season. Goaltender Tyler Lewis and defenceman Ryan O’Grady have used up their junior eligibility. And forward Liam Grande, who is turning 20 in May, will not be back as he is heading off to the U.S. to commence his NCAA career with the Princeton University Tigers.

But that doesn’t mean all of the other possible returnees will be back.

“You would be a little naïve to pen in roster spots at this point,” Tully said.

No doubt the Cougars will make some off-season moves. With Lewis graduating from the junior ranks, the team will be looking to add a proven veteran goalie. Bringing in some experienced help on the blueline will be another priority.

“Anybody will say you need to be a championship team from the back end out,” Tully said.

Besides the host Cougars, the five-team 2017 RBC Cup tournament will also include the OJHL champions, or the league finalists should Cobourg win the league crown.

Also participating will be three other clubs, which will be determined from regional qualifiers across the country.

Excitement for the 2017 nationals is already ramping up. But in Cobourg, the team and its supporters have been in a festive mood for some time.

That’s because the team was celebrating its 50th anniversary of operations during the 2015-16 season.

“We didn’t want to overshadow that,” Tully said. “I know we’ll make a quick transition here (for the 2017 RBC Cup tournament). There’s been a ton of interest here and in surrounding communities.”

ANOTHER VEES PLAYER COMMITS TO UND The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team certainly has a fondness for players from the Penticton Vees.

That’s because in early March, Vees forward Nicholas Jones became the fifth player from the current Penticton roster to commit to the American school.

Jones, a 19-year-old forward, will join the UND Fighting Hawks starting with the 2017-18 campaign. But that won’t be his first taste of NCAA action.

Jones had toiled with the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2014-15 season. He also started this season with the Buckeyes, but left the program to return to the junior ranks.

Following a trade with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Sherwood Park Crusaders, where he spent two seasons before joining Ohio State, Jones became part of the Vees organization this past October.

Others on the current Penticton roster that had previously committed to UND are forwards Tyson Jost and Dixon Bowen and defencemen Gabe Bast and Colton Poolman.

UND’s roster this season included ex-Vees defenceman Troy Stecher. He now has one season of college eligibility remaining with the Fighting Hawks.

CHIEFS FORWARD NAMED TOP ROOKIE Vimal Sukumaran’s one and only season in the BCHL proved to be a huge success.

The Chilliwack Chiefs forward finished third in team scoring, collecting 66 points, including 32 goals, in 52 regular season games.

For his efforts, Sukumaran, who was born in Montreal, was selected as the BCHL’s top rookie.

Sukumaran, who turns 20 in April, will soon be heading off to Rhode Island’s Providence College to commence his NCAA career.

Prior to joining the Chiefs, Sukumaran had starred for a pair of teams during the 2014-15 season. He appeared in 28 high school games with Connecticut’s Salisbury School and picked up 33 points. And he also played for the Connecticut Wolf Pack under-18 squad, suiting up for 30 games and earning 31 points.

KERFOOT WINS MOST SPORTSMANLIKE AWARD A second member of the Kerfoot family has won a BCHL sportsmanship award.

Colton Kerfoot, a member of the Coquitlam Express, was chosen as the league’s most sportsmanlike player this season.

Kerfoot’s older brother Alex had been presented with a BCHL sportsmanlike trophy in 2012. The elder Kerfoot, who also played for Coquitlam, was one of three conference recipients of the award as the BCHL did not announce a league-wide winner back then.

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AROUND THE OJHL

BARONS CAPTAIN AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP Fort McMurray Oil Barons captain Tyler Dea has been awarded a league-wide scholarship.

Tyler Dea is this year’s recipient of the AJHL’s Gas Drive scholarship. As the winner, he receives $1,500 to be used towards his postsecondary education.

All 16 AJHL squads were allowed to submit one applicant for the award.

Dea, a 20-year-old defenceman, appeared in 53 regular season contests with the Oil Barons this season. He scored once and added 10 assists in those outings.

Some multipoint games from Ryan Kruper and Cole McBride propelled their respective clubs into the second round of the AJHL playoffs.

Kruper, a member of the Sherwood Park Crusaders, and McBride, who toils for the Camrose Kodiaks, were atop the league scoring race with eight points apiece following first-round action.

Kruper, who had four goals and four assists in four matches, helped the fifth-ranked Crusaders upset the fourth-seeded Bonnyville Pontiacs 3-1 in their opening best-of-five North Division series.

As for McBride, he racked up his eight points (1G, 7A) in just three matches. He helped the second-ranked Kodiaks sweep the seventh-seeded Olds Grizzlys 3-0 in their best-of-five South Division opening series.

CANUCKS GOALIE WINS VITERRA CUP Logan Drackett had a rather impressive rookie season with the Calgary Canucks.

In fact, the 17-year-old goalie had so many standout performances that he won the Viterra Cup, awarded to the AJHL player who racks up the most player-of-the-game accolades.

After each AJHL regular season match, one player from each team is chosen as the player of the game. Those selections are then added up to determine an overall league winner.

Drackett was chosen as the Canucks’ top performer 14 times this season. In 44 appearances he also had a 20-15-2 record and a 2.75 GAA.

The Pickering Panthers are hoping a successful minor hockey coach can help turn their fortunes around.

The Brockville Braves managed to end a five-year playoff drought.

The Panthers have hired Patrick Shearer to be their new head coach. Shearer had spent the past seven years coaching various teams with the Quinte Red Devils, comprised of players from Belleville and the surrounding areas.

The Brockville squad had not won a postseason series since 2011. But that changed on Mar. 16 when the Braves defeated the Cumberland Grads 5-4 in Game 4 of their playoff battle.

During his stint with the Red Devils, Shearer’s teams captured three Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) titles and one Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) crown.

Shearer also coached one team to an OMHA silver medal and another to an OHF silver medal.

With that victory, Brockville swept their best-of-seven CCHL quarterfinal series in four contests.

Braves captain Jack Billings was dominant in the series as he averaged three points per game. He scored twice and added 10 assists in the four matches.

Billings assisted on all five goals in Brockville’s seriesclinching victory.

No doubt some folks were surprised to see the Braves sweep the series. That’s because Brockville had finished a mere four points ahead of Cumberland in the regular season standings.

Demarinis is not a stranger to the OJHL either. For the past two seasons, he has served as an assistant coach with the Stouffville Spirit.

With their 83 points, the Braves were seeded fourth heading into postseason action while the Braves, who collected 79 points, were ranked fifth.

The new coaching staff has some work to do. The Panthers finished with a disappointing 15-32-2-5 record this season.

Brockville’s series sweep, however, did not come easy.

Besides their one-goal victory in Game 4, the Braves were forced to play a second overtime period before eking out a 3-2 win in the series opener.

Pickering ended up in fifth place in the league’s six-squad North Division. The Panthers were 18 points out of a playoff position in their conference.

Brockville also had to rally from a 4-2 deficit to register a 6-4 victory in Game 2.

COUGARS GOALIE NAMED TOP HUMANITARIAN Cobourg Cougars sophomore netminder Stefano Durante has been chosen as the OJHL’s top humanitarian this season.

Liam Folkes and his Brockville Braves teammates managed to win their first playoff series in five years.

The 19-year-old puckstopper was picked as the recipient for the award because of his numerous contributions within the community, including charitable work, school visits and off-ice extracurricular activities.

Besides assisting with readings at schools and libraries, Durante was also involved with the Cougars’ annual Pink In The Rink night. He also acted as a big brother to a local girl with an intellectual disability and assisted her family with chores, including snow shovelling.

SHAWN CAMERON NAMED MVP The CCHL’s top pointgetter this season has been selected as the league’s most valuable player.

Durante also spent countless hours mentoring younger goalies. He often attends local clinics as well as minor hockey practices, offering advice to other puckstoppers.

Cumberland Grads forward Shawn Cameron, who was also chosen as the CCHL’s top graduating player, earned his MVP award by racking up 91 points, including 40 goals, in 61 regular season matches.

WELLINGTON SNIPER SCORES FOUR

Cameron was pretty close to doubling the 47 points he had collected a year earlier when he was a member of the Kemptville 73s.

A four-goal night from Wellington Dukes sophomore forward Ben Sokay propelled the club into the second round of the OJHL playoffs.

Sokay scored the overtime winner (his fourth goal of the game) on Mar. 14 as the Dukes defeated the Aurora Tigers 6-5. With that victory, Wellington defeated the Tigers 4-2 in its best-of-seven North-East quarterfinal series and moved on to face the Trenton Golden Hawks in its conference semifinal.

A four-goal night from Wellington Dukes forward Ben Sokay sent the club into the second round of the OJHL playoffs.

He is now also in the running to win the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Player of the Year Award.

Cameron will be taking his talents to the U.S. this coming season. He will be in the NCAA ranks with the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers.

AMY DEROCHE/OJHL IMAGES

PLAYOFF POINT LEADERS

BRAVES END DROUGHT

Reid has been coaching for 18 years, most recently with the Red Devils organization. He also has some previous OJHL experience as he was an assistant coach with the Wellington Dukes when they won the Dudley Hewitt Cup and advanced to the national championships in 2011.

ROBERT MURRAY

Fort McMurray Oil Barons captain Tyler Dea received a $1,500 leaguewide scholarship to be used towards his postsecondary education.

PANTHERS HIRE COACHING STAFF

Joining Shearer on the Pickering bench as his assistants will be Todd Reid and Dave Demarinis.

Oil Barons head coach Tom Keca praised Dea for his contributions to the squad. He described the blueliner as an incredible role model who displayed leadership skills, maturity and commitment.

“He has done a phenomenal job and I consider myself extremely lucky to have a leader such as Tyler Dea on our team,” said Keca. “His dedication to the team, both on the ice and off is a coach’s dream.”

AROUND THE CCHL

ROBERT LEFEBVRE/ICE LEVEL

AROUND THE AJHL

JUNIOR

MURRAY NAMED TOP PROSPECT Brett Murray has a rather bright future.

The Carleton Place Canadians rookie forward has been selected as the CCHL’s Top Prospect. Murray averaged close to a point per game, earning 46 points in 48 matches.

Murray, who is expected to be chosen in the National Hockey League’s Entry Draft this June, has committed to Penn State, beginning with the 2017-18 campaign.

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HockeyNow's PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MINOR

IN THE HOME STRETCH STORY | Emily Whitemarsh

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NLY A FEW MONTHS REMAIN UNTIL THE WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED. For the 17th year, HockeyNow will award some of the best minor hockey talent in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario with the annual Player of the Year Award.

The award has crowned some of the best young players in the country, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Morgan Rielly, Griffin Reinhart, Curtis Lazar, Karl Alzner, and Colin Fraser.

The playoffs are underway and our selection panel is watching closely to put together the preliminary lists for the award. The 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, features regional lists of the finalists on a monthly basis.

March’s preliminary lists feature a slew of players who have been the major difference makers in their teams’ final regular season and playoff push. But the Minor Hockey Player of the Year Award is about a lot more than performance. The selection committee also takes into careful consideration each player’s commitment to setting a strong example in their community, their schools and on their team.

We’re in the home stretch now. Soon we’ll be announcing the last round of finalists before the award presentation in July.

PRELIMINARY LIST BC 2001s, MARCH 2016

PRELIMINARY LIST AB 2001s, MARCH 2016

PRELIMINARY LIST ON 2000s, MARCH 2016

BOWEN, JASON: Chilliwack A1 (PCBHL) Tied for scoring lead at recent Tim Jardine Bantam AAA Showcase and selected to All Star team. Equally adept at scoring goals as he is at passing the puck. A well-rounded talent on offence with many weapons in his arsenal.

BROWNE, ETHAN: SP FLYERS (AMBHL) A PP wizard. This guy is dangerous with any room on the ice. Big solid, balanced center that has some explosive first few steps. Great one-time slap shot, usually from the top of circle on right side.

BUSBY, DENNIS: DON MILLS (GTHL) Excellent two-way defender with superb defensive skills and skating ability. A mobile defender with long, fluid strides and excellent agility. A solid puck-handler that moves the puck up ice efficiently.

BULAWKA, MAX: BANT PREP (CSSBP) Skilled play making centre with excellent vision and soft hands with the ability to pick apart defenses with his vision and slick passing.

HORNING, CONNOR: POE BANT PREP (CSSBP) A stay at home D-man. A reliable defensive zone player that can get the puck up quickly to his forwards. Plays with poise and confidence in all situations and can log a ton of minutes when required. Has a very high panic threshold when being pressured by opposing forecheckers.

LEYH, ETHAN: YALE BAN. PREP (CSSBP) Can play with anyone. Good neutral-zone player. Looks for the open man. Reads the play well. Sees the ice. Knows where his teammates are all the time. Excellent Skater. Creates scoring opportunities for his teammates. Good playmaker.

MUTALA, SASHA: BWC A1 (PCBHL) A skilled goal-scorer. Has explosive smooth strides. Very good top speed. Can burn D-men with moves and puck handling.

Shoots the puck very well and accurate. Hard to handle if you're a defender.

RIZZO, MASSIMO: BWC A1 (PCBHL) One of the most complete bantam players out there. Can do it all in every situation. He wins face-offs. He skates fast and has explosive strides. Good puck protection. Creates scoring chances off the rush or by forcing a turnover from hounding the puck carrier and taking the body. Has a high compete level.

SUKUNDA, ALEK: BWC A1 (PCBHL) He makes great plays defensively and shuts the top players down.

Calm, plays under pressure and very good outlet passes. Plays in all positions and logs top minutes each game. Very reliable. Has top-2 pairing WHL potential.

SVEJKOVSKY, LUKAS: DELTA BANTAM PREP (CSSBP) Excellent acceleration that he uses to create offensive scoring chances. He has an excellent wrist shot and loves to shoot the puck.

VAN DE LEEST, JACKSON: YALE BAN. PREP (CSSBP) Jumps into the play - good offensive instincts. Knows how to contain his man down low. Makes a good first pass out of his zone. Uses his partner well. Communicates well. Covers for his partner when he is in trouble.

WILLIAMS, JOSH: YALE BAN. PREP (CSSBP) Showed star potential. A scoring threat whenever he is on the ice. Reads the play well. Excellent Skater. Strong on his skates.

Good anticipation. Plays well away from the puck. Good Shot.

Makes soft passes. Finesse player.

BYRAM, BOWEN: LETH GLDN HAWKS (AMBHL) Remarkably gifted offensive player with natural play-making ability. An excellent skater with good speed who can change gears without hesitation and loves carrying the puck. Possesses a hard, accurate point shot.

CHORNEY, CARTER: SP FLYERS (AMBHL) Quality two-way player that does everything well. Is adept at taking face-offs, particularly in close and late situations. Has good puck protection abilities and is a solid playmaker.

DACH, KIRBY: FORT SASKATCHEWAN (AMHL) Excellent skating ability and plus speed. Is a crafty offensive player with very good play-making ability that makes those around him better. Possesses naturally-gifted hands and changes speeds effectively.

DYCK, CARSON: LETH GLDN HAWKS (AMBHL) Speedy little offensive-minded player with good acceleration and the ability to handle the puck at high speeds. Possesses plenty of creativity, anticipation ability, and hockey sense.

HORON, MICHAEL: LETH GLDN HAWKS (AMBHL) Combative two-way forward that loves to get involved physically and plays well on both sides of the puck. A quality playmaker with underrated skill that can feed his line-mates the puck and has passing ability.

KEELER, LIAM: EDM. SSAC (AMBHL) Natural offensive forward with excellent hockey sense and two-way ability. Smart, heady winger who is always moving his feet, constantly looking to make an impact on the ice.

KREBS, PEYTON: ROCKY MTN RAIDERS (AMBHL) Creative offensive player with outstanding hockey sense. Always knows where to be on the ice and can create plays out of nowhere thanks to his exceptional anticipation skills and shiftiness. One of the best skaters from his draft class.

ROBERTSON, MATTHEW: SP FLYERS (AMBHL) The total package on defence. Exhibits the type of poise and composure with the puck that one would expect from a 10-year veteran. Has excellent size and is efficient at clearing the front of the net and gaining possession of the puck in the corners.

SMALLWOOD, JAKIN: LEDUC OIL KINGS (AMBHL) Well-rounded forward who plays a strong two-way game and has well above-average play-making skills. A strong passer who can find his teammates all over the ice. Is a good neutral zone player.

CHISHOLM, DECLAN: BARRIE (ETAMN) Smart two-way defender with very good mobility and footwork.

Played in all game situations and had an impact for Team Canada at the recent 2016 Youth Olympics.

HOLMES, HUNTER: NIAGARA NORTH (SCTA) Solid two way game. Possesses creativity, anticipation and hockey sense. A defensively conscientious player that contributes on both sides of the puck and uses his physicality to make a difference in all three zones.

LALONDE, OWEN: WINDSOR (ALIMIN) Excellent two-way defender with good offensive skills and skating ability. Has a good point shot with quality release and can play the point on the power play.

MCBAIN, JACK: DON MILLS (GTHLMN) Very good size and strength center. Captain. Skating is average with choppy stride. Puck and stick skills are very good. Showed good offensive instincts in and around the net. Early OHL pick in 2016 draft.

MCSHANE, ALLAN: TOR MARLBORO (GTHL) A skilled play making centre with excellent vision and soft hands.

A good puck-handler who makes those around him better and is effective at utilizing his teammates. Has underrated goal-scoring ability and a plus shot.

MERKLEY, RYAN: TOR JR. CANADIENS (GTHL) Excellent skating ability and effortless stride. Can change gears at will without losing a beat, even when carrying the puck. Can find teammates all over the ice with pinpoint precision and accuracy.

ROBERTS, CONNOR: GREY-BRUCE (SCTA) A big-bodied centre with natural goal-scoring ability and a plus shot. Extremely effective down low and in front of the goal as a result of his size and puck protection abilities. Very difficult to knock off the puck.

STRATIS, PETER: MISS. REBELS (GTHLMN) One the most complete and OHL-ready of the defenceman. Slick skater able to keep up with anyone. Reads play extremely well.

Showed a nice shot that he was able to get off quick. Has the size to excel at the next level and projects as a complete two-way defender.

VALLATI, GIOVANNI: VAUGHAN (GTHLMN) Excellent SliverStick showcase - stood out. Best player on average team. Strong two-way game. Good rushing defenseman. Has really improved his skating and overall game since last viewing. Showed very good puck patience while running the PP. Must have played every second shift. Early pick. *IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. LEADERS ARE PRESENTED AS A LIST, NOT ORDERED RANKINGS

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SURREY TEEN FINDS OVERNIGHT SUCCESS Kieanna Stephens is a fierce competitor with big dreams, but she never imagined she would be the top athlete at this year’s RBC Training Ground STORY | Ben Smith

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OOK AT AN ATHLETE WHO has been practicing their sport for three years and you might see them starting to find their groove and reach a few milestones.

Rarely do we see an athlete, who three years after taking up their sport, become one of the best players in their league and qualify as world-class talent.

But that’s exactly what happened to British Colombia hockey player Kieanna Stephens.

For the Surrey, B.C. native, sport runs in her blood. Many of her family members have competed in high-level sports, including most notably her older brother Devante, who plays with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League and was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres last year.

Sixteen-year-old Kieanna attended an event ran by RBC called the RBC Training Ground, which gives athletes an opportunity to participate in specialized skill sessions, as well as perform a series of workouts to test strength, endurance, power and speed.

The athlete’s results are compared to those of other competitors in the same age and gender group, and then organizers determine which sport might best suit the athlete. The overall goal of the event is to give athletes a chance to discover other sports for which, based on their physical abilities, they could excel and even have Olympic potential.

One hundred Olympic hopefuls took to the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (also known as the Richmond Olympic Oval) to showcase their skills in front of major Olympic

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

stakeholders.

“I was hoping to finish in the top 10, and at the time I wasn’t really shooting for the grand prize because there were a lot of amazing athletes there. I was simply hoping to be one of the top ten athletes, but never would have thought I would have won it,” said Stephens in an interview with HockeyNow. Stephens currently plays with the Surrey Midget A1 team, where she’s one of the top players on her squad.

But Stephens only began playing hockey at the peewee level. Prior to taking up hockey, Stephens said that she had only skated a few times with the local learn-to-skate program.

Three years in, she’s definitely making her mark.

A CONFIDENCE BOOST Winning an event like this undoubtedly has a positive effect on an athlete’s outlook and confidence.

Stephens agrees.

“I for sure have a lot more drive. I have to remember that [event organizers] chose me because they thought that I have a lot of potential. It definitely brings you up and makes you feel more determined to improve. Winning this event makes you feel more confident and helps you believe in yourself.”

Just a few weeks after the big win for the 16-year-old, several coaches and recruiters for summer sport teams have already reached out, including the Canadian national rowing team.

“I’ve been approached by rugby and cycling in addition to rowing, but I think that rowing would be the best fit for me out of those sports because I like how rowing is a full body workout; you need every part of your body working together, something I think I’d excel at.

I’d also like to see how far I can go playing hockey.”

Kieanna’s amazing story has gotten a lot of press attention across the nation, and was featured on major media outlets such as CBC. “It’s really surprising,” she tells us. “I’d get lots of phone calls from my friends saying that they or their families saw me on television or online. It’s just been really different to be in that type of a spotlight so quickly and suddenly, not to mention unexpectedly.”

At the end of the RBC Training Ground, the top 10 athletes were honoured for their achievements, with Stephens grabbing the top prize, which includes a trip to the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games.

Stephens emphasized that it takes a thoughtful and committed support group to reach the top, and took a moment to tell HockeyNow just who has helped her achieve success so far in her young career.

“My whole family because we’re very close,” she shares. “My grandma and grandpa were always supportive; they’d always take me to my sporting events growing up while my mom was working.

“My mom always supported me in whatever sport I wanted to pursue. And of course my brother was for sure a huge role model for me. I’ve always looked up to him, especially when he plays in the WHL, and got drafted to the Buffalo Sabres.”

So, what’s on the horizon for Kieanna Stephens—apart from a trip to Brazil?

She simply answered, “Lots of training.”

MINOR

BRITISH COLUMBIA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

THE BEST CLASH IN BC British Colombia is known for fantastic playoff hockey, and this year is no exception, with some of the best players in the province set to battle it out in their respective age groups.

PREPARING FOR BATTLE It will be the Valley West Hawks and the Cariboo Cougars battling it out for the Cromie Memorial Trophy.

The Hawks swept the Greater Vancouver Canadians before disposing of the Okanagan Rockets in three games, while the Cougars beat out the South Island Royals before sending the Vancouver North West Giants packing.

The Hawks ended the season with a stellar record of 31-6-1 through 38 games. The Cougars weren’t far behind with a record of 27-8-3.

The two teams have played each other four times this season, with the Hawks winning two contests and tying one game 5-5. While Cariboo has only beaten Valley West once, don’t write them off just yet because that victory was a 9-4 blowout.

The winner will move on to play the champion of the Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League at the Pacific Midget Regionals, for a chance at playing at the TELUS Cup in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

HIGH STAKES FOR FEMALE TEAMS Meanwhile, on the female side of the action, the Greater Vancouver Comets are in a dogfight with the Northern Capitals, both on the hunt for the Female Midget AAA Championship.

The Comets ended their season with a 23-4-3 record to their credit. Greater Vancouver overcame the Vancouver Island Seals in the semifinals to earn a spot in the championship.

Elexa Pakozdy leads the league in scoring with 23 goals to her credit in addition to 19 assists, good enough for 42 points.

The Northern Capitals didn’t have a bad year either, going 21-6-3 through 30 games in the regular season. They also bested the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers in the semifinals.

The winners will move on to play the the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League champions at the Pacific Midget Female Regionals to earn a spot to play for the 2016 Hockey Canada ESSO Cup in Weyburn, Sask.

MINOR HOCKEY PLAYERS SET TO WELCOME WORLD TO KAMLOOPS In less than a month, Kamloops will welcome the women’s hockey community to their city as the top female hockey players get set to battle for the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

One of the major off-ice events of the tournament will be a hot stove hosted by BC Hockey and Hockey Canada.

Hockey Canada President and CEO Tom Renney will be in attendance, along with Olympian and Hockey Night In Canada Commentator Cassie Campbell-Pascall.

IIHF Hall of Famer Danielle Goyette will also be part of the hot stove as will Caroline Ouellette, Captain of the Canadian National Women’s Team, Gina Kingsbury, Director of Women’s National Teams with Hockey Canada, Delaney Collins of Team Canada, and Cathy Wolff of Kamloops Minor Hockey.

The event will take place on Mar. 31.

ALBERTA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

TROPHIES UP FOR GRABS IN ALBERTA Alberta isn’t without its stellar playoff series.

In the Bantam AAA division, the Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks find themselves in a close series against the Sherwood Park Flyers.

The Bantam AAA age bracket is a particularly interesting group to watch as these players are vying to impress scouts ahead of the Western Hockey League’s Bantam Draft.

The stakes were high for the Golden Hawks coming into Game 3 of the best-of-five series against the Flyers.

Lethbridge had seen two wins so far—3-0 in Game 1 and a too-close-for-comfort 4-3 in Game 2. They pulled together to defeat the Flyers with a repeat 4-3 to win the Alberta Bantam Hockey League Championship.

Meanwhile in the Midget AAA Division, the Lloydminster Bobcats find themselves taking on the Foothills Bisons in a best-of-five series. At press time, the Bobcats were leading the series 2-0 after taking Game 1 with a stunning 10-0 victory and following it up with a 5-0 win in the second game.

Look for Logan Ganie to be a difference maker in this series. Ganie has eight goals and 12 assists through 17 games this season, leading the Bobcats in points.

The Bisons aren’t without their stars though. Gary Haden has been on fire for the Bisons this season. He’s got 11 goals and 23 assists to his name through 18 games played this year.

Following shortly behind Haden is Kyle Gordon, who has racked-up 15 goals and assists, good enough for 27 points through 18 games.

And then there’s the Senior AAA Division, which has the Stony Plain Eagles eyeing the Bentley Generals for greatness.

The Senior AAA category has a different format than the rest of the divisions, in that the final is a best-of-seven series as opposed to a best-of-five.

Bentley came charging out of the gates with a 4-1 victory. Stony Plain responded back with a win of their own, taking the second game 6-2 in their favour. Bentley took Game 3 with a 5-2 win. The tight series continues this week.

PLAYERS LEARNING FROM THE BEST Hockey Alberta and the Western Hockey League have teamed up to put on a skills clinic for 2002-born players, set to run June 10 to 12 in Calgary.

Players will have an opportunity to learn from some of the best instructors from the WHL by participating in off-ice training, specialized seminars on the game of hockey, life in junior hockey and much more, in addition to on-ice games.

This is the second annual event of its kind in Alberta. In Ontario, the Ontario Hockey League and Ontario Hockey Federation have ran similar events which have proved to be a huge success.

ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

PLAYOFFS GALORE IN ONTARIO Most teams in Ontario are just about to battle for their championships in all their respective leagues and associations around the province.

In the OMHA, the York Simcoe Express dominated in the Minor Midget AAA Championship held in Clarington. The Express went five-for-five, good enough for 10 points in the championship finals against the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs, the Barrie Jr. Colts, the Southern Tier Admirals and the Clarington Toros.

Meanwhile, the Whitby Bantam AAA Wildcats won their OMHA Championship by taking four of their five games against Quinte, Barrie, Halton and Brampton.

And if that wasn’t enough for the Whitby association, their Major Midget AAA squad traveled up to Quinte and won all five of their games in their quest of raising the hardware.

The Clarington Toros would find success in the Novice OMHA Championships, while the Markham Waxers would win the Minor Atom category.

It’d be the Oakville Rangers taking the Atom age group, the Ajax-Pickering Rangers winning the Minor Peewee division and the Niagara North Stars winning the Peewee championship.

The York Simcoe Express would get the #redhats in the Bantam division.

It was a battle of the Mississaugas in the Bantam AAA category, with the Rebels beating the Reps in the first three games and sweeping the series with their 4-2 win in Game 4.

North York has already lifted the hardware in the Midget AAA division after defeating the Mississauga Rebels in five games.

A PIONEER PASSES AWAY Kevin Stubbington was a life member and supporter of the Windsor Minor Hockey Association, and dedicated thousands of hours of his time to the game he loved most.

But perhaps what he’s best known for is, after seeing a player get hurt in 1994 from a check from behind, Stubbington designed the miniature stop sign that players wear on the back of their jerseys.

This began an uproar on player safety, which would eventually lead to the creation of the S.T.O.P program (Safety Towards Other Players).

The OMHA was the first association to add the stop signs to the back of player sweaters, and soon after it would be mandatory for all minor hockey associations across the country to adopt the safety feature.

In 2007, Stubbington was awarded the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Award, presented to Canadians who have made significant contributions to prevent sports and recreational activity-related injuries.

Stubbington passed away last month after reportedly suffering from complications related to shingles and pneumonia, according to CBC News.

A post on the Windsor Minor Hockey Association website reads: “Kevin was a humble man and well liked by all who knew him. His contributions to the WMHA and Minor Hockey will not be forgotten.”

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

SPRING WORKOUTS UPCOMING FOR EDGE ATHLETES As far as the Edge School’s Ross McCain is concerned, early April can’t come fast enough.

As the manager for the Duckett Performance Centre at the Calgary-based school, McCain oversees the strength and conditioning program of all the Edge hockey players.

This year the 10-week spring training sessions will commence on Apr. 4.

“For me it’s the best time of the year,” said McCain, who is also the head coach of the Bantam AAA boys squad at the Edge School.

“This is the start of a new season. I’m always excited to see this part of the year and to see them make gains.”

Though games are still several months away, the spring workouts unofficially signify the start of the 2016-17 season. By this point, the athletes on the six Edge School hockey teams have all completed their current campaigns.

They’ve also had their March Break and an additional decompression week following their playoffs.

McCain begins working with all of the athletes in earnest. The goal is to boost the athletes’ strength and conditioning and to increase their movement techniques.

“We give them 10 weeks of training before the kids leave school in June,” McCain said.

“The idea is most of them will come back in the summer and keep training.”

About 100 athletes will be taking part in the spring training sessions. They represent those on the six teams Edge School iced this season.

The school had three Midget clubs, two Bantam squads and a female Midget entry.

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

During the spring workouts, athletes will be training five times per week, two hours per session. These workouts are pencilled in during the athletes’ sports block segment in their academic schedules.

This marks the eighth consecutive year that the Edge School has provided its spring sessions.

A large number of the students return to the school to continue their training throughout the summer months.

“A lot of our former students come back in and also train in the summer,” McCain said.

“Some of them are playing Junior A or even pro now. So there’s a great vibe to it.”

McCain added the spring workout sessions need to be handled in a special way.

The sessions can be vigorous due to the maximum gains being made.

But McCain also has to be cognizant of the fact the teams’ tryout camps, dubbed The Boys Hockey Showcase, are right in the middle of the workout sessions. These camps will be staged May 6 to 8. As for the Girls Prep Showcase, it runs Apr. 15 to 17.

Besides current Edge School athletes, the tryouts are also open to those hoping to play on a school team for the coming season.

“It’s a little tricky,” McCain said of the balancing act he must perform.

For starters, he’ll be working the kids hard to improve their strength and conditioning.

“At the same time we need to make sure the kids have lots of energy and are rested and ready to go for the tryouts just one month after we start,” McCain said.

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BEATING HOCKEY BURNOUT

BY MIKE TOTH

IT'S WELL KNOWN THROUGH RESEARCH THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONCERNS WHEN IT COMES TO EARLY SPECIALIZATION IN A SPECIFIC SPORT. PAUL CARSON VICE-PRESIDENT OF HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT FOR HOCKEY CANADA

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COVER STORY

EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, THERE'S A DIFFERENT OPINION ON JUST HOW MUCH HOCKEY A YOUNG PLAYER SHOULD PLAY. HERE'S OUR CASE FOR THE WELL-ROUNDED MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE.

A

FOOTBALL, A FEW BASEBALL GLOVES AND A PILE OF TENNIS BALLS. Not the collection of sports paraphernalia you might expect at a typical minor hockey practice. But with a lengthy season that seems to get longer every year, a coach sometimes has to shake things up to prevent tired young players from suffering a case of “hockey burnout.� With that in mind, I reached into my sporting bag of tricks for a recent late-season practice involving the 10-year-old Toronto Atom team I coach, and the kids had a ton of fun. A game of touch football on skates; tossing a bunch of high fly balls in the air as the lads channeled their inner Kevin Pillar, pulling off a bunch of diving catches just like the ace Blue Jays outfielder; and finishing up the workout with a raging round of shinny, using bouncy tennis balls in place of pucks.

Footballs? Baseball gloves? Tennis Balls?

Why not?

After all, "hockey burnout" is a definite danger and, instead of playing even more hockey during the summer, a lot of coaches believe that soccer balls, lacrosse sticks and tennis rackets should also be included in a young athlete's mix.

James Boyd is the Head Coach and General Manager of the Ontario Hockey League Mississauga Steelheads. Before that, Boyd was a fiery leftwinger who played four OHL seasons, including the 1996 campaign that saw him rack up 22 goals for the Belleville Bulls. But hockey wasn't the only item on Boyd's athletic resume.

"The climate was a lot different back then," said Boyd. "Summer hockey was just getting started and I played a little bit. But for the most part, I played lacrosse during the summer and even in the winter, I spent some time skiing."

As the architect of a major junior program that boasts future NHLers such as Sean Day, Mike McLeod and Alexander Nylander, Boyd wouldn't be too thrilled to spot any of his young Steelheads roaring down an icy slope on a pair of skinny boards. However, he does believe that hockey players should get away from the game every now and then, especially during the summer months.

"I think players really benefit from taking a break. You definitely need to set aside some time for yourself to recharge mentally, even if it's just heading up to the cottage and sticking a fishing pole in the water."

Alexander Nylander, for instance, has more than hockey running through his blood. Yes, Nylander is expected to be selected in the first round of this summer's NHL draft and yes, his brother, William, is a hot shot prospect

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COVER STORY

AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

ALEX LOVES PLAYING TENNIS. IT'S KIND OF FUNNY LISTENING TO HIM TALK ABOUT PLAYING AGAINST HIS SISTER BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MATCHES CAN GET PRETTY COMPETITIVE. JAMES BOYD HEAD COACH AND GENERAL MANAGER OF THE MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS, OHL

with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while his father, Michael, enjoyed a solid 15year NHL career. But Alexander also has a teenage sister, Jacqueline, who's a rising young tennis star and the Nylander family battles on the court are legendary.

"Alex loves playing tennis," said Boyd. "It's kind of funny listening to him talk about playing against his sister because it sounds like the matches can get pretty competitive."

A hockey player never wants to lose their competitive edge by taking a summer holiday. But Boyd believes other sports can certainly pick up the slack.

"Playing sports such as lacrosse and soccer can help you see the ice a little differently. The greatest advantage of playing another sport is that you get a different perspective and it gives you a different skill set that you can bring to the ice. Guys who play baseball learn about taking a more patient approach. A hockey player who competes at a high level of soccer is almost guaranteed to be better with the puck in their feet and players with a lacrosse background do a better job of keeping their heads up on the ice because they have to be ready to accept passes at eye level in lacrosse."

Paul Carson is even more adamant about the importance of hockey players taking part in a variety of sports. Carson is the Vice-President of Hockey Development for Hockey Canada and he says there can be some troubling consequences for athletes who live a "hockey only" lifestyle.

"It's well known through research that there are a number of concerns

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when it comes to early specialization in a specific sport," explained Carson.

"We know that there are over-use injuries. If you play only one particular sport, there's a less developed overall base in the body which can lead to physical breakdowns as the athlete gets older. Mental burnout is also a big problem because it results in a young athlete getting tired of a sport, which leads to a decrease in sports participation because when they lose interest in the only activity they've been involved in, they may not have the ability or confidence to transfer into another sport."

Despite the risks, however, some hockey parents are willing to push the envelope. A commonly expressed fear by many hockey moms and dads is that if their child doesn't focus on hockey 12 months of the year, they might get left behind. Carson understands the sentiment but cautions parents to stay focused on the big picture.

"You've got to decide very early on in your child's sports career, and I'm talking five, six and seven years of age, what your intended outcome is 10 to 15 years down the road. Participation in sports that leads to solid citizenship and success at school, those are the things that lead to the tremendous make-up of a youngster. If there's an opportunity for a young athlete to be successful in a given sport, be it professionally or through a scholarship, that's just a by-product of a great sports experience. If all we do is drive down main street for one single experience and one single outcome we really run the risk of compromising the development of that youngster's whole person as they get older."

Boyd, meanwhile, believes there's an interesting new trend developing and he points to the growing American influence on the game of hockey.

"A lot of players such as (current NHLers) Beau Bennett and Jason Zucker (California natives) and (NHL draft prospect) Auston Matthews (Arizona) are coming from non-traditional hockey markets. A lot of times they're playing other sports because hockey isn't the big thing. So when you see these types of players emerge it tempers the perception of parents.

A lot of them feel their kid is going to fall behind if they don't play hockey 12 months a year. I don't believe that's the case and I think some of the hockey players coming out of markets such as Texas and Florida really show

the advantages of playing a number of different sports."

Scott Luik grew up in the much more traditional hockey market of Whitby, Ontario and in 1990, he lived a real-life Canadian hockey dream.

Luik was part of the Oshawa Generals’ dramatic double overtime victory over the Kitchener Rangers at the 1990 Memorial Cup; a championship squad that included a 16-year-old Eric Lindros. Luik joined the Generals at Christmas after spending the first part of the season playing U.S. college hockey and he says the mental and physical grind of the Gennies long playoff run was a real eye-opener.

"In the NCAA you were only playing about 25 games a year," said Luik.

"So jumping to the OHL and playing that much hockey was quite an adjustment. I recall my father coming into the dressing room after we won the Memorial Cup and taking a picture while we were all celebrating. When I looked at the photo, I was shocked at how skinny and lean I'd become after the playoff run and I remember how drained I was."

These days, Luik is serving as a minor hockey coach in Toronto, guiding an East York Novice Select Bull Dogs team that includes his eight-year-old son, Cole.

Luik's goal?

Making sure his son and his Bull Dogs buddies have the time of their lives and don't get burned out by playing too much hockey.

"It's a long season and these kids are so young. In hockey cities such as Toronto there's a certain level of craziness when it comes to parents pushing their kids into spring and summer hockey. But I'm pretty firmly against the need to specialize when you're so young. I don't believe playing summer hockey is going to make a bit of difference by the time the kids get to be 14 or 15. That's when the skill gap narrows and what's going to take them to the next level is their passion for the game and their natural ability."

Speaking of natural ability, Carson says that encouraging young hockey players to take up another sport can have a huge cross-benefit.

"For example, what sport is good for young, developing goaltenders?

Well, you start thinking about baseball and not just baseball, but what specific positions would be best for a goalie. You want positions where you're going to be handling the ball a lot, so you look at catcher, shortstop or first base. The ball never does the same thing twice and all of a sudden your glove hand and reaction time shows tremendous signs of improvement when you head back on the ice. If parents were really calculated about what's good for their kids, they'd think through those kind of ideas."

New ideas to keep the game of hockey fresh and fun for young players.

So don't be afraid to toss a few footballs, baseball gloves and tennis balls out on the ice to spice up that late season practice.

And if the kids pick up some of that equipment during the summer too?

All the better to make hockey players much better athletes.

DIFFERENT HOCKEY SORTS WHO PLAYED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPORTS So you want to be an NHL hockey player?

Don't be afraid to pick up a lacrosse stick, baseball bat or tennis racket.

That's the message from a number of past and present NHL stars, many of whom developed their on-ice skills by strutting their stuff in a variety of other fun and games.

LACROSSE

John Tavares is the captain of the New York Islanders, the owner of one of the sweetest pair of hands in all of hockey. Tavares developed those talents by playing lacrosse in his youth, often crediting the sport for his ability to protect the puck and utilize the hand-eye coordination needed to finish second in the NHL scoring race last season, racking up 86 points in 82 games.

Meanwhile, the list of other NHL lacrosse grads includes some more impressive names. Toronto Maple Leafs president and Hockey Hall of Fame member Brendan Shanahan, former scrappy forward-turned fitness guru Gary Roberts and Tampa Bay Lightning scoring star Steven Stamkos—a trio of respected hockey men who also twirled lacrosse sticks in their youth.

BASEBALL

The guy who beat out John Tavares by a single point to win last year's Art Ross trophy?

Say hello to Jamie Benn, the high-scoring captain of the Dallas Stars. Like Tavares, Benn was a two-sport athlete growing up; so successful at baseball, in fact, that in 2006 he was named the Most Valuable Player of his Victoria, B.C. baseball team that won the provincial championship.

Putting up points and pounding a baseball must have something in common, as NHL scoring legend Jarome Iginla, still sniping a pile of goals for the Colorado Avalanche, is also a baseball grad. Iginla was a talented pitcher before moving behind the plate, honing his skills so successfully that he became the starting catcher for the Canadian junior national team before deciding to chase pucks on a full-time basis.

And don't forget about "Mr. Hockey" himself, Gordie Howe. In another life, Howe may have come to be known as "Mr. Baseball.” A pure natural athlete, the Detroit Red Wings hero often took batting practice with the Detroit Tigers, amazing his Major League counterparts by belting a truck load of baseballs over the Tiger Stadium fence.

TENNIS

It stands to reason that the "King of New York" would be a huge tennis fan.

The Big Apple, after all, is the annual home of The U.S. Open, one of the marquee events on the tennis calendar. Henrik Lundqvist (dubbed "The King") is one of Gotham's most popular athletes and hones his amazing netminding skills by striking fuzzy green balls over the tennis net. A huge tennis fan, Lundqvist is good buddies with the legendary "Bad Boy" of the sport, John McEnroe. Bad boys, it seems, have to stick together as famous NHL tough guy Tie Domi lists McEnroe as his all-time favourite athlete, with Domi getting the chance to line up beside Johnny Mac for a charity doubles match in Hamilton a few years ago.

Of course, there's another tennis connection to hockey, as the lovely and (semi) talented Anna Kournikova once had well-documented romantic flings with Hockey Hall of Famers Sergei Fedorov and Pavel Bure. However, that’s a case of "Love, Set and Match" that goes down a completely different path.

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PLAYERS

2016 ISS HOCKEY RANKED PROSPECTS B

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GOALIES

STEPHEN SIMON PHOTO

EAN IS A SMART TWO-WAY DEFENDER who stands out because of his exceptional skating ability and passing skills. He reads plays very well and always gives himself more than one passing option because he always has the puck inside of the dots. The Calgary Hitman plays with poise and control and makes calculated decisions with and without the puck. He is completely fearless and plays bigger than he’s listed. All agree he plays a very solid and steady game and has a great deal of potential to be a top NHL draft defenceman.

PLAYER

POS

BIRTH

SHOT

HT.

WT.

TEAM

LEAGUE

1

AUSTON MATTHEWS

C

9/17/1997

L

6.01.5

194

Zurich ZSC

SuiA

2

JESSE PULJUJARVI

RW

5/7/1998

R

6.03

203

Karpat

FinE

3

PATRIK LAINE

RW

2/3/1998

R

6.04

209

Tappara

FinE

4

ALEXANDER NYLANDER

C

10/15/1997

R

6.00.5

179

Mississauga

OHL

5

MATTHEW TKACHUK

LW

12/11/1997

L

6.01.25

195

London

OHL

6

JAKOB CHYCHRUN

LD

3/31/1998

L

6.02

215

Sarnia

OHL

7

MICHAEL MCLEOD

C

4/19/1998

R

6.02.25

188

Mississauga

OHL

8

PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS

LW

3/2/1998

L

6.02.5

202

Cape Breton

QMJHL

9

MIKHAIL SERGACHEV

RD

6/25/1998

L

6.02.5

206

Windsor

OHL

10

LOGAN BROWN

C

6/20/1998

L

6.06

222

Windsor

OHL

11

MAX JONES

LW

2/17/1998

L

6.03

205

London

OHL

12

OLLI JUOLEVI

LD

4/14/1998

L

6.02.5

179

London

OHL

13

GERMAN RUBTSOV

C

6/27/1998

L

6.02

176

Russia MHL 98

RusJr

14

CLAYTON KELLER

C

7/29/1998

L

5.09.5

168

NTDP USA Under-18

USHL

15

TYSON JOST

C

3/15/1998

L

5.11

191

Penticton

BCHL

16

JULIEN GAUTHIER

RW

3/5/1998

R

6.03.5

225

Val-d’Or

QMJHL

17

KIEFFER BELLOWS

LW

3/14/1998

L

6.00

196

NTDP USA Under-18

USHL

18

LUKE KUNIN

RW

3/29/1998

R

5.11.75

193

Wisconsin

BigTen

19

RILEY TUFTE

LW

4/10/1998

L

6.04.75

205

Blaine

MN-HS

20

CHARLES MCAVOY

RD

12/21/1997

R

6.00.25

208

Boston Univ.

H.E.

21

JAKE BEAN

LD

2/3/1998

L

5.11.75

173

Calgary

WHL

22

TAGE THOMPSON

C

10/30/1997

R

6.05

185

Connecticut

H.E.

23

NATHAN BASTIAN

C

12/6/1997

R

6.03.75

208

Mississauga

OHL

24

DANTE FABBRO

RD

6/24/1998

R

6.00.25

189

Penticton

BCHL

25

LOGAN STANLEY

LD

5/26/1998

L

6.06.75

220

Windsor

OHL

26

RASMUS ASPLUND

C

12/4/1997

L

5.10.5

176

Farjestad

SweJE

27

VITALII ABRAMOV

LW

5/8/1998

L

5.08.75

172

Gatineau

QMJHL

28

PASCAL LABERGE

C

4/9/1998

R

6.01

175

Victoriaville

QMJHL

29

DILLON DUBE

C

7/20/1998

L

5.10.25

180

Kelowna

WHL

30

MITCHELL MATTSON

C

1/2/1998

L

6.04

186

Grand Rapids

MN-HS

GOALIE

POS

BIRTH

CATCHES

HT.

WT.

TEAM

LEAGUE

1

EVAN FITZPATRICK

G

1/28/1998

L

6.02.5

222

Sherbrooke

QMJHL

2

JOSEPH WOLL

G

7/12/1998

L

6.02.5

198

NTDP USA Under-18

USHL

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

SELKIRK COLLEGE SAINTS MAKING HISTORY FOR 50 YEARS CASTLEGAR – When Selkirk College opened its doors to students in 1966, it ushered in a new era of learning for the residents of the West Kootenay-Boundary region of British Columbia. It also marked the beginning of a proud hockey tradition that still thrives five decades later.

Selkirk College will mark its 50th year starting in September, 2016.

Fifty years ago, the small regional college was the first in the province to be created through referendum. It was a people movement that led to what is today: a multi-campus college that serves more than 2,300 full-time and 10,000 community learners.

With a rich hockey tradition in communities like Trail, Castlegar, Nelson and Grand Forks, it’s no surprise that the first cohort of students made a college hockey team one of the key focal points for school spirit.

“Our region has a vibrant hockey community and it stretches back well before Selkirk College even opened its doors,” says Selkirk College Athletics & Recreation Coordinator Kim Verigin. “The Saints quickly became an important part of the rich culture that exists in all the communities we serve.”

That first team was primarily made up of local student athletes and in those days the team played against rival squads from Notre Dame University, Trail, Rossland, Fernie and Nelson. Students would pack the Castlegar arena to cheer on their classmates and travel to the other communities over harsh winter roads to bolster spirit at away games.

One of the highlights of that first season was an early December game that saw 900 people pack into Nelson’s Civic Centre to watch a first place battle between the Saints and Nelson. The Selkirk College team scored an 8-2 win.

The high point of the first decade came in the 1975-76 season when the Saints captured the BC Provincial Championship, the 4 West Championships and then attended the Nationals where they lost to Ontario’s St. Claire in the finals to claim silver.

“It’s pretty incredible to think that a school of our size had such a strong hockey team in those early years,” says Verigin. “It shows the

pioneering spirit that exists because it’s always a challenge to stay competitive in such a rural setting.”

Despite the success, in the late-1970s the program was halted. It wouldn’t be until 2006 when it was reinstated and joined the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL). The first few seasons playing against much larger schools like the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University and Trinity Western University were lean when it came to wins.

“It was a challenge for sure,” says Verigin. “Anytime you start something as ambitious as a hockey program, there is going to be struggles.”

The Saints were perennial cellar-dwellers in those first few seasons as the program was being developed. In the 2011-12 season they finished last place in the seven-team league with a 5-19-0 record. Then the team hired Jeff Dubois as head coach/general manager and he went to work at building a winning program.

“Jeff’s ability to recruit and develop a solid program was a real turning point for the Saints,” says Verigin.

In the 2012-13 season, the Saints went from worst to first as they posted a 21-3-0 record. The regular season success then carried forward to the postseason where Selkirk College captured its first BCIHL title over Simon Fraser University before a packed house of students, college staff and community supporters.

Two more BCIHL titles followed—one under Dubois and the following season under new coach Alex Evin—and in 2015-16 the Saints once again topped the league in the regular season.

“The last few years have been amazing,” says Verigin. “Jeff [Dubois] put a solid program in place that has continued under two subsequent coaches. We have created a winning culture at Selkirk College where studies come first and success on the ice follows. We’re proud to be entering our 50th year with such a strong hockey program.”

The Selkirk College Saints are based out of Castlegar. Find out more about the hockey program at: selkirk.ca/athletics/selkirksaints.

THE FIRST SELKIRK COLLEGE SAINTS HOCKEY TEAM WAS MADE UP PRIMARILY OF LOCAL PLAYERS WHO NOW HAD AN OUTLET TO CONTINUE TO PLAY AND STUDY AT THE SAME TIME.

THE SELKIRK COLLEGE SAINTS HAVE BEEN THE GOLD STANDARD IN THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INTERCOLLEGIATE HOCKEY LEAGUE OVER THE PAST FOUR SEASONS. IN 2014-15 THEY CAPTURED THEIR THIRD STRAIGHT PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

12th Annual Selkirk Saints Golf Camp REGISTRATION DETAILS: www.selkirk.ca/athletics CAMP INFO LINE: 250.365.1304

DEADLINE: June 20, 2016 CAMP DATES: July 11-15, 2016

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NATIONAL WOMEN'S

Rebecca Johnson, shown here in recent international play, was one of 17 players who won a silver medal with Canada at the 2015 Women's World Championship.

MOMENTUM SHIFT Team Canada Head Coach Laura Schuler is looking to switch things up and reclaim the gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championship STORY | Kristi Patton

T

WO YEARS AGO, Laura Schuler sat in the stands next to the general manager of the women's team programs for Hockey Canada, Mel Davidson, watching Canada win the 4 Nations Cup over arch rival U.S. Schuler returns to that very same rink in Kamloops, B.C. this time to stand on the bench as the head coach of Canada's team for the IIHF Women's World Championship.

In the two years since the gold medal win at the 4 Nations Cup, Canada has not beaten the U.S. in a major tournament, and Schuler is looking to change that momentum.

"Trust me, I have watched a ton of footage from the last Olympics to the 4 Nations Cup in 2014 right up to events this year," said Schuler.

Schuler said building for the 2018 Olympics is in the back of everyone's mind, but make no mistake, this Team Canada was built to win the world championship. Canada looks to experience to put them back on top of the world.

Seven players (one goalie, two defencemen and four forwards) will be included on the roster that weren't at the

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

last major tournament win for Canada.

"We are really excited to have the veteran leadership back in the group. If you look at the last 4 Nations Cup, we lost to the U.S. in such a close battle in the gold medal game just falling short," said Schuler. "One focus this year is to generate more offence."

With five of the Canadian Women's Hockey League top scorers (Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Jamie Lee Rattray, Brianne Jenner and Laura Fortino), Team Canada expects to pack a punch. That veteran presence is felt even further with the likes of Meghan Agosta, Rebecca Johnston, Jennifer Wakefield and Hayley Wickenheiser.

Complementing the forwards is first-timer to the world championship team, Blayre Turnbull, who helped the Calgary Inferno win the league championship Clarkson Cup. "We want to go for gold on our home soil and we will be looking for experience and leadership to do that. Every single one of our players have held a leadership position with their club or school programs," said Schuler. "We picked a team who is capable, fast, has the ability to read the game and has enough talent to possess the puck and control the game. These are key things, as well as resiliency and willingness to go in the tough areas to compete and never give up."

Skill and sandpaper on the roster, in fact, is the exact motto Canada used when the team last won a world championship in 2012, beating the U.S. in overtime.

TEAM USA Rivalries will be quickly renewed as soon as the puck drops for the 2016 IIHF Women's World Championship as the U.S. and Canada face off.

Since 2005, the first time the U.S. won the tournament

after Canada dominated for eight years, the U.S. has gone on to win gold six out of eight possible outings.

This rendition of the team looks eerily similar to 2015's gold medal roster. Only four skaters’ names will be different on their squad: forwards Shiann Darkangelo, Amanda Pelkey and Kelli Stack, and defenceman Megan Bozek.

Darkangelo plays with the National Women's Hockey League Connecticut Whale with Stack, whose speed and puck skill will be a weapon for the U.S. "Shiann is a big power forward with a good touch around the net. Not only is her size an asset, her footwork is definitely improving," said U.S. coach Ken Klee.

Meghan Duggan was chosen as captain of a team full of talent including Hilary Knight, who led the NWHL Boston Pride in scoring during the regular season and helped the team win the league championship Isobel Cup. "Meghan is a tremendous worker for us. She leads by example and is the first player to rally around someone who needs a pat on the back or to say ‘hey let's pick it up.’ She embodies what the U.S. program is about, nonstop commitment and work ethic," said Klee.

The U.S. also opened up the 2015 tournament against Canada defeating them 4-2. They faced Canada again in the gold medal game winning 7-5.

HOCKEY USA

ANDY DEVLIN/HOCKEY CANADA

FEMALE

Meghan Duggan was named the captain of the U.S. national team for the 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship.

THE REST OF THE PACK: The eight teams, which include Russia, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Czech and Switzerland, will be fighting for a direct qualification to the 2018 Olympics.

The top-five ranked teams at the world championship, as well as host Korea, will automatically qualify for the 2018 Olympic women's hockey tournament.

The two remaining spots will be determined in the Olympic Qualification played between August 2016 and February 2017. The teams ranked 6 and 7 will have the right to host the two Final Olympic Qualification groups.

HANDBOOK – 2016 –

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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Our goal is very clear...to challenge the individual to reach his full potential as a hockey player. The CAN/AM experience takes place in an environment flexible enough to allow for differences in each individual, yet structured to provide a sense of direction. Our staff and unique locations reflect CAN/AM’s aim to establish a strong relationship between hockey and education. Our programs are designed so that the player can move from one location to another and find that although the programs are varied, the goal and philosophy of each is the same...to challenge the hockey player to be the best that he/she can be!

canamhockey.com *score@canamhockey.com Niagara, ON Lake Placid, NY Las Vegas, NV

“Canadian Hockey Enterprises is excited to be offering our world-class hockey camps for the 28th year. With programs running all over North America between July 6th and August 21st, 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 Banff, AB Lake Placid, NY Las Vegas, NV GRETZKY HOCKEY SCHOOL - BRANDING Traverse City, MI

Canadian International Hockey Academy Eastern Canada’s Premier Hockey Prep School As a co-ed secondary institution that recruits, educates and trains student-athletes from around the world, CIH Academy provides a uniquely rich and diversified experience.

Complete with superb professional facilities, CIH Academy provides the optimum full-time training and learning environment for student-athletes. We challenge our students in the classroom and on the ice, developing young athletes’ minds, bodies and spirits, while preparing them to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Schedule a visit and discover what makes the Canadian International Hockey Academy such a special place to learn and grow!

cihacademy.com Rockland, ON

LOGOS

5 Reasons to register in our programs: 1. Proven teaching techniques 2. Experienced Instructors 3. Positive Feedback 4. Diverse Programming 5. We make Hockey Fun for all ages Here at Excellent Ice we make every effort to offer programs for the beginner to those of the elite level.

Some of our programs are listed below.

Red Light Summer Camps (Mid July-End of Aug) Power Skating/Puck Control/Shooting/Fun Hockey/ Body Checking-Puck Protection/Defensemen/Tots Mini-Camp/Next Wave H1-H4/Atom/Pee Wee/ Bantam/Midget/Total Hockey Camp /Skate Treadmill/ PEP Camp/Goalie Camp

excellentice.com *info@excellentice.com Surrey, BC

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

BRANDING

The Gretzky Hockey School is intended to be a fun and unique experience with on-ice development from some of the best instructors in the business, coupled with off-ice activities to help improve the kids' skill sets.

With some of the most influential people in the hockey world, the Gretzky Hockey School will be a week of memories you will never forget.

Gretzkyhockeyschool.com *info@gretzkyhockeyschool.com St. Louis, MO Simi Valley, CA Edmonton, AB Coeur, d’Alene, ID Burnaby, BC

Through progressive, systematic drills and exercises, Hockey Dynamics’ on-ice program employs the latest in exercise science principles to address and develop all the major components of hockey fitness and bio-motor abilities. The end product will ensure superior results and maximize your in-season playing, developing: • Technical skating • Dynamic flexibility / strength / coordination / balance / stability • Explosive first-step quickness • Straight-ahead (linear) speed • Transitional skating quickness • Puck-Strength • Body-checking strength • Explosive execution of all skills and tactics • Greater energy and intensity during each and every shift, period and game

hockeydynamics.ca *info@HockeyDynamics.ca North Vancouver, BC

Canlan Ice Sports Summer Hockey Camps are a perfect opportunity for players to work on their skating and improve individual skills, strength and speed.

Canlan offers a variety of full and half day hockey camps for all ages and skill levels from beginner to elite level players. Full day camps receive 3 hours of on ice instruction per day and half day camps 1-1.5 hours of on ice instruction per day.

Weekly Camps start July 4th. Make sure to sign up today to guarantee your spot!

To register or for more information including a complete list of camps being offered, visit us online at www.icesports.com Burnaby 8 Rinks 604-291-0626 North Shore 604-924-0828 Langley 604-532-8946 100 Mile House 250-395-1353

icesports.com CANADA USA Visit site for multiple locations

Ice Dreams Skating Academy offers a wide selection of skating development programs to meet the needs of any child or adult, male or female who wishes to skate. To ensure the success of our skaters, from recreational to elite levels, our focus is on fun, learning and developing a solid foundation right from the start.

At Ice Dreams We Offer: • Programs, which compliment each other for all skill levels (ages 2.5 – 18) and Adult Classes • LOW Skater To Coach Ratios for all levels and quality edge focused instruction • Private & Semi-Private Instruction conveniently during your lesson time

• Programs for Boys and Girls • Year-Round Programs & Camps • Programs to progress skater’s from the LEARN TO SKATE Level up to the: HOCKEY SKILLS ACADEMY Programs, ULTIMATE POWER SKATING Programs and/or FLOW Figure Skating Academy

Make this MARCH BREAK an active one! Children of all ages are welcome. You have the option of enrolling for Full-Day Camps, Half-Day Camps or just On-Ice Lessons.

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATION IN VAUGHAN, NORTH YORK & BRADFORD FOR: WINTER 2016 Weekly Lessons & MARCH BREAK CAMP 2016 Tel. (905)-709-3511 Toll Free. 1-(877)-709-3511

icedreams.ca *info@icedreams.ca Vaughan, ON North York, ON Bradford, ON

Dynamic Hockey has been providing elite-level camps for players since 2006. Our camps include: Elite Prep Camps, Spring & Summer Development Camps as well as our Elite Bantam/ Midget Showcase. Each camp provides players an opportunity to compete in specific on-ice drill progressions and tactical situations that are designed to improve both their mental and physical performance. Dynamic Hockey focuses specifically on players currently playing at the AA/ AAA levels and will concentrate on conditioning both the individual and team skills that are needed to achieve and maintain a high level of play.

The Edge School and its development program, Edge 360, are once again running summer Hockey schools in August, 2016. Check out our specialty camps for players of all ages and abilities. Also, if you are a Bantam, Midget, Junior or Pro player, check out our Off-Season Training Program! Go to edge360.ca for details. All of our training and development is run by our first-class, full-time hockey staff.

edge360.ca

dynamichockey.net *jms_stewart@hotmail.com

*cchisamore@edgeschool.com

Edmonton, AB

Calgary, AB

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

Former NHL player Jim Thomson has been training hockey players for 30 years. Many of his students have realized their dreams and did what he did make the NHL. My teaching is based on what I learned in my 10 years in pro hockey I was a student of the game as they sa, writing down drills and keeping notes on every team I played on. JT Prospects Camps is in its 17 year and if your a player that’s looking to get to the next level than I recommend watching my YouTube videos to see if it’s for you. High-temp, fun atmosphere and learning what the NHL players are learning. The camps consist of on and off-ice NHL programs.

jimthomsonsdreams.com *jim@jimthomsonsdreams.com Edmonton, AB

• 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 March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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The philosophy of the Jr. Hitmen Hockey Development Program is to provide ALL players the opportunity to become part of a program that focuses on improving the hockey skills of young athletes, no matter what skill level they may be at. The player will have fun in the program but more importantly, they will be guided by experienced coaches who will focus on drills that match their player group’s ability in order to maximize their improvement.

Summer Lineup • Dynamic Defenders Camp – Further enhance a defenseman’s ability with and without the puck. Two ice Sessions. Develop backwards skating, gap control, 1st pass, D-Zone positioning, angles, partner coordination, net protection, stick work, etc. Weekend Camp.

• Snipe and Dangle – Improve your ability with the puck by focusing on shooting and stickhandling specific drills.

Two ice sessions per day. Weekend Camp.

• Putts and Pucks – Improve your hockey skills and play golf. 10 ice sessions, 5 golf sessions. Full Day Camp.

• Full Day Skills Camp – Focus on fundamental skill development that includes skating, passing, stickhandling and shooting. Two ice session per day.

• Gain Your Edge Power Skating – If you can’t skate you can’t play. Improve your agility, power and speed through a combination of precise training and repetitive movement.

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 contact Chris Keleher at c.keleher@ notredame.ca or by calling (306) 732-1246.

jrhitmenhockey.com *info@jrhitmenhockey.com

*c.keleher@notredame.ca

Calgary, AB

Wilcox, SK

Treadmill Training Our programs use a state-of-the-art training device that provides a continuous on-ice feel, simulating actual on-ice movements. Kelly Lockwood, PhD is the Sport Scientist behind the training programs, her experience in High Performance Athletic Development, combined with 15 years of researching treadmill training, provides each Skating Lab athlete with unparallel expertise in assessment and training for on-ice sport. Skating Lab programs require athletes to skate at a combination of speeds and elevations, forcing technical improvement in skating mechanics and a 100% work effort. All programs are age and ability appropriate and have been validated so training results are guaranteed.

skatinglab.com Burlington, ON North York, ON St. Catharines, ON Cochrane, AB

notredame.ca

Aiming higher to offer programs that suit you and your family!

Teen Ranch, located in the beautiful Caledon Hills, is home to an Olympic-sized Ice Corral. We offer year-round programs with top-notch instruction to meet all your needs.

Weekly Skills & Skating classes, Pond Hockey, Adult Skills, Spring League, 3-on-3, Elite Summer Training, Public Skating, 35+ Men’s League, Private lessons and our world renowned Summer Hockey Camps are available to boys and girls ages 6+ for any level of hockey player.

teenranch.on.ca *camp@teenranch.on.ca Caledon, ON

Started in 1963, Okanagan Hockey Group has grown today to be the longest operating hockey camp in the world and a leader in player development.

Okanagan Hockey Camps operates in four locations each summer – Penticton, BC, Kelowna, BC, Calgary, AB and Edmonton, AB. Each location offers programs designed for all levels of players, from ages 5-17 years old. Three specific streams of hockey training are offered: Development, Advanced Development and Specialty Programs, including specialized programs for goalies, power skating, shooters, scoring and defencemen. Camps consist of a balance of on-ice training, off-ice skills training and off-ice strength and conditioning.

okanaganhockey.com *info@okanaganhockey.com Penticton, AB Edmonton, AB Calgary, AB Kelowna, BC

Founded by Peter Twist, Hockey Strength and Conditioning pioneer and 11-year veteran NHL Conditioning Coach & Exercise Physiologist, Twist High Performance Hockey Conditioning Camps continue to lead the way in hockey conditioning and player development from pee-wees to prospects to pros. This integrated camp is deigned to take your game to new levels with extensive dryland training, on-ice training, skill development, powerskating, scrimmaging, testing, nutrition, mental training, recovery sessions and more.

twistperformance.com North Vancouver, BC Abbotsford, BC Port Coquitlam, BC Vancouver, BC Burlington, ON Whitby, ON London, ON Mississauga, ON Richmond Hill, ON

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 Ottawa Senators Summer Hockey Camps presented by Canadian Tire provide game-changing instruction, in a fun and supportive atmosphere designed to develop skills and improve each player’s enjoyment of the game.

With 69 camps to choose from at three state-of-the-art facilities (the Bell Sensplex, Richcraft Sensplex, and Cavanagh Sensplex), we offer options for every player (elite, competitive, or recreational) anywhere in Ottawa.

With unique Sens experiences & apparel, word-class instruction, and accreditation by the Ontario Camps Association, we’re confident an Ottawa Senators Summer Hockey Camp is the right choice for your son or daughter. Register today at Sensplex.ca.

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.

Our camps are offered in session sets with each set consisting of 5 sessions, each session lasting either one or one and a half hours. We have many students who take advantage of our year-round training discount and will attend 35 sessions in a calendar year and others who opt for just one set. Each set starts with a skating and movement intensive portion to provide our qualified instructors an opportunity to place students in a training group with other goalies of equal ability. Once training groups are established, each student will progress through each station for the remainder of the set with the other members of their group. Summer camps available online.

*admin@PFGS.ca

Ottawa, ON

Burnaby, BC

World Class Hockey camps 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. Our camps are both technically challenging and physically demanding yet we teach in a way that is fun for each and every student. Our programs offer the perfect combination of technical skill development and high tempo flow drills.

You will witness students constantly moving with very little downtime between drills. We are committed to providing the best hockey instruction in the industry. If you have not attended one of our camps yet, give us a try, you will see great results.

*worldclasshockey@sympatico.ca Mississauga, ON

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

PFGS.ca

sensplex.ca *info@sensplex.ca

worldclasshockey.com

Spring and Summer Development Programs run April - September in: Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Medicine Hat, Winnipeg, Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland).

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 Calgary, AB Prince George, BC Vancouver, BC

Medicine Hat, BC Delmont, PA

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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MINI FEATURE

FIT TO PERFORM

Skate boots and blades are the vehicle by which ‘walking’ is translated to ‘skating.’ Though skate boot design and the materials used to manufacture skates have certainly evolved over the years to facilitate mass production, affordability and performance, one thing has remained the same: the importance of fit. Fit is foremost in ensuring that a skate boot has the potential to be comfortable, prevent boot-related injuries, and enhance performance.

HOW CAN I ACHIEVE A GOOD FIT?

Feet come in a variety of shapes and sizes and as such, not all feet fit into all brands of skate boots. Each brand’s build is based upon the last designed by the manufacturer. The last is the technical term for the footprint or the foundation of the skate design.

Therefore, the challenge lies in finding the manufacturer’s last that best fits the skater’s individual foot. This can be achieved using the following guidelines.

LEVEL

SIZE

WEIGHT

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

SKILL ACQUISITION

SPECIALTY

LEARN TO SKATE

RECREATIONAL

COMPETITIVE

FOOT DIMENSIONS More than just length and width

WEIGHT (KG) Heavier skaters require stronger skates

Anatomical Fit

STRENGTH Stronger skaters can drive stiffer skate boots and often require stronger skates

HIGH PERFORMANCE

TECHNIQUE OR ACQUIRED SKILL LEVEL Novice vs Advanced

BY Dr. Kelly Lockwood

A GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE PERFECT SKATES WHAT DEFINES A GOOD FIT?

Skate boots should fit like a pair of gloves for your feet.

Gloves that fit well will protect and support the hands, keep them warm, and most importantly, permit the hands and fingers to perform hand-related tasks effectively.

Skate boots that fit well will also protect, support, provide a source of warmth or comfort for the feet, and most importantly, enhance skating performance.

HOW CAN YOU ENSURE A GOOD FIT AT PURCHASE AND THROUGH THE LIFETIME OF THE BOOT?

TRYING ON YOUR SKATES: Traditionally, a skater selects boots in a static environment—the store—which does not translate well to the fit and function required during skating. Therefore, skaters should try on the skates while sitting down, but then stand up, bend the knees, flex the boot, and walk around to assess how the skates feel with movement. This is fundamental to helping you understand how the boot design needs to translate to movement of the foot inside the skate.

CUSTOMIZED FIT

FOOT SIZE: Ensure fit by size. The most common way to define fit is through length and width of the foot. While this is a good start, the skate also needs to anatomically complement the foot’s whole size and shape. Too much or too little space within the skate can cause movement of the foot within the boot cavity, leading to friction-related injuries, such as blisters, bunions, bumps and heel spurs. Skaters should choose a brand that matches their particular foot rather than merely aspiring to the brand their favourite champion skater wears.

BODY WEIGHT: Gauge stiffness by body weight. The weight of a skater is a good starting point to gauge the calibre, strength and stiffness of the selected skate boot. For examples, a 20kg skater requires a lighter, softer, more flexible boot than an 80kg skater. You would not purchase a men’s pro golf club for a six-year-old beginner. The same holds true for skates.

STRENGTH AND SKILL LEVEL: The stronger the skater, the stiffer the skate. Physically stronger or more advanced skaters might require stiffer skates, while younger, smaller or beginner skaters may need more flexible skates. Skaters need to be able to drive their boots; their size and strength dictates their ability to flex the boot to match the movement patterns required of a skating stride and sport-specific skills.

Similarly, advanced skaters perform more complex tasks that require the support of a stiffer boot.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO GOALS.

BREAKING IN SKATE BOOTS: If a skate fits well, the break-in period should be relatively short and painless. Start by walking in your skates off the ice. Examine your feet; look for red or hot spots and have the boots adjusted or punched out before blisters, bunions or bumps have an opportunity to develop. Progress to the ice and practice the dynamic movement skills relevant to your sport. Examine your feet again and make further adjustments if necessary. Persistent discomfort with the skate boot will not improve with time, so it’s best to address any issues immediately.

SKATE BOOT BREAKDOWN: Breakdown is often a sign of a boot that does not fit well or match the needs of the skater. Take note of where and how the boot is breaking down, this information is helpful in selecting your next boot.

SECOND-HAND SKATES: Younger skaters tend to outgrow their skates quickly and are often faced with skates that are too small or skates that are sizes too big so that they have room to grow. Both scenarios are problematic. Gently used skates that fit well are a cost-effective option and will perform much better than brand new, top-of-the-line skates that don’t fit.

SPECIALTY OR CUSTOM ORDERS: Time and experience provides us with knowledge. So after years of learning what they require and/or like in a boot, skaters often order a customized boot that works for them. This is not to say that a stock boot will not work, however, customized skates provide more advanced skaters the flexibility to individualize their boot selection and build.

Scoring them, yes. But setting them, too.

Don’t let your skate boot be a limiting factor.

Skates that are selected based on fit will enable the skater to perform to the best of their ability.

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

1.877.244.9199

cihacademy.com

DR. KELLY LOCKWOOD IS A PROFESSOR AND SPORT SCIENTIST AT BROCK UNIVERSITY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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X-TREME WINS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP It certainly didn’t take long for the Northern Alberta X-TREME to build a championship squad.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of changes in store for the X-Treme program for the coming season.

The 2015-16 season was the first one the X-TREME, comprised of players attending the St. Francis Xavier Hockey Academy in Edmonton, iced a team in the Elite 15s category in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL).

For starters, Spitzer will not be coaching the Elite 15s. Instead, the X-TREME will also be icing a boys Prep team in the CSSHL and Spitzer will become the bench boss for that squad.

The X-TREME finished with an impressive 28-5-2 regular season record, good for top spot in their eight-team division.

The club then won all four of its matches at the CSSHL playoff tournament, which concluded Mar. 13 in Penticton, B.C. The X-TREME edged Calgary’s Edge School 2-1 in the championship final.

The Edge School had entered the playoff tournament as the Number 3 seed. It earned a berth in the final thanks in part to its 3-2 round-robin shootout victory against second-ranked Delta Hockey Academy from British Columbia.

Winning the league in its first year was somewhat of a surprise.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” X-TREME coach Tyrel Spitzer said of his squad’s first season. “The CSSHL is a very good league.”

And Spitzer knew his side would face some stiff opposition.

“We thought we had put together a pretty strong squad,” he said. “But we knew Edge, Delta and the Burnaby Winter Club would be strong as well.”

Spitzer’s replacement for the Elite 15s has yet to be announced.

A new head coach will also have to be found for the X-TREME’s female Prep squad. That’s because Leah Copeland, who has served as the club’s head coach during the past three years, is leaving to accept an assistant coaching position with the University of Alberta women’s team.

“The work she has done for the program has been fantastic,” Spitzer said. “That’s what this program is all about. We’re not just developing players, we’re developing coaches as well.”

The female X-TREME will compete in the newly formed CSSHL girls division.

In other news, the X-TREME program, which was part of the Edmonton Catholic School Board, will switch over to the public Black Gold Regional Schools for the coming year.

All of the Northern Alberta student/athletes will attend Devon High School.

Spitzer added it wasn’t until the final weekend of the team’s regular season that team members started to believe they were capable of having plenty of playoff success. The X-TREME won all four of its matches that final weekend in Calgary to claim top spot in the overall standings.

The Northern Alberta side ended up with 58 points, just two points more than Edge and four points ahead of Delta.

“At that point we felt [the league title] was ours to lose,” Spitzer said. “We proved it to ourselves we were the top team. Then we proved it to everybody else in the playoffs.”

Tryouts for all of the X-TREME teams for next year will be held May 13 to 15.

For more information contact Tyrel Spitzer at (780) 952-4999 or via email at tyrelspitzer@me.com

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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HOCKEYNOW March 26, 2016

March 26, 2016 HOCKEYNOW

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PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

Outlaws survive first-round scare to reach PJHL final So much for first place advantage.

two defeat against the Delta Ice Hawks.

The Mission City Outlaws and North Vancouver Wolf Pack each held that advantage in the opening round of the PJHL, but were pushed to the limit by the fourth seeds in each conference.

After surviving the scare from the Flames, which included two overtime wins for Mission, the Outlaws swept the second-seeded Abbotsford Pilots in the second round.

Mission averted disaster, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win their Brittain Conference semifinal against the Ridge Meadows Flames.

The Wolf Pack, on the other hand, weren’t as lucky.

They dropped the first three games of the Shaw Conference semifinal en route to a four-games-to-

However, that series too was a test, even if a series sweep doesn’t indicate it.

Aside from a 10-4 blowout in game two, three of the games were won by a single goal, two of them going through overtime.

Vancouver, are set to take on the Grandview Steelers in the championship final following Grandview’s 4-2 series win over Delta.

Regular season scoring leaders David McGowan and Bryce Pisiak continue to lead Mission through the playoffs.

Pisiak has a league-leading 14 postseason points while McGowan has 10.

In between them are four teammates: Kolby Steen, Brody Dyck and Kyle Lennea, with 13, and Tristan Dundas with 11.

The Outlaws, last year’s runners up to North What’s particularly impressive is Steen’s goal-per-game pace through 11 matches.

He’s carrying on from where he left off after six straight multipoint games to close out the regular season.

The Steelers are led by goaltender Cole MacInnes, who has been impressive all year and leads all goalies in save percentage (.925) and 2.37 goals against average.

DOUG ABBOTT PHOTO

The overager finished off the Shaw Conference final with a 35-save performance, guiding the Steelers to a 4-1 win in Game 6 of the series on March 15.

Alexander McLeod of the Richmond Sockeyes scores as he's tripped in their first-round playoff series against the Grandview Steelers.

Timothy Chow, Brandon Volpe and Jake Holland have also been key cogs for the Steelers, each of them averaging a point per game leading into the final.

Mission looks to be the favourite in the championship series based on their head-to-head record.

The Outlaws defeated the Steelers in all four regular season meetings, one of which went into overtime. In that span, Mission scored 13 goals and allowed five against.

DOUG ABBOTT PHOTO

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

It’s been an eventful season for the Outlaws, who looked unstoppable with 18 wins in their first 23 games before a six-game losing streak through December brought them down to earth.

Mission then went on a hot streak afterwards, but the Abbotsford Pilots were just as strong and the race to first place in the Brittain Conference came down to the final game of the season.

Grandview, meanwhile, has been consistent for the most part all season, mostly due to strong goaltending from MacInnes.

Around the end of November, the Steelers were within striking distance of North Vancouver for top spot in their conference.

The Wolf Pack eventually finished 16 points ahead of Grandview while the Steelers had a three-point cushion over Richmond at season’s end.

Looking back to the underdogs through the playoffs, goalies from Delta and Ridge Meadows stole some wins for their teams.

Delta’s Jacob Latrace posted two shutouts against North Vancouver and also made 37 saves in a 2-1 win.

Jason Sandhu of the Flames had a league-leading .924 save percentage through the playoffs and allowed only two goals in games where he faced 42 and 38 shots.

After averaging a point per game in his rookie season, Sam Kozlowski led the Ice Hawks with 13 points, including a five-point effort in game two against North Vancouver.

Flames forward Bradley Crompton also had a five-point game to kick off the playoffs and scored at least a point in six out of seven games against the Outlaws.

Brandon Volpe of the Grandview Steelers (18) scores in their second-round playoff series against the Delta Ice Hawks.

HOW WE GOT TO THE FINAL BRITTAIN CONFERENCE

SHAW CONFERENCE

RIDGE MEADOWS FLAMES VS. MISSION CITY OUTLAWS Game 1: 5-4 Flames Game 2: 6-3 Flames Game 3: 4-2 Flames Game 4: 3-2 Outlaws (OT) Game 5: 3-2 Outlaws (OT) Game 6: 3-0 Outlaws Game 7: 4-1 Outlaws

DELTA ICE HAWKS VS. NORTH VANCOUVER WOLF PACK Game 1: 5-0 Ice Hawks Game 2: 9-3 Ice Hawks Game 3: 2-1 Ice Hawks Game 4: 4-0 Wolf Pack Game 5: 7-6 Wolf Pack Game 6: 3-0 Delta

ALDERGROVE KODIAKS VS. ABBOTSFORD PILOTS Game 1: 4-1 Pilots Game 2: 4-3 Pilots (OT) Game 3: 6-5 Pilots (OT) Game 4: 3-1 Kodiaks Game 5: 5-2 Kodiaks Game 6: 5-1 Pilots ABBOTSFORD VS. MISSION Game 1: 5-4 Outlaws (OT) Game 2: 10-4 Outlaws Game 3: 4-3 Outlaws (OT) Game 4: 5-4 Outlaws

RICHMOND SOCKEYES VS. GRANDVIEW STEELERS Game 1: 2-1 Sockeyes Game 2: 4-3 Steelers Game 3: 4-2 Sockeyes Game 4: 8-5 Steelers Game 5: 3-2 Steelers Game 6: 2-1 Steelers DELTA VS. GRANDVIEW Game 1: 3-2 Steelers Game 2: 2-1 Ice Hawks (OT) Game 3: 5-2 Steelers Game 4: 5-3 Ice Hawks Game 5: 5-2 Steelers Game 6: 4-1 Steelers

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GOPHERSPORTS.COM

NCAA

Minnesota Golden Gophers downed Boston College Eagles 3-1 to repeat as NCAA women's hockey champions on Sunday. The loss, their first after 40 straight wins, also halted the Eagles bid for a perfect season.

MINNESOTA GOLD MINE Eagles see their perfect season crushed at the hands of Gophers in the NCAA women’s hockey championship final STORY | Randy Lucenti

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PAIR OF CANADIAN PLAYERS helped the Minnesota Golden Gophers build on their dynasty and end the Boston College Eagles’ quest for a perfect season on Sunday with a 3-1 victory in the championship game of the NCAA women's hockey in Durham, N.H. Sarah Potomak, who hails from Aldergrove, B.C., provided the offensive thrust in the national finals and was named tournament MVP for her efforts, while goaltender Amanda Leveille, from Kingston, Ont., backstopped the squad to its second straight title.

With the victory, the Gophers defended their title of a year ago and celebrated their fourth national title in five years while ending the Eagles’ win streak at 40 games. The last team to go undefeated in a season was the 2013 national champion Gophers.

The victory marked the program’s sixth NCAA title, the most in women's college hockey history.

Potomak opened the scoring for Minnesota (35-4-1) just 13 seconds into the contest and that lead held until the final frame when the Gophers sealed the victory with back-to-back counters by Amanda Kessel, from Potomak, and Kelly Pannek to up their margin to 3-0.

Makenna Newkirk got one back for the Eagles with less than six minutes to play but it was too little, too late for the top-ranked Boston squad.

Kessel’s game-winning goal was her 11th in 13 contests since returning in February after a two-and-half-year absence from college hockey due to concussion issues.

Leveille, who also backstopped the team to last year's championship, picked up the win between the pipes for the Gophers while the loss went to Katie Burt. Minnesota outshot Boston 34-33 in the contest.

In the hotly contested semifinals of the Frozen Four, both Minnesota and Boston needed overtime to eliminate the Wisconsin Badgers (35-4-1) and Clarkson Golden Knights (30-6-5) respectively by identical 3-2 scores.

In the battle of arch rivals Minnesota and Wisconsin, Potomak proved to be the hero as she beat Badger netminder Ann-Renée Desbiens, who hails from La Malbaie, Que., 15 minutes into extra time to send the Gophers to the championship final.

Taylor Williamson and Kessel had the other markers for the Gophers while Sophia Shaver and Emily Clark, from Saskatoon, Sask., replied for Wisconsin.

Leveille picked up the win while making 37 saves in the contest. Desbiens, who faced 41 shots, was tagged with the loss.

In the other semifinal, the Eagles overcame a 2-0 second period deficit to edge Clarkson and run their unbeaten streak to 40.

Kaliya Johnson sent the game to an extra period with less than four minutes to play in regulation time with just her fourth of the season and Haley Skarupa, with her second of the game just 58 seconds into the extra stanza, sealed their berth in the championship final. Alex Carpenter assisted on all three Boston College markers.

Rhyen McGill, from Whitby, Ont., and Cayley Mercer, from Exeter, Ont., had the counters for Clarkson.

Clarkson outshot the Eagles 36-32. Burt picked up the win while the loss went to Shea Tiley.

COLLEGE

HUSKIES' COYNE NAMED NCAA'S TOP PLAYER Senior forward Kendall Coyne was the only player not part of the Frozen Four among the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, honouring the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey, but she still came away from the national championship with the top individual award.

Coyne, of the Northeastern University Huskies, beat out Wisconsin Badgers junior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, who hails from La Malbaie, Que., and senior forward Alex Carpenter of the Boston College Eagles for the prized award.

Carpenter, from North Reading, Mass., won the 2015 Kaz Award and had a chance to become the first back-to-back winner of the award and only the second player to win the award twice (Winnipeg's Jennifer Botterill captured the award in both 2001 and 2003 while at Harvard University).

Coyne led the nation in goals this season with 49 and points with 82.

Desbiens also had an outstanding season setting an NCAA record with 18 shutouts and a record scoreless streak of 542 minutes and 33 seconds in a span of 10 games while registering eight shutouts. She also led the nation in goals against average with 0.77 and save percentage with .985 Five Canadian forwards, including two-time winner Botterill, have captured the Kaz Award since it was first introduced during the 1997-98 season.

The other previous winners from north of the border include Jamie Lee Rattray from Kanata, Ont. (Clarkson University, 2014), Vicki Bendus from Wasaga Beach, Ont. (Mercyhurst College, 2010), Sarah Vaillancourt from Sherbrooke, Que. (Harvard University, 2008) and Sara Bauer from St. Catharines, Ont. (University of Wisconsin, 2006).

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COLLEGE

CIS

OUA PHOTO

CREAM OF THE CROP UQTR Patriotes and Guelph Gryphons top their divisions as CIS titles are on the line in Halifax and Calgary STORY | Randy Lucenti

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PAIR OF TEAMS from the OUA head into the 2016 CIS men's and women's hockey championships as the top ranked clubs.

Heading the field of eight set to compete for national honours in the men's tournament at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, N.S., are the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres (UQTR) Patriotes.

The Patriotes topped the East Division of the OUA during the regular season with a record of 24-3-1 and then went 7-0 in postseason play, including a 4-3 overtime win over the Western Mustangs in the Queen's Cup final, to take the OUA crown.

The top billing heading to the national finals marked the fourth time in program history for UQTR, but just the first since 1999 when they finished fifth overall. The Patriotes placed third when ranked No. 1 in 1992 and won their sole Canadian crown in 1991, the only other time they received the top seed.

A key match-up to watch in Halifax will be between snipers Guillaume Asselin of the Patriotes and Brett Welychka of the Carleton Ravens.

The pair battled it out atop the national scoring charts during the regular season with Asselin (27G, 20A), who played one more game, narrowly edging Welychka (14G, 32A) by just a single point to claim the scoring title in CIS men's hockey.

In women's hockey, the OUA champion Guelph Gryphons, for the first time in their program history, are the ones to beat among the eight teams headed to the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Alta. in search of the Golden Path Trophy.

The University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres Patriotes will be shooting for a national men's hockey title as the No. 1 seed at the CIS championships in Halifax, N.S.

The Gryphons, who had a near-perfect regular season with a record of 21-2-1, went 5-1 in postseason play, including a 5-1 drubbing of reigning CIS champion Western Mustangs in the OUA final. Guelph placed fifth overall last year in their first appearance at nationals since 1998.

A key to Guelph's success this season has been the play of third-year netminder Valerie Lamenta from Montreal.

Lamenta put up staggering numbers this past season, leading the country in several key statistical categories including goals-against-average (0.99), save percentage (.957) and win percentage (.889). She was rewarded for her efforts by being named OUA player of the year, as well as a first all-star team selection.

In a surprising twist, the defending champions in the men's and women's divisions both return to uphold their titles as the No. 6 seeds. The Alberta Golden Hawks, who lost the Canada West final this year to the Saskatchewan Huskies, are the two-time defending CIS champions in men's while the Western Mustangs head back to Calgary after winning there last season.

Rounding out the men's field and seedings heading East are the No. 2 Huskies (Canada West champs), No. 3 St. Francis Xavier X-Men (AUS champs), No. 4 Western Mustangs (OUA finalists), No. 5 University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds (AUS finalists), No. 7 Carleton Ravens (OUA bronze medalists) and No. 8 Saint Mary's Huskies (hosts).

Alberta holds the all-time record with 15 University Cup titles. UNB and UQTR have won five and four respectively while Saskatchewan, St. FX, Western and Saint Mary's each have one to their credit. The Ravens will be gunning for their first-ever crown in Halifax.

Rounding out the women's field and seedings heading to Calgary are the No. 2 Montreal Carabins (RSEQ champs), No. 3 Saint Mary's Huskies (AUS champs), No. 4 UBC Thunderbirds (Canada West champs), No. 5 McGill Martlets (RSEQ finalists), No. 7 Calgary Dinos (hosts) and No. 8 St. Thomas Tommies (AUS finalists).

McGill is the most decorated program in women's hockey with four Golden Path Trophy triumphs. Montreal, Western and Calgary have claimed one CIS title apiece.

MEN'S SEEDS IN HALIFAX 1. UQTR PATRIOTES.............................. (24-3-1 regular season / 7-0 playoffs) 2. SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES .............. (22-6-0 regular season / 4-0 playoffs) 3. ST. FX X-MEN ................................... (18-6-4 regular season / 5-1 playoffs) 4. WESTERN MUSTANGS ................... (18-10-0 regular season / 6-3 playoffs) 5. UNB VARSITY REDS ......................... (23-3-2 regular season / 3-2 playoffs) 6. AlBERTA GOLDEN BEARS ................. (19-7-2 regular season / 2-2 playoffs) 7. CARLETON RAVENS ......................... (20-7-1 regular season / 5-2 playoffs) 8. SAINT MARY'S HUSKIES ................. (17-8-3 regular season / 3-3 playoffs)

WOMEN'S SEEDS IN CALGARY 1. GUELPH GRYPHONS ......................... (21-2-1 regular season / 5-1 playoffs) 2. MONTREAL CARABINS .................... (15-3-2 regular season / 4-0 playoffs) 3. SAINT MARY'S HUSKIES ................. (17-6-1 regular season / 4-2 playoffs) 4. UBC THUNDERBIRDS ....................... (16-9-3 regular season / 4-2 playoffs) 5. MCGILL MARTLETS .......................... (13-5-2 regular season / 2-2 playoffs) 6. WESTERN MUSTANGS ..................... (15-8-1 regular season / 4-2 playoffs) 7. CALGARY DINOS ............................ (12-12-4 regular season / 0-2 playoffs) 8. ST. THOMAS TOMMIES .................... (16-7-1 regular season / 5-2 playoffs) 44

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

FORMER BWC GOALTENDER LEAVES MARK AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Kimberly Newell always knew she wanted to be a goaltender.

When she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, B.C., she tried hockey for the first time as a skater but was always intrigued with the idea of strapping on the pads and stopping shots.

the world, and playing varsity hockey was not an easy task for Newell but it’s an experience she will cherish for the rest of her life.

“I started playing hockey in the Burnaby Minor Hockey Association and really liked the idea of being a goalie,” Newell said.

“Attending an Ivy League school has really helped me to grow as an individual, force me to manage my time effectively and take care of what really needs attention. Nothing in my life has been more challenging than Princeton.”

“My dad was a goalie when he played hockey so maybe being a netminder is in my blood.”

On the ice, Newell was the cornerstone of her team’s success this season.

Newell moved on to play most of her minor hockey with the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins where she developed her goaltending skills and helped backstop her squad to consecutive PeeWee provincial championships.

The 5’9 puck-stopper was influential in the Tigers’ run to an Ivy League title and the No. 7 seed at the NCAA Hockey tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. earlier in March.

Newell played with the BWC’s PeeWee AAA, Bantam AAA, Midget A and Midget A1 teams before joining a team in the Kootenays.

Kimberly was good enough to make and shine with the Kootenay Ice, a boys Major Midget team.

She established herself as the first female goalie in that league and set herself up to move on to another level of play.

During her last year of high school at St. Thomas Moore Collegiate, Newell and her parents explored several NCAA opportunities in the United States and, after visits to Cornell and Yale, decided to commit to the Division 1 Princeton Tigers, a member of ECAC Hockey.

“My field of study and the hockey program at Princeton was exactly what I was looking for. I decided on Princeton because I wanted to have the best education that I possibly could get and also play hockey at a high level.

Princeton ended up losing 6-2 to the No. 3 seed University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the quarterfinals.

Princeton completes its season at 22-9-2, the most wins in program history.

During the season, the Tigers set a program record for longest win streak, at 16.

When asked to reflect on her last four years at Princeton and her status as a student-athlete, Newell paused for a second then said: “I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by since my first days at Princeton it’s been a lot of fun and a great experience, I wouldn’t have changed anything. I’m not sure what lies ahead for me, but I’ll be better prepared for it due to my time here.”

“I loved the campus and just felt that it was a good fit for me.”

Kimberly said during a break between classes.

Now in her fourth and senior year with the Tigers, Newell recently set the all-time wins record for a starting goalie, with 52.

Her record since beginning her college career in 2012 is 52-40-10 in 111 games with more than 3,000 saves to her credit.

In her junior year, Newell was named to the Second-Team All-Ivy League and is a three-time recipient of the ECAC All-Academic Team with a very strong possibility of being named again this year.

Studying at Princeton University, one of the premier universities in

Princeton Tigers Women's G Kimberly Newell in action during the 2015-16 NCAA Division 1 season.

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

APRIL 2016 TAMPA, FL Apr. 1 - 3. Tampa Weekend Hockey Tournament.

Male. Adult Rec. All Levels. info@weekendhockey.com or weekendhockey.com PITTSBURGH, PA Apr. 1 - 3. Pittsburgh Weekend Hockey Tournament. Male. Adult Rec. All Levels. info@weekendhockey.com or weekendhockey.com BANFF, AB April 1 - 3. Banff Cup. Male & Female. Adult Rec. All Levels. goals@chehockey.com or chehockey.com CHICAGO, IL April 1 - 3. Chicago Cup. Male. Adult Rec. All Levels. goals@chehockey.com or chehockey.com

SALMON ARM, BC April 1 - 3. Shaw Challenge II. Male. Adult Rec. gord@habs1.ca or salmonarmhockeyschool.com LAS VEGAS, NV April 7 - 10. Las Vegas Cup. Male & Female. Adult Rec. All Levels. goals@chehockey.com or chehockey.com NEW YORK, NY Apr. 8 - 10. New York Weekend Hockey Tournament. Male. Adult Rec. All Levels. info@weekendhockey.com or weekendhockey.com NASHVILLE, TN Apr. 8 - 10. Nashville Weekend Hockey Tournament. Male & Female. Adult Rec. All Levels. info@weekendhockey.com or weekendhockey.com KELOWNA, BC April 8 - 10. Kelowna Hockey & Golf Cup. Male. Adult Rec. All Levels. goals@chehockey.com or chehockey.com

North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association is

ACCEPTING RESUMES FOR THE POSITION OF Assistant to the Director of Hockey Operations

Assistant to the Director of Hockey Operations North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association is seeking applicants for the Assistant to the Director of Hockey Operations position. Must be energetic, passionate, personable, and be able to contribute to developing/delivering coach and player programs at all age groups within the association. HP1 certification and experience in hockey both playing and coaching/ teaching at all levels will be considered an asset. Position is full time through hockey season with opportunity to coach a team.

Interested applicants please MAIL RESUMES IN CONFIDENCE TO Attention President, 2411 Mount Seymour Parkway, North Vancouver, BC, V7H 2Y9 or EMAIL TO president@nvmha.com.

Competition closes April 15.

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