Calgary Hockey Magazine Fall 2022

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Photo Provided by: Gerry Thomas Calgary Flames

Graphic Designers: Cailey Welk I Katelyn Suggitt

Contributing Writers

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Photography Credits:

Canadian Junior Hockey League

Kyle McKee - Superleagues Ball Hockey

Gerry Thomas - Calgary Flames

Scott Rovak - St. Louis Blues

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PUBLISHER

Welcome to our Fall Edition of the Calgary Hockey Magazine!

For this edition of the magazine, we have an exclusive interview with Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter, who won the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year last season. Sutter took the time to answer our questions, including his thoughts on the big changes to the team this season (in particular, the addition of Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar). Sutter also talked about changes to coaching over the past five decades, and readers will be particularly interested to find out what he considers to be his best trade as a GM. We are also pleased to feature Dylan Holloway in this edition of the magazine. While Holloway plays for the Edmonton Oilers, he grew up playing hockey in the Calgary region. In his early years, Holloway played for the Bragg Creek Bears, before moving on to play for the Calgary Flames of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League, and the Alberta Midget Hockey League. And after that, the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, before moving on to the University of Wisconsin. Holloway was drafted 14th overall by the Oilers at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Another Calgary area product now playing in the NHL is Jake Neighbours, who is the fifth player from Airdrie to play in the NHL. Neighbours played tyke and novice in Airdrie, and his first year of atom in Airdrie before playing his second year of atom in Chestermere. He then returned to Airdrie at the pee wee level before joining the Airdrie Xtreme U15 AAA team in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. Neighbours also played for the Calgary Buffaloes Under-18 AAA squad, before moving on the play for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL. Neighbours was drafted 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Finishing up this issue, we have a great feature on the Calgary Superleagues, an elite ball hockey program not just in Calgary, but Lethbridge and Okotoks as well. The league started just 20 years ago, and has grown to 550 youth players, a women’s program with eight teams (130 players), and a men’s program with 30 teams (700 – 800 players).

I hope you enjoy this issue of the Calgary Hockey Magazine. If you have any suggestions for a future edition, please pass them along. In the meantime, best wishes to everyone this hockey season!

ROB SUGGITT I Publisher

Calgary Hockey Magazine

President and Publisher: Rob Suggitt

Printed By R.R. Donnelley

Sales Associate: Jeremy Freeborn

Jeremy Freeborn

Administration: Amber-Lea Grmek

CALGARY NATIVE HOLLOWAY

has plans to go from single play off game to

CRACKING THE OILERS ROSTER

BY JEREMY FREEBORN

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of interviewing hundreds of high-performance athletes in a wide variety of sports. This past fall, I conducted a unique interview. In doing my preliminary research, I noticed that Edmonton Oilers centre Dylan Holloway, of Calgary, and I shared the same birthdate of Sept. 23. I conducted the interview a day after our birthdays. For the record, Dylan got a cooler, belt and a tie. I got a cool Oilers hoodie and a computer bag! (I also happen to be 24 years older than my interviewee.)

This past season, Holloway played his first NHL playoff game before his first NHL regular season game. In this way, he joined a list of notable players that includes Esa Tikkanen, Cale Makar, Charlie McAvoy, and Jarome Iginla. In game four of the Western Conference final, a 6-5 Oilers loss to the Colorado Avalanche, Holloway had seven shifts, played three minutes and 27 seconds, and was a +1.

Holloway was inserted into the lineup when Oilers forward Evander Kane was suspended one game for his hit on Nazem Kadri in game three of the Western Conference final.

The Kane/Kadri battle has the potential to heat up this season (even though the Oilers and Flames play only three times against each other) as Kane re-signed with the Oilers and Kadri signed a long-term deal with the Flames.

Suiting up for Edmonton was “very special,” said Holloway. “It was a dream come true for me. There was a lot of adrenalin going into that first shift. It was just awesome to be a part of. Obviously going into a Western Conference playoff game and in an elimination game, the nerves were kind of there a little bit. But I was just really happy to be there and super excited to make my debut in the playoffs.”

Like many young hockey players who grew up in Calgary, Holloway was a Flames fan. Still, he did not hold the Oilers in disdain like some others in Calgary do.

“I always watched the Oilers and was very intrigued by the players the Oilers had. They were super exciting to watch. When I was drafted by the Oilers, I was pumped. I am still very pumped to be part of the organization.”

Photo Provided By the Canadian Junior Hockey League

Holloway says there’s a picture of him in the family archives as a two-year-old wearing skates. A couple years later, he started playing hockey. While growing up in the Calgary region, he played for the Bragg Creek Bears, the Springbank Community Association, the Calgary Flames of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League and the Alberta Midget Hockey League, the Northwest Calgary Athletic Association Stampeders of the Alberta Minor Midget Hockey League, and the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. During his minor hockey career, Holloway had a lot of fun playing at the midget level with the Flames and alongside a lot of his Springbank school friends.

Growing up, he idolized Canadian Olympic gold medalists and Stanley Cup champions Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews.

“Sidney Crosby is one of the best hockey players of all time. I just like how he carries himself on and off the ice. As for Toews, he is a great leader and an unbelievable player. Both of them are Canadian and both led their teams to a Stanley Cup. It was cool to watch them and I try to emulate my game after them.”

Both led their respective teams to three Stanley Cups each. Crosby, from Cole Harbour, NS, won with Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Toews, from Winnipeg, won with Chicago in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Holloway played for the Okotoks Oilers from 2016 to 2019. In 83 games, he had 51 goals and 64 assists for 115 points, including 88 points in 2018-19, when he was the Canadian Junior Hockey League Player of the Year.

“I have nothing but great things to say about Okotoks. I love playing in Okotoks. Coaches in Okotoks were great. Teammates in Okotoks were great. We never won it but had the potential to win it. We had two really good teams.”

After playing for the Okotoks Oilers, Holloway chose the National Collegiate Athletic Association route. He played two seasons with the University of Wisconsin from 2019 to 2021. He had 19 goals and 33 assists for 52 points in 58 games with the Badgers. After his first year at the NCAA level, he was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers.

Holloway chose the American college route as a way to develop his skills because of his late birthdate.

“I figured I was able to work out more and practice more. The games we do play mean a little bit more because you play 30 to 40 games a season. For me being able to practice more and work out helped me out a lot to get to the pro level.”

In 2021 Holloway represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton. He was part of a Canadian team that won the silver medal.

“That was an honour. A dream come true,” he said. “Ever since I can remember, you are excited about Christmas, but even more excited that the World Juniors are on TV. Actually being able to participate in that tournament was a huge honour. I wish we would have won gold. But we had a pretty good showing in that tournament and it was a lot of fun.”

Holloway knows he has to “play hard and fast” in order to make the Oilers team out of training camp.

“I’m not trying to do too much and trying to play a role to crack the bottom six. To make them better, I think I bring a skilled, fast game, but also a physical game. I feel I can play in many different situations as much as my coach wants.”

During Oilers training camp in September, Holloway was taken out for dinner by newly acquired Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell. Campbell, who signed a five-year contract worth $25 million on July 14, wanted his number back. In Holloway’s one Oilers playoff game, he wore number 36, which happens to be Campbell’s number. In a friendly gesture, Campbell took Holloway to dinner at the prestigious Braven Steakhouse, in Edmonton’s ICE District, to request that Holloway change his number. The young Oilers forward obliged and will now wear number 55.

“He texted me in the summer and asked if he could take the number,” said Holloway. “There was no hesitation. I thought if he wanted it, he could have it. That was the number they gave me at camp and I did not have any emotional attachment to it. He was really nice, insisting on going for dinner.”

The one thing Holloway would like the world to know about him: he is a huge UFC fan, specifically Conor McGregor, the former featherweight and lightweight champion from Ireland.

This season Holloway’s goals are to make the Oilers, play in the NHL as long as he can, and win a Stanley Cup. There is great excitement for the Oilers this season in Edmonton, and one of their rising prospects is a Calgary native!

DARRYL DARRYL SUTTER SUTTER

Even after winning coach of the year, Sutter still puts being player at top of his list

By Jeremy Freeborn

Darryl Sutter of Viking, Alberta, has accomplished a significant amount in his National Hockey League coaching career. His resume includes 699 NHL regular season wins, two Stanley Cup titles with the Los Angeles Kings, and nine seasons with a minimum of 40 wins. However, this past season with the Calgary Flames, Sutter won a career-high 50 regular season games, had a career-high 111 points, and won his first Jack Adams award as the NHL coach of the year. In the process, he became the second head coach in Flames franchise history to win the award. Sutter followed Bob Hartley of Hawkesbury, Ontario, who was the NHL coach of the year in 2014-15. This summer on Aug. 21, Sutter was extremely gracious in answering our questions for Calgary Hockey Magazine while making the drive back to his family farm.

Photo Provided By: Gerry Thomas - Calgary Flames

Q: This will be a new Calgary Flames team this season. What impresses you the most about the overall skillset of Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar?

A: “Nazem Kadri is one of the best two-way centremen in the league. He is coming off winning a Stanley Cup (with the Colorado Avalanche), so that is a big upgrade at that position for us. Jonathan Huberdeau is a skilled player and clearly one of the top left wingers in the NHL. Weegar is a really skilled defenceman, who didn’t really come into his own until the last two or three years. He is a guy who can play both sides, kills penalties, plays the power play, and a really good all-around player.”

Q: Looking back on the previous season, what were you most proud of from the entire team?

A: “Making the playoffs.”

The Flames won the Pacific Division with 111 points, seven points more than the second place Edmonton Oilers. The Flames were 29 games above the .500 mark after being one game below .500 the previous season and missing the playoffs. In the postseason, the Flames beat the Dallas Stars in seven games in the first round, before losing to the Oilers in five games in the second round.

Q: You have now coached in the NHL in five different decades. What are some of the differences you have experienced in coaching the Blackhawks in the 1980s compared to the Flames today?

A: “Technology, the size of your coaching staffs, and the diversity of your team. It used to be 95 per cent Canadian, and now with more Americans and an influx of Europeans, you have a really diverse group.”

Q: You have had an opportunity to be a head coach and a general manager in the NHL. What do you prefer the most?

A: “In order, it would be player, head coach, and manager.”

Q: Is there one trade you made during your time as a GM you are most proud of?

A: “Kiprusoff for sure.”

On Nov. 16, 2003, the Flames acquired goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks for a second-round draft pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft. Kiprusoff was sensational for the Flames over the next nine seasons, posting a record of 305 wins and 192 regulation losses, with 41 shutouts, a goalsagainst average of 2.46 and a save percentage of .913. He was instrumental in leading the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup final. In 2006, he was a first team all-star, won the William M. Jennings trophy and the Vezina trophy. The draft pick the Sharks selected a year-and-a-half later was an excellent player too. With the 35th overall pick, San Jose took defenceman MarcEdouard Vlasic of Montreal. Vlasic has played 1,161 regular season games for the Sharks since 2006, and won a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Q: How meaningful has it been for you to spend so much of your hockey career in Alberta?

A: “It is important. It is not just hockey. It is where we grew up and were raised. We (my brothers and I) always came back to Alberta when the season was over. It is not so much Alberta, but more Calgary. This is my second stint in Calgary. Calgary is a city that fits us I think.”

In addition to being with the Flames from 2002-2010 and since 2021, Sutter played three seasons with the Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (1974-77) and two seasons with the Lethbridge Broncos of the Western Canada Hockey League (1976-78). With the Rustlers he had 114 goals and 191 assists for 305 points in 176 games. He also had 34 goals and 48 assists for 82 points with the Broncos in 69 games.

Q: You also spent one year playing hockey in Japan. What was that experience like with Iwakura Tomakomai in 1978-79?

A: Sutter chuckles. “That was a long time ago. I was 20 years old. I was, I guess, trying to stay in the game and trying to make some money. I had an opportunity to see a different culture and a different country.”

Q: You had the opportunity to play in the NHL against five of your brothers. What brother got under your skin the most?

A: “They all did and they all still do.”

Q: Is there one moment as a player in the NHL that is the most significant?

A: “Probably playing against my brothers for the first time.”

Darryl played his entire NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1979 to 1987. He first played his younger brother Duane on March 16, 1980, in a 6-1 Chicago loss to the New York Islanders. Darryl was a -1 with one shot on net. This was a huge game for Duane, who had two goals and one assist for three points. His first goal was the game winner with 5:06 left in the first period and put the Islanders up 2-0. Duane went on to win the Stanley Cup that season with the Islanders.

Darryl played his older brother Brian for the first time on April 8, 1980, in game one of the preliminary round of the 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs. Darryl got the better of Brian as the Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 at Chicago Stadium, en route to a 3-0 series sweep in the best-out-of-five series. Darryl was a -1 and co-led the Blackhawks in shots on net with six. Future Flames assistant coach Rich Preston also had six shots on goal, while Brian was a -2 with four penalty minutes and three shots on net.

Darryl played Brent for the first time on Oct. 24, 1982, in a 4-2 Blackhawks win over the New York Islanders at Chicago Stadium. Darryl was a -1, while Brent was a -2. Brent did, however, lead the Islanders in shots on net with six. He also went on to win the 1983 Stanley Cup.

Darryl first played his twin brothers Ron and Rich on Dec. 8, 1983, in a 3-2 Blackhawks loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at The Spectrum. Darryl had two penalty minutes, while Ron had an assist on the game-winning goal by Darryl Sittler at 11:44 of the first period, putting the Flyers up 2-0. Ron was a +1 with two penalty minutes and one shot on goal, while Rich was a +1.

Q: In recent years the Calgary hockey community has got to know your son Christopher. Tell me about his passion for the game.

A: “He is a big fan. He is a big sports fan. He really follows the team. He knows what is going on and always likes to talk about the players. He has his favourite players, is big on stats, and always gives me good information.”

Q: Who is Chris’s favourite player?

A: “It was Anze Kopitar when we were in LA.”

Q: If you had one message for Calgary minor hockey coaches who have dreams of being professional coaches, what would it be?

A: “You better set most of your lifestyle on the backburner. There’s 500,000 armchair coaches in Calgary, but there are only three head coaches.”

Q: Lastly, what would you like your legacy to be?

A: “I don’t know. I have been at it a long time, I guess. It is about winning championships. If you are going to be a coach, that is what it is about. It is about games coached, playoff games coached, championships won. It is not a one-and-done thing. I think what we are trying to do now in Calgary is make the playoffs consistently so we are in the position to win a championship.”

ARENA LOCATOR MAP

Acadia Rec. Centre

Bowness Sportsplex 7904 - 43rd Avenue NW

Brentwood Sportsplex 1520 Northmount Drive NW

Cardel Recreation Centre South

333 Shawville Blvd SE #100

Don Hartman North East Sportsplex 5206 - 68th Street NE

East Calgary Twin Arena Society 299 Erin Woods Drive SE

Ed Whalen / Joseph Kryczka Arenas

2000 Southland Drive SW

Ernie Starr Arena 4808 - 14th Avenue SE

Flames Community Arenas 2390 - 47th Avenue SW

Frank McCool Arena

1900 Lake Bonavista Drive SE

Jack Setters Arena

2020 - 69th Avenue SE

Max Bell Centre 1001 Barlow Trail SE

Mount Pleasant Sportsplex 610 - 23rd Avenue NW

Father David Bauer Olympic Arena 2424 University Drive NW

Optimist / George Blundun Arena 5020 - 26th Avenue SW

Rose Kohn / Jimmie Condon Arena

502 Heritage Drive SW

SAIT Arena 1301 - 16th Avenue NW

Sarcee Seven Chiefs Sportsplex 3700 Anderson Road SW

Shouldice Arena 1515 Home Road NW

Stew Hendry / Henry Viney Arena 814 - 13 Avenue NE

Stu Peppard Arena 5300 - 19th Street SW

Trico Centre 11150 Bonaventure Drive SE

Village Square Arenas

2623 - 56th Street NE

Westside Regional Rec. Centre 2000 - 69th Street SW

Jake Neighbours continues Airdrie tradition of playing in the NHL

By Jeremy Freeborn

On Oct. 16, 2021, left winger Jake Neighbours became the fifth player from Airdrie to make the National Hockey League. He had three hits and one shot on goal in 15 shifts and nine minutes of action for the St. Louis Blues. The Blues won that game 5-3 over the eventual Stanley Cup champion, Colorado Avalanche. Neighbours might not have registered a point in his NHL debut, but at 19 years of age he showed promise that he could make a difference in the Blues lineup in the very near future.

The other four Airdrie players that Neighbours joins in skating in the NHL are former Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Darcy Campbell; former Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dana Tyrell; former Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators centre Zach Boychuk; and current San Jose Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell. There is no doubt that the Blues have high hopes for Neighbours. He was selected in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2020 NHL entry draft. Now he is becoming an elite hockey prospect that the city of Airdrie, located north of Calgary, can call their own.

In August prior to the start of the season, Calgary Hockey Magazine met with Neighbours to discuss his memorable times playing minor hockey in Airdrie, his overall development through to the NHL, and his hockey experiences in the NHL and on the international stage.

Neighbours has great memories of playing pond hockey with his brothers and father. Initially, he and his brothers went on the ice with his dad to learn to skate.

Neighbours played tyke, novice and his first year of atom in Airdrie. His second year of atom was played in Chestermere. He then returned to Airdrie at the pee wee level before joining the Airdrie Xtreme U15 AAA team in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. In his one season at the bantam level, he had 22 goals and 18 assists for 40 points in 35 games in 2015-16.

His most memorable minor hockey moment came in his first year of novice. That year his team won the house league city championship. The league consisted of six teams, all based in Airdrie.

In 2016-17 Neighbours played one season for the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. While with the U15 Prep squad, he had 27 goals and 41 assists for 68 points in 30 games. Then he had four goals and one assist for five points in four games with the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy Elite 15s squad in the U16 division of the CSSHL.

Neighbours remembers his time with the Calgary Buffaloes Under-18 AAA squad of the Alberta Midget Hockey League in 2017-18 as “awesome.” In 33 games, Neighbours led the team in goals (26), assists (31), points (57), and was a teammate of San Jose Sharks first round pick Ozzy Weisblatt.

“You know I was new to Calgary, did not have many friends, and did not know many of the faces at the tryouts. Everyone was very welcoming. Obviously, I made the team. All the guys were awesome. I specifically remember being part of a lot of really good guys that year and having a lot of fun. We were obviously a really good team. We didn’t go as far as we liked but the coaches and players were amazing that year.”

The Buffaloes had a strong regular season record of 23-9-3 but lost in the first round of the 2018 AMHL playoffs to the Calgary Royals.

After only one year with the Buffaloes, his next hockey stop was Edmonton, where Neighbours played five seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings from 2017-22. In 171 regular season games in the Western Hockey League, he had 60 goals and 116 assists for 176 points.

In the past two seasons, Neighbours took on a leadership role in Edmonton. He was an assistant captain in 2020-21 and then wore the “C” this past season on an Oil Kings squad that won the WHL championship and represented the Western Hockey League at the Memorial Cup in Saint John, NB.

“I think I have been a leader since a really young age. I have learned from a lot of great leaders. It was really special to be in the group of captains who have played for the Oil Kings. There are a lot of great players and to be mentioned in that group is really special,” said Neighbours.

Neighbours was grateful for his time in the Alberta capital and the “pro mentality” of the team.

Photo Provided By: Scott Rovak - St. Louis Blues

“They treat you like such a pro. Everything they do is preparing you to the next level of hockey, and at the same time, if ice hockey does not work out as well, they prepare you for the school route,” he said. “I think the staff that I worked with when I was there and the players I played with do a good job of keeping an unbelievable culture so you are around players who want to win. Obviously, coaches and management want to win as well. That was the number one thing when I played there was the constant want to be successful and to be a highly touted organization. At the end of the day, we ended up being (WHL) champions.”

As a youth hockey player, Neighbours idolized Jordan Eberle. Despite being born in Regina and playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Eberle spent a significant amount of time growing up in Calgary and cultivated a strong following though the hockey school he hosted every summer in that city.

“I looked up to him as a kid a lot,” said Neighbours. “As I progressed through hockey, I idolized the biggest stars such as Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. You cannot help but admire those guys. Most recently, Brayden Schenn (his Blues teammate) I think over the last couple of years.”

On the international side, Neighbours captained Canada White at the World Under-17 hockey challenge. He represented Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and at the first attempt by the International Ice Hockey Federation to host the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer.

This past season, Neighbours played nine games with the St. Louis Blues to begin the 2021-22 NHL regular season. He scored one goal and one assist for two points, was a -2 with two penalty minutes, eight shots on goal, one faceoff win, one blocked shot, 10 hits and one giveaway.

Neighbours takes us through his first NHL goal, which happened to be the game-winner in a 7-3 Blues triumph over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 23, 2021. At the time, the Blues went up 4-1 at 2:37 of the second period.

“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” said Neighbours, who scored on Kings goaltender Calvin Peterson. “I just remember stepping off the bench. Brayden Schenn was in the corner and two guys went to him. He made a pass through two guys and thread the needle there. I did not have to do much. Just tapped it in. It was a pretty crazy feeling. That is obviously something you dream of as a kid.”

It was also meaningful to get a primary pass from Schenn for the goal.

“ “

“It was pretty special,” said Neighbours. “(Schenn) has taken me in and I have been living with him when I went to camps in St. Louis. We have developed a really good relationship. He has been a huge role model for me and I think we play similar. That was pretty cool for sure to have my landlord set me up for my first one.”

The other assist on Neighbours’ first goal went to Kyle Clifford.

Neighbours realizes there are high expectations wearing a Blues uniform these days. It was just three seasons ago they won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

“Sure, I think there is always added pressure when you play for an organization like St. Louis. They are always expected to win and they have consistently won over the years,” said Neighbours. “I know going into St. Louis if I am going to play there that I have to have that mentality that we are going to be a winning team and kind of play with that confidence. I want to go in there and do my job and do whatever they ask of me. It is obviously very special to be drafted by an amazing organization, and with their recent success in winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, it is pretty cool to be stepping into that type of atmosphere.”

Neighbours considers his hockey IQ and puck protection as his strengths on the ice.

“I think I hang on to the puck, make smart plays, and don’t panic. I think my passing is very good as well and I think I do well finding my teammates in open spots and setting them up for good chances.”

There are always things he is working on to be better.

“Skating number one for sure and my shot. In the NHL at this day and age, you have to skate really well. I think I am a good skater but there is always room for improvement. I am trying to skate faster and be more explosive. I think that is my number one focus at the moment.”

If there is one thing Neighbours would like hockey fans to know about him it is that he loves golf. In fact, he was heading out to the golf course right before my interview.

For minor hockey players in Calgary and Edmonton, Neighbours has the following message: “Always have fun. I think if you really want to become successful in the game, you have to put in the time, and put in the work, and never stop having fun.”

His commitment has paid off, and the next step for Neighbours is a possible full-time gig with the Blues.

Everyone was very welcoming [in Calgary]... All the guys were awesome. I specifically remember being part of a lot of really good guys that year and having a lot of fun. We were obviously a really good team. We didn’t go as far as we liked but the coaches and players were amazing that year.

CALGARY

SUPERLEAGUES

Hockey comes in many forms. Even though traditional ice hockey dominates mainstream media coverage, alternatives to ice hockey include field hockey, floor hockey, power hockey, para ice hockey, roller hockey, underwater hockey and ball hockey.

Superleagues, which first started in 2002, is a ball hockey program not just in Calgary, but Okotoks and Lethbridge as well. During the spring season, Calgary Superleagues youth program had over 550 registrants. In the fall and winter, there are over 40 adult teams with almost 1000 players, both men’s and women’s, who participate.

The program is for players of all ages. It begins with three and four-yearolds in the tyke program, and moves all the way up to the adult leagues.

In the spring, I had the chance to catch up with Youth Coordinator Sal Chiodo during a practice to find out more about this growing league in Calgary, and what this fascination is all about in this remarkable hockey alternative.

Chiodo has been involved with the Calgary Superleagues for several years. He was a coach when his children were playing, and now has the role of the Youth Program Coordinator, and also is a referee. He explains why one should consider ball hockey compared to ice hockey. “It’s a great sport,” explains Chiodo. “For those that aren’t interested in skating or don’t know how to skate that well, and still love the game of hockey, this brings a different level of play and endurance. It is another great program where you can still have the same level of hockey experience.”

Chiodo is also an official in the Calgary Superleagues and soccer in Calgary. He finds officiating is a great way to meet the players and get to know them better, and at the same time keeps him very active in the sport.

In an attempt to make their overall game better, there is a Referee Feedback Form on the Calgary Superleagues Website. Users are encouraged to make suggestions as often as possible and be specific when making a comment. The intent by the Calgary Superleagues here is to use the feedback for training purposes so officials can improve.

“This gives an opportunity for our players to have a really good player experience, and refereeing the game is part of that,” explains Chiodo. “We allow a forum for feedback from the players directly to our staff so they can engage in conversation, and try to help with our referee development program.”

One major difference between ice hockey and ball hockey is what’s known as “the floating blueline” rule. In traditional ice hockey, when the attacking team enters the blueline with possession, if the puck moves back outside the blueline, all players must skate back outside the blueline before a player re-enters the zone with the puck. In ball hockey, when the team enters the blueline with possession, the attacking team now has the entire half of the ice to set up a play. Players can pass the ball back to their teammates in between the center line and the opposing blueline, without having to worry about tagging up to prevent an offside. This rule change is used to help generate more offense, and force the defensive team to shoot the ball past the red line in order to clear the zone.

All photos provided by Kyle McKee I @theflyingzombie

BALL HOCKEY LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!

There are some other minor rule differences. If a player steps on the ball, there will be a minor penalty. All infractions for high-sticking, slashing, cross-checking, minor spearing, minor butt ending and head contact are four minutes rather than two minutes. Only one goal can be scored on the power-play, and the offending player must serve the full minutes in the penalty box. Finally, any player that commits three minor penalties is automatically ejected.

A major component of the Calgary Superleagues is the high number

“It is really a great way to bring in kids of all different levels of skill,” says Chiodo. “We have average beginners, average players, and more talented players. By having quite a few practices, the coaches can really engage in using some of our talented players to work with some of our beginner players. It is amazing the amount of improvement kids make throughout the entire season, and develop from a beginner skill level to an average player. It (practice) is a big part of our program.”

From a coaching perspective, Youth Hockey Coach Albert Vuong states why one should try ball hockey over ice hockey.

“I think it is better cardio, it is better for fitness, it is cheaper, and it is accessible to everyone.” In watching the players on the floor, they still play with a lot of equipment such as helmets, gloves and shin pads, but do not need to pay for expensive skates.

In the future, the goal of Calgary Superleagues is to continue to grow and provide fun, low-cost programs for people of all ages, skill levels and backgrounds. Ball Hockey is a sport anyone can play, and we want to ensure our leagues reflect that mission.

For those interested in more information about Calgary Superleagues, please go to www.calgary.superleagues.ca, email support@superleagues.ca or call 1-888-583-5775.

Calgary Hockey Magazine is pleased to introduce Perfect Skating to Calgary. In this issue, we will discuss what makes Perfect Skating so unique, who makes Perfect Skating a reality and why skating is so important.

Perfect Skating provides small group hockey skills instruction. Player to instructor ratios are 4:1 and with no more than 12 players on ice, this provides enough time and space to focus on each player and provide as much direct feedback as is appropriate. Uniquely, it purposefully moves the focus onto the development of each individual player while fostering confidence.

The principles of kinesiology are the basis of Perfect Skating. Their programs are designed with purposeful skill progressions that put the postural basis of hockey and ringette skating first and advance through the elements of efficient, powerful and agile skating. The beauty of using a kinesiological approach is realized quickly by players, as the foundations that are fostered by the program show immediate utility and results.

Who is the creator of Perfect Skating?

Shawn Allard created the Perfect Skating program with the assistance of a team of kinesiologists who studied his uniquely efficient and powerful skating. Allard is currently assistant coach of the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, and was previously a skills and skating coach for the Nashville Predators.

While each and every player on the Avalanche has led their own long and well-earned path to the NHL, Allard’s contribution to the skating capability of the team is without doubt, once the fundamentals of the programs are understood.

This past April Perfect Skating Calgary, started by Colin Anderson and Kim Burchby, began offering programs and the response has been nothing short of enthusiastic.

Importance of Skating in Hockey

“The importance of being a great skater sounds obvious,” states Anderson. “I think probably for me, the single biggest thing that skating can do for a player is to give them the confidence in their mobility, and what they are able to do on the ice, that their mind can be freed up to work on strategy of the game.”

By being a better skater, players have the ability to concentrate on their overall awareness, they can focus on being mobile and ready on the ice and make better instinctive plays with and without the puck.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CURVED STICK

Folklore tells us that the curved hockey stick was accidentally “discovered” by two members of the Chicago Blackhawks in the early ‘60s’. Depending on who you believe, it was either Stan Makita or Bobby Hull who “invented” the curved stick.

One of these players accidentally caught his stick blade in one of the doors along the rink board, and the stick was bent in the process. The two players took turns trying the stick with the bent blade, and realized that the puck’s flight was affected, resulting in a shot with a greater velocity. Shortly thereafter, both players began using curved sticks, and most players soon followed. (Along with the hockey stick manufacturers.)

Other players (and from earlier times) claim to have invented (or used) a curved stick. Andy Bathgate grew up in the 1940s and played for four different teams in the NHL. Here’s what he had to say about using a curved stick.

“Back in Winnipeg, where I grew up, my brother Frank and I used to curve our sticks. We’d get them wet and give them a nice bend. It helped us raise the puck. I used them all the time, even when I got to junior in Guelph. When I got to the Rangers, my coach, Alf Pike, would go around stepping on the blades to break them. ‘You can’t use those in a game,’ he’d say. When he was gone, and Phil Watson came in, I started curving them a little more.”

Another player, Bert Olmstead, claims to have used curved sticks while playing hockey in his youth in Alberta in the 1930s. “Oh, we used to curve them all the time. That’s how we lifted the puck. They were so whippy that when we got them wet, it was easy to curve the blade.” Olmstead says he and other NHL players put slight curves on their blades when the vigilant eyes of their bosses were trained elsewhere. So whether the curved sticks were “discovered” in the 30s, 40s, or 60s remains in some dispute, but there’s no dispute that every hockey player (including goalies) now plays with a curved stick.

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