Hockey Magazine Calgary Winter 2010 by Suggitt Publishers

Contents 5. 6. 11. 14. 16. 19. 6

Publisher’s Message

20.

Jay Bouwmeester By Jon Hagan

23.

Hitmen How to: Creating a Powerhouse Team By Jon Hagan

27.

Gold Medal Memories By Jeremy Freeborn Titans Before Talent By Peter Cheney

32. 34.

Arena Locator Map The Road to Recovery By Jeremy Freeborn Mike Cvik By Rob Suggitt CPR and Survival By Lori Krupka Spotlight on an Official Brock Veres By Rob Suggitt

Wendy’s and Hitmen: Novice Development Program By Jon Hagan

Cover Photo by Gerry Thomas / Courtesy Calgary Flames Hockey Club

Hockey Calgary

Every year, Timbits Hockey players learn the basic skills of their favourite game, and have fun playing with their new friends. Tim Hortons is proud to support over 1,600 boys and girls playing Timbits Hockey in Calgary and it's surrounding communities. The first goal is having fun.

Tim Hortons, 2009

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Welcome to our first edition of the 2010, one which promises to be a great year for hockey. It’s an Olympic year and our two national hockey teams are well poised to win gold medals in Vancouver. In this edition of the magazine, we have a special feature on Jay Bouwmeester, a player many people would have selected for our Olympic team. Bouwmeester leads the Flames in minutes played this hockey season, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Jay led the NHL in playing minutes the past two seasons. For more about Jay Bouwmeester, check out our article on page 6. We also have a great article on the Calgary Hitmen. It’s no secret that the Hitmen are one of the top teams in all of our major junior hockey (4th at the time of print) , and one of the contributing factors is the local talent recruited to play for the Hitmen. Players like Ian Schultz, Brandon Kozun, Kris Foucault, Ben Wilson, Peter Kosterman, Giffen Nyren, and Michael Snider came through the Calgary minor hockey system at some point. It all starts with minor hockey, and in this issue, we feature a few of the young players who won gold medals at last year’s minor hockey week event. It’s interesting to see what inspires these young players, and the memories that will last a lifetime. One of the regular features is our Spotlight on an Official, and for this issue, we are featuring 15-year-old Brock Veres, who is in his second year as a hockey official. Brock has been playing hockey for six years, and he currently plays defense for the Trails West Midget Warriors. One young hockey official who took it to the pro level is veteran NHL linesman Mike Cvik. Mike strikes an impressive pose on the ice, and is one of the few NHL officials who sees eye-to-eye with players as tall as Zdeno Chara with the Boston Bruins. While Mike’s on-ice role is regimented and serious, he was cordial and accommodating for our exclusive interview which took place just prior to Christmas. Mike shares what it’s like to be an NHL official and how he’s managed to stay in the game for over 20 seasons. Lastly, we have an exclusive interview with Theoren Fleury. His book, “Playing with Fire,” was a bestseller, and if you haven’t read it, you should. Fleury has been sober for over five years now, escaping (for the most part) the demons of his past. His NHL career was exhilarating, fascinating and one-of-a-kind. He’s a Stanley Cup winner, and gold medal winner. He averaged a point a game (1,088 points in 1,084 games) in an NHL career which spanned 15 years. Interestingly, his playoff stats are exactly proportional to his regular season stats: 79 points in 77 games. He was an incredible and electrifying player, and we will never really fully understand what he went through to achieve such greatness! I’m sure you will enjoy our interview, and if you haven’t done so, you should definitely pick up his book!

Sincerely,

Credits President and Publisher Rob Suggitt Vice President Stephen Kathnelson Art Director Christine Kucher Graphic Designers Terah Jans | Cole McKelvie

Contributing Writers Peter Cheney | Jeremy Freeborn | Jon Hagan | Rob Suggitt

Special Thanks To The Calgary Flames & Calgary Hitmen Hockey Clubs for all their help and contributions

Advertising Sales Janice Nyvoll

Copy Editing Shari Narine

Photography Credits Brad Curle | Colleen Clarke / Courtesy Harper Collins Andy Devlin / Courtesy Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club | Neil Koven | Stephen Kathnelson Gerry Thomas / Courtesy Calgary Flames Hockey Club Mark Rogers / Courtesy Calgary Flames Hockey Club

Administration Amber-Lea Braithwaite Playhouse Publications Ltd. also publishes the ATP Playbill and the Hockey Edmonton Magazine. #950, Bell Tower, 10104 - 103 Ave., Edmonton, AB T5J 0H8 Ph: 403-775-1701 • publisher@hockeymagazine.net The Hockey Calgary Magazine is a product of Playhouse Publications Ltd., an affiliate of Suggitt Group Ltd.

President & CEO Tom Suggitt President & CFO Rob Suggitt All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. www.Suggitt.com

Printed by: R.R. Donnelley

Rob Suggitt Publisher, Hockey Calgary Magazine publisher@hockeymagazine.net

Hockey Calgary

Flames’ GM Darryl Sutter suggested that part of the reason the Flames were bounced out in the first round of the playoffs last year was that Miikka Kiprusoff’s workload may have been too tiring. Well, routinely facing over 1,950 shots per season over the course of three years will do that to a guy. So what’s a GM to do? Simple: clone your number one goalie. Well, cloning is impossible, so the next best thing would be to get someone that has similar attributes, for example: logs huge minutes like your goalie; can play in all situations like your goalie; handles himself well on skates like your goalie; and can block lots of shots like your goalie; You may also want him to be really patient, so he is composed like your goalie. Oh yeah, and a bit more size, maybe three inches and 28 pounds, or so, wouldn’t hurt either.

By Jon Hagan This is exactly what Sutter did when he acquired the rights to Jay Bouwmeester in exchange for Jordan Leopold and the 67th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. After signing him, Calgary sent an undeniable message to the other 29 teams in the NHL that the team meant business. Jay Bouwmeester, the reigning NHL iron man and one of the most effective defensemen in the league, was now a Calgary Flame.

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted skaters in the league, Jay doesn’t use any sort of custom skate to enhance his natural skill, but he does have them tweaked somewhat. “I go to Proskate in Edmonton,” he said. “They fiddle around with the blades a little bit, but that’s about it. They’re pretty much normal. I don’t really like new ones, but other than that there’s really nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Calgary is a place I’ve always thought highly of,” Jay told Hockey Calgary Magazine. “They have a reputation as a good organization and it was kind of a bonus that it was closer to home. I met with Darryl and Ken King and at the end of the day we all felt comfortable with everything.” Everybody knew that Bouwmeester was a workhorse with Florida. In four of his six years with the Panthers he led the team in total on ice time. In fact, he led the league in this category for the past two years. But that was the Eastern Conference. How would he fare in the west where teams routinely travel more and for longer periods of time? How would this affect his ability to log huge on ice minutes? Apparently not at all. In fact when you look at his statistics, the amount of time that he’s been on the ice throughout the 36 games the team has played up to the Christmas break is almost two hours longer than second place Dion Phaneuf. “It’s not too bad,” he said. “I think if you look at the schedules here you go on a lot more road trips where you’ll go two, three, four games; whereas in Florida at least it seems like you’re always going for one and coming back. I guess it just different kinds of travel. The flights here are obviously longer, but you deal with it. You can’t really wear yourself out too much sitting on an airplane, so it’s not real big excuse you can use I don’t think.” Aside from travel time, the Calgary Flames seem as different a team from Florida as pine trees do from orange trees, but the transition doesn’t even make Bouwmeester flinch. At the midway point, he’s leading the team in blocked shots as well as ice time. “Teams forecheck and that sort of thing a little differently, but all in all everyone’s pretty similar,” he said. “Obviously, there’s an adjustment period and all that, but for me coming here I know [the Flames] had a whole new coaching staff, so it was new for everyone. I think as far as transition goes that probably helped things out from my perspective.”

All photos by Gerry Thomas / Courtesy Calgary Flames Hockey Club

Hockey Calgary

Ge tti ng to k no w B Most underrated Flame? Mark Giordano Other than a Stanley Cup, what do you hope to accomplish in the NHL? (Laughs) For me, I’ve never played in the playoffs, so I think that’s probably first and foremost. Most difficult player to defend against? Ovechkin. He’s pretty good one on one. What gets you steamed? (Laughs) The maddest I get out there is something about penalty calls. Other than Pengrowth, what’s your favourite rink to play in? Montreal. It’s a neat place with a real good atmosphere. They’re into it no matter what.

Bo :

Hobbies? In the summer when you have more time, I like to do a lot of camping, hiking, and biking. I like to be outdoors.

Do you follow stats? I try not to read too many papers. I don’t really pay too much attention to that. Weaknesses? You try to be well rounded. I think right now I’m struggling a little bit with scoring goals, and doing things more offensively. But as defenseman, you’re main job is to be good defensively. How many sticks do you use in a game? Unless it breaks, only one. You’ve got five bucks and you’re going to 7-11, what do you buy? Gas if I need gas (laughs). Coffee or pop, I guess.

Like all players Bouwmeester takes his career seriously and with that comes the rigours of off-season training. “You know what the expectations are when you come into camp,” he said. “I think you’d probably be pretty hard pressed to find guys nowadays that don’t work out or don’t do a whole lot during their summers. As far as that goes I’ve worked out with Norm Lacombe [Hockey Impact Training] in Edmonton for a long time. I’ve seen Dion there in the summer in years past – lots of guys go through there. That’s just what you do. I mean it’s part of your job in the summers to keep yourself in good shape. You’ve got to be ready to go when you come to camp.” Calm, unflappable, and composed. Jay embodies these adjectives so much so that to the untrained eye may seem that he plays with no sense of urgency, has full composure and no emotions. “I try not to get too high or low, I guess,” he said. “I’d rather be on the ice than the penalty box.” And, so far, at the Christmas break it’s abundantly clear that Jay Bouwmeester, maintaining an even keel as he always has, came with all of the attributes that the Calgary Flames sought.

Hockey Calgary

By Jon Hagan "Photos by Mark Rogers/ Courtesy Calgary Flames Hockey Club." Ian Schultz Movember picture by Brad Curle.

Is there something in the water that makes the Hitmen so successful? The fresh air, maybe? What about the Chinooks? Well, in reality, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably astute management. GM Kelly Kisio is a smart guy that knows how to build and stock a winner. And this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team is stocked with a stable core of veterans as well as some quality prospects all of whom are products of the Calgary and area minor hockey system.

Hockey Calgary

Ian Schultz is now entering his third year with the Hitmen and first as co-captain. So far his 35 points in 38 games have him poised to easily eclipse last year’s total of 41 points. “I bring the same thing to the table every game: hard work,” he said of his output. Ian’s current linemates are Misha Fisenko and Chase Schaber. The product of Lake Bonavista minor hockey was drafted in the third round by the Blues in 2008, and this past year he had another opportunity to go to camp to see what life was all about. “It went very well,” he said of the experience. “Traverse City was a lot of fun.” Traverse City is a small town north of Detroit that hosts a rookie tournament every year for nine of the American NHL teams. This year it took place from September 6 to 10, and Schultz saw some time playing primarily on the fourth line for the Blues, and they like what they’re seeing so far. This kid’s got size and soft hands to go along with his work around the net. Apart from being drafted, Ian said that winning the conference championship last season has been the highlight of his career. He lists Flyer prospect Luca Sbisa as one of his toughest opponents to play against. Next up is Brandon Kozun, alumni of teams in Blackfoot and Midnapore. Kozun plays on a line with Joel Broda and Tyler Fiddler. He was drafted in the sixth round by the L.A. Kings last spring, but, as is often the case with late round picks, Brandon wasn’t watching. “It was getting late so I stopped watching but got a call from my agent a short time later,” he said. “It felt pretty good,” he adds on being picked by the team from the city he was born in. “L.A. would have been on the top couple of teams I would have wanted to go to. It’s especially exciting to be picked by a team with a lot of up and coming potential.” Brandon went to their development camp in July and their rookie camp in September. “They told me they wanted me to have a good start to the year and to get bigger and stronger.” Genetics aside, Brandon is certainly doing as he’s told. In fact, after putting together a 108 point season last year to lead the team in scoring, the winger is on pace for

another big one, and with 62 points in 33 games, he’s currently dueling Oiler first round prospect and Team Canada teammate Jordan Eberle for the league lead in points. “I look at it a little,” admitted Brandon regarding personal stats, “but I’m more concerned about the Hitmen team success.” He lists fellow Kings’ prospect and Team Canada teammate Colton Teubert as the toughest opponent to play against. Brandon recently returned to the Hitmen after a silver medal performance with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. In six games he posted seven points. Even though he played for Canada he was also on Team USA’s radar. “I felt like I’ve been living and playing hockey in Canada the last 10 or 11 years, so it was kind of an easy decision to make,” he said of politely declining the American offer earlier in the year. The media descended upon him when he returned and the question of regret was implied, but his answer was resolute. “I’m proud to have made my choice and proud to have played with those 21 other guys and to have represented my country,” he said with a smile. Left winger Kris Foucault was drafted in the fourth round by Minnesota in 2009, and, like teammate Ian Schultz, played in the Traverse City Rookie Tournament. Foucault played minor hockey in Midnapore and midget AAA for the Buffaloes. He came to the Hitmen after brief stints through 2006 to 2008 with Kootenay and Swift Current, never having played more than a full season’s worth of games for either team. Upon arriving in Calgary in 2009 he quickly settled in scoring 16 points in 22 regular season games and then another 16 points in 18 post season games. After the playoffs, he was named the Husky Eastern Conference Championship Most Valuable Player. So far this year, Kris is 11th in team scoring with 16 points in 38 games. Kris lists his peewee one minor hockey coach Larry Doyle as particularly influential and says that Mark Guggenberger, goaltender for the Kelowna Rockets, is on his list of toughest opponents to play against. Rookie defenceman Ben Wilson, a graduate of Bow Valley minor hockey, is in his first season with the Hitmen. Ben has been partnered with Matt MacKenzie and has

Ian Schultz

Michael Snider

Peter Kosterman

posted nine points in 31 games so far. His first WHL goal came in a 42 victory over the Oil Kings, and said that that’s been the highlight of his career. He describes his shot as his weakness and his speed as his strength. Interestingly, on a roster consisting of 20 players six feet and taller, the 5’10, 160 lbs defenceman currently sits third overall in penalty minutes for the team. He says that Scott Switzer was an influential minor hockey coach and that L.A. King prospect Brayden Schenn is one of his toughest players to play against. Defenceman Peter Kosterman is the other Calgary born rookie with the team. He’s also the youngest. But you get the sense this guy has a good head on his shoulders for someone so young. “It’s a learning experience adjusting to the lifestyle both on and off the ice and getting to know a new group of guys,” he said. “The travel demands from Prince George to Brandon mean you have to find ways to both rest for games while balancing school.” He points out that Joel Broda, Michael Stone, and Matt Mackenzie have been showing him the ropes of life in the WHL. Peter played minor hockey with Lake Bonavista and the Calgary Buffaloes. Listed at 6’2”, 170 lbs when drafted, he’s now listed at 6’4”, 182 lbs. “I’m working on using my size more consistently and I’m regaining comfort with moving the puck at this next level.” He says that he’s had some great coaches in minor league, but that if he had to pick one it would be Rob Cox. “He provided excellent leadership and was a great role model because he taught me the importance of team chemistry and being first to the puck.” One of the team’s over-agers, Giffen Nyren is a capable skater and puck mover that played two seasons with Moose Jaw and just over one with Kamloops before a trade brought him back home. “It was pretty cool,” he said about the trade. “I went to Hitmen games as a young kid and always dreamed of playing at the Saddledome for them.” Currently partnered with Austin Madaisky, Giffen is not known as an offensive defenseman, although he did post 46 points in 69 games last year with the Blazers. Considering he has been clicking along with nine points in 13 games since coming over, can we expect to see him recreate similar numbers with the Hitmen? “Right now I’m focused on playing my best hockey every game in hopes to make the next level,” says Nyren. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Giffen played minor hockey with Westwood, NWCAA, and the AAA Flames.

As his record of 12 wins (two by shutout) in 19 games seems to indicate, sophomore goaltender Michael Snider certainly rises to the occasion when called on to play, and with teammate Martin Jones just returning from the WJCs where he represented Canada, Snider performed admirably. “I’m much more confident in myself out there I find this year,” he said. “I worked hard throughout the summer to be better this year. My goal is to be in the top few goalies in the WHL and earn a starting role for next year.” And according to the stats, Snider’s GAA of 2.57 and .902 save percentage place him tied for fourth and 12th, respectively, overall amongst WHL ‘tenders, it seems that he’s halfway there. Michael played minor hockey in Okotoks and with the UFA Bisons. He lists last year’s playoff run with the Hitmen as the highlight of his career and he says that Jordan Eberle is the toughest shooter he’s faced. November was a huge month for a lot of people, but most hockey fans will remember it as “Movember”, a time of year when players from junior to the pros grew moustaches as way to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer research. The Hitmen did their part and we asked the aforementioned seven whose ‘stache was the best. Here’s what they said:

Brandon Kozun: Kris Foucault: Ben Wilson: Peter Kosterman: Giffen Nyren: Michael Snider: Ian Schultz:

Rigby Burgart Coach Williamson After me it was Jessi Hilton Jessi Hilton, Rigby Burgart or Ian Schultz Ian Shultz Ian Schultz Rigby Burghart

Burghart and Schultz tied for best ‘stache. But Schultz won in a “Stache-breaker.” When pressed, Ian revealed his secret to be “good genes.”

Ben Wilson

Kris Foucault Brandon Kozun

Giffen Nyren

Hockey Calgary

By Jeremy Freeborn

During each season for minor hockey league teams in Calgary, there are two major tournaments—the city or league championship, and Esso Minor Hockey Week. Originating in 1980, Esso Minor Hockey Week will enter its 31st year in Calgary, from January 21-30, 2010. On average, 600 teams and 10,000 players from the ages 7-21 participate in the ten-day civic tournament, with games going on all day in all of the arenas throughout Calgary. Four players who won Esso Minor Hockey Week one year ago, spoke with Hockey Calgary Magazine recently, to reflect back on their awesome hockey experience. Kelton Welsh is currently a goaltender for the Bow River Bruins in Division Four Pee Wee. He thoroughly enjoys playing hockey and the chance to meet new friends. Welsh wholeheartedly welcomes the opportunity to stop pucks that come his way. Keeping a positive outlook is something Kelton has learned from his coaches. “They

remind me I’m not the only one on the ice, and if I lose it’s not all about me because there are five other players on the ice.” Losing is something Kelton did not do during minor hockey week a year ago. In only his second year of organized hockey, Kelton backstopped his Atom Three team to Esso Minor Hockey Week gold. “I liked it because it was a pretty big accomplishment for me. It was kind of like you were in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup.” The 11-yearold grade six student would like to have fun with Esso Minor Hockey Week this year and will try to repeat as a champion. Kelton’s mother Candace was very pleased with how her son’s season went. “It was very positive and very exciting,” said Candace Welsh. “Our team had a very successful year where we were winning everything.” Candace believes minor hockey creates life-long lessons. “The team aspect is so synonymous with life. In real life you are going to have situations where you are going to come up against some tough

Ke lton Welsh

As on her Hulst

Current Team: Bow River Bruins Age: Ten School Grade: Three Number of years you’ve played Hockey: Two Usual Position: Goalie Favourite Hockey Team: Oilers Favourite Hockey Player: Matthew Garon Who is your role model?: Any Goalie Other Sports/Interests: Soccer Favourite Hockey Memory: Winning Esso Minor Hockey Tournament.

Current Team: Springbank Atom 4 Stingers Age: 10 School Grade: Five Number of years you’ve played Hockey: Five Usual Position: Defence Favourite Hockey Team: Detroit Red Wings Favourite Hockey Player: Henrik Zetterberg Who is your role model?: My Coach (Dad) Other Sports/Interests: Swimming, Football, Soccer Favourite Hockey Memory: Winning gold in Esso Minor Hockey Week last year.

times. Through the team lessons that Kelton learns now, he can apply those to other concepts.” Noah Lippert is an 11-year-old right winger with the Simons Valley Snipers in Atom 7. He totally enjoyed winning Minor Hockey Week a year ago and claims his experience was a lot of fun. “I really enjoyed being happy with my friends,” says the sixth grade student. So far this season, Noah says his team has had two hard weekly practices to prepare for the January tournament. He plans to try his best on the ice and hopes to get as many points as possible. Asher Hulston is in his second year of Atom for the Springbank Stingers. Asher really enjoys hockey and working with his team. A defenceman, Asher says skating backwards and passing are his strengths on the ice. Reflecting back on last season, Asher has this to say about his Esso Minor Hockey Week experience. “It was my very first time winning the tournament,” he said. “It was very special, because as we won, our results were in the newspapers. “ This year, Asher says Crowchild and Trails West have really pushed Springbank so far this season. The 10-year-old fifth grade student hopes to improve his forward skating in practice to prepare for this month’s tournament. Levi Hulston, a 12-year-old left winger for the Springbank Cannons Pee Wee Team, won Esso Minor Hockey Week a year ago with the Springbank Grizzlies. Levi genuinely enjoys playing hockey. “I love scoring goals, but I realize there are so many other aspects of the game. I love just making plays and the feeling of accomplishing something on the ice. At left wing, you start the barrage up the zone and you finish at the other end. It’s a great position for me to use my speed.”

watching the clock go down to zero. The feeling of winning is hard to describe because it’s a great feeling. Through the week, I learned hard work does pay off, and the harder you work, the more benefits you get.” Levi, and his younger brother Asher, each won their gold medal in Esso Minor Hockey Week on the same day. Levi watched in the stands as Asher’s team won, but didn’t want to look at Asher’s medal right away. “I felt really good for my brother and it was really inspiring. But knowing that my final was later in the day, I didn’t want to see the medal or touch it.” This year, now playing for Pee Wee 1, Levi discusses the amount of preparation the team has gone through for this year’s tournament. “We have practices twice a week and have dry land practices and office sessions weekly.” Christine Hulston, the mother of Asher and Levi, thinks very highly of Esso Minor Hockey Week. “In my view it was absolutely fantastic,” she said. “Both of my sons won the gold. There’s great excitement being there with your kids and having the joy of seeing your kids on the ice, and knowing they’re having fun. It was a great experience for our family.” The feeling of victory during Esso Minor Hockey Week is extremely special for those that have experienced a championship on the ice. But for this one special week in January, it is equally important for all to participate in the fun and camaraderie, while concentrating on the chance to improve and develop individually as a team member. Those that accomplish any of these aspects are also winners of Esso Minor Hockey Week!

Looking back, Levi remembers the personal thrill of Esso Minor Hockey Week. “It’s different from other games and every other tournament,” he said. “You have a goal you’re working for. The tempo moves up and the game is faster. The best part (in each game) was

Le vi Hulston Current Team: Springbank Cannons Age: 12 School Grade: Six Number of years you’ve played Hockey: Six Usual Position: Left Wing Favourite Hockey Team: Calgary Flames Favourite Hockey Player: Evegni “Geno” Malkin Who is your role model?: My Parents Other Sports/Interests: Lacrosse, Running, Snowboarding, Mountain Biking Favourite Hockey Memory: Scoring a hat trick and four assists against Crowchild Novice at Shouldice Arena.

ah Lippert

Current Team: Simons Valley Snipers Age: 11 School Grade: Five Number of years you’ve played Hockey: Three Usual Position: Right Wing Favourite Hockey Team: Calgary Flames Favourite Hockey Player: Dion Phaneuf Who is your role model?: Dion Phaneuf Other Sports/Interests: Swimming Favourite Hockey Memory: Winning the city championship at the Max Bell in 2008.

Hockey Calgary

I squinted and imagined that I was watching Mario Lemieux or Joe Sakic. It wasnʼt much of a stretch. I turned to my friend John, a hockey coach and connoisseur of the game. “Wow, that kid could be in the NHL some day.”

John shook his head and pointed to the stands. “No way,” he said. “Look at his dad.”

Not long ago, I watched an

11year-old boy dismantle my son Willieʼs hockey team almost single-handedly. For his first goal, he deked out both of our defencemen and flicked in a backhander. The next was a wrist shot that went into the net like a round from a gun.

The boyʼs father was on his feet, celebrating the latest goal. The top of his head was about level with the shoulder of a woman standing next to him. I saw what John meant - there arenʼt many little guys in the National Hockey League. “Unless his wife is seven feet tall, his kidʼs not going anywhere,” John said.

Even before they hit puberty, children

leave behind the innocent game of their childhood to play a new, physical brand of hockey in which skill is only part of the equation. I still remember the first time my son was judged for his ability to intimidate. He was 9, and heʼd decided to move up from house league to the Greater Toronto Hockey League - the coach who signed him told us he wanted Willie for his size.

“Heʼs a big kid,” the coach said. “Thatʼs what weʼre looking for.”

I was glad heʼd made the team,but a part of me cringed. I felt like Willie was being picked through a process similar to the one that overseers once used to grade a buck slave. What was next? Would they feel his biceps and check his teeth? For Willie, and for us, that was the beginning of the age of hitting. In the

house league, heʼd been told to get the puck and score. Now, he was being told to bodycheck and to let the other team know who was boss. He took to it like a fish to water. My wife and I could hardly watch. We didnʼt want Willie to get hurt. We didnʼt want him to hurt someone else. And we didnʼt want our son to get a reputation as a goon.

Iʼd heard the hockey cliches about the need for physical play, most of them variations on Conn Smytheʼs famous line “If you canʼt beat ʻem in the alley, you canʼt beat ʻem on the ice.” I wondered about that. Wayne Gretzky was the greatest player in the history of the game, and he never seemed to hit anybody. But the gameʼs violence had surrounded him - thatʼs why he often had enforcers, such as Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley, riding shotgun with him.

Could Willie play hockey without hitting? After two years of watching him in the

GTHL, I realize that the answer is no. I may not like hitting, but I have been gradually forced to accept it. But there are judgments to be made. The difference between a clean hit and a dirty one can be a tough call - in the middle of the scale, there is a blurred area, similar to the one that defines the boundary between art and pornography. But as a judge once said of porn, you know it when you see it.

When it comes to dirty hits, a recent Friday night comes to mind. Willieʼs team, the Leaside Flames, was playing a squad from the suburbs that has a reputation similar to the one that the Visigoths once had in Europe. Many of their players seemed to have been picked purely because of their size. At 11, some of them were just a few inches shorter than I am. One of them was

reputed to weigh 175 pounds.

That was easy to believe - in his equipment, the boy had the looming presence of Luca Brasi, Don Corleoneʼs favourite enforcer. By the third period, the boy had demonstrated a veritable catalogue of ugly tricks - trips, hits from behind, slewfooting and furtive punches to the face shield when the ref was looking the other way. But then he pulled a move that lowered the bar yet again.

The whistle had just blown. Willie was skating to the bench. So was the giant kid. As Willie skated up next to him, the boy suddenly elbowed him in the face, knocking him off his feet. Willie landed on his back, flat on the ice. He didnʼt move for a few seconds. Quite a few people saw the hit, but the refs werenʼt among them. The giant kidʼs coach laughed, and slapped him on the back.

Something in me snapped. I jumped to my feet and yelled. I wanted to take Willie and go home. If this was where hitting led, I wanted no more of it. I had more or less accepted hitting. Sometimes I even applauded a well-executed hit. But at that moment, I was ready to join the ranks of those who would ban bodychecking outright.

Iʼve thought about it since then. I wish there could be hockey without hitting. Itʼs one of the most skilled games in the world, but its violence acts as a filter, excluding everyone who wasnʼt born with the sheer mass or homicidal fury to deal with it. At the moment, my son is in the upper-size range for boys his age, giving him a bit of an advantage. What if that changes? Will he have to give up the game?

Hockey has been dominated by hitting for so long that itʼs hard for us to imagine the game without it. But I think itʼs time we tried. By Peter Cheney - The Globe & Mail

(re-printed by permission) Original Title-Players learn early that size matters

Illustration By Ryan Lupul

Hockey Calgary

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By Jon Hagan

Even though there will be a large swath of black and white, the Pengrowth Saddledome will be far from a colourless place on the afternoon of January 31 when the Hitmen take on the Tri-City Americans. Roughly 2200 seven and eight-year-old hockey players, all wearing either home or away Hitmen novice jerseys emblazoned with a Wendy’s shoulder patch, will be in attendance along with their coaches for the first ever Novice Development Day. This day is a way for the Hitmen and Wendy’s to acknowledge all of the participants of Hockey Calgary’s Novice Development Program. Continuing to impact the community in a positive way, the Calgary Hitmen, in conjunction with their partners Wendy’s Restaurants and Hockey Calgary, announced the launch of the new Novice Development Program at a press conference in a south Calgary Wendy’s on September 29th. The purpose of the program is to provide an encouraging, educational environment for all of the novice players in each of Calgary’s 16 novice associations with the intent of stressing skills development rather than competition. Each of the approximately 2200 association players was given either a black or white Hitmen jersey with a Wendy’s shoulder patch to proudly display their participation in the program. Two youngsters were in attendance at the press conference to show off the new uniforms. As part of the program, teams will also use the Hitmen moniker as their own, for example the Blackfoot Novice 2 Hitmen. According to Michèle Liang, Field Marketing Manager with Wendy’s Restaurants, the spirit of the program mirrors the work ethic that helped the founder of Wendy’s establish his restaurant, and believes that with the proper tutelage participants will have an opportunity to build a solid foundation for success. “Helping young hockey players develop their skills, build a better foundation, and helping all players have more fun participating in the sport makes a lot of sense to us, “ she said. “Similar to how Dave started in the restaurant business at the early age of 12, he immersed himself in the restaurant business, choosing the right mentors, committing himself to hard work and sticking to a philosophy handed down from his grandmother never to cut corners on quality. Each day, each effort, each experience brought him closer to his dream. We hope each player in their own way, gets closer to their dream through this hockey development program.” The program will also feature a coaching seminar designed for all of the novice coaches; as well as an opportunity throughout the season for the novice players to train with some of the Hitmen themselves, as players from the dub club attend their practices and assist with instruction. And of course, there’s Novice Development Day on January 31st with tickets compliments of the Hitmen.

on the Hitmen website. “Wendy’s is a terrific supporter of the Calgary Hitmen and we are extremely proud to have them support minor hockey in Calgary as well. The Hitmen are excited to provide jerseys including the Hitmen name and colors for all Hockey Calgary Novice teams for their games as well as support from our coaches and players at some Novice practices. January 31st. will be an awesome day with all of these players wearing their Hitmen jersey at the Pengrowth Saddledome.” Mike’s excitement and enthusiasm for the program is echoed by Michèle Liang. “We’re excited to partner with the Calgary Hitmen and Hockey Calgary with the inaugural Hitmen Hockey Novice Game on Sunday, January 31st. This will no doubt be an uplifting experience for all the Novice players to be recognized in their Hitmen Novice jerseys and to share what this development program offers with the Calgary Hitmen hockey fans,” said Michèle. But the final word goes to Hockey Calgary President Perry Cavanagh: “We feel the positive benefits of this program will be seen for many years to come as hockey associations in Calgary focus on the skill development of these young players that will lead to not only a better foundation but more fun for all involved in the game,” said Cavanagh to Hitmenhockey.com. “This program is a significant step forward in the thinking of long term development of our young athletes in the Hockey Calgary system and we are pleased to have formed a significant partnership in a program that may one day become a player development leader within the hockey community.”

“We are extremely fortunate to have partnerships that provide the collective resources to enhance youth hockey programs,” said Calgary Hitmen Director of Business Operations Mike Moore in a press release

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By Jeremy Freeborn Photos courtesy of Harper Collins

Discussing negative experiences from your past is difficult for anyone. But when you are in the public spotlight, it can be that much more awkward. This past fall, former NHL Superstar and Calgary Flame Theoren Fleury stated in his book “Playing With Fire” that he was sexually abused by his former junior hockey coach Graham James, while playing with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League in the early 1980s.

From a minor hockey standpoint, the message Fleury is trying to get across to our youth, and the minor hockey community (parents, coaches, administrators), is to take every precaution to prevent abusive situations.

The story became relevant for Hockey Calgary Magazine. In the fall, former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy spoke to us about his Respect in Sport program. Kennedy, like Fleury, was abused by Graham James.

Fleury claims it is necessary to speak out and address the issue of abuse as soon as possible. He directed me to page 312 of “Playing with Fire”. In the final paragraph, Fleury writes:

The abuse Fleury endured led to a personal history of alcohol and drugs. He felt uncomfortable speaking out against James while he was still playing in the NHL. Fleury even invested in James’ idea of bringing a Western Hockey League team to Calgary, a franchise where James was head coach and general manager. However, Fleury’s personal problems resulted in his suspension by the NHL. Now Fleury is making a valiant effort to turn things around and make a difference, especially for young athletes.

“So if you are a kid who is in the situation I was in, and somebody older is using you for sex, call for help. You can call the police or you can search for kids’ help lines on the Internet. Seriously, you are not alone. Pick up the phone.”

“It’s about awareness,” Fleury said. “There are predators out there who are looking to take advantage of small children, and it puts the onus on the parents to do their due diligence to make sure their kids are safe,” said Fleury. “It is paramount that parents be aware and know how to deal with the situation. These predators are very smart at picking out kids who come from troubled homes and prey on kids who don’t have support. It is important to ask the right questions and spot these guys before they do the damage.”

Bettering the lives of others is a major reason why Fleury decided to publish his book. In “Playing With Fire,” he elaborates his experiences with alcohol, drugs and gambling.

Hockey Calgary

“When you’re drinking, it is important to be responsible and safe,” said Fleury. “ (Alcohol) doesn’t just affect hockey players. It affects construction workers, doctors, lawyers and teachers. Everybody has demons in their closet and in my book I just wanted to be brutally honest about my own demons and let everybody know you can get the help that you need. When you get help, and with recovery under your belt, you can help a lot of people through your own experience.” In looking back at the ordeal, Fleury explains how relieved he was when the Moose Jaw Warriors fired Graham James as their head coach in 1984. The new general manager, Barry Trapp, was a little suspicious of James’ relationships with some of his players. It allowed Fleury to concentrate on hockey more. “I know I was just grateful and thankful at the time that he would no longer be my coach, and I could get away from him and move on with my life.” For Fleury to make his story public, he needed substantial support from those closest to him. He is appreciative of his wife Jennifer for standing by him during this difficult situation. “She has supported me 100 percent”, said Fleury.” She has a big heart and we both realize and understand that we can help a lot of people by letting them know that no matter how far you have gone, you can always make it back.” Fleury has also been appreciative of the strong support he has received from the entire hockey community. “There’s not too many people who realized the extent of what I was going through on a daily basis, and they have all called and said they were proud and extremely supportive. I’ve reached out and it’s been great.” Calgary Sun sports writer Eric Francis, an acquaintance of Fleury’s, believes “Playing with Fire” will be a positive step in Fleury’s healing process. “I certainly support the fact that (his book) is going to help him get back to the road of recovery and progress in life,” he said. “It couldn’t be easy. Obviously there’s a reason why it took twenty plus years for him to deal with this publicly. I wish him all the best and I hope this helps him down the road. It’s just shocking that Fleury was so good for so long despite the fact he was 5’6” and he was poisoning his body with tremendous amounts of alcohol and drugs on a very regular basis. It’s just stunning that he maintained that (strong) play for so many years,” said Francis.

Legal action against James is something that Fleury is presently exploring. From 1997-2000, James spent time in prison for abusing Sheldon Kennedy. “I have hired one of the best criminal lawyers in Canada. When it’s time, we will pursue what we need to pursue,” said Fleury. Today, Fleury is sober. In the fall he was reinstated by the National Hockey League, so he could retire on his own terms as a Calgary Flame. He attends many of their alumni events. Fleury is also volunteering with women’s hockey teams across the continent, runs an annual golf tournament for Crohn’s and Colitis, volunteers at the Calgary Dream Centre (a rehabilitation center), and has also lent a hand to help build a local treatment centre just outside Calgary.

After trying to cope with the trauma and damage of sexual abuse for so long, on his own, Theoren Fleury now has everyone in the hockey community, plus fans and many more, compassionately interested in his compelling story.

Want to reach a

Our next issue comes out in March (Spring Edition). The booking deadline is February 8th, 2010. Please contact us at (403) 775-1701 or publisher@hockeymagazine.net for further details.

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Hockey Calgary

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By Rob Suggitt On-Ice photos courtesy of Andy Devlin, Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club All other photos by Stephen Kathnelson

Mike Cvik has been an NHL official for over twenty seasons, and it all started with his Calgary hockey playing and officiating experience 30 years ago. “I started refereeing with my brother’s hockey team (at 17 years old), around the time when there was a helmet issue in Calgary. Being a community referee, they were scouting around for officials to take the place of the unhelmeted officials. I was approached at the Mount Pleasant Arena working one of my brother’s games.”

Cvik played hockey up to the Juvenile B level, and for his minor hockey week memories, his only recollection was playing against Triwood, where they lost 20-2. “We felt pretty good because we scored two goals against Triwood, which was a pretty good team at the time. Triwood and Lake Bonavista - they always had pretty good teams back then.” Cvik has one memory from minor hockey week which was less than positive. “I worked quite a bit during minor hockey week, and I had the first pee wee brawl at Henry Viney Arena. We had parents fighting parents and parents fighting kids – all on the ice. We finally got the

Hockey Calgary

parents separated from the kids, and the kids were okay because they were on skates, so it was kinda easy to shuffle the parents off the ice. And right after that, the Calgary Police Department showed up and separated the parents. We ended up spending a lot of time writing up police reports.” When asked if he remembered his first NHL game, Cvik responded “absolutely – St. Louis at Vancouver. I believe Vancouver won the game 43. I remember breezing through the exhibition season thinking this is pretty easy stuff, and in the first five minutes of play, I probably missed three off-sides. The St. Louis coach was pretty good (Jacques Martin) – he knew it was my first game, and took me aside at the end of the first period and asked me if I was done missing offsides now?” (Laughs) When asked if he remembered his officiating partners for this game, Cvik recalled that it was Swede Knox and Don Koharski who worked with him for his first NHL game. Bumps and bruises became a regular part of being an NHL official, but except for taking a wayward punch – his nose was broken while breaking up a fight between Ronnie Stern and Shawn Cronin – Cvik has not suffered any serious injuries on the ice. When asked about what he might have done wrong in breaking up this fight, he had this to say. “Well, I didn’t wait for my partner to get there. I thought I could play superman, and apparently, I didn’t bring my kryptonite with me.” Cvik started his NHL career helmetless, but made the decision to start wearing a helmet in the early ‘90’s. “I put a helmet on in 1992 or 1993 we were working a game in Montreal, and I saw Terry Gregson knocked over – he fell backwards, and all I remember is the sound of his head hitting the ice. Ray Scapinello and I met up with him in the hospital in Montreal the next day, and he looked pretty groggy, so I thought that could happen to me....” When asked about favourite rinks, Cvik was quick to comment that the Canadian rinks were his favourite. “They’re all great hockey cities – the fans are so behind their teams. San Jose’s a good building too (with great fans). I love Madison Square Gardens, just the history in that building. It’s a fun place to go to – I love New York City. Chicago – the old rink was fantastic, and now with the resurgence of the Black Hawks, it’s a fun place to go to work.” Cvik also acknowledged that Canadian fans come across as more knowledgeable. “Absolutely – they have an understanding of the nuances

of the game – close off-sides or plays which are close to being on side, you can hear the fans booing or ahhing.” As an official, he doesn’t particularly notice if the building’s full or not, except maybe before the puck drops. “The only time you really notice it is when you’re standing to hear the national anthem(s), and you have a chance – because you’re not quite in game mode yet, you’re just getting yourself into that, so you’ll look around and see there are a few empty seats here tonight or it’s another full building here. At the end of the national anthem(s), you step up to center ice, the pucks there, and away we go. You forget all about the crowd – you just worry about the job ahead.” When asked about his most memorable games or events, Cvik is quick to comment that being selected to officiate for the 2002 Olympics ranks the highest. “Absolutely. It’s the highest right now.” Cvik worked the final game (alongside referee Bill McCreary), “and it was very special how we were treated at the end of the game.” Cvik was standing beside Bill

McCreary after the game (which Canada won 52), “and they all came by (players from both teams), and they said you guys did a fantastic job tonight. Bill worked the Nagano Olympics, and the final game there, and he was telling us (the other linesman was Antti Juhani Haemaelaeinen) that he regretted not staying on the ice to see the teams get their medals. So he said at the end of the game, we’re going to back off into a corner and watch the celebrations and ceremonies. We had a chance to talk to Mike Richter and Brian Rolston, and other members of the U.S. team, and they all came over and said you guys did a fantastic job tonight, and I looked down the ice to see Pat Quinn (Canada’s head coach) coming down the ice, and I said ‘Billy – look who’s coming our way, and he goes ‘what does he want?’ And he actually came down and congratulated us. ‘You guys

did a fantastic job. You guys were in a tough positilon, and I’m not saying that just because we won – you guys did a great job.’” Members of the Canadian team also congratuled the officials for a job well done, and indeed, some took the time to do so over the course of the NHL season. When asked about coaches who epitomize class, Cvik puts former Islander head coach Al Arbour at the top of the list. “I didn’t have a lot of time with him, but hearing the older guys talk about him. He was very respectful – to a point – when he complained, guys would go ‘maybe he’s got a legitimate beef, because he didn’t abuse his position.’ Any of the Sutters – they don’t do a lot of ranting and raving. They don’t put the focus on us – they try to take the focus away from us, because a lot of time we’re an excuse when a team’s not playing well.” The game has changed over the 20+ seasons Cvik has worked in the NHL, and one of those areas is the fitness of officials. When asked if the Don Koharski incident made a difference (when Jim Schoenfield told Koharski “to have another donut” after a playoff game), Cvik offered that officials have always maintained a level of good fitness, but this incident certainly had an impact. “After that situation, the league brought in Dave Smith, who’s our director of fitness. He’s done a really good job of making us aware of maintaining our fitness. You have to work out on your days off – you have to get your rest, you have to eat properly. Guys are very conscious of how they eat, when they eat, making sure they get some sort of workout even if you’re dead tired.” Another big change was when the NHL went with two referees at the beginning of the 1998-1999 season. While it had a greater impact on the referees (and the game of course), it also had an impact on the linesmen. “Before we didn’t have to worry about a guy standing next to you. You have to be aware where he is, and he has to be aware of where you are on the ice (and yet, stay away from the play, but to be in the right spot to make calls). Back then, when the two-referee system was instituted, they took some of our judgment away – high sticks and things like that, but it’s now come back where we can assist the referee with those kind of calls.” A lot of people don’t realize it, but linesmen can make certain calls, like penalties for unsportmanslike behaviour. I asked if he ever made such a call. “Yes I have. It was on a face-off, and I penalized Mark Messier. He had something not nice to say to me that wasn’t in the scope of the game, and it was very personal. Mark never even said a word – he went straight to the box. At the end of the game, he made a point to come over to me and apologize for what he said. He said it way, way out of line.” “As our boss would say, ‘there’s a difference between emotion and abuse, and once you get past emotion, and it gets to abuse, you have to penalize abuse. Most players recognize when they’ve gone over the line – they may not at that instant – but when they sit back and go ‘holy smokes – what did I just do? That was totally wrong.’ Most of them make a point to come over and say ‘I was completely out of the line, and I apologize.’”

do, and these are the things you look for, and when you see those situations, that’s when you jump in. And a lot of it is communication with the guys who are fighting. We’ll ask them ‘are you guys done?’ There’s a lot of variables that come into play. When we go in, most of the players realize it’s time to stop, and most of them do.” Cvik offered some surprising names of enforcers whose role he respects on the ice. “Zach Stortini in Edmonton registers, and George Parros in Anaheim, and Brian McGratton in Calgary. They’re all pretty good guys – they have a job to do, and we know what their job is.” Cvik paused to consider who he would consider the toughest heavyweight of all time. “The toughest guy I ever handled was Dave Brown. Dave Semenko was very tough, and very fair. Marty (McSorley) too. All the guys now like George Parros, and Georges Laraque, to their credit, they’ve had to learn the new game. And the reason they’re still around is they’ve learned how to play the new game. They’ve made themselves better players, better skaters, so there’s a place for them on a team.” Cvik’s not sure if teams really need the superpests, like Sean Avery, Steve Ott or Darcy Tucker. “I’m sure the teams see a need for them. A lot of them can play the game very well. The other stuff they could probably do without, and still be effective. Sometimes I think they spend more time getting into the other team’s head, which can be a disservice to their (own) team, but for the most part, when they play the game of hockey, they’re pretty good players.” While Cvik takes an old school approach to touch or no-touch icing, he acknowledged that it’s a touchy (pardon the pun) subject. “I think we’re trying to make it safer for the players that are going back. It’s a league policy that we have no-touch icing, so until that changes, that’s what I’m going to go with.” He does believe that players have more respect for each other when chasing the puck on close icing calls. “I think they do. You don’t want to see

Linesmen really earn their pay in breaking up fights. Imagine stepping in between two steaming combatants, both with extreme physical strength. When asked if fighting has a place in the game, Cvik’s response was quite interesting. “I do when it’s in the context of the game. Two guys in the corner, and they’re battling for the puck, and somebody hits somebody the wrong way, or hits them with a stick or an elbow, and they turn and they fight, that to me is a spontaneous act, and that’s in the context of the game. The ‘WWE staged stuff,’ we don’t need that.” How do you decide when to break up a fight? “Trial and error is probably not a good analogy for it. It’s just recognizing things, just working with somebody when I was younger who taught me this is what you

Hockey Calgary

a guy end up with a broken leg, or miss a year of hockey, or you don’t want to be a guy who ends a person’s career.” Cvik’s career is in its twilight, but he has no plans on retiring anytime soon, especially with the satisfaction he has doing his job. “The on-ice part of the job is phenomenal. It’s a rush every time you step onto the ice. The rest of it is a business, and when you travel for business, it’s a business. You wait at the airport, you wait for a taxi, you wait for a bus, you wait for your hotel room, you wait for lunch. It’s all part and parcel of our job (he says without complaint), and that’s what you sign up for, but the fun part of the job is when you get together with the guys for lunch, or when you get to the rink an hour and a half before game-time, and you’re kibitzing with the guys, AND THEN you go to work.” “When I first started, Brad Lazarowich and I talked about doing 2,000 games. Ahh - with the lock-out and strike, it probably makes that a little on the outside to reach. I will be doing my 1,500 by the end of this season, so another 500 games, that’s another 8-9 years (most officials do 72 games per season), that’s a pretty good stretch. I would like to keep going until I’m 53, 54, or 55, if my body holds up, so we’ll see.”

Look no further than the Hockey Calgary Magazine • distributed in all Calgary arenas • 10,000 copies printed per issue • targeted to hockey parents, fans, coaches, etc. (an ideal target market) Our next issue comes out in March (Spring Edition).

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The booking deadline is February 8th, 2010 Please contact Rob at publisher@hockeymagazine.net or (403) 775-1701 for further details.

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HOCKEY AUDIENCE?

Hockey Calgary

CPR and Survival You Are The Strongest Link

You Are The Strongest Link

It’s hockey season and your son is really excited about playing his rookie season. Everyone comes out to watch: you, your wife, Grandpa Art, Grandma Katherine, even Uncle Paul. The stands are full of proud fans. Just into the second period, the game is tied and your son gets a breakaway. He clumsily makes his way to the net, gets off a shot and scores. Your family rises from their bench to cheer, and amid all of the excitement Grandpa Art reaches for his chest and then falls to the ground, appearing lifeless. He has had a heart attack that resulted in cardiac arrest. The following minutes are critical to his survival. Learning CPR is key to saving the life of someone who is in cardiac arrest, and it’s quite possible that you may have the opportunity to save someone you know. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, eight out of every 10 cardiac arrests take place outside of the hospital setting, and usually happen at home. That means that the best chance of survival for someone you care about lies in your hands. Dr. Michael J. Jacka, critical care physician and anesthesiologist at the University of Alberta, teaches CPR techniques to his colleagues, but stresses that CPR is not only for hospitals. “Time is precious,” says Jacka. Every minute of delay reduces the chance of survival by 10 percent, so if you can get to a victim fast and perform well, you may be able to save that person’s life. “Survival depends on bystanders. Outcomes may be decided before a victim gets to the hospital.” Jacka says that everyone should know how to access EMS (emergency medical services) and know CPR. “Survival

Cardiac arrest occurs when a person stops breathing and has no heartbeat.

Causes of cardiac arrest include: • • • • • • •

heart attack stroke drowning electrocution suffocation drug overdose physical trauma

depends on recognizing the symptoms of cardiac arrest, calling 911 (or your local emergency services), and administering CPR and defibrillation.” CPR keeps the blood flowing through the body. Defibrillation is a shock that gets the heart beating effectively again.

*These photos do not depict a real life situation. Positions are for the comfort of the model.

Three-two-one, clear! Make way for automated external defibrillators (AEDs)

When cardiac arrest occurs, the heart stops beating properly and becomes a floppy balloon, a condition called ventricular fibrillation (VF). When a heart is in VF, it needs to be shocked into beating effectively again, a procedure called defibrillation. Traditionally, defibrillation was performed by medical staff only, but now, thanks to programs like the Edmonton Heart-Safe Program, community members are being trained to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs). In Edmonton alone, over 700 community members at 40 sites, including public hockey arenas, are now trained to properly operate AEDs. AEDs are machines that: • automatically analyze the patientʼs heart rhythm • determine whether a shock is needed • use voice and screen prompts to guide the rescuer through the process get blood to the heart and brain, and the only way to do that is by pushing on the chest,” says Jacka. “And push hard and fast. Two to four centimeters CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A series of steps to improve a person?s down at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.” Don’t let the words scare you off from learning chance of You need to keep the blood flowing through the the technique. New CPR guidelines call for a survival from cardiac arrest: body. combination of chest compressions and • Recognize symptoms Administering CPR can be exhausting. Having more breaths (30 compressions to two breaths). The • Call 911, or emergency than one CPR-trained rescuer on-site allows the technique can be learned easily through coursservices immediately opportunity to work as a team – to alternate and es offered by training organizations across the • Administer CPR recover for the next turn. Rescuers should switch province, including St. John Ambulance, • Defibrillation every one to two minutes for optimum performance Canadian Red Cross, Heart and Stroke • Hospitalization/Stabilization and continue without interruption until emergency Foundation and the Lifesaving Society. services arrive or defibrillation is administered. Introductory and recertification courses run approximately four hours. Courses that include infant CPR or advanced cardiac life support inforResults show that survival after sudden cardiac arrest in public locations mation for healthcare providers range from five to 16 hours. doubled when rescuers were trained to call 911 (or other available emer-

CPR: a lifesaving technique that is easily learned

Chain of survival

Does CPR always work? No, CPR doesn’t always work. You should learn it anyway. The more people that know CPR the better survival rates can be, especially when we are facing an aging population at higher risk of cardiac arrest. And learn it well. “During cardiac arrest, there is a lack of blood flow. You have to

gency services), quickly administer CPR and use an AED. Every minute counts when dealing with cardiac arrest. You are the strongest link. This article was written by Lori Krupa of the Canadian Health Network,

www.canadian-health-network.ca.

*These photos do not depict a real life situation. Positions are for the comfort of the model.

Hockey Calgary

By Rob Suggitt Photos provided by Neil Koven For this edition of the magazine, we are featuring 15-year-old hockey official Brock Veres. Brock became a hockey official last season, and similar to most hockey officials, he also plays the game. Brock has played hockey for six years, and he currently plays defense for the Trails West Midget Warriors. In the off-season, Brock plays baseball for the Cal Wet Little League (heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a catcher), and he also plays football for the Ernest Manning Griffins (on their defensive line). Brock took the time to answer our questions about being a hockey official, something he hopes to do for years to come.

What made you want to become a hockey official? It was something I have been interested in so I decided to start officiating.

How many games did you officiate last season? I officiated about 30 games last season. I would like to do about 40-50 games this season.

What level of hockey are you currently officiating? I officiate all novice and atom levels and I am a linesman for peewee.

Do you have any highlights related to big games or tournaments to pass along? Any awards or achievements? I think Minor Hockey Week is always a fun time to officiate and play because the players and fans are more enthusiastic. It is a totally different environment than regular hockey season.

What do you enjoy most about officiating hockey games?

What is the toughest part about being a referee?

The chance to help young hockey players learn and enjoy the game of hockey.

Calling close penalties is a hard thing to do. This comes with practice.

How do you handle criticism on the ice? What kind of training were you provided? I had a two-day course on rules, positioning and other important information on being an official. Trails West also gave me a mentor for my first three ice times to help me with positioning and to help keep you calm. It is helpful because it is very nerve racking the first few times.

When I am on the ice, if parents are criticizing me I ignore them. With coaches, I listen and if there point is valid I take it in to consideration.

What are your future plans? Would you like to continue as a hockey official?

Do you have a role model or mentor who has helped you along the way?

I would like to continue as a hockey official. I have fun doing it and it is good way to earn some money.

My mentors were very helpful as they all taught me different things. Having reffed with veteran officials was helpful as they give tips on how to be better.

Do you have comments you wish to share with parents, coaches or anyone watching minor hockey?

How have you improved your skills as an official?

Parents and coaches need to remember many of us are young referees and we do make mistakes. Their son or daughter could be a referee too.

Practice is the best way to get better but keep on reading the rules and about youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re positioning through the season helps as well.

Hockey Calgary

Referee Signals BOARDING

If a player is checked into the boards in a violent manner, then the ref may call a boarding penalty. A two minute penalty will be assessed for boarding, and in situations where the offense is more serious (when a player is vulnerable, etc.), a 5-minute major penalty and game ejection may be called.

BODY-CHECKING Body-checking is not allowed until the Peewee level in the Calgary Minor Hockey Association. Delivering a body-check in the lower divisions will result in a two minute penalty being assessed.

BUTT-ENDING If a player jabs (or attempts to jab) another player with the shaft of the stick above the upper hand, a butt-ending penalty may be called. The ref holds one forearm over the other; the lower is moved back and forth, across the body.

CHARGING

If a player takes more than two steps or strides, or jumps into an opponent when body-checking, a charging infraction may be called. The referee signals by rotating clenched fists around each other in front of the chest. Since body-checking isn始t allowed until the Pee Wee level, you will rarely see this called in the first few years.

CHECKING FROM BEHIND If a player pushes, body-checks or cross-checks an opponent from behind any-

where on the ice, a Checking From Behind penalty may be called. It始s a game misconduct (ejection), coupled with a two minute or five-minute penalty, depending on the severity of the offense. (A teammate will have to serve the two or five minutes if a game misconduct is called.) The referee始s signal is a forward motion of both arms, with the palms of the hands opened and facing away from the body, fully extending from the chest at shoulder level.

CHECKING TO THE HEAD

A Minor and Misconduct penalty, or a Major and Game Misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee, based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent to the head area in any manner. A Match penalty could also be assessed under this rule. If a players is injured, a Major and Game Misconduct penalty, or a Match penalty must be assessed.

CROSS-CHECKING

When a player uses the shaft of their stick, held between the hands, to check an opponent at any height. The referee signals with a forward and backward motion of the arms with both fists clenched and about a foot apart. (This signal imitates the action of a Cross-check.)

ELBOWING This is when a player is checking an opponent with their elbow. The referee signals by tapping either elbow with the opposite hand.

HIGH-STICKING

This occurs when checking an opponent with the stick above the normal height of the shoulders, either purposely or accidentally. A more severe penalty may be called for flagrant high-sticking fouls, including ejection from the game. The referee signals this call by clenching both fists and mimicking a player holding a stick above their shoulders.

HOLDING This is called when a players grabs an opponent始s body or stick with the hands. The referee motions this call by grabbing either wrist with the opposite hand in front of his body.

HOOKING This is called when a player slows down an opponent by hooking his stick on any part of the opponent始s body or stick. The referee signals this call with a tugging motion with both arms.

INTERFERENCE This penalty is called when a player impedes the progress of an opponent who doesn始t have the puck. The referee signals this call by crossing his arms in front of the chest.

KNEEING If a player uses their knee (or sticks their knee out) to take down or check an opponent, the referee may call a kneeing penalty. If the infraction is of a more serious nature, the referee may consider this a major penalty (and a game misconduct) instead of a minor penalty (2 minutes).

MISCONDUCT

This penalty may be called when a player exhibits extreme and inappropriate behaviour toward another player or a game official. For example, if a player utters profanities at another player or a game official. Depending on the severity of the offense, the player may be given a 10 minute Misconduct or Game Misconduct penalty. It is also a Game Misconduct when a player checks another player from behind. With the exception of Checking From Behind, the penalized team does not play shorthanded.

ROUGHING This penalty may be called when a player uses their arms or fists to hit or punch another player. The signal for this call is a clenched fist and arm extended out to the front or side of the body.

SLASHING This penalty is called when a player deliberately hits an opponent with the stick. The signal for this call is a chopping motion with the edge of one hand across the opposite forearm.

SPEARING

Spearing occurs when a player thrusts or jabs the blade of their stick at an opponent. Players are usually ejected from the game for spearing. The signal for this call is a jabbing motion with both hands thrusting out in front of the body.

TRIPPING

This penalty may be called when a player uses their stick or any body part to trip the puck carrier. If the player touches the puck prior to contact with the player, there is usually no penalty called. The referee signals this call by striking their leg with either hand below the knee (usually bending down to do so), keeping both skates on the ice.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT This penalty may be called when a player exhibits poor sportsmanship or inappropriate behaviour on the ice.

Hockey Calgary

In each edition of Hockey Calgary Magazine, we will answer a question about hockey as submitted by one of our readers. For this issue of the magazine, we have a question about the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. How many “Gordie Howe Hat Tricks” did Gordie Howe get, and who has the most GHHT’s of all time?

For those fans who do not know what a Gordie Howe Hat Trick is – it’s when a player gets a goal, an assist, and gets in a fight, all in the same game. The NHL does not keep official statistics for a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. According to Wikipedia, The Hockey News has kept statistics on this feat only since the 1996-97 season. The first known Gordie Howe Hat Trick took place on Dec. 26, 1917 (Harrmy Cameron of the Toronto Arena’s). And for Gordie Howe – he only registered two Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in his lengthy and illustrious career.

Recently retired Brendan Shanahan is cited as having the most Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in his NHL career – 17 which puts him way ahead of the player for which this feat is named. Once again, there are no official statistics for the GHHT, but speculation is that either Rick Tocchet or Jarome Iginla are second or third, with somewhere between 6 and 8 GHHTS. While it’s unlikely that Iginla is striving to break Shanahan’s unofficial record, he has a good chance to do so. At 32 years of age, Iginla has many years in the NHL ahead of him. However, players usually fight less the older they get. There’s less to prove, and age usually brings wisdom, with the knowledge that fighting does not translate into winning hockey games. Interestingly, and very surprisingly, Wayne Gretzky had one Gordie Howe Hat Trick. With only three recorded fights (Doug Lecuyer in 1980; Neil Broten in 1982; Bob Murray in 1984), Gretzky got his GHHT in an 8-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars on December 22, 1982. That puts him only one behind Gordie Howe!

Hockey Calgary