Hockey Edmonton Magazine Spring 2022

SPRING 2022

FEATURING THE GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS FROM QUIKCARD EDMONTON MINOR HOCKEY WEEK 2022

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E D I S IN G 2022 IN R P S | E GAZIN DMONTON MA

HOCKEY E

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF HOCKEY EDMONTON

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MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

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MESSAGE FROM HOCKEY EDMONTON

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WAYNE GRETZKY AWARD WINNERS 2022

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KELSEY KEHBILA WINS 2 GOLD MEDALS IN QEMHW 2022

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CREATING CULTURE AT CANADIAN ATHLETIC CLUB

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NATE THE GREAT HOCKEY TOURNAMENT 2022 TO CELEBRATE A LITTLE WARRIOR

FLOYD CRANE BRINGING PASSION TO THE ICE

QEMHW FACTS & FIGURES

MEMORIES MONTAGE FROM QEMHW 2022

ARENA LOCATOR MAP

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GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS FROM QEMHW 2022

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REFEREE SPOTLIGHT GRAYSON POLLOK

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REFEREE SIGNALS GRAYSON POLLOK

PHOTO CREDIT: BRANDON WHITE

Message From The

President of Hockey Edmonton 10618 124 Street Edmonton, AB T5N 1S3 Ph: (780) 413-3498 • Fax: (780) 440-6475 www.hockeyedmonton.ca Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week is played on traditional land in Treaty Six Territory. We would like to thank the diverse Indigenous Peoples whose ancestors’ footsteps have marked this territory for centuries.

HOCKEY EDMONTON | EXECUTIVES President: Will Jang 1st VP: Tomiko McCall 2nd VP: Carlos Vieira Director Elite Hockey: Tracey Orbell Director Community Hockey: John Putters Treasurer: Peter Gouveia Director at Large: Bruce Wright Director at Large: Karen Hiscock

As our teams finish out the regular season and enter playoffs, we are certainly grateful to once again experience a full season with all the challenges of the COVID virus and restrictions. A hearty congratulations and big pats on the back, figuratively speaking, for navigating the peaks and valleys to prevail on the ice especially during Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week with an astounding 581 teams of 606 teams participating.

There are occasions whereby individuals and teams can be tested for resiliency. However, we are a team sport, Canada’s game, that involves cooperation and coordinating within all organizations to bring forth an enjoyable experience in participation.

This is the time of year to thank and reach out to all the players, parents, coaches, officials and volunteers that make minor hockey thrive. We as a community have a stake as members to help continue to build and improve on the minor hockey experience at all levels. Everyone is invited to offer feedback to forge ahead to plan next season and beyond. Our clubs and districts are keen to meet, review and adjust to improve the overall program.

Best wishes to those moving on to spring and summer sports and activities. We look forward to having many of you enroll again for the next season in 2022-23.

Yours in Hockey, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Will Jang

President, Hockey Edmonton

SE District: Kevin Graham SW District: Darren Buma NW District: Pauline Hughes NE District: Dylan Thomas KC Federation: Paul Brown EGHA: Aimee Skye CAC: Rick McAdie MLAC: Neil Brown KC: Bruce Fitzpatrick SSAC: Ted Boomer EFAC: Howie Draper

STAFF Technical Director: Joel Lenius Registrar: Glenn Sommerville Ice Allocator: Ray Vigneau Ice Scheduler: Dave Linman Office Manager: Sharlene Cook Communications: Kylee Quinn General Manager: Steve Hogle

DONNAN.CA VIMYEDMONTON.CA

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RRD AD

Message From The Publisher Welcome to our final edition of the Hockey Edmonton Magazine for the 2021-2022 season.

This is our Yearbook Edition of the magazine, which features the 59 gold medal winning teams from 2022 Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week. Additionally, we have included a number of “spotlights” of players who won gold medals during this event.

We have also included a montage of photos taken during Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week, photos generously supplied by MVP Team Photos.

Rounding out this issue, we have a few interesting articles, including a feature on a double gold medal winning goalie from Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week. We also have an article on Ethan Hughes from CAC, one of five players selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors at the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. Last but not least, we have included an article promoting a very special hockey tournament in mid-March, honouring Nate Beaudoin, a young hockey player who left us far too soon. Please check out our article on pages 18 & 19, and if you are able to donate to support this special event, the proceeds from the “Nate the Great Hockey Tournament” will be donated to the GRIT program, which supports children with disabilities.

With the hockey season winding down, we would like to wish all the participants a great off-season, and look forward to seeing everyone back on the ice in a few short months! Have a safe and wonderful summer!

CREDITS President and Publisher | Rob Suggitt Graphic Designers Katelyn Suggitt Kaitlin Brown Contributing Writers Shari Narine Hockey Edmonton Rob Suggitt Cover Photo Provided by MVP Photography Copy Editing Shari Narine Photography Credits MVP Photography Hockey Edmonton SC Parker Photography Accounting Manager Amber-Lea Grmek ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The Hockey Magazine is a product of Playhouse Publications Ltd. - an affiliate of Suggitt Ltd. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Sincerely,

Rob Suggitt

Publisher of the

Hockey Edmonton Magazine

10177 - 105 Street, Edmonton AB T5J 1E2 Ph: 780.423.5834 | Fax: 780.413.6185

All Rights Reserved. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expresses within do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher or Hockey Edmonton. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, ie. electronic, mechanical, photocopied or otherwise recorded without the prior written permission of the publisher - www.suggitt.com

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A Thank You Message From

HOCKEY EDM It is wonderful to flip through the pages of this Spring Yearbook edition of our Hockey Edmonton magazine, prominently featuring Quickcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week (QEMHW) and all the accomplishments that went with it. The articles and photos bring back great memories of staging this massive event during the most trying of times.

Our announcement that QEMHW was, indeed, going ahead was met with a massive wave of enthusiasm. It also garnered a little criticism in some quarters from critics questioning our motives.

Such is life in a world with COVID-19.

We added a number measures above and beyond the rules already put in place by the City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta to fight the transmission of the virus. We firmly believed we could proceed safely with caution. At the launch of the event, our lead sponsor of 22 years, Lyle Best at Quikcard, spoke of his support and how staging QEMHW during this pandemic symbolized the resilience of Edmonton and its residents.

His support was echoed by our other partners: McDonald’s, the Edmonton Oilers/Edmonton Oil Kings, Elite Promotional Marketing, the Edmonton Minor Hockey Association Alumni, Serdachny Power Skating, and the hockey academies at Vimy, Donnan and St. Thomas More schools.

Then it was time for our volunteers to shine. The arena managers and their teams laid the foundation at each of their 31 arenas (and 47 rinks!) spread out across the capital region. All the home teams stepped up to take on additional responsibilities, such as scorekeeping. And then, as teams took to the ice, the referees were there for us yet again with their amazing support: they volunteer all their time and, collectively, that is estimated to add up to about a $40,000 commitment to the kids!

Our Hockey Edmonton Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week Committee was chaired by Paul Raimundo and rounded out with Terry Brown, Joan Kirillo, Rod McMahon, Darrell Davis, Ray Vigneau, Kylee Quinn, Bada Saad, Tracey Orbell, Sharlene Cook, Duncan MacDougall and myself. Ray, without doubt, had the toughest task of all as he was on red alert to cancel games, juggle schedules and interpret rules. Kylee also did an amazing job on our communications channels keeping everyone informed on the latest developments regarding rules as well as the fun at the rinks!

And that fun at the rink is why we do what we do. As we made the rounds to rinks to thank the volunteers on the front lines and watch the action on the ice, we were reminded that this massive effort by so many people is so worthwhile. The players we saw were absolutely beaming and their parents constantly came up to tell us how happy they were Hockey Edmonton had made the decision to proceed with minor hockey week. The moms and dads emphasized – and we could see it – how important this beautiful game is not only to their kids’ physical well-being but also their mental well-being.

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MONTON There were cool stories in the arenas which spoke to the uniqueness of staging this amazing event during a pandemic, such as Kelsey Kehbila, a goalie who won two gold medals, one with his regular team and one with the team he was affiliated with. Read his story in this magazine but it was awesome to see teams like his SWAT squad find ways to overcome obstacles presented by the pandemic and get on the ice to play.

Like those teams, we collectively found a way to pull off this massive event while fending off COVID-19. Only 25 out of 606 teams were unable to play due to sick players and the inability to ice a team; we lost just 40 out of 804 games.

It was a powerful experience to see the will of the our hockey family pull off this event.

That theme of resiliency populates this entire magazine. The story of Ethan Hughes overcoming his cancer and being drafted into the Western Hockey League – along with a number of his teammates – provides inspiration to all of us.

And it is amazing to see the parents of Nate the Great, Carrie and Joey Beaudoin, building a legacy in memory of their amazing son whose body gave out on him at far too young an age. Be sure to also read about the Nate the Great Hockey Tournament and to support it and the Beaudoins however you can.

This hockey family of ours has incredibly strong bonds. We thank each and every one of you – as well as our team at Hockey Edmonton Headquarters – for the contributions made to make this the amazing family it is.

Sincerely,

HONOURARY CHAIR | JACK LAURIE

STEVE HOGLE | GENERAL MANAGER

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS EDMONTON

GOLF CLASSIC

P R E S E N T E D BY:

S E P T E M B E R 8 , 2 0 2 2 AT B L A C K H A W K G O L F C L U B TO R EG I S T E R O R G E T I N VO LV E D A S A S P O N S O R FO R T H I S E V E N T, E M A I L CCO M E AU @ S P E C I A LO LYM P I C S E D M O N TO N .C A TO DAY !

WAYNE GRETZKY Award W inners 2022

Hockey Edmonton and all the member organizations take pride in helping to develop character both on and off the ice. Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week takes that philosophy forward by recognizing three wellrounded athletes who make an impact in the community with Wayne Gretzky Awards. In addition to the honour, Wayne Gretzky Award recipients receive $750 from ATB Financial.

BO ADAM Bo Adams of the Junior B Edmonton Mustangs is described as kind, dedicated, reliable, trustworthy, and the true definition of a role model. He cares about his teammates in all areas of his life – his family, friends, colleagues, hockey mates. The 21-year-old has volunteered with various organizations, like Santa’s Anonymous, the Edmonton Food Bank and the Christmas Bureau, striving to make a difference in the lives of our community’s less fortunate. An Honour Roll student who especially excelled in Math and Science, Bo has plans to further his education in the future.

ABIGAIL TAYLOR Abigail Taylor has hopes of playing for Team Canada’s women’s hockey team someday, and at the rate this talented U15 Edmonton Chaos player is going, this big dream doesn’t seem far out of reach. Abigail knows hard work and sportsmanship are key attributes necessary to win on and off the ice, having been named captain on her teams many times throughout the last decade. This honour student has volunteered countless hours in the community, supporting initiatives like Mustard Seed’s sandwich making night and Stocking Stuffers for less fortunate seniors.

Not only is Abigail one of this year’s Wayne Gretzky Award recipients, but she has also been recognized with ‘Most Supportive Teammate’, ‘Most Respectful on the Ice’, and the ‘Haley Wickenheiser: Respect’ awards.

PAULO BORELLI 14-year-old honour roll student and defenseman, Paulo Borelli, who plays AEHL SSAC U15AA and affiliate for U15AAA, especially enjoys volunteering with his teammates. The grade 7 student not only participates in team fundraising events like community raffle tickets and bottle drives, but he has also volunteered his time with SCARS Puppy Play Date which helps rescue dogs. This is a non-profit organization that the coaches for SSAC U15AA and the Tymchuk families hold near and dear to their hearts in memory of Michelle Tymchuk, who started as the team manager prior to her passing.

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GOALIE, KELSEY KEHBILA WINS 2 GOLD MEDALS IN MINOR HOCKEY WEEK DEBUT

BY SHARI NARINE When her 10-year-old goalie son came home and told her his idol was Carey Price, Atenkeng (Viola) Taku Kehbila had to Google the name. But she can be forgiven for not knowing the stalwart goaltender who took the Montreal Canadiens all the way to the Stanley Cup final last year.

After all, when Viola and husband Anderson immigrated to Canada from Cameroon, via Germany, they knew nothing about hockey. They had never seen a game.

So when at seven years old and with the family living in Edson, Kelsey told his parents he wanted to play hockey like the rest of his friends, they took him to the local sporting store and asked for help getting him all the right gear.

Now, living in Edmonton, the family is an old pro, but Kelsey is the biggest old pro of them all.

Not only did he participate in his first ever Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week this past January, but he came away with two gold medals much to his surprise.

“It feels very amazing, especially to win such an important tournament,” said Kelsey. “It feels great.”

And he won twice. With conviction. Kelsey got a shut out in the gold medal game when his SWAT U11 Falcons’ team took top spot with a 5-0 victory. And then he almost did it again when his SWAT U13 Goose Pack team took top spot with a 5-1 victory.

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Yelling at the refs will help your team win. ’Cause they really like that.

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The U13 games, says Kelsey, who’s been dubbed “The Wall,” were “definitely” harder.

This is Kelsey’s first year as a full-time goaltender. Because SWAT had a lack of goalies when they were making their teams, says Viola, Kelsey is playing for both the U11 (tier 3) coached by Matt Viens and U13 (tier 4) coached by Troy MacDonald. The Falcons get the nod, though, whenever there is a conflict in scheduling.

Getting to play for the U13 team, says Viola, boosted her son’s confidence. “It’s like he’s really improved because in his head, he gets to play with older kids.”

Kelsey even backstopped the U13 team to winning the Confederation tournament this past December.

Kelsey got his start – and felt his first success – in Edson, recalls his mom, at the Yellowhead tournament, which sees teams from Edson, Hinton and Jasper compete. Kelsey was splitting goaltending duties with another boy. His coach told him he wanted Kelsey between the pipes for all the games at the tournament because Kelsey was that good.

“And that never left him. He was so excited. His team won and Edson hadn’t won that tournament for many, many years.

When that happened, he felt like he could do this,” said Viola.

Viola adds that Kelsey takes his position and role with his teams seriously.

“If you have a bad goalie, you’re just going to lose game after game and never be successful. But if you have a good goaltender in the pipes, you can win a lot of games,” said Kelsey.

It’s something his idol Price has demonstrated succinctly this season. Price isn’t playing because of personal issues and Montreal has only won eight games (as of Feb. 11).

Kelsey classifies himself as a “hybrid goalie,” which he explains is someone who relies on his reflexes, quick movements and plays the angles.

Viola calls Kelsey an “intense” goaltender. Trips home from games sees him in the backseat dissecting the goals he let in and figuring out what he can do differently. Some of that intensity was coming out in non-constructive ways on the ice when he was scored on, so Coach Viens did some research and helped Kelsey develop a better way to respond.

“I’ll get my water bottle from (the top of) my net, I’ll do two squirts in the mouth and then I’ll put water all over my face to wash away the anger,” Kelsey explained. “It works really well.

I feel calm.”

And, as if Kelsey doesn’t get enough hockey after school, he’s in Grade 5 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Edmonton’s southside and enrolled in that school’s hockey academy.

Kelsey has big plans for himself in the hockey world.

He says Mount Carmel Academy goalie instructor Ian Gordon told him he can be the “next generation of Carey Price.”

“That really pushed me forward to do better,” said Kelsey.

“Growing up in Africa we never saw snow and hockey was not something we talked about. Here we are today having a son who lives, breathes and eats hockey. We, as a family, have fallen in love with this exciting and, to us, one of the best sports in the world. This is our Canadian dream living it through the eyes of our son,” said Viola.

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CREATING CULTURE AT CAC MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN WHL DRAFT

BY SHARI NARINE PHOTOS PROVIDED BY HOCKEY EDMONTON Being a leader in the dressing room and on the ice and being fully committed to the game has certainly paid off for Ethan Hughes.

Hughes, the captain of the Canadian Athletic Club’s (CAC) U16AAA team, was taken by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the fourth round of the December 2021 Western Hockey League draft.

“It’s pretty amazing getting drafted to the WHL,” said Hughes, 15, who has some big skates to fill.

All three of his older brothers are playing hockey at a higher level right now.

Hughes admits there was “a little bit” of pressure to deliver but also says, “We’re a pretty competitive household.”

The success of Hughes’ older brothers, along with his supportive parents, were two of the reasons Mark Blair, senior scout West for the Moose Jaw Warriors, ranked Hughes high on his list of must-draft players.

“We just like the whole package. We like the family. We like Cameron and Ryan and Liam and what they have done. You just can’t deny Ethan what he’s been through and how he’s battled it and when you talk to the kid, he's much more mature than his age would lead you to believe,” said Blair.

The “battle” Blair refers to is kidney cancer. Hughes had a Wilms tumour in his right kidney and needed surgery at the age of 10.

“That was obviously a battle but support from my family and friends and I got through it. So now I’m here today and I’m healthy and fine,” said Hughes.

Head Coach Lee Zalasky says Hughes is “small in stature but plays a big game. His hockey sense is very, very high. He’s able to think the game at a very high level.”

It was no surprise to Zalasky that Hughes got drafted. But Hughes wasn’t the only member on CAC to be drafted last December.

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Blair, who has been scouting for 16 years, the past four with the Warriors, says what transpired in the most recent draft is “very unusual.”

When the Warriors had tallied their 10 picks, seven of those players came from Alberta, five of those seven Alberta boys came from Edmonton, and three of those five Edmonton boys were from CAC. Boys 14 years old and usually in their second year of U15 are drafted in May. However, because of Coronavirus pandemic measures last year, the WHL May 2021 draft was pushed to December for boys born in 2006.

Scouting is a complex business, says Blair, with teams following similar protocol but also having their unique way of proceeding.

Players are scouted all season long, lists made, lists refined using a scouting software package, and then come draft day, the Warriors work their way down their list sticking strictly with the order in which the players appear, at least for the first half of the draft.

“We’re sitting around the draft table and as our pick is getting closer and closer and we’re looking at who’s at the top of the list, everybody is saying, ‘Looks like another CAC guy, looks like another Edmonton guy.’ It was just unusual,” said Blair.

In the second round, Moose Jaw picked Brady Ness (CAC U18); then Hughes was picked in the fourth round; and in the eighth round (they had no picks in the sixth or seventh rounds), they chose goalie Josh Banini (CAC U16). Owen Berge, who was picked in round three and plays with U16 Northern Alberta Extreme in the school hockey league also has ties to CAC. Moose Jaw also drafted Spencer Masters (U18) from the South Side Athletic Club (Edmonton) in the ninth round.

Blair, who lives in the Edmonton and scouts for the Warriors in the area Red Deer and north, has a long history with CAC. He played with the association back in the ‘70s, had sons who skated with CAC and he also served as past president. Presently he holds a number of positions including arena chair and secretary of the alumni.

Of this U16 team, Blair said, “it’s a very good team, a quality group for sure…. They’ve got a lot of good training and they’re a very committed group.”

Two other players from this team were drafted: Lyndon Donald-Gorman with Everett Silvertips and Escalus Burlock with Red Deer Rebels.

Of the players who weren’t drafted, Blair is confident that many will get invited to players’ camps.

Drafting players at this age, he points out, is an investment in the future as most of them are still growing and still developing.

“I would venture to guess that 80 per cent of the players who come to the Western Hockey League won’t come until they’re 17, maybe even higher, it might even be 90 per cent. Most players aren’t ready to come (when drafted),” said Blair.

Zalasky credits his team’s success in the draft to the culture, both of the team and the club.

The club has the motto of “Character, Attitude, Community” (CAC) and those are the three values or pillars that the players embrace, says Zalasky.

Hughes agrees that the culture has grown in the last couple of years and has made a difference.

“We took the first year to start instilling a culture we were looking for, finding the people who would fit with what we were doing with development and ultimately it was a bonus that our core players were definitely very skilled. They wanted to be hockey players. They wanted to be pushed and challenged. They bought into what we were saying, bought into the team environment,” said Zalasky.

#12 ETHAN HUGHES #1 JOSH BANINI

Zalasky, who among his coaching credentials can include two and a half seasons as assistant coach with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, joined CAC as head coach for U15AAA, where he spent two years before moving up this season to coach U16AAA. “Everybody’s holding each other accountable. We’ve got a lot of trust in the group. Everybody’s held to a high standard,” said Hughes.

Players push each other, adds Zalasky, and also have good friendships.

The coaches have “an open-door policy” with the players and the parents, and Zalasky stresses that they all work collaboratively to make the team and each other successful.

“Ultimately the culture is quite competitive. Our practices are pretty intense. They don’t give each other an inch. They push themselves at practice. From game standpoint now they’re able to execute more efficiently, play at a higher level. They’ve practiced at a high level,” said Zalasky. “The result of it is, players have gotten the opportunity to get drafted.”

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NATE the GREAT On March 19 and 20, 2022, the Edmonton KC North Minor Hockey Association will be hosting an inaugural hockey tournament in memory of Nate Beaudoin, #23, “Nate the Great.”

This tournament will be hosting 20 teams, representing 11 minor hockey associations from around Alberta, with approximately 400 players participating, aged 7-8 years old.

For those unfamiliar with Nate’s story, it is one that defines perseverance, strength, commitment and pure love for hockey. Nathan Jacques Beaudoin was born a healthy 8 pounds 7 ounces on December 3, 2010. At a young age, Nate was diagnosed with a rare heart and body condition called heterotaxy/right atrial isonmerism.

As his mom Carrie described, “The simple explanation is that this disorder affects the heart and multiple other organs in the body. Nate had no spleen, enlarged liver, and many other developmental issues as a result of this diagnosis. His prognosis was poor as his chances of survival to one year old were small.

Nate defied the odds by learning to walk at almost four, talk, go to school, develop lasting friendships with friends and family, and in 2019 he joined the St. Matthews hockey club.”

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After 12 open heart surgeries, countless pokes, and having to be resuscitated four times in a three month period, Nate took his last breath on February 7, 2020. Nate’s death shook the community, and supporters from coast to coast mourned with the family, when they laid him to rest on February 14, 2020. As Carrie remarked, “It was no coincidence that his diagnosis day and celebration of life fell on Valentine’s Day. The day of the heart and love. Nate in a word is love. He always told me, “Mom I am a bucket filler, not a dipper.”

Carrie remembers her son as the most gentle soul with a dry sense of humour. “His teacher once shared that Nate interrupted the class on occasion with his cheeky comments and silly personality. He was always smiling and had many funny stories to share. Nate loved fiercely and family was very important to him; and this extended to his friends, camping crew, and hockey community. Nate embraced every second of his short nine years with so much enthusiasm. I can remember being so afraid of the unknowns and all I had to do was stare into those big chocolate brown eyes for reassurance. I’d always think, “Yes my sweet boy. You got this and you got me!”

Carrie gives great thanks to the GRIT program (Getting Ready for Inclusion Today) for their years of developmental intervention to get Nate on the ice. “It was a long road getting there after several open heart surgeries, cardiac catherization’s, long hospital stays, pacing the halls in fear, he did it! Our boy laced up his skates!”

In 2016, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted Nate’s wish to go on a cruise, which was generously sponsored by Chemco. Nate participated in the “Hockey Helps Kids” video (Team McDavid), to raise money and awareness for this amazing foundation. As Carrie describes, “We have many causes that are near and dear to us and each year we plan on picking one to raise funds for.

This year we chose the GRIT program.”

Fast forward to November 17, 2019, when a pesky cough brought Nate through the front doors at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Thinking it was a lung infection, it turned out to be much more sinister. Nate had a blood clot on his mitral valve, which required immediate intervention. Things went from bad to worse as Nate developed arrhythmias and the family learned he was almost in full heart block. His kidney function decreased necessitating dialysis intervention, he developed a bacterial infection, and eventually end stage liver cirrhosis.

Nate’s legacy still lives on through all that knew and loved him, as is so apparent by the first inaugural Nate the Great hockey tournament which takes place March 19-20, 2022. Nate’s message is one of love and inclusion, it’s about defying the odds, maintaining a positive attitude even through adversity, and encouraging others who may be facing similar challenges to never give up, or in the words of Tom Petty “I Won’t Back Down,” who happens to be one of Nate’s favourite artists.

SCAN HERE FOR VIDEO STORY

MARCH 19 & 20

The Nate The Great memorial tournament will be hosting 20 teams, representing 11 Minor Hockey Associations from around Alberta, with players aged 7-8 years old.

For those who want to support the Nate the Great Hockey Tournament, they are collecting silent auction items and having a raffle at their event. If an in-kind donation isn’t possible, monetary donations are always greatly appreciated, as well. Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the GRIT program. The GRIT program offers support and services to families with children with disabilities. They were vital in helping Nate’s parents navigate the different programs and services available to Nate. For more information on the GRIT program, please check out their website:

www.gritprogram.ca

If you are interested in learning how you can help make this tournament a success, please contact the Fundraising Coordinator, Chrisy McConnell at: 780-903-4025 or natethegreat@kcnorth.ca

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By Shari Narine Natacha Beauvais uses the word “amazing “ to describe the work Floyd Crane does as an assistant coach with the U13 Hawks 505 team. She may be bias because Crane is her husband. Then again, a life changing experience for Crane could just as easily explain the reason why he’s “amazing” on the ice.

In 2015, Crane had spinal surgery to correct degenerative spinal stenosis. The condition caused the natural curves between his vertebrae to narrow, putting increased pressure on the nerves that traveled through the vertebral column.

“After having successful surgery and realizing I had access to my legs again, I decided that I wanted to do as much as I could.

Coaching became the next best thing,” said Crane.

For the past four years, Crane has been an assistant coach in the Hawks organization. The Hawks Athletic Club skates teams in the age range of four through 12 years taking boys and girls residing in Edmonton’s northwest.

Because of work commitments, Crane wasn’t able to coach his older son, who has now aged out of minor hockey.

“I never had the opportunity with him so I wanted to do it with my younger one,” said Crane.

Although Crane’s son Dresdan Crane and his stepson Andy Bernard are one year apart in age, this year they are both on the U13 team.

“Both our sons are on the same team now so it’s a great way to bond with them and do something together,” said Beauvais.

Crane coaches the defence and both boys are defencemen.

“They’re both cornerstones of our defence,” said Crane.

This year, Crane chose a different approach to giving his D-men valuable instruction: he strapped on his pads and played goalie.

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It was a position he played up until he was about 13 years old.

His parents couldn’t afford to keep him in the sport after that.

Over the last few years, he’s played hockey with his boys on the ODR and has slowly built up his goaltending equipment.

After having successful surgery and realizing I had access to my legs again, I decided that I wanted to do as much as I could.

Coaching became the next best thing

“You completely see the game differently from inside the net. Players are trained to watch where the puck is while the goalie has to watch everything,” said Crane, who admits his players – especially his two boys – get a great deal of pleasure out of beating him.

“It is very fun to score on him. I try harder when he is on the ice,” said Dresden.

“When my stepdad was not a goalie, we had to practice on an empty net half of the time. So it is more fun when he is in the net,” said Andy.

“I really take it personal when they score on me. I tell them they’re not going to be able to eventually,” laughed Crane.

Crane is one of four assistant coaches with the team, which has as its head coach Tim Prevost. Prevost and Crane met for the first time on the ice and have coached together on three teams.

Prevost credits Crane’s ability to remain even-tempered and easygoing as part of his success as an assistant coach.

it’s like I’m a kid again While his work commitment as a journeyman plumber continues to be high, Crane always makes it to the arena for practice, especially when it means putting on his pads, blocker and glove.

“Oh, it’s like I’m a kid again,” he said with real joy in his voice. “I had such a passion for it when I was kid. This is my opportunity to do it for my children and at the same time be a part of it.”

“He is a great communicator with the kids and provides a very even perspective when providing instructions and constructive criticism,” said Prevost.

“He’s calm, very patient, takes time to explain things, show them what to do if they don’t understand, correct them a little bit, always in a positive way,” said Beauvais.

“We have to remember they’re kids. They’re not in the NHL yet.

We can’t expect that perfection from them,” said Crane.

Crane likes being on the ice so he can deliver hands-on instruction and he likes being on the bench so he can make corrections during the game. Crane says he’s been around enough screaming coaches and overbearing parents to understand that it’s all about the kids having fun on the ice and in the game.

“I think all of us parents have that little dream that we’ll some day be watching our child in a game on TV. There’s a bit of an unrealistic expectation. There’s so many kids that play hockey in Canada, just in Canada alone, it’s probably less than one per cent that even makes it,” said Crane. Even less realistic is that expectation for kids who are skating at a Tier 6A level.

“To me, I’ve always told my kids it’s more about opening doors for other options. You can get a scholarship to go to school. You can play hockey in Europe,” said Crane.

21

50,000

The number of goals scored

The dollar value of time

804 5 Games

3,809

in the 2020 Minor Hockey Week

donated by officials

to be played

9,000+

Groups who Participate in the QEMHW

[U9, U11, U13, U15, U18]

3 Dollar admission fee for one game ($5.00 for a tournament pass)

$$$

PLAYERS

20

22

59 Championship games to be played Quikcard Edmonton FACTS & Minor Hockey Week FIGURES

5 , 0 0 0 606 PUCKS USED

31 Arenas will be used for games

58

TEAMS

will participate

47 Sheets of ice being used

1,200 3,600 GOLD

MEDALS AWARDED

COACHES

2,000 REFEREES

YEARS the Minor Hockey Week

tournament has been played (since 1964)

22

148

SHUTOUTS

that occured in the 2020 tournament

20,000 FANS IN THE STANDS

21

7,000

PROGRAMS PRINTED

Years Quikcard has

been the Minor Hockey Week title sponsor

114

Overtime games played in the 2020 tournament

STOLLERY AD

Memories from Memories from QUIKCARD EDMONTON MINOR HOCKEY WEEK

2022

24

25

ARENA LOC ARENA LOCATOR MAP

26

CATOR MAP ADDRESSES 1. Akinsdale & Kinex Arenas (St. Albert) 66 Hebert Road, St Albert 2. Bill Hunter Arena 9200 - 163rd Street 3. Broadmoor Arena (Sherwood Park) 2100 Oak Street, Sherwood Park 4. Callingwood Arena 17650 - 69th Avenue 5. Canadian Athletic Club Arena 14645 - 142nd Street 6. Castle Downs Arena 6A3, 11520 - 153 Avenue 7. Clare Drake Arena 87th Avenue & 115th Street 8. Clareview Arena 3804 - 139th Avenue 9. Confederation Arena 11204 - 43rd Avenue 10. Coronation Arena 13500 - 112th Avenue 11. Crestwood Arena 9940 - 147th Street 12. Donnan Arena 9105 - 80th Avenue 13. George S. Hughes Arena 10525 - 72nd Avenue 14. Glengarry Arena 13340 - 85th Street 15. Grand Trunk Arena 13025 - 112th Street

17. Kinsmen Twin Arena 1979 - 111th Street 18. Knights of Columbus Sport Complex 13160 - 137th Avenue 19. Londonderry Arena 14520 - 66th Street 20. Michael Cameron Arena 10404 - 56th Street 21. Millennium Place (Sherwood Park) 2000 Premier Way, Sherwood Park 22. Mill Woods Rec. Centre 7207 - 28th Avenue 23. NAIT Arena 11762 - 106th Street 24. Oliver Arena 10335 - 119th Street 25. Russ Barnes Arena 6725 - 121st Avenue 26. Servus Credit Union Place 400 Campbell Road, St Albert 27. Terwillegar Rec. Centre Subway Arena 2051 Leger Road 28. The Meadows Community Rec. Centre 2704 - 17th Street 29. Tipton Arena 10828 - 80th Avenue 30. Westwood Arena 12040 - 97 Street 31. Downtown Community Arena (Rogers Place)

16. Kenilworth Arena 8313 - 68A Street

10330 - 105th Avenue

27

s n o i t a l u t a r g Con

To all of the Gold Medal Winning Teams in the 2022 Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week!

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 U 11 TIER 1 RED

SA400 - ST. ALBERT RAIDERS

Players: Zachary Boon, Kevin Castonguay, Justin Castonguay, Alexander Goltz, Harrison Haigh, Jaxon Kalmbach, Konrad Kunopaski, Matthew Lavoie, Mason Loiselle, Logan Maksymic, Sobhe Najmeddine, Rhys Perpeluk, Connor Senio, Mason Shudra, Clark Shute, Kole Sinclair, Calder Sonnichsen Staff: Peter Sinclair, Jason Maksymic, Courtney Shudra, Marc Loiselle, Dean Perpeluk, Julie Kruysse

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Gold Medal Winning Brothers JUSTIN & KEVIN CASTONGUAY

AGE: 11 & 9 YEARS PLAYED: 7 & 5 SCHOOL GRADES: 6 & 4 CURRENT TEAM: ST400 St. Albert Junior Raiders Barons USUAL POSITION: Centre / Defence ROLE MODEL: Dad FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: Edmonton Oilers FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Mark Messier / Connor McDavid

OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Lacrosse / Tennis / Swimming FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: Kevin: Winning gold at QEMHW with my brother!

Justin: Scoring with 8 seconds left to win gold at a tournament!

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 U 11 TIER 1 BLUE

U 11 TIER 2 BLUE

SG401 - SPRUCE GROVE JR. SAINTS

KC403 - ST. MATTHEW DRAGONS

Players: Jayce Bradshaw, Cody Brayson, Lincoln Brown, Kadyn Chamzuk, Austin Christensen, Cooper Cyrenne, Daniel Harbin, Kole Imlay, Deegan Keech, Carson Klassen, Milan Loates, Bronson Lyster, Griffin MacPhee, Logan Mennie, Callen Shackleton, Keaton Sommer, Jordan Ubbing, Tristan Whaling, Cade Woods

Players: Abdu Abougouche, Anthony Arnold, Idreese Assaf, Kate Belamisca, Dustin Dannish, Kai McCalla, Talia McGilvery Potts, Grayson Rempel, Alton Skelhorne, Emily St. Pierre, Noah Tu, Drew Westervelt, Ethan Wylie, Wyatt Yasinsky

Staff: Mark Bradshaw, Andy Brown, Shane Cyrenne, Mark MacPhee, Justin Mennie, Rob Shackleton, Cory Sommer, Tami Brayson

U 11 TIER 2 GREEN

Staff: Youseff Assaf, Mark Arnold, Joshua Belamisca, Gavn Dannish, Evan Yasinsky, Salwa Abougouche, Andrew Westervelt, Shauna St. Pierre

U 11 TIER 2 RED

ST403 – STRATHCONA WARRIORS

SU401 – STURGEON MUSTANGS

Players: Brody Andruchow, Colby Arbuckle, Danielle Betts, Jenna Bothwell, Lenny Brodziak, Reid Collingwood, Owen Cook, Oliver Despins, Brett Ellsworth, Kane Johnson, Korbin Kereliuk, Kennedy Landaker, Bennett Maloney, Carter Stroud, Bowdie Swonek, Cruz Volk, Cooper Wadsworth, Jonathan Zaplachinski

Players: Lincoln Allary, Kadum Boutin, Gavin Connors, Cameron Cushing, Ryley Dupuis, Austin Hennie, Marcus Huot, Carson Karlunchuck, Cole Kemp, Jordan Kuzio, Trey Langford, Olivia Lockridge, Lane Marczak, Taiyo Pearce, Mason Prefontaine

Staff: Jayson Arbuckle, Kelly Landaker, Ryan Maloney, Pete Bothwell, Colin Wadsworth, Jason Zaplachinski

Staff: Jason Kemp, Ryan Cushing, Jen Lockridge, Matt Marczak, Cam Allary, Kelsey Allary

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GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 U 11 TIER 3 BLUE SW407 – SWAT COBRA KAI

U 11 TIER 3 GREEN EG401 - EGHA ICEBREAKERS

Players: Miller Bakker, Nolan Brassard, Finley Coyle, Rowan Daly, Iliyan Damani, Taj Gambin, Kiran Haziya, Samuel Kosowan, Lewis O’Connell, Lincoln Pelech, Cruz Redmond, Shawn Sakhi, Emmett Schmidt, Ethan Shagidevich, Kavari Walters

Players: Aubrey Anderson, Kayci Arnold, Madisyn Blair, Lili D’Anjou, Kennedy Enright McInnes, Victoria Kent, Lorelai Lee, Chloe Lee, Diem Letourneau, Mila Polak, Charlie Schock, Jocelyn Skye, Grace Stang, Mara Stefaniuk, Mila White, Kamree Woloschuk

Staff: Justin Gambin, Sue Brassard, Adriel Schmidt, Marc Brassard, Tom Coyle, Dan Daly, Dan O’Connell, James Pelech, Mark Bakker

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Staff: Matt Letourneau, Aimee Skye, Brent Stang, Ben Schock, Dan Anderson, Steve D’Anjou, Shannon Stefaniuk, Ryan Polak, Ronnie Tallman

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 U 11 TIER 3 ORANGE

U 11 TIER 3 RED SW405 – SWAT FALCONS

Players: Kingston Basaraba, Tobias Dickau, Jaxton Engelman, Lucas Hancock, Chase Haydaman, Ben Kalinocka, Lucas Kushniruk, Jaxen Matemisz, Sebastian Mountenay, Maxwell Noble, Declan Outram, Grayson Roberts, Thomas Simmonds, Leo Warawa

Players: Jack Adams, Adrian Cadrin, Alexander Chae, Leif Enns, Kairo German, Alexander Kantypowicz, Henry Karhut, Kelsey Kehbila, Blake Kincade, Jacob Morrow, Alexander Tkacz, Jonah Tram, Jacoby Verhesen, Jason Vriens, Morgan Zhou

Staff: Mark Dickau, Cam Noble, Ron Roberts, Kristian Basaraba, Michael Matemisz, Cachet Roberts, Derrick Outram, Terrace Warawa, Ryan Mountenay

Staff: Matt Vriens, Dallas Karhut, Jonathan Verhesen, David Enns, Michel Cadrin, Parveen Aheer-German

U 11 TIER 4 BLUE

U 11 TIER 4 GREEN NS403 - NORTH SEERA

Players: Levi Beaulieu, Asher Carbonneau, Reggie Chaffey, Kolton Davidson, Laila Filewich, Jackson Forster, Isabella Goertzen, Hayden Hummel, Maisy Lucas, Maxwell Naiker, William Puranen, Charlie Robinson, Claire Saunders, Rachel Scherle, Dominik Shearer, Benson Strickland, Linus Thompson, Dominique Toth, Noah Vandal-Alexander

Players: Nash Backer, Tristan Bucknell, Sam Burns, Theo Cammidge, Cedar Connelly, Grant Cunningham, Adam Dick, Adrik Dunn, Travis Kopchia, Gracie MacDonald, Abby Millar, Grayson Morris, London Newbury, Mason NicholsonCorriveau, Juliette Smitke

NS402 - NORTH SEERA SPITFIRES

SG405 - SPRUCE GROVE FIREHAWKS

Staff: Kyle Davidson, Larissa Filewich, Steven Goertzen, Randy Naiker, Curtis Robinson, Cory Scherle, Matt Stricklamd, Jennifer Weber

Staff: Andy Connelly, Steve Smitke, Melinda Budge, Bernie MacDonald, Graham Cunningham, Leon Burns, Kevin Backer, Matt Dick, Aaron Millar

31

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 U 11 TIER 4 RED HK403 - HAWKS

NS404 - NORTH SEERA KRAKEN

Players: Jacob Bentum, Blake Boyer, Ethan Culligan, Bowen Friesen, Asher Gauthier, Porter Kuchta, Tysen Mahony, Theo Niven, Angad Panesar, Jaxon Parr, Oliver Prefontaine, Ryan Rich, Adriano Sellitto, Avery Sutton, Neilan Young

Players: Evan Baptiste, Nolan Barriere, Fateh Brar, Douglas Flynn, Louis Gagnon, Magnus Goudreau, Gabriel Hamilton, Cedric Hicks, Reid Hladky, Zavier Laramee, Joel Lowrey, Drew McFadyen, Robert Pinder, Steele Rondeau, Riley Schlacht

Staff: Warren Kuchta, David Niven, Kurtis Sutton, Mark Bentum, Carmen Boyer, Pamela Culligan

U 11 TIER 5 GREEN SW411 - SWAT

Players: Evan Chai, Evan Danis, Alessandro Fisher, Lucia Lewis, Lauren Mah, Ryan Mah, Zaid Malik, Thomas Mckenna, Taylor Mergel, Marek Pitta-Rosse, Skyler Rattai, Jake Robinson, Zoey Swanepoel, Marcus Won Staff: Scott Robinson, Glenn Fisher, Kevin Mah, Thomas Hapke, Kayla Hamula

32

U 11 TIER 5 BLUE

Staff: DJ Hladky, Chris Baptiste, Jeff Hicks, Todd Schlacht, Michael Gagnon, Philip Smyth

U 11 TIER 5 ORANGE

BE408 - BEAUMONT BRAVES

Players: Kyle Bloomfield, Shane Comeault, Easton Findlay, Aiden Flaig, Warner Franklin, Jax Gilson, Benny Hand, Brady Huxley, Jaxson Larente, Brayden Loper, Joshua Mair, Sebastian Montes, Ian Nielsen, Henry Pugh, Andrew Tancowny, Hudson Thackeray, Parker Theriault, Brodie Zukowski Staff: Steve Thackeray, Adam Hand, Tom Flaig, Jena Comeault, Karen Clarke, Jon Loper

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 Gold Medal Winner

AIDEN FLAIG AGE: 9

YEARS PLAYED: 4 SCHOOL GRADE: 4 CURRENT TEAM: Beaumont Brave U11 USUAL POSITION: Centre ROLE MODEL: My Dad FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: Edmonton Oilers FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Connor McDavid OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Mostly just Hockey!

FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: Playing at Rogers Place

U 11 TIER 5 RED

Gold Medal Winner

WARNER FRANKLIN AGE: 9

YEARS PLAYED: 5 SCHOOL GRADE: 4 CURRENT TEAM: Beaumont Brave U11 USUAL POSITION: Forward ROLE MODEL: My Dad FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: Edmonton Oilers FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Connor McDavid & Marc-Andre Fleury OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Woodworking, building & fishing FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: Scoring the OT winner in the gold medal game of the 2022 QEMHW Tournament. Go Braves!

U 11 TIER 6 BLUE

SZ401 - SWZ COMETS FEMALE

CO411 - CONFED LIGHTNING DRAGONS

Players: Gabrielle Abrams, Berkley Bannink, Avery Darling, Alex Houle, Isabelle Hutzul, Camryn Ly, Campbell Manning, Sophia Nielsen, Ava Park, Ariya Rajani, Chloe Rempel, Alexis Saban, Camille Shoemaker, Ella Storms, Audrey Tong, Brisa Vadori, Ivy Waggott

Players: Conor Carragher, Anisha Chadha, Erioluwa DayoOjeleye, Silas Hastey, Kaitlyn Janisch, Henry Jiang, Gareth Jones, Philip Korenowski, Reyansh Raturi, Amadeo Reid, Lachlan Snihur, Landon Thiem, Oliver Wells, Dylan Wolgemuth

Staff: Darryl Saban, Yao Zheng, Paul Manning, Jayson Abrams, Glen Shoemaker, Shaun Bannink, Dean Storms, Scott Darling, Ben Rempel, Kevin Vadori

Staff: Bryn Jones, Cindy Janisch, Chad Snihur, Andrew Wells, Aaron Thiem, Jay Wolgemuth

33

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 11 U 11 TIER 6 GREEN EG403 – EGHA HUSKIES

Gold Medal Winner

KAYLEE LIEN AGE: 10

YEARS PLAYED: 4 SCHOOL GRADE: 5 CURRENT TEAM: EG403 - Huskies POSITION: Right Wing ROLE MODEL: My Mom FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: San Jose Sharks Players: Arianna Calliou, Alexis Chenoweth, Zoha Choudhary, Madeleine Fritz, Adelae Giasson, Olivia Graff, Ezra Layman, Kaylee Lien, Lucille Marr, Charlotte Muntain, Sarah Redhead, Danika Reinhart, Nicola Sutton, Emalee Welch, Rielle Wrightsell Staff: Chris Giasson, Amanda Meyer, Clayton Anderson, Matt Chenoweth, Chris Welch, Erin Graff, Michelle Welch, Andrew Sutton

U 11 TIER 6 RED

OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Swimming FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: When I scored my first goal!

U 11 FEMALE

KC408 - ST. MATTHEW CYCLONES

LE407 - LEDUC ATOMC ROUGHNECKS

Players: Kingsley Brady, Keeyan Brady-Whitstone, Leighlind Eely-Foster, Gage Gittel, Hendrix Hill, Jad Kamal, Davin Longson, Harley-Gene Poon, Trevor Poon, Nathan Sieben, Prabhveer Singh, Nikolai Sturko, Maddix Valley

Players: Peyton Anholt, Brielle Assaly, Fraya Bencharski, Delilah Boyd, Izabel Drader, Erica Fedechko, Jordan Fillenberg, Monroe Finley, Layla Leontowich, Molly McEvoy, Karly McLean, Brinley Nelson, Kenzie Nelson, Adriana Tapsoba-Ouedraogo

Staff: Mark Sturko, T-H Poon, Ross Longson, Troy Gittel, Jodi Foster, Shayne Foster

34

FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Brent Burns

Staff: Brad Nelson, Jason Boyd, Kurtis Drader, Leann Leontowich, Ryan Assaly, Scott McLean, Michelle McLean

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 13 U 13 TIER 1 BLUE

SN501 - STONY PLAIN PREDATORS

Players: Garret Bearhead, Kalen Booth, Taysen Buck, Jace Frencheater, Tyler Henderson, Harlee Houle, Karter Kirkman, Austin Lake, Matthew Mehling, Patrick Michelin, Pryce Myshak, Liam Schroeder, Charlie Skalicky, Kade Steffler, Deegen Waldner

U 13 TIER 1 RED ST501 - STRATHCONA

Players: Thailyn Bass, Max Booth, CJ Coffin, Will Dawson, Trayce Fuller, Cale Helfrich, Kohan Huisman-Stewart, Egan Kenny, Dalton Kinnie, Ben Li, Matthew Melnichuk, Kolby Nordin, Lincoln Roma, Cole Stawnychy, Rory Stephen, Hunter Witholt

Staff: Alana Kirkman, Trevor Steffler, Rob Kirkman, Kendall Booth, Dwight Waldner, Craig Mehling, Chris Skalicky

Staff: Clay Coffin, Lindsay Roma, Trevor Dawson, Sean Fuller, Brendan Kenny, Dan Stawnychy, Mike Booth, Brandon Stewart

U 13 TIER 2 BLUE

U 13 TIER 2 GREEN

BE502 - BEAUMONT BRAVES

SG503 - SPRUCE GROVE SPARTANS

Players: Victor Banic, Lexi Brookman, Cole Chamberland, James Corcoran, Bennet Dickinson, Dex Green, Kingston Liknes, Mason Lloyd, Zachary Lowe, Cash Maksym, Jhett Manning, Sawyer Passmore, Jude Radwan, Sheldon Ruzycki, Kyan Schneidmiller, Cohen Soucy, Aiden Teghtmeyer

Players: Colton Antypowich, Lucas Beaudry, Rydan Chamzuk, Cole Cripps, Julie Fricker, Zachary Getzinger, Noah Grenier, Cameron Koster, Shea McIntosh, Cole Pernitsky, Ethan Rogers, Evan Sadoway, Justin Schultz, Theron Visser, Beckett Welch, Hudson Wensley

Staff: Shaun Green, Jay Brookman, Richard Chamberland, Dustin Lloyd, Alex Lowe, Emma Brookman

Staff: Jason Fricker, Jonathan Pernitsky, Duane Schultz, Colin Welch, Lisa Cripps

35

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 13 U 13 TIER 2 RED

FS501 - FORT SASK RANGERS

Players: Ava Anderson, Braxton Brook, Luke Chaulk, Samuel Cutting, Nathan DeSmet, Issac Hickson, Wyatt Kucharski, Kai Levesque, Lennan Macaulay, Brady Monteith, Drew O’Brien, Logan Pedersen, Benjamin Phillips, Alex Pinno, Avery Preville, Kaiden Siever, Jayden Walsh Staff: Aaron DeSmet, Jared Cutting, Michael Phillips, Grant Monteith, Tommi Siever

U 13 TIER 3 GREEN CO505 - CONFED

Players: Benjamin Borshowa, Gavin Cho, Edward Conquest, Ian Fink, Wyatt Hesse, Brody Katers, Jack Knox, Jimmy Kontargy, Egan Lacey, Gavin Morris, Blake Noga, Carter Pretzlaff, Benjamin Strickland, Owen Wallace, Eric Woeppel, Gavin Young Staff: Scott Morris, Jeff Conquest, Justin Noga, Kevin Lacey, Rick Young, Ron Pretzlaff, Greg Fink

36

U 13 TIER 3 BLUE

CO504 - CONFED REAPERS

Players: Thomas Anderson, Ilhan Bhimani, Taylor Blackburn, Adam Braul, Emerson Brinkman, Edward Conquest, Ethan Gonzalez, Owen Grabas, Kenji Hutchison, Calvin Krueger, Jonas Lopatka, Holt Mastaller, Liam Rundberg-Duchene, Clare Tao, Conner Wasylycia, Sean Whelan, Keasen Wright Staff: Jeremy Grabas, Bryan Braul, Cameron Brinkman, Cameron Hutchison, Dwayne Blackburn, Greg Wright, Theresa Rundberg

U 13 TIER 3 RED

SW506 - SWAT RENEGADES

Players: Jackson Ackerman, Pearson Albert, Archie Anand, Cooper Anderson, Armaan Chatterjee, Theodore Cundict, Dimitri Georgoulas, Praim Grewal, Zachary Haponiuk, Konstantine Lamouelle, Noah Lee, Liam Lewis, Hudson Macaulay, Drew MacPherson, Rocky Magnan, Nolan McConaghie, Matthew Ozum, Max Stewart, Aurick Vignal, Jerry Jiarui Wang Staff: Brennan McConaghie, Jasper Lamouelle, Doah Ozum, Trevor Macaulay, Trevor Albert, Kristy Ackerman

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 13 U 13 TIER 4 BLUE

SW508 – SWAT GOOSEPACK

Players: Ha-Rham An, Ahrshanth Anand, Trystan Barlow, Carter Bishop, Evan Burnett, Graden Cooper, Jayden Han, Zachary Haponiuk, Kelsey Kehbila, Julian Kickham, Liam Lewis, Ewan MacDonald, Rocky Magnan, Maxwell Mason, Tyler Morley, Rowan Sampson-Gough, Oakley Tanner Staff: Troy MacDonald, Renee Cote, Dave Cooper, Francis Gough, Barrie Tanner, Colin Morley

U 13 TIER 4 GREEN

BE506 - BEAUMONT BRAVES

Players: Zaine Boutin, Ethan Boyko, Samuel Brown, Michael Brown, Griffin Clark, Arinoro Farrell, Jack Goplin, Mark Hart, Jacob LaFrance, Elliot Lothrop, Jakob MacVicar, Heath Maksym, Shae McMaster, Nolan Morris, Beau Rudzki, Owen Vekved Staff: Kris Vekved, Kelly Morris, Gary Thibault, Jonathan Hart, Susan Clark

37

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 13 U 13 TIER 4 ORANGE

FS503 - FORT SASK RANGERS

Players: Matteo Anthony, Blair Carlson, Braydan Davis, Caleb Ethier, Damean Hammer, Landon Hunt, Dominic Kam, Brecken Kirkey, James Leckie, Jace Lenton, Peter Michaelchuk, Jacob Van Hecke, Blake Verigin, Jaiden Walters, Nathanial Ward Staff: Sean Michaelchuk, Jeff Van Hecke, Shayne Davis, Fabiola Naranjo, Roger Ethier

U 13 TIER 5 BLUE EN501 - ENOCH

Players: Kyrie Brule, Kingston Burns, Greysen Cruz Morin, Nevaeh Cutknife Foulds, Maverick Gambler, Raquel Halcrow-Calliou, Tayvin Hunter-Moosewah, Amerie Morin, Diaz Morin, Graitrell Morin, Jordan Morin, Katori Morin, Waukeen Morin, Drayden Neyando, Danisha Rowan, Cael Sharphead Staff: Jonathan Morin, Clayton Morin, Christian Foulds, Bryan Sharphead

38

U 13 TIER 4 RED SG505 - SPRUCE GROVE

Players: Bently Alook, Connor Covill, Jordan Doyle, Gage Irion, Zaidyn Keith, Tristan Krahn, Mack Linton, Brekyn Lucas, Landon Lyle, Asher Muyres, Knox Penney, Colby Rychlik, Zack Schickler, Jace Tabaka, Isaac Templar, Bryson Wiche Staff: Yvonne King, Curtis Irion, Bryan Linton, Dan Rychlik, Derrick Tabaka, Jamie Doyle, Nicholas Schmidt

U 13 TIER 5 GREEN

SA512 - ST ALBERT ICE DOGS

Players: Alexander Brouse, Joshua Clarke, Colten Croswell, Caden Duchscher, Mason Jones, Max Mifflin, Austin Olmstead, Roman Paterson, Broden Radomske, Tyson Reddick, Winston Rivard, Isaac Samuel, Jesse Shumaker, Bowen Sword, Connor Volpatti, Brody Walsh, Grayson Yaganiski Staff: Tony Abrantes, Brian Brouse, Devin Clarke, Jason Yaganiski, Shelly Shumaker

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 13 U 13 TIER 5 ORANGE

WM508 - WHITEMUD WEST OUTLAWS

Gold Medal Winner

JACOB LEMKE AGE: 11

YEARS PLAYED: 7 SCHOOL GRADE: 6 CURRENT TEAM: Whitemud West U13 508 Outlaws POSITION: Defence ROLE MODEL: My Parents FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: Edmonton Oilers FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Kale Makar

Players: Kolton Alook, Derek Chwyl, Levi Kelemen, Javier Chow, Graeson Borosiuk, Reeve Forbes, Silas Santos, Brendan Moller, Gavin Goodrunning, Kayden MacDonald, Felix Nicholson, Jacob Lemke, Hendrix Huculak, Tyler Harris, Logan Norman, Jack Murphy Staff: Mike Borosiuk, Jeff Chow, Doug Moller, Mark Huculak JACOB (L) & BRENDAN (R)

Gold Medal Winner

GRAESON BROSIUK

OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Snowboarding, Skateboarding & Video Games FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: This is the second time my team has won gold at QEMHW, but this year was the best because I won it with my buddy Brendan!

U 13 TIER 5 RED

SP508 - SHERWOOD PARK SERPENTS

AGE: 11 YEARS PLAYED: 8 SCHOOL GRADE: 6 CURRENT TEAM: Whitemud West U13 508 Outlaws POSITION: Centre ROLE MODEL: My Parents FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: Colorado Avalanche FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Marc-Andre Fleury OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Skiing, Lacrosse & Basketball FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: Winning QEMHW 2022 with my friends and my dad as the coach!

Players: Cohen Bachman, Liam Bazar, Lynkin Doucet, Ty Gilewich, Brody Girouard, Gavin Jensen, Graham Kerr, Moses Koshuta, Dylan Lawrence, Andrew McNeill, Chase Miskew, Anderson Moore, Kayden Nair, Peyton Pretula, Oliver Seaby, Jayden Shinness Staff: Bruce Jensen, Steve Pretula, Weylin Gilewich, Brandon Danyluik, John McNeill, Ryan Nair, Lyle Seaby

39

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 13 U 13 TIER 6 BLUE CO508 – CONFED CHAOS

Players: James Beattie, Carrick Degenhardt, Ian Degenhardt, Nathan Fleury, Nathan Fuder, Jayden Hart, Joshua Hill, Kaelan Hosford, Jonas Howatson, Kriyash Mayalagu, Mason Rogers, Benjamin Rogerson, Coven Sauve, Dylan Truong Staff: Mike Degenhardt, Mark Hill, Jason Howatson, Matthew Rogerson, Rory Degenhardt

U 13 TIER 6 RED

LE506 – LEDUC ROUGHNECKS

Players: Vaven Andrukonis, Jayce Biefus, Rhys Camplin, Chase Ceaser, Ashton Cole, James Cuffe, Ryder Johnstone, Cameron Keirle, Sawyer Kerr, Sam Kirk, Lucas Klatt, Alexandria McDougall, Nolan Pahl, Acelynn Piche, Kyelir Purcell, Daniel Reid, Colton Rombough, Nate Ross Staff: Jay Cole, Wes Keirle, Dwight Kerr, Billy Piche, Darby Rombough, Julie Klatt, Lisa Ludwig

40

U 13 TIER 6 GREEN

BE508 - BEAUMONT BRAVES

Players: Kaitlyn Bain, Charlie Balsdon, Austin Boisvert, Everett Brown, Austin Caswell, Carter Cross, Ryan Falkiner, Evan Julien, Carson Marvin, Braeden Millwater, Brody O’Connor, Ethan Parson, Brody Rustad, Dillon Seery, Andrew Spink, Brett Urlep Staff: Ryan O’connor, Corrina O’Connor, Alois Urlep, Brad Julien, Bradley Marvin, Duncan Bain, Josh Caswell, Zachery Millwater

U 13 FEMALE

WE501 – WETASKIWIN QUEENS

Players: Bria Baehler, Makenna Bailey, Tyler Devine, Bethany Driedger, Kinnley Gessner, Makenna Johnson, Hudsynn McCauley, Kirsten Russell, Tia Saddleback, Chevelle Saulteaux, Carley Schamber, Mikenna Silzer, Mikaela Silzer, Mackenzie Speth, Mackayla Strader, Illianna Strader. Norah Zarantonello Staff: Trevor Saulteaux, Mike Johnson, Matthew Strader, Alison Baehler

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 15 U 15 TIER 1 BC KC601 - SABRES

Players: Tyler Bennett, Marcus Cieply, Ivan Debski, Brandon Flasha, Maddox Hage, Oscar Hazen, Cooper Hillaby, River Lorentz, Bohdi MacDonald, Ryder Morgan, Keir Neill, Maverick Nordstrom, John Penney, Tristan Savill, Alexander Sawers, Hudson Slobinyk Brody Stafford, Darren Tso, Preston Wideman Staff: Sean Morgan, Stephen Tso, Myron Bennett, Matt Hage

U 15 TIER 2 BLUE BC

SG602 - SPRUCE GROVE GENERALS

U 15 TIER 1 NBC

SP605 - SHERWOOD PARK CARNAGE

Players: Nash Adam, Brayden Chalifoux, Austin Clifford, Luke Fenske, Atticus Garden, Nathan Huniak, Sasha Johnson, Vasyl Johnson, Cael Lambert, Marc Laventure, Nathan Mischke, Cohen Oosterveld, Taiven Pring, Carsten Scheuer, Nicholas Stelmach, Kade Tennant, Loghan Wray, Keagan Ouellette, Peyton Rayfield Staff: Louis Laventure, Troy Adam, Mark Chalifoux, Ken Stelmach, Brent Lambert, Bruce Fenske, Johnny Wray, Trevor Pring, Alicia Huniak

Gold Medal Winner

DAMON FISHER AGE: 13 YEARS PLAYED: 9 SCHOOL GRADE: 8 CURRENT TEAM: SG602 - Spruce Grove Generals POSITION: Left Wing ROLE MODEL: Jordan Eberle FAVOURITE HOCKEY TEAM: Edmonton Oilers

Players: Ty Anthieren, Brody Barrett, Owen Boulter, Nolan Butz, Thomas Desjarlais, Kaelen Dunlop-Cooper, Damon Fisher, Brady Galliford, Jaxon Kennedy, Joshua Mennie, Nash Radke, Carson Sampson, Hunter Shewfelt, Kristian Wagner, Jaren Ward, Tristan Wood Staff: Shane Boulter, Jacqueline Sampson, Gary Anthieren, Brad Galliford, Jason Kennedy

FAVOURITE HOCKEY PLAYER: Connor McDavid OTHER HOBBIES & INTERESTS: Basketball FAVOURITE HOCKEY MEMORY: Scoring 4 goals to win the QEMHW final!

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GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 15 U 15 TIER 2 NBC

SA616 - ST ALBERT TITANS

Players: Seth Bogart, Ethan Christensen, Landyn Currie, Noah Fritzke, Delaine Genereux, Cole Groff, Connor Hill, Gryphon Kahpeaysewat, Cashton Mattar, Nolan McBean, Kale Okerman, Chaseton Paulsen, Truman Pringle, Blake Reiter, Noah Thornton, Maxton Warawa, Blair Williams Staff: Rick Reiter, Mateo Valerio, Nik Valerio, Issac Reid, Andrew Hill, Kerri Groff

U 15 TIER 3 BLUE BC SZ606 - SWZ OIL KINGS

Players: Jayden Aguilar, Bennett Brown, Yonas Burgess, Hunter Dunnigan, Scott Erskine, Zachary Furtas, Nichoulas Hunter, Max Jessey, Matthew Lee, Larsen Loowell, Ewan Manning, Jack McGillivray, Grady McMullen, Kaden Puhlmann, Hudson Sharpe, Gabriel Sheehy, Silas Shillabeer, William Spencer, Cole Tetreault Staff: Ryan Furtas, Ivan Jessey, Kurt Puhlmann, Brent Sharpe, Jason Sheehy, Shawn Tetreault, Selena Chow Erskine, Lauren Storey

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U 15 TIER 2 RED BC

NE601 – NEZ CHAOS

Players: William Abbott, Keaton Ards, Avri Begic, Marino Diberardino, Evan Gagne, Justin Gottfriedson, Kaelan Gottfriedson, Rylan Hoshko, Graham Morrison, Jaxon Peters, Hayden Schurman, Kaleb Smith, Tobias Sommer, Jayden Starchuk, Brennan Tustin, Aidan Wright, Tayo Yachimec Staff: Charles Gottfriedson, Lisa Wright, Dean Wright, Scott Abbott, Jason Peters, Dean Starchuk

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 15 U 15 TIER 3 BLUE NBC SE606 - SEERA

Players: Ali Akbar Dhanji, Sydnee Bell, Cayden Boland, Jesse Coones, Eli Edward, Eryk Farmer, Jaxxen Fulfit-Hollman, Owen Himschoot, Rudra Jasrotia, Naveen Khosa, Gabriel McDonald, Baden Miller, Vincent Myroniuk, Pall Osrunn, Maxwell Outram, Alberto Ramirez, Fenton Rogucki, Karman Singh Brar, Garveen Singh Mavi, Teague Yerex Staff: Derrick Outram, Kyla Farmer, Keith Yerex, Colin Rogucki, Kevin Himschoot, Tim Osrunn

U 15 TIER 3 BLUE NBC

BE604 - BEAUMONT BRAVES

Players: Charlotte Aitkin, Tyler Boucher, Nicholas Brown, Memphis Callahan, Luke Craik, Lucas Da Estrela, Dominique Despres, Jacob Garraway, Riley Gauthier, Ethan Gyonyor, Jonas Kruk, Richard Macdonald, Cael Mattia, Evan Paulson, Brandt Taylor Staff: Michael Garraway, Natasha Da Estrela, Chris Macdonald, Craig Gauthier, Chris Kruk, Bob Brown

U 15 TIER 3 RED BC

SU601 - STURGEON MUSTANGS

TM

BASELINE

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At CSN Baseline, we’ll straighten it out!

csnbaseline.com • 780-464-1656 161 Seneca Rd, Sherwood Park

Players: Rylan Arcand, Shawn Bauwens, Seth Camarta, Zander Chambers, Beck Champagne, Logan de Champlain, Mason de Champlain, Ethan Deren, Cash Fedorvich, Hudsen Gauthier, Leland House, Hunter Jarrell, Blake Latta, Marek Marczak, Daniel O’Connor, Easton Roy, Jaxon Strand Staff: Ryan Deren, Jennifer O Connor, Jason Champagne, Marshall Fedorvich, Gregg Bauwens, Dave O’Connor

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 15 U 15 FEMALE A EG602 - EGHA

Players: Mia Abe, Sofia Aujla, Keira Boekestyn, Alyssa Capone, Eileen Cho, Lainey Choma, Taya Kowalchuk, Rhael Lee, Kenzie Lemay, Raegan Powder, Makayla Rose, Katie Russell, Rebecca Shkrobot, Catarina Stolte, Emma Taylor, Grace Truscott, Addyson Woloschuk, Raina Wrightsell Staff: Jody Shkrobot, Kara Lemay, Kurt Kowalchuk, Michael Shkrobot, Danielle Paradis, Art Truscott

U 15 FEMALE B

WE601 – WETASKIWIN QUEENS

Players: Dena Crier, Miika Cutknife, Jaedyn Dewald, Sarah Dickau, Kaylee Firingstoney Saddleback, Shaylan Heilman, Taylor Heilman, Kayla Jaffray, Addison Johnson, Richlyn Littlechild, Ava Longjohn, Bryn Murphy, Ryanna Parker, Jayda Redcrow, Isabelle Sillito, Chelsea Tost, Charley Ware, Liberty Ware, Mya Zarantonello Staff: Dan Sillito, Christa Ermineskin, Trent Heilman, Eddie Tost, Scott Dewald, Jaelyn Wolter

GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 18 U 18 TIER 1 BC NW701 - NWZ THUNDER

U 18 TIER 1 NBC SZ707 - SWZ OIL KINGS

Players: Ryley Cameron, Sam Campbell, Brock Fersovich, Jack Fink, Arden Foster, Kyle French, Gabe Galloway, JD Hemming, Matteo Ippolto, Rhys Kleinmann, Kellen Kowalchuk, Kale Lisowski, Nathan Lister, Tyler Lockman, Jaedan Morin, Karston Nagel, Brody Panich, Cade Prior, Ryan Sarnelli

Players: William Baillie, Cole Barlage, Seamus Belton, Adam Carson, Ethan Dey, Ethan Down, Zachary Down, Matthew Fechner, James Haverstock, Joshua Humen, Zachariah Krukewich, Matheson Pohl, Brandon Ramirez, Liam Reiter, Tyler Sharpe, Steven Stankovic, Stephen Tomich, Jack Wagner

Staff: Dave Dumas, Clint Marcotte, Austin Pilkey, Brad Galloway, Paul Kolida, Scott Cameron

Staff: Bruce Wagner, Cam Dey, Brent Sharpe, Gerald Barlage, Mike Humen

U 18 TIER 2 BC NW702 - NWZ CYCLONES

U 18 TIER 2 NBC SZ708 - SWZ OIL KINGS

Players: Jacob Cannon, Alexander Decock, Michael Fourlaris, Jayce Gagne, Saylor Geddes, Sebastian Horcica, Manuel Ibarra – Selby, Cohen Kushnerik, Xander Loeffler, Jett Melnyk, Avery Ozbey, Bo Phibbs, Justin Ross, Gavrie Shishkin, Jacob Skiffington, Caden Van Horne, Cedar Vanderkley, Sam Yip Staff: Lindsey Lammiman, Michele Yip, Jake Ford, Mike Cannon, Ashley Schneider, Chris Decock

Players: Krishan Abela, Samuel Brown, Bryant Casem, Elijah Cummer, Nathanael Edmundson, Damon English, Jacob Forsyth, Kristofer Kristjanson, Lyndon Lavergne, Evan Leblanc, Carter Lemiski, Joshua Lutz-Berube, Andrew Maclure, Connor Mah, Gabriel Ng, Wageyahwecha Potts-Price, Michael Russell Staff: Jason Russell, Jason Mah, Jayson Lavergne, Doug Forsyth, Bobbi Kristjanson

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GOLD MEDAL WINNING TEAMS - U 18 U 18 TIER 3 BC NE702 - NEZ

Players: Cole Bartel, Kieren Bourne, Thomas Comerford, Riley Cote, Maisen Deschene, Reece Dowling, Nathaniel Duggins, Adam Edge, Brayden Ference, Ameen Haymour, Tristan Marling, AJ Moussa, Chase Noppers, Jeevan Panesar, Jacob Peacock, Colton Pinch, Noah Sembaluk, Shawn Stang Staff: R. Andre Bourne, Kelly Peacock, Dylan Viera, Stephanie Marling

U 18 FEMALE A

SP750 - SHERWOOD PARK FUZION

Players: Brooke Babyck, Samantha Divincenzo, Alexis Gaskell, McKenna Goeree, Mikayla Hipkiss, Siera Kozak, Abby Match, Kendra McMillan, Cara O’Brien, Hailey O’Brien, Breanna Parsons, Quinn Pederson, Eryn Pidwerbeski, Kayla Robins, Molly Roth, Taylor Thompson, Talia Vetsch Staff: Brent Babyck, Chad Goeree, Ben Match, Jesse Kozak, Jackie O’Brien, Joanne Parsons

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U 18 TIER 3 NBC

BE703 - BEAUMONT BRAVES

Players: Colton Adams, Brandon Albert, Austin Bergstrom, Carter Bruhjell, Conner Christon, Kadyn Eggleton, Logan Gifford, Simon Gilbert, Marek Horvat, Connor Lupul, Scott MacDougall, Silas Marshall, James Nielsen, Riley O’Connor, Ryan Parnell, Noah Pomeroy, Dustin Saran, Dylan Sturley Staff: Alex Dyck, Noah Danilyshen, Nathan Vadagama, Cole Tracey

U 18 FEMALE B EG704 – EGHA THRASHERS

Players: Jordynn Anderson Layman, Avery Bielarczyk, Alexandra Glennie, Elsa Hurd, Taylor Kaulbach, Alexandria Kilgore, Kiera Moore, Mackenzie Morin, Hailey Norrish, Emily Park, Avabella Quiroga, Jayla Quiroga, Allison Shkrobot, Lauren Shkrobot, Carley Singleton, Ashley Stevenson, Madison Zarowny, Lauren Zinchuk Staff: Dave Quiroga, Cara Singleton, Clayton Anderson, Orest Zinchuk, Scott Glennie, Anne-Marie Lambert, Treena Kwong

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT SP TLIGHT

ON AN OFFICIAL

By Rob Suggitt

Photos By SC Parker Photography

GRAYSON

POLLOK

We met up with 20-year-old Grayson Pollok last month, to chat about his experience as a minor hockey official.

Grayson has been officiating minor hockey for over seven years, starting at the earliest possible age (13 years old).

Grayson is currently in his second year at the University of Alberta, and is majoring in psychology. While his school schedule keeps him busy, he has continued working as a minor hockey official, something he really loves to do.

Grayson took time to catch up, just as he was preparing to step on the ice for a game at Terwillegar Arena. In appreciation of his time, Hockey Edmonton Magazine awarded Grayson with a pair of lower bowl seats to an Edmonton Oilers hockey game.

What made you want to become a hockey official?

After having to be sidelined from playing hockey and the rest of contact sports due to concussions, I didn’t know what sport or activity I wanted to pursue next. I was 13-years-old, and loved hockey as it was a major part of my childhood, so it was heartbreaking to completely walk away from the past seven years of my life. I also wanted to maintain a connection to the hockey community. I had a friend getting into officiating at the same time (his dad was a senior official, who worked in the WHL), so decided to sign up at the same time.

How did you “survive” your first year?

It was rough. I have lots of stories from my first year, lots of standout moments and challenges, but I learned to stay calm, and to stick with it. If someone is saying something negative, you have to block it out. My parents were very supportive. I remember a few times, texting my dad, to get him to walk me out of an arena after a heated game. There were a few times like that, but there are way more amazing games you get to do.

What level of hockey are you currently officiating?

I’m currently working a lot of higher level hockey. Lots of U16 and U15 AAA, AA, and prep. I am also officiating junior C, along with U15 and U18 tiers 1 to 3, checking and non-checking leagues.

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Do you usually do lines or mostly refereeing? (And what do you prefer?)

It depends what level of hockey it is. For my AAA, prep and junior level games I prefer to lines. I lucked out with being tall so it makes it a lot easier when pushing lines at the higher levels. On the other hand, doing house league and AA hockey I way rather prefer to referee those levels.

Have you officiated games during Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week, and if so, how many years have done so?

I have officiated during Edmonton minor hockey week every year since I started reffing. It is always such a fun time in the city. Getting to see all the excited kids and fans during the games is awesome.

Did you ever play in Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week, and if so, any special memories?

Every year since my first year of novice our team played in Edmonton minor hockey week. I have so many fun memories from the tournament. My second year playing U11, my team actually won the tournament. I still remember how exciting it was to take the team pictures with the banner after the game. In that game as well I scored the game-winning goal and had the nicest celebration after. That picture is still my mom’s phone screen.

What makes you volunteer your time as an official for Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week?

I remember how exciting it was as a kid to play in this tournament and all the fun I got to have. I know I would not have had those childhood memories if it wasn’t for having officials volunteer over the course of the tournament. I want to give back to the community and allow others to have a great and safe experience like I did playing.

Any special memories from Quikcard Edmonton Minor Hockey Week?

The past couple of years I have gotten the opportunity to officiate gold medal games at the tournament. This year I pushed lines in the U18 tier 1 body checking final, and the year before that I pushed lines in the U13 AA final. These games are always action packed and high intensity, which makes it always exciting to officiate.

Do you have any highlights related to any other big games or tournaments you wish to pass along?

I have gotten many amazing opportunities to officiate big games and tournaments over the past 7 years. A big milestone of mine was getting to officiate the gold medal game at the 2022 John Reid Memorial Tournament. The experience as an official was extremely memorable. Getting to meet many other officials from across Alberta was also great. As well, all the games were supervised and I received lots of feedback on how to improve as an official.

What do you enjoy most about officiating hockey games?

Officiating hockey to me has always been fun. It started as a way to stay connected to hockey and to make some money, but now it is a major part of my life. Being around such a great community of officials and doing something we all love makes it always enjoyable.

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What kind of training were/are you provided?

How do you handle criticism on the ice?

Officials across all levels of hockey are provided a mandatory clinic and examination at the beginning of every hockey season.

Throughout the year we get supervised by higher-up officials and given extensive feedback on our strengths and areas of improvement.

At the end of the day negative comments from spectators, coaches and players are not official supervisions from Hockey Alberta supervisors. They are not worth getting caught up on and taken seriously. Hockey is a very emotional game filled with many ups and downs. It’s human nature to let these emotions get to us and it’s easy for others to shift blame towards the officials in the heat of the moment.

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

So many fellow officials like Gary Greenough, Duncan MacDougall, Brandon Perri and Chris Rebus have given me tons of feedback throughout the past seven years I’ve officiated. They are always there to help provide feedback and have provided me with many amazing opportunities. I am so grateful for all that they have done to help me succeed.

What is the toughest part about being a hockey official?

The toughest part has to be staying level-headed when officiating. It can be hard as a young official to prevent the pressure from getting to you. In the heat of the game sometimes it might feel like everyone’s out to get you. It’s very important to take a deep breath and be resilient.

How has COVID affected you as a hockey official? (Or in other ways.)

COVID has affected all officials the past couple of seasons. Many of us were given the opportunity at the end of the 2020 season to get to work U15 provincials. Unfortunately that ended up being cancelled, along with the majority of the 2020-21 season.

We are all lucky to have been able to continue this 2021-22 season in a safe and careful manner.

What are your future plans as a hockey official?

My next goal as an official is to be working U18 AAA and Junior B once I’m ready to be moved up. I am highly motivated to move up, as officiating hockey is a true passion of mine.

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

As a former player, I know how frustrating it can be to be playing such a highly emotional game. When the intensity is high it’s easy to direct your frustrations toward the officials. Ninety-nine percent of the officials are not NHL calibre referees. Most of us are under 18. Yes, every official might mess up here and there, but it is definitely not worth channelling your frustration onto them. Save your comments, hold back your frustration, because at the end of the day, you never know what us officials may be dealing with. We aren’t there to ruin your day, so please be mindful of your comments and actions on and off the ice.

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PENALTY CALL SIGNALS

BOARDING

BODY CHECKING

CHECKING TO THE HEAD

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BUTT ENDING

CROSS CHECKING

HOOKING

INTERFERENCE

SLASHING

SPEARING

CHARGING

ELBOWING

KNEEING

TRIPPING

CHECKING FROM BEHIND

HIGH STICKING

HOLDING

MISCONDUCT

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT