Hockey Calgary Magazine Winter 2012-13 issue by Suggitt Publishers

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

Publisher’s Message

Hayley Wickenheiser: The World’s Best Women’s Hockey Player Ever By Jeremy Freeborn

11.

Hunter Shinkaruk: Strong Work Ethic Makes Winger a Top Draft Prospect By Jeremy Freeborn

18. Tucker Hockey: The Way to Success By Rex Tucker 20. Hockey Canada Raises Awareness of Concussions By Jeremy Freeborn 24. Spotlight on an Official By Rob Suggitt

14. Wendy’s Arena Locator Map

Hockey Magazine

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Welcome to the winter edition of the Calgary Hockey Magazine! In this issue, we have a feature interview with Haley Wickenheiser, who is considered one of the top female hockey players (if not the top player) on the planet. Wickenheiser was born in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, but moved to Calgary at an early age, and played minor hockey in Calgary during her formative years. Wickenheiser went on to become one of the most prolific female hockey players in the world, helping Canada win seven world championships, and in addition, led Canada to win gold at the last three Winter Olympic games. Wickenheiser remains a member of the Canadian national team, but she also plays for the University of Calgary Dinos, where she attends school. We met up with another local talent for an exclusive interview – 18-yearold Hunter Shinkaruk, who played for numerous teams in the Calgary minor hockey system, before being drafted 14th overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2009 Western Hockey League bantam draft. Shinkaruk has not disappointed, going on to be a leader on the team (he was appointed captain this season), and at press time, he was leading his team in scoring with 52 points (23 goals and 29 assists) in 37 games played. Shinkaruk was most recently ranked as a top ten draft pick for the 2013 NHL draft by the International Scouting Service. In rounding out this issue, we have a feature article on Tucker Hockey, which has been providing the Calgary hockey community (and southern Alberta) with top level year-round hockey instruction for over 14 years. Founded by Rex Tucker, Tucker Hockey has made a huge impact in the hockey community, not only for its professional hockey development, but also, for what they give back to the community. Tucker Hockey has been a proud sponsor (and event sponsor) for the Kids Hockey Advancement Society for the past five years, helping the society raise nearly $100,000 for worthy causes. In 2013, the society (with Tucker’s help) will once again support KidSport of Calgary, helping kids (who might not otherwise have an opportunity) to play organized sports, especially and including hockey.

Credits President and Publisher Rob Suggitt Vice President Stephen Kathnelson Art Director Christine Kucher Graphic Designer Cole Mckelvie

Contributing Writers

Jeremy Freeborn I Rex Tucker Rob Suggitt

Copy Editing Shari Narine

Photography Credits

Hockey Canada Images | David Moll | Eugene Erick

Administration Amber Grmek

#950, Bell Tower, 10104 - 103 Ave., Edmonton, AB T5J 0H8 Ph: 780-423-5834 • Fax: 780-413-6185 The Hockey 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. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed within do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher. 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

In wrapping up, we would like to wish the players, parents, coaches, officials, volunteers, etc. the very best! If you have a story idea or any suggestions for the Calgary Hockey Magazine, please pass them along! Maybe it’s a volunteer or coach who deserves some recognition. Maybe it’s a player or team who has accomplished something very special. Or maybe it’s a young hockey official who is making a positive impact to the game. You can send your ideas to “publisher@hockeymagazine.net,” and we promise a response!

DO YOU

HAVE A

MINOR

HOCKEY Sincerely, Rob Suggitt Publisher,

STORY

We are always open to suggestions for articles and stories, and in particular, at the minor hockey level. If you have a suggestion for a story, please pass it along to publisher@hockeymagazine.net.

TO TELL?

CALGARY HOCKEY MAGAZINE

Hockey Magazine

At Tim Hortons, if we can’t serve our premium blend coffee within twenty minutes of brewing it, we won’t serve it at all. That’s why we write the time on the pot, whenever we brew a fresh one. It’s how you know that you’ll always get a great-tasting cup of coffee. Always.

By Jeremy Freeborn Photo provided by Hockey Canada Images.

At 34 years of age, Hayley Wickenheiser has put together one of the greatest hockey resumes of all-time. It includes winning three Olympic gold medals and seven women’s world hockey championships. In 2007, Wickenheiser also became the first women’s hockey player to win the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award, as the Canadian Press female athlete of the year. Wickenheiser’s statistics are staggering. In the last three Olympic Winter Games where Canada has won the gold medal, she has recorded 14 goals and 24 assists in only 15 games. In 244 career games with the national team, Wickenheiser has also put together 160 goals and 194 assists for 354 points. But over the last three years, Wickenheiser has taken on a completely different challenge. She is currently a full-time student at the University of Calgary, where she also plays for the Dinos in Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s hockey action. Wickenheiser hopes to one day make a significant impact off the ice as a medical doctor.

Just don’t expect her to retire from hockey anytime soon. In an exclusive interview for Calgary Hockey Magazine, Wickenheiser indicated that she plans to play for Canada not just at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, but possibly the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea as well. “Sochi is on my radar, and beyond that I’d like to potentially keep playing, but it depends on how my medical school goes,” said Wickenheiser. “I still love to play and everybody I talk to (encourages) me to keep playing as long as I can. I wouldn’t rule out Pyeongchang yet. Right now, I don’t see myself playing after Sochi, but I still enjoy doing what I do, so I guess you never know.” Today, Wickenheiser is one of the most dynamic players in the women’s game. On an October night at Calgary’s Father David Bauer Arena, the Dinos lost to the University of Regina Cougars 4-3 in overtime. It snapped the Dinos unbelievable 22-game winning streak in non-exhibition play. However, Wickenheiser was still able to stick

Hockey Magazine

handle the puck on an end-to-end rush with amazing ease, deliver a powerful slap shot, make remarkable passes to teammates in the opposing zone and win important face-offs. Over her first two seasons as a Calgary Dino forward, Wickenheiser has led the Canada West with 17 goals each season. She has also added 38 assists for 72 points in only 31 games. Expectations are high this season for the U of C Dinos because they are the defending CIS champions. In 2012, for the first time in university history, the Dinos won the national championship in women’s hockey beating the University of Montreal Carabins 5-1 in the final game at Edmonton’s Clare Drake Arena. “The girls are feeling the pressure of winning, being the champions, and what that feels like every night,” said Wickenheiser. “Everybody is gunning for you and there is no easy game. Everybody is wanting to knock off the champion from a year ago. It has put us in an interesting spot we have never been in before.” Unlike the Canadian national team, Wickenheiser isn’t the captain for the Dinos. Wickenheiser has no problems that teammate Tanya Morgan wears the “C.” “It’s good that I’m not the captain of this team,” said Wickenheiser. “I’m not really in the same peer group as a lot of these girls who are in their early 20s. I think it is the best thing for the team. If they have questions, they can ask me. It’s not important. It actually makes for a better team dynamic.” A major reason why Wickenheiser chose the University of Calgary over other Canadian institutions was because of the Dinos’ head coach. The current bench boss is Danielle Goyette, who was a teammate of Wickenheiser when Canada won the Olympic gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino. “She’s a great coach,” said Wickenheiser. “She’s probably a better coach than she was a player, and she was one of the top three players to ever play the game. Danielle is also a friend of mine. We see the game at pretty much the same level. We never seem to have arguments or disagreements, and if we do, they’re very short lived. We have mutual respect for each other. I really enjoy working with her and the coaching staff.” Goyette also has high praise for Wickenheiser. “When you have a player like Hayley, it is going to help your team for sure. This program has improved a lot the last couple of years. But at the end of the day, one player will not win games for you. This team is getting better and better, and we have to make sure we support Hayley the best we can. We have to make sure we can keep up with her. Players learn from what she does on the ice every day, not just in games, but in practice too,” said Goyette. One of those players that has clearly benefited from Wickenheiser’s presence is Iya Gavrilova. A native of Russia, Gavrilova led the Dinos with a plus 24 last season, and was second in team scoring to Wickenheiser with 27 points in 21 games. “Iya is the player that improved the most last year,” said Goyette. “She came here and worked pretty hard in the summer and we can see the benefits already. She has so much skill. Playing with Wick helps. They complete each other on the same line. When you have two players like that, you count on them. At the same time other players are learning how to move the puck and get open when they don’t have the puck. They are two good role models for our team.”

Photo provided by Hockey Canada Images.

“While taking kinesiology and pre-med this past year, Wickenheiser had a 3.96 grade point average and won the Capital One Academic AllAmerica of the year award ” It is evident however that Wickenheiser is not just a role model on the ice at the University of Calgary, but in the classroom as well. According to www.godinos.com, while taking kinesiology and premed this past year, Wickenheiser had a 3.96 grade point average and won the Capital One Academic All-America of the year award (for athletic and academic excellence) as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. All student athletes from Canadian universities, the NAIA and two-year programs within the United States were eligible.

On the international level, Wickenheiser is making a significant impact off the ice as well. She is currently an athlete ambassador co-ordinator for the International Ice Hockey Federation. Wickenheiser was put in this role to help bridge the gap between the North American hockey nations (Canada and the United States) versus the rest of the world. “I’m the co-ordinator of the athlete mentor program. I’m in charge of the athlete mentors and their relationships with the different nations that they’re paired with. I help ensure things are going smoothly,” said Wickenheiser. On the morning that Canada beat the United States 2-0 in the gold medal game at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge stated, “We cannot continue without improvement.” Rogge’s message was clear. Because many national hockey federations give minimal funds to their women’s hockey development system, the future of women’s hockey in the Olympics is in jeopardy. Wickenheiser is helped in her international role by having strong relationships in Finland and Sweden, where she has played professionally in men’s leagues in the past, and has built excellent global connections with the Right to Play organization.

There is no question that not only the women’s hockey community, but society as a whole, has benefited by Hayley Wickenheiser’s outstanding contributions. It may not be long before the medical community also benefits from the Wickenheiser factor.

Photos provided by David Moll

Hockey Magazine

gene Erick

Photo provided by Eu

Freeborn By Jeremy

When the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, in late June, a Calgary native is projected to be a high first round draft pick. Hunter Shinkaruk, a left winger for the Medicine Hat Tigers, is also the sixth best prospect currently playing in the Canadian Hockey League and the eighth best eligible prospect by the International Scouting Service.

The 18 year-old was 12th in Western Hockey League scoring a year ago with 91 points (49 goals and 42 assists). This season, Shinkaruk was given more leadership responsibilities for the team as he was rewarded with the Tigersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; captaincy. Shinkaruk has represented Canada well on the international scene. This past April, he helped lead Team Canada to a third-place finish at the International Ice Hockey Federation under-18 World Championship in Brno, Czech Republic. In the bronze medal game,

Hockey Magazine

Photo provided by Randy J. Feere Shinkaruk recorded a hat trick and scored the overtime winner as Team Canada defeated Team Finland 5-4. Shinkaruk ended the tournament with four goals and four assists in six games. “Anytime you get to put on the Canadian logo, it’s a huge honour,” said Shinkaruk. “To have the tournament I did have was unbelievable. Anytime I get that opportunity, it’s something I take a lot of honour and pride in. I scored the hat trick on my Mom’s birthday, so that was pretty special too.” Another memorable goal in Shinkaruk’s career came at the 2011 World under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg where he scored the game winning goal for Team Pacific in a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic. Team Pacific went on to win the bronze medal in that tournament. Shinkaruk continued his excellent play from last season with a great start early in the 2012-13 WHL season. He was named the WHL’s player of the week from Sept. 24-30, having had one goal and five assists in two Tiger victories over the Red Deer Rebels and Regina Pats. Shinkaruk also demonstrated fantastic skill in an impressive 10-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Oct. 26. Playing in front of his family at the Scotiabank Saddledome, he scored a goal and four assists in a five-point outing. Being a Medicine Hat Tiger is special for Shinkaruk.

“It’s huge,” he said. “This is an organization that has had so many great players. They treat their players with so much respect. I take a lot of pride in putting on this logo every single day. I can’t say enough for what they’ve done for me.” The personal accolades have great significance for Shinkaruk, but he realizes hockey is a team sport. “It is all about the team winning,” Shinkaruk said. “That is what I’m the most proud of.” Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston, older brother of former Ottawa Senators head coach Cory Clouston, has high praise for Shinkaruk. “He is a very talented player. He has great vision, great speed, and is very creative. He also has a great shot. But I think as a person, he is just as impressive. He is very committed to what he does. He is very driven. He has a goal of playing hockey at the highest level and he works at it every day,” said Clouston. It is Shinkaruk’s playmaking ability that has him high on the NHL draft board. Over the last two seasons, his prolific passing has been a major reason why his linemates have done as well as they have statistically. Last season, Anaheim Ducks’ first round draft pick Emerson Etem scored 61 goals and 46 assists for 107 points, and finished seventh in WHL scoring. So far in 2012-13, Tigers’ center Curtis Valk has been the beneficiary of playing with Shinkaruk, as Valk has 34 points in his

Photo provided by Randy J. Feere

“He is a very talented player. He has great vision, great speed, and is very creative. He also has a great shot. But I think as a person, he is just as impressive. He is very committed to what he does. He is very driven. He has a goal of playing hockey at the highest level and he works at it every day.” first 22 games, and scored four times in the Tigers’ 10-goal lopsided win over Calgary, with Shinkaruk registering an assist each time. Heading into the season, there were some who wondered if Shinkaruk would be able to continue to deliver outstanding offensive numbers because he would no longer get to play alongside Etem. But he has silenced the critics, posting 15 goals and 18 assists in only 22 games. Shinkaruk’s start in the game of hockey is an interesting story. His father Roger has been the long-time team dentist for the Calgary Hitmen, and Shinkaruk grew up close to Calgary’s WHL team. “He took me to practices,” Hunter recalled. ”I fell in love with the game right away. I knew at an early age this is what I wanted to do and it has turned into a great passion.” Shinkaruk played with numerous teams based in Calgary prior to being Medicine Hat’s first round draft pick, 14th overall in the 2009 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. His teams include Elbow Park, Glenlake, Calgary Royals Bantam AAA team and the Calgary Royals Midget AAA team. Grant Fagerheim, currently the vice-chair of the Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors, is also Shinkaruk’s former hockey coach and is the person Shinkaruk would like to thank the most.

“I always try to get stronger defensively and offensively,” he said. “It doesn’t really stop on getting better. You can never be satisfied with where you’re at.”

Right now, Shinkaruk is focused on having a productive season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. His strong work ethic and teamoriented approach should pay dividends for Shinkaruk not only for the remainder of the Western Hockey League season, but at the professional level as well.

“He’s the guy who taught me to play the game and respect the game every single day,” said Shinkaruk. “He’s the guy I look to for advice all the time. Great coaches are tough to pinpoint.” Shinkaruk wears number nine in honour of his favourite player growing up, Mike Modano, formerly of the Dallas Stars. “I loved watching him play while I was young,” remembered Shinkaruk. “Today, I really like Sidney Crosby. I really like how he handles himself off the ice.” To play in the National Hockey League, Shinkaruk realizes there is a significant amount of work he still needs to do.

Hockey Magazine

WENDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LOCATIONS Calgary

1. 475 - 36 St. NE 273-4740 2. 3311 - 26th St. NE 250-6698 3. 1181 - 49th Ave. NE 730-5250 4. 3232 Sunridge Blvd. NE 250-8990 5. 105, 3660 Westwinds Dr. NE 280-3411 6. 1927 Uxbridge Dr. NW 282-5831 7. 8435 Bowfort Rd. NW 286-6660 8. 4122 Brentwood Rd. NW 282-5216 9. 121, 150 Crowfoot Cres NW 239-2620 10. 900, 388 Country Hills Blvd. 226-5882 11. 7109 MacLeod Trail S. 253-5333 12. 1304 - 17th Ave. SW 245-0252 13. 1720 - 37th St. SW 246-0065 14. 5929 Signal Hill Ctr. SW 246-2846 15. 150 - 6 Ave SW (Suncor) 290-0489 16. 425 - 1 St SW (5th Ave Place) 264-7809 17. 401 - 9th Ave. SW(Gulf) 266-3855 18. 410, 303 Shawville Blvd. SE 254-4540 19. 444 - 58th Ave. SE 259-5668 20. 240 Midpark Way SE 254-5120 21. 8911 Bonaventure Dr. SE 252-5494 22. 4307 - 130th Ave. SE 257-3719 23. 5303 - 68th Ave. SE 279-2257 24. 4605 - 25th St. SE 272-7333 25. #2, 5 Heritage Gate SE 258-2570 Airdrie 26. 180 East Lake Cres. NE

948-2108

Okotoks 27. 18 Southridge Dr.

995-2552

ARENA LOCATOR 1. Acadia Recreation Complex 240 90 Ave. SE 2. Bowness Sportsplex 7809 43 Ave. NW 3. Brentwood Sportsplex Northmount Drive & 35 St. NW 4. Calgary Centennial Arenas - Blue Calgary Centennial Arenas - Gold 2390 47 Ave. SW 5. Cardel Place - East Cardel Place -West 11950 Country Village Link NE 6. Crowchild - Blue Crowchild - Red 185 Scenic Acres Dr. NW 7. Crowfoot 8080 John Laurie Blvd. NW 8. East Calgary - Blue East Calgary - Red 299 Erinwoods Dr. SE 9. Ed Whalen Joe Kryczka 2000 Southland Dr. SW 10. Ernie Starr 4808 14 Ave. SE 11. Family Leisure Centre 11150 Bonaventure Dr. SE 12. Father David Bauer Norma Bush 2424 University Dr. NW 13. Frank McCool 1900 Lake Bonavista Dr. SE 14. George Blundun Optimist 5020 26 Ave. SW 15. Henry Viney Renfrew / Stew Hendry 810 13 Ave. NE 16. Huntington Hills 520 78 Ave. NW

17. Jack Setters 69 Ave. & 20 A St. SE 18. Lake Bonavista 1401 Acadia Dr. SE 19. Max Bell Centre 1001 Barlow Trail SE 20. Murray Copot 6715 Centre St. N 21. Northeast Sportsplex - East Northeast Sportsplex - West 5206 68 St. NE 22. Oakridge 9504 Oakfield Dr. SW 23. Rose Kohn Jimmie Condon 502 Heritage Dr. SW 24. Sarcee Seven Chiefs 3700 Anderson Rd. SW 25. Shouldice 1515 Home Rd. NW 26 South Fish Creek - North South Fish Creek - South 100, 333 Shawville Blvd. SE 27. Stu Peppard 5300 19 St. SW 28. Thorncliffe / Greenview 5600 Centre St. N 29. Triwood 2244 Chicoutimi Dr. NW 30. Village Square - 1 Village Square - 2 2623 56 St. NE 31. West Hillhurst 1940 6 Ave. NW 32. West Mount Pleasant 610 23 Ave. NW 33. Westside Recreation Centre 2000 69 St. SW

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Hockey Magazine

For the past 14 years, Tucker Hockey, based in Calgary, has provided quality year-round professional instruction to minor and adult hockey organizations, teams, and players in the City of Calgary and throughout southern Alberta. Thousands of registered players have participated in Tucker Hockey programs with ages ranging from five to 75 and with a broad skill level from tyke to semi-pro. According to founder, owner and president, Rex Tucker, “Our teaching philosophy has been and always will be...

We enjoy and preserve what we love We love what we understand We understand because we have been taught The Tucker Hockey Way!

the puck. Proper demonstrations, emphasizing key teaching points, good repetitions, correction of errors, positive reinforcement and encouragement in a fun learning environment plus we adjust to our audience’s skill level. We reinforce the importance of proper skating, as well as instil and enhance the love of the game to our participants.” Rex Tucker is an NCCP Advanced 1 Certified Coach (1996), a Professional Power Skating Instructor (1997), and a full time Professional Hockey Coach (2002). As well, he has over 20 years of hockey coaching / instruction experience, which includes such organizations as Hockey Alberta and Canadian Hockey Camp – Europe. Coach Rex says. “It is truly my passion being on the ice as often as I am.” He indicates he has been on the ice over 500 times per year for each of the past 10 years.

Tucker Hockey provides power skating, hockey skills development, and checking programs, customized programs for elite power skating or conditioning as well as one-on-one coaching. Coach Rex emphasizes, “We believe we have the right program for anyone wishing to take their game to the next level!”

From 1997 to 2001, Coach Rex taught power skating to Czech, German, Austrian, and Canadian players at Canadian Hockey Camp – Europe based in the Czech Republic. As well, he was the head coach of a Canadian under 18 Rep / Select Hockey Team that toured Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland in the summer of 2002. Having spent quite a bit of time in Europe especially in Prague, Coach Rex is enthusiastic about returning to the Czech Republic next summer.

“Skating is the most important hockey skill. It is the foundation upon which all hockey skills are built, “says Coach Rex. “We operate a fully customized and comprehensive power skating program. We teach proper skating technique first, speed, both without and with

Tucker Hockey’s newest venture is the 2013 Canadian / Czech Hockey Exchange Program. Experience the hockey trip of a lifetime!!

It’s a unique opportunity to visit the Czech Republic from July 10 - 24, 2013. Providing an incredible opportunity for top calibre bantamaged players born in 1998 or 1999 to experience elite Czech hockey training and enjoy the rich culture of Prague. Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city has been a political, cultural and economic centre of central Europe for centuries. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague, with its rich history, has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.

Why Experience the Canadian / Czech Hockey Exchange Program? The Czech Republic has an excellent ice hockey tradition. It provides the most NHL hockey players from any European country. This is an amazing statistic considering the country’s small population of 10 million people. Practice and learn an intensive type of hockey from highly-trained and experienced elite Czech coaches - including the “Imaginary Model Opponent,” specific station training of hockey skills development, as well as other innovative training methods based on the Czech tradition to develop a player’s individual and tactical hockey skills.

** 2 Goaltenders - 6 Defensemen - 12 Forwards** In addition to on ice programs, Tucker Hockey also publishes the Hockey Zones Newsletter, the official newsletter of Tucker Hockey. Three times per year, free copies can be found at Calgary arenas and sporting good stores. Past issues starting from 2004 are available on the Tucker Hockey website. As well, Tucker Hockey is proud to support the Kids Hockey Advancement Society’s Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament, as the event sponsor. Since it’s inception in 2008 the society has raised nearly $100,000 for worthy causes. The 2013 goal is to once again provide funds to KidSport of Calgary, to ensure more deserving kids get the chance to participate in organized sports especially hockey. This is our way of giving back to the community that supports us!

For information about Tucker Hockey’s quality year-round hockey services and programs visit www.tuckerhockey.com or call Christyne Kavanagh at 403-998-5035.

The hockey camp is based at the top sports facility in the Czech Republic where the best Czech hockey players and other elite athletes train. Intensive on and off ice training as well as high quality relaxation and recovery time – 21 hours of on-ice training, 10 hours of off-ice dryland training, daily video / chalk talks, mental conditioning, and a variety of balanced nutritional meals.

Hockey Magazine

By Jeremy Freeborn

The topic of concussions continues to be a major discussion in the minor hockey community. In the fall issue of Calgary Hockey Magazine, Dr. Carolyn Emery of the University of Calgary talked about the dangers of body-checking (that plays a role in causing concussions in hockey). In this issue we are learning what Hockey Canada has contributed toward concussion awareness. In October, Hockey Canada launched a free concussion awareness application for smartphones and tablets. The app is available in an adult version and children’s version and is available on Blackberry, iOS and Android devices. One of the purposes of using the latest technology was to give coaches an opportunity to access information about concussions in game and practice situations. Immediate information about concussions can be helpful and prevent long term damage for the victim. Hockey Canada worked with the Canadian Centre for Ethics and Sport, the Coaching Association of Canada, and Parachute Canada (a national charitable organization dedicated to injury prevention) to raise the education levels of concussions. The project is funded by the federal government through its Active and Safe Initiative.

“Sometimes we don’t focus as much as we should as parents and coaches on the basic things,” said Jackson, “and what we mean as the basic things are skating, backward skating, where to stand and not to stand on the ice, where you’re safe and not safe, and where you have to be alert. It’s about playing heads-up hockey. All those very basic skills are so important from what kids need to learn right at the beginning. If we are going to reduce injuries, being a good skater and knowing where not to stand plays a huge role in reducing those injuries.” Respect also plays an important role in reducing injuries on the ice. In an exclusive interview in an earlier edition of Hockey Calgary Magazine, former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy noted how respect on the ice continues to be an important initiative by those involved in administrating the hockey community. Jackson discusses the respect feature on the app.

“The most important part is prevention. ”

“The goal is to prevent concussions,” said Todd Jackson, senior manager of safety and insurance with Hockey Canada. “The most important part is prevention.” On the app, information associated with prevention (information about respect, skill development, rules) can be obtained along with symptom awareness (how to recognize a concussion), and action (what to do in case a child has a concussion and the return to play process). Users can also obtain information about where the nearest hospital is located. This information can be helpful for visiting teams in particular.

For coaches, teaching the basic skills of hockey for children at an early age can go a long way toward concussion prevention.

“It is a word we put out there all the time. It gets used again and again and again. What we’re saying is that there has to be a respect factor with everybody. It’s not just the parents. It’s not just the coaches. There has to be a respect factor between the players, between the players and their parents, and parents and officials. And that means realizing the roles that each of us have in the game and respecting those roles. Everyone is learning in the game,” said Jackson. Co-operation between parents and coaches on all hockey teams is critical for coaches to effectively get their messages across to the kids. “I always tell parents you got to be patient,” said Jackson. “You have to allow your coaches to teach those skills.” Why put an application in place when Hockey Canada could simply encourage all minor hockey associations to ban body-checking and

significantly decrease the problems associated with concussions? This question was posed to Paul Carson, vice-president of hockey development for Hockey Canada. “It’s a fair question,” said Carson. “Any sport where players occupy the same surface and compete for the same object (a puck in this case) there is a likelihood that collisions will take place. In those collisions (with the boards and net), we feel there is an important educational piece that supports the need for the concussion app.” To date, Carson has been pleased with the response. “We have a responsibility to educate our membership. We need to make sure that we are putting the resources out there that elevate the awareness of the problem and recognize that people can take positive steps toward minimizing that risk of a concussion occurring, or more serious injury reoccurring, because they have the ability to recognize the injury.” Raising the awareness of concussions can be challenging in a sport like hockey where physical contact is commonplace. But as information is supplied using this unique technology, Hockey Canada is hopeful the message gets across immediately and reaches the people who are involved in all levels of the sport.

More information about concussions in greater detail can also be found on www.hockeycanada.ca, and then searching the word “concussions.”

Hockey Magazine

Look no further than the Calgary Hockey 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 (Yearbook Edition). The booking deadline is February 15th, 2013 Please contact us at publisher@hockeymagazine.net for further details.

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CHECKING FROM BEHIND

If a player pushes, body-checks or cross-checks an opponent from behind, a checking from behind penalty may be called. It’s a game misconduct (ejection), coupled with a two-minute or fiveminute penalty, depending on the severity of the offense. The referee’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.

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 five-minute major penalty and game ejecejec tion may be called.

BODY-CHECKING Body-checking is not allowed until the peewee level in Hockey Edmonton. Delivering a body-check in the lower divisions will result in a twominute 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 referee 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 bodychecking isn’t allowed until the pee wee level, you will rarely see this called in the first few years.

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 asas sessed under this rule. If a player is injured, a major and game misconduct penalty, or a match penalty must be assessed.

CROSS-CHECKING When a player uses the shaft of his 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 his 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, eiei ther purposely or accidentally. A more severe penpen alty may be called for flagrant high-sticking fouls, including ejection from the game. The referee signals this call by clenching both fists and mimickmimick ing a player holding a stick above their shoulders.

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HOLDING This is called when a player grabs an op opponent’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’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’t have the puck. The referee signals this call by crossing his arms in front of the chest.

KNEEING If a player uses his knee (or sticks his 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 refref eree may consider this a major penalty (and a game misconduct) instead of a minor penalty (two minutes).

MISCONDUCT

This penalty may be called when a player exhibits extreme and inappropriate behaviour toward 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 his 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 his 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 his 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 his 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 inappropri inappropriate behaviour on the ice.

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