LEAD, DEVELOP AND PROMOTE POSITIVE LIFELONG HOCKEY EXPERIENCES
 
BC HOCKEY Newsletter
November 15, 2018
IN THIS ISSUE
OFF THE BENCH

GET TO KNOW A VOLUNTEER

BC HOCKEY: THE GROWING YEARS

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS





EVENTS
ROAD TO THE WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
October 1 - November 30
Various locations

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Pre-tournament schedule

December 18 - 23
Kelowna, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Langley, Victoria, Kamloops, Chilliwack, Burnaby and Vancouver

IN OTHER NEWS
BC Hockey Officials Assigned to World U17 Hockey Challenge

BC Hockey Partners with Buddy Check to Create Awareness for Mental Health

BC Hockey Officials Assigned to IIHF Events

I-SPARC Seeking Indigenous Team Staff for 2019 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship

BC Hockey Players Named to Team Canada for 2018 World U17 Hockey Challenge

Pair of BC Players Named to Canada's National Women's Team Roster for 4 Nations Cup

Dodge Caravan Kids Program

Call for 2019 Male Program of Excellence Event Team Staff

BC Hockey Female Midget AAA League Season Set to Start

BC Hockey Minor Midget League Season Set to Start

2019 Male Program of Excellence Camp Hosts

BC Hockey Launches Road to World Juniors Tour

Expansion of BC Hockey Zone Program Pilot Project

BC Hockey Major Midget League Season Set to Start

Fort St. John to Host the 2019 Coy Cup
UPCOMING DEADLINES
BC HOCKEY JOB/VOLUNTEER POSTINGS

December 1

BC Hockey is always looking for qualified, energetic staff and volunteers. Interested persons should email resume to info@bchockey.net.

If your Association has any postings you would like included in next month's newsletter, please email them to info@bchockey.net.
Can you believe it? It's November. Every year, it sneaks up on us and makes us think of how fast the past year flew by.

As we roll into the new month, the BC Hockey Road to the World Junior Championship hits the road again and wraps up in the Lower Mainland at the end of the month. Many events are being planned around the championship in many communities across the province. More details on these events will be posted soon, so make sure to check out the BC Hockey website for more information.

Finally, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO HEAR FROM YOU! Does your Association have an upcoming event that the Membership should know about? Or have you recently hosted an exciting event and want to tell us about it? Or a cool story about one of your members? Tell us!

Please send your story/event to info@bchockey.net .

Happy Hockey!
OFF THE BENCH OFFTHEBENCH

Looking for what's happening within BC Hockey? Look no further as Off the Bench is your monthly clip of highlights and upcoming events!



GET TO KNOW A VOLUNTEERvolunteer

Hockey in BC and the Yukon would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of thousands of volunteers.

Not that long ago, we chatted with BC Hockey  Minor Development Facilitator, Larry Krause. Originally from Chilliwack, Larry started his officiating career in 1972 with the Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association (MHA). Since then, he has been actively involved in minor hockey including Association referee-in-chief, BC Hockey District Director, safety trainer and mentor.



What is your funniest BC Hockey moment?
I was snowed in and grounded at the Cranbrook airport with the CBC Hometown Hockey production crew and broadcaster Ron MacLean. While we waited for our cancelled flights to lift off, we exchanged many hockey stories and laughed for 72 hours. We eventually returned home with fresh materials and a book load of tales.

What motivates you to continue volunteering with BC Hockey?
My motivation is linked to the success and failures of our team. There is reward in providing opportunities for all our constituents to grow both on and off the ice.
If I can do my duty as a partner of BC Hockey, providing whatever I am asked, then serving is my motivation. Serving others, seeing others grow, partnering in their successes and failures and growth in learning.

What is your proudest moment?
Seeing both my kids achieve their goals. My daughter signed her first professional contract as a pro skater on tour in Europe and my son signed his first CTV broadcasting contract.

What makes you laugh?
I laugh everyday. Life provides so many moments of joy and laughter comes in a variety of circumstances. Our weaknesses, our messes, we own them. There may not be much laughter at the moment, but after, even those make me laugh.

And finally, if you could be a Seinfeld character, who would you be and why?
Mr. Peterman, Elaine's boss. He has a fascinating lifestyle, he sees the best in his staff, gives opportunities, empowers those around him and entrusts and encourages others.
BC HOCKEY: THE GROWING YEARSGROWING

"Duke" Scodellaro, Trail, BC, was awarded the Outstanding Player Award in 1953. Born Dulio, Duke started playing hockey in his late teens in order to remain active during the harsh winters and was mostly self-taught before being recruited by the Trail Smoke Eaters in 1936. He played mostly in net but could also play  out as a forward.

In 1938, with Duke in goal, Trail won the Allan Cup, advancing to, and winning the World Championship. He allowed only one (1) goal in eight (8) championship games, and that one (1) goal was accidentally tipped in by his own teammate!

With the escalation of World War II, Duke joined the Canadian Air Force, returning to Trail following the end of the war and rejoined the Smoke Eaters.

Duke was credited as being the first goalie to cut down the angle on forwards (probably due to his ability to play forward), as back then, goalies were taught (and told) to stay back in their net to allow them to get more time to stop the puck. He is also credited with developing and wearing the first goal glove blockers. Prior to this, there was no protection on the back of the stick hand.

During the Allan Cup race, Duke injured the back of his stick hand when he was hit with the puck. His teammates begged him to finish the game even though he couldn't even hold a stick. So he taped his stick to his hand and fabricated a protector from sponge and rubber laying around the rink. A CCM representative saw one (1) game with him wearing his new protective gear and, after questioning him, got all details and the 'blocker glove' was born.

CLICK HERE to read more about the Growing Years.
A TALE OF TWO SISTERSsisters

c/o GopherSports.com

Living, playing and spending nearly every waking moment with your siblings can be suffocating to some; for Sarah and Amy Potomak, it's the exact opposite.

"Now that we are playing together for the long term, we get to practice every day together, we get to go over video together and continue to build our relationship up over time," Sarah said. "As each week goes by, our line gets more special."

This season marked the first that both sisters were able to don the Minnesota jersey and play college hockey simultaneously, an honour that most families never get to experience, let alone do successfully. The pair join Kelly Pannek, captain of the Gopher women's hockey team, in a line that has already produced eight (8) goals in only 10 games played.

Amy and Sarah have noticeably become a prosperous unit on the ice, visibly making up for each other's weak points to form a successful linemate relationship, only strengthened by the fact that they are sisters. The yin-and-yang balance the pair hold create a calculated dichotomy of on-ice cohesiveness. "On the ice, she's a big and powerful player, and I'm more quick and speedy. She has great hands and I find that my vision on the ice is really good," Sarah described.

The sibling bond between the two (2) women is evident to anyone who notices, as they live, arrive at the rink together for practice and home games and participate in pre-game activities together. As sisters, they have been able to develop nuances and pick up each others's often-missed idiosyncrasies to the untrained eye.

"With how long we've been playing together, we've gotten to improve and have gotten a lot better at reading each other. Being siblings, we know what bothers us, but also how to motivate each other because we are so close and we are so comfortable with each other," Amy explained. "If I see she made a bad pass, I know that I probably shouldn't say anything because she probably knows already, and she knows that's the same way for me. When I make a mistake, she does a good job of knowing when to say something and knowing when to hold back and reading the mood of where we are at in the game. I think that's one of the biggest and most helpful parts of playing with your sibling."

Being the youngest of six (6) siblings, Amy and Sarah found a niche where they were able to complement each other in their own respective ways, both on and off the ice. Growing up together in Aldergrove, BC, hockey was the way of life. The pair, along with their older brothers, all played within the same minor hockey program, often going to the rink after school and not leaving until sundown.

CLICK HERE to continue reading.


YUKON'S DYLAN COZENS EXCELLING IN WHLCOZENS

c/o Sportsnet

Dylan Cozens is putting Whitehorse on the hockey map. Born and raised in the Yukon capital, the northern city isn't exactly known for producing high-end hockey talent, but Cozens is changing that with every powerful stride.

The teenager has stood out at every level he's played - from suiting up as a kid against grown men at home, to making his Western Hockey League (WHL) debut in a high-stakes situation - and is poised to do the exact same at next June's NHL draft as a likely top three (3) pick behind consensus number one (1) prospect Jack Hughes.

Cozens has all the tools to be an impactful NHL'er, from his size and strong puck control to his quick-release shot. The WHL's top rookie last season is already off to a hot start in 2018-2019 after helping Team Canada claim victory at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, registering five (5) goals and five (5) assists in his first four (4) games of the season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Only two (2) other players born in the Yukon have suited up in the NHL, but neither saw much ice time in the pros. Forward Peter Sturgeon was the first - he played in a total of six (6) games with the Colorado Rockies between 1979 - 1981; while defenceman Byron Baltimore spent a few years in the WHA before skating in two (2) games with the Edmonton Oilers in 1980. Of the two (2), only Sturgeon was drafted. It's also worth noting that winger Jarrett Deuling, who played 15 games for the New York Islanders from 1995 to 1997, was raised in, but not born in, Whitehorse.

While Cozens won't be the first player from the Yukon to be drafted into the NHL, he'll most certainly be the territory's highest-ever pick.

Like many young prospects looking to make it to the next level, Cozens had to travel long distances for games and ultimately decided to leave home at a young age in order to seek tougher competition and catch the attention of scouts.

"Growing up in Whitehorse there wasn't much competition ... the rep team during the season would be going against the group above and every once in a while we'd get out for tournaments," Cozens told the Edmonton Journal.

So at age 14, Cozens packed up his hockey bag and journeyed south to Tsawwassen, BC to attend the Delta Hockey Academy, followed by a year at Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, BC. "I had to move away to showcase myself ... it was super hard, that young, moving so far away from my family," he said.

Moving away from home was, of course, the right decision for Cozens' budding hockey career. Following a successful stint in Tsawwassen, Cozens was drafted in the first round by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, which made him the highest pick of any Yukon-born player.

CLICK HERE to read more about Dylan Cozens.
PENTICTON VEES CELEBRATING THOSE WHO HELP OTHERSVEES

c/o BC Local News

The Penticton Vees are celebrating organizations that are helping others with the launch of the Community Heroes campaign this season. At each of the BC Hockey League (BCHL) regular season home games at the South Okanagan Events Centre, one (1) charitable organization will be honoured and will receive $1,000, for a total of $28,000 in donations over the course of the season.

"Launching Community Heroes is a very important project for us," said Vees Director of Corporate Partnerships, David Michaud. "When we reached an average of over 3,000 fans per game last season, we knew we had to find a way to say thank you to the community for supporting us the way they do. This will give us a chance to recognize 28 amazing groups that do great work in our community. Even more special than the $1,000, we think the chance for Vees Nation to recognize the great work these organizations do will speak volumes. We hope to hear lots of applause and cowbells when each of these organizations are honoured."

Any registered charity is able to apply to be a Community Hero, and can do so on the Penticton Vees website under the " Community" tab. Recipients will be invited to join the Vees in the Gateway Casino Community Zone and be recognized in the arena during the second period.
RESPECT AND VERBAL ABUSE ON THE ICE: a discussion with female hockey officialsofficials

The Vancouver Female Ice Hockey Association asked four (4) female hockey officials three (3) questions about their experiences officiating and receiving verbal abuse. These are their answers.

Respect and Verbal Abuse on the Ice: A Discussion with Female Hockey Officials

'KRALL' IN THE FAMILY: NANAIMO-BORN GOALTENDER HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTESkrallkralla

c/o Chek News

Derek Krall is a goaltender for the Penticton Vees Junior A hockey club, but he's perhaps best known for having the same last name as one of Vancouver Island's most celebrated musicians.

QUESNEL FEMALE-ONLY HOCKEY PROGRAM ENTERS SECOND YEARquesnel

c/o Quesnel Observer

Wednesday afternoons at the West Fraser Centre are going to be full of life this fall/winter as girls aged four (4) to 17 practice their deeking, puck handling, cross-ice passing and shooting at the female-only hockey program. Coach Chris Jensen, whose two (2) daughters played last year, has seen first hand the benefit the program can have.

"Last year we ended up putting together a team to go to the Jingle Belles tournament in Prince George and we had a blast," he says.

The difference between being the one (1) girl on a mixed team and having entire squad of your peers can be huge. "Sometimes you'd have 15 boys in a dressing room and one (1) girl in a broom closet getting dressed and then five (5) minutes before the game, she goes in for a short while, and once the game is over, that's it," Jensen says. "Where if you have all the girls in the room, you see their attitude and it's just a ball for them.

"My daughter plays on some mixed teams and it's pretty nerve wracking for a 10-year-old girl to walk into a room with 15 boys and expect to fit in. Where these girls have a lot more fun from the time they get into the rink and when the leave. There's more camaraderie and sense of team."

Around 25 girls took advantage of the program last year, and Jensen says that already 36 have signed up to play this year. Those who took part played a few exhibition games, faced off against some boys teams from town and took on travelling teams from Vanderhoof, Prince George and Williams Lake.

While a lot of Atom and Pee Wee players have committed, the group would like to see more Bantam and Midget girls join too, but Jensen admits it is tough to entice them, saying that at that age they are teenagers who have lives.

What might help is a relaxing of the rules around who can sign up. Last year, girls were required to be registered for mixed hockey in order to take advantage. Now they are free to register for the female-only program on its own. If they get enough interest, Jensen says they will look into adding ice time at West Fraser or the adjacent rink.

For those who think they might be game, registration is done through the Quesnel and District Minor Hockey Association (MHA). For insurance purposes, players must be registered before they take to the ice. They also need full hockey gear (helmets, neck guards, etc.), but Jensen says, "Minor hockey is pretty awesome for people passing stuff on, so if there's an issue with gear, just let us know."
WRAP UP THE GIFT OF BC HOCKEYSTORE

With Christmas slowly sneaking up on us, the BC Hockey Locker Room offers you a convenient way to pick out gifts & shop for yourself. Gear up with BC Hockey!






The BC Hockey Locker Room is stocked with many "essential" items for all hockey fans. Flat shipping rate of $7.50 is charged per order.


Want to be a part of BC Hockey events?  Or do you know someone who would love to be involved in hockey in their community?

We are always accepting names and resumes for volunteer positions for BC Hockey events across the province.  Some events include: the Male U16 and Female U18 BC Cups, minor rec skills camps and jamborees .
 
Get involved today!   Please forward your name, or someone you know, and your/their details to: info@bchockey.net.                        
Follow along for the latest Social Buzz