Coaching applications now open for 2020 Arctic Winter Games

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is now accepting applications for coaching positions with the male and female Team Alberta North squads that will participate in the 2020 Arctic Winter Games.

The Arctic Winter Games are the world’s largest northern multi-sport and cultural event. The Arctic Winter Games are a celebration of athletic completion, culture, friendship and cooperation between northern contingents. Athletic competition features sports that enjoy worldwide popularity alongside traditional Arctic Sports and Dene games. The cultural component is a pillar of the Games, featuring visual arts, dance, ceremonies and galas with participants from across the circumpolar region.

Each hockey team is comprised of 17 players and two coaches. Teams participate in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding for medal-round pairings. One gold ulu is awarded in each division. Teams that regularly participate in ice hockey include Alaska, Yukon, Alberta North, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The male selection camp will be held in Fairview on December 6-8, while the female camp will take place in Manning on December 20-22. Staging/Training weekend for both teams will be hosted in Grande Prairie on February 7-8, 2020. The 2020 Arctic Winter Games take place in Whitehorse, YT from March 15-21.

Eligible communities for the Arctic Winter Games are located North of the 55th Parallel. Coaches and players must live in one of these eligible communities.

2020 Arctic Winter Games Coach Application

For more information, contact Blake Cosgrove, Manager of Hockey Alberta’s Northwest Regional Centre, at [email protected].

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to be recognized by Respect Group for our long-time participation and leadership in the Respect in Sport program. Hockey Alberta was the first sport organization to implement Respect in Sport certification for parents and coaches, as well as the first to require mandatory recertification.

Co-founders of Respect Group – Sheldon Kennedy and Wayne McNeil – visited Hockey Alberta on Wednesday to present CEO Rob Litwinski and Director of Business Operations Mike Klass with a specially designed paddle.

The paddle symbolizes the support of organizations such as Hockey Alberta who partnered with Respect Group and adopted Respect in Sport programming before acknowledgement of the importance of preventing bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination was widely recognized.

RED DEER - The Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) today announced a new agreement with HeadCheck Health, Inc. (HeadCheck) to supply all teams with mobile and web-based technology to follow the league’s concussion protocol and record and share vital information on suspected concussions with medical professionals.

“We’re very pleased to be teaming up with HeadCheck to help solve some of our biggest challenges in concussion safety,” said Kendall Newell, Manager of the AFHL. “Their tech simplifies what’s normally a complicated process and provides our medical professionals with the information they want to make the most informed decisions possible on the welfare of our players.”

“It shows an incredible commitment to player safety on the part of the AFHL to kick off this agreement by bringing all three levels of play onto HeadCheck,” said Harrison Brown, CEO of HeadCheck Health, Inc. “This is just the first step in providing the league with unparalleled visibility into exactly where they can best allocate resources for concussion safety.”

As part of the agreement, all Bantam Elite, Midget Elite, and Midget AAA teams will be able to use HeadCheck beginning with the upcoming season. Team trainers, athletic therapists, and safety personnel can use HeadCheck’s mobile app to document suspected concussions, perform concussion assessments per what is appropriate for their qualifications and transfer the information collected to medical professionals and partner clinics to safely return players to the ice. The platform allows a player’s concussion history to transfer with them from team-to-team or level-to-level for more informed care.

Additionally, HeadCheck is customized to the league’s concussion protocol and provides administrators governance tools and the ability to monitor compliance in real-time. Where needed, HeadCheck will supply teams within the league with contracted athletic therapists to support team staff. HeadCheck is a secure system that meets all top line health privacy standards in Canada and the United States.

About the AFHL

The Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) is home to 30 teams at the Midget AAA, Midget Elite, and Bantam Elite levels, providing a competitive platform for young aspiring female athletes to enhance their skills. A collection of 12 host associations around the province are committed to the growth and development of AAA and Elite female hockey. The member associations include Airdrie, Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Leduc, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Okotoks, Olds, and Red Deer. Through dedicated staff and volunteers, the AFHL offers opportunities for female athletes to receive mentorship, off-ice education sessions, female specific coaching, post-secondary exposure opportunities, academic & billet programs, and a competitive skill development atmosphere. https://www.afhl.ca

About HeadCheck Health, Inc.
HeadCheck is an innovative mobile and web-based platform that gives medical and non-medical personnel the appropriate tools to follow any concussion protocol, integrates all individuals involved in concussion care, and allows the data collected to be analyzed for health and safety improvements. Hundreds of teams across the world from minor through professional sports have adopted the HeadCheck platform including: the CFL, CJHL, BC Hockey, Trek Factory Racing, Volleyball Canada, UBC Athletics, BC Rugby, Eastern Washington University, Rugby Ontario, Western Lacrosse Association, Rugby Quebec, and more. For more information visit the HeadCheck Health Website

Media Contacts

Kari Kylo - [email protected]
604.889.8057

CALGARY - Four Albertans will suit up for Team Canada this week in Lake Placid, New York, as the National Women’s Team announced its Development Team and Under-18 Team rosters.

Team Alberta alumnus Malia Schneider (Millarville) was named to Canada’s Development Team roster, while 2019 Canada Winter Games gold medalists Jaden Bogden (Edmonton) and Sarah Wozniewicz (Cochrane), along with Taze Thompson (Sherwood Park), will all play for the Under-18 squad.

All three Under-18 players are on Team Alberta’s shortlist roster for the 2019 U18 National Championships in Morden and Winkler, MB.

Both teams will play in a three-game series against the United States, August 14-17.