In Memoriam: Malcolm (Mac) MacLeod

Malcolm (Mac) MacLeod, a Life Member of Hockey Alberta and an Honoured Member of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, passed away on Friday, September 2, at the age of 89.

A resident of Mannville, Mac was involved in hockey for over 60 years as a player, coach, volunteer, bus driver and anything else required to assist to make the game possible for local youth.

Beginning in 1990, Mac joined Hockey Alberta as volunteer, including positions as Zone 2 Minor Hockey Chair (1990-94), Zone 2 Director (1994-98), and Hockey Alberta President for two years and Past President for two years. In 1998 he was awarded the Chairman’s award for his dedication to the game and exceptional service to the sport in Alberta.

In 2003, Mac received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medallion and was honoured as a Hockey Alberta Life Member. Three years later, he was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

He will be forever remembered by his children: Debbie MacLeod (Garry Poliakiwski), Bonnie MacLeod (Pam Oakden), Terri (Murray) Zelinski, Scott MacLeod (Rhonda Milton). As well as survived by his grandchildren: Meggan, Lyndon, Brendan, Keyaira, Mack, Jaidyn, Tyler, Courtney and Taylor; great-granchildren: Laurel, Seth, Karsen, Jarrett, Karley and Erik; and great-great-grandchildren: Paisley and Westyn.

Mac’s service is September 10 at 1 P.M. at the Mannville Community Centre.

Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The day honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

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RED DEER – Hockey Alberta has announced the North U18 Male roster. The team will participate in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games hosted by Wood Buffalo, January 29 – February 4.

The team is comprised of 17 players, consisting of two goaltenders, six defence and nine forwards.

Roster >

To be eligible to participate in the Arctic Winter Games, athletes and coaches must reside in a community located north of the 55th parallel. Tryouts were held in Peace River September 23-25 for athletes born in 2005-2007. Athletes playing AAA in the 2022-23 season were not eligible to tryout.

Team Alberta North U18 Male will participate in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding for the medal-round pairings in hopes of qualifying for the playoffs to compete for the gold ulu. The tournament will be played at Suncor Community Leisure Centre in Fort McMurray.

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. Teams that regularly participate in ice hockey include Alaska, Yukon, Alberta North, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta’s mission statement reads: to create positive opportunities and experiences for all players.

Coaches play a significant role in ensuring that.

Team Alberta alumni and NHL prospect, Morgan Klimchuk, made the transition to coaching during the COVID-19 lockdown. Following back surgery, Klimchuk was unsure if he would ever play hockey at a competitive level again, but he knew he wanted to stay involved in the game.

“I love it. It’s a new challenge every day,” said Klimchuk. “It’s one thing to know certain aspects of the game, it’s a completely different thing to be able to communicate and teach those things.”

Having played for numerous coaches with a variety of styles over the years, Klimchuk was asked if there was anyone he looked up to as a coach.

“The last coach that I played for professionally with the Belleville Senators, his name is Troy Mann. He’s not necessarily a household name,” said Klimchuk. “He’s a coach and a person who is going to get an opportunity at the highest level just because of how he treats people, how he communicates with his players aside from his knowledge of the game … (T)he way he communicates his messages, the amount that he cares about every single member of his team really resonated with me and it’s something that I try to emulate as I get started in my coaching career.”

Duncan Milroy played professional hockey for 12 seasons, including five games with the Montreal Canadiens. When he retired from playing, he had lost his passion for hockey – until he made the decision to get into coaching.

“(Through coaching) I absolutely fell in love with being on the ice again,” said Milroy. “Being a mentor for kids and the competition that comes with it … so it’s been a lot of fun coming back and it’s a newfound passion for me.”

After years of playing, it was his novice coach who left a lasting impression on him.

“I had a gentleman by the name of Dan Auchenburg, who used to be my novice coach a long time ago. Just the way he conducted himself with us as kids, I remember those things,” said Milroy.

As a former player Milroy thought he knew everything when he began coaching. His mentality was less than realistic.

“Sometimes my expectations of what players were actually able to do at that age level and their skill level might not have been there because of my lack of experience as a coach,” said Milroy. “After my first couple years and spending time with Hockey Alberta, it’s really opened my eyes up to the coaching philosophies and what you have to be looking for. It has made me a better coach … it’s given me a more realistic approach and a better teaching philosophy in order to help my kids out.”

For Stephen Pattison, Hockey Alberta’s Manager of Hockey Development, coach education programs have enabled him to provide better experiences for his players.

“The longer I’ve coached and the more education courses I’ve taken, the more I have been able to impact the players in a positive way,” said Pattison. “I have players who I coached nearly 10 years ago who I still have a relationship with, because coaching is about building relationships. Coach education programs help coaches learn ways to communicate with their players and build those relationships.”

Certain coach education programs are required to be completed each season by November 15 to be eligible to coach. Courses include information on team building, player experience, how to communicate with parents, how to organize a season and tactics/drills. Programs are available to anyone who is looking to better understand the game or may be considering coaching.

REGISTER FOR A CLINIC

For more information on coach education or how you can make a positive impact on the players experience, visit hockeyalberta.ca.

RED DEER – As part of providing an inclusive environment to all females, Hockey Alberta is hosting two female-only NCCP Coach 2 clinics this fall.

The clinics are being held in Leduc (reference number 2022002634) and Calgary (reference number 2022002638), and are intended for females who want to better understand the game of hockey or are considering coaching. Those who complete the course will be NCCP Coach 2 certified.

The introductory course includes information on team building, player experience, how to communicate with parents, how to organize a season and practice plans.

“These clinics are open to any female, whether a coach, parent or a young female, who is looking to improve the players experience,” said Danielle Wheeler, Female Hockey Mentor for Hockey Alberta. “There are misconceptions that these courses are only about tactics and drills; we cover that, but our goal is to give each player a positive experience and that can be achieved through coach education.”

Leduc’s clinic runs Oct. 2 starting at 8:30 am at the Leduc Recreation Centre. Calgary’s clinic will pilot a two-part format with an online session Oct. 30 starting at 6 pm, and an in-person portion November 6 starting at 9 am at Cardel South Rec Centre. These clinics are offered at a discounted rate.

Register >

Those looking to fulfill their coaching requirements must do so prior to November 15.

For more information regarding coach requirements visit hockeyalberta.ca or to learn how to bring a female-only clinic to your community, contact Danielle Wheeler ([email protected]).

In the coming weeks, the 2022-23 hockey season will be getting underway. Players across the province will be on the ice for practices, tryouts, evaluations, games, and tournaments. They will be joined by coaches, officials, safety staff, and other volunteers whose hard work ensure that opportunities to play hockey exist across Alberta.

“After a successful season last year, in which players, coaches, and parents were able to come together at the rink once again, we are incredibly excited to get the 2022-23 season underway,” said Rob Litwinski, CEO of Hockey Alberta. “A big thank you to all of our volunteers and staff for their hard work throughout the offseason to get us ready for another year.”

New in 2022-23

U11 Hockey Alberta Development Program

For the 2022-23 hockey season, Hockey Alberta is expanding the U11 AA Pilot Project province wide and renaming it the U11 Hockey Alberta Development Pilot (U11 HADP). The focus of the U11 HADP is to implement amended hosting structures, player movement rules, league scheduling and Coach and Player Development Standards.

MORE INFORMATION >

Non-Body Checking Implemented at U18 Tiers 4-6

Hockey Alberta’s Minor Leagues Committee, which is comprised of Alberta’s six tiered Minor Hockey Leagues are implementing non-body checking/body contact only hockey at the Tier 4-6 categories of the U18 division for the 2022-23 season.

The decision to extend non-body checking into the U18 division at the Tier 4-6 categories comes after having implemented the same changes two seasons ago at the U15 division prior to the 2020-21 hockey season.

The tiered minor leagues are: Central Alberta Hockey League (CAHL), Northern Alberta Interlock (NAI), North East Alberta Hockey League (NEAHL), All-Peace Hockey League (APHL), Edmonton Federation Hockey League (EFHL), and Hockey Calgary.

MORE INFORMATION >

Changes for Male AAA and AA Hockey

In collaboration with the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL), the Elite Male Committee and the AA Committee, Hockey Alberta has implemented several changes to AAA and AA male hockey. Changes include:

• AEHL transitioning U16 AAA to U17 AAA.
• U16 AA expanding to provincial pilot project.
• U13 AA structure changes, including new criteria on the minimum number of U13 players in a recruitment area and amending the numbers at which more than one team is required.

MORE INFORMATION >

Interleague Play

Hockey Alberta and our tiered Minor Hockey Leagues are implementing an Interleague Play Pilot Project for the 2022-23 hockey season.

Interleague Play is a mechanism within Alberta One that will help reduce travel by allowing certain associations to play League games against like-tiered teams from another Minor League. The outcome of this Pilot Project will be to identify the best overall standards required to ensure Interleague play is a viable option across the entire province to reduce travel.

MORE INFORMATION >

Coach Clinics

Coach clinics for the 2022-23 season are still in the process of being finalized. More information on clinic registration will be released in the coming weeks.

You may still register for the HU – Online Coach 1/Coach 2 course HERE.

The deadline to meet all coach certification requirements is November 15.

COACH REQUIREMENTS >

Officiating Clinics

Officiating Clinics are now live and accepting registrations. Certification at all levels is available around the province.

Level 1 and 2 Clinics are in-person and Level 3+ Clinics are online.

PREREQUISITES TO REGISTER >

REGISTER FOR A CLINIC >

Respect in Sport

Parents and Coaches/Team Officials are required to complete the Respect in Sport program. Certification in the Respect in Sport program is valid for up to four seasons and is associated with a May 1 expiry date.

The Respect in Sport Program is an online certification program designed to protect our youth as well as enhance Hockey Alberta’s mandate of providing a safe and fun environment for all participants. It is Canada’s leading online bullying, abuse, harassment, and negligence prevention program for parents, coaches, and community leaders. It is offered in two different streams: Respect in Sport Parent and Respect in Sport Activity Leader.

TAKE RESPECT IN SPORT >

Funding Opportunities

There are a number of opportunities for organizations and individuals to receive financial support for the upcoming hockey season through the Hockey Alberta Foundation, KidSport, Jumpstart, and more.

YOUR GUIDE TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN HOCKEY >

Para Hockey

Hockey Alberta is hosting a para hockey development weekend at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer on September 10-11. The weekend will kick off with a Player Development Camp on Saturday, designed to accommodate players of all ages and skill levels and feature on-ice skill development and gameplay. Equipment (sledges/ sticks) will be provided for new players. A bonus “drop-in” ice time will be available for those who can make it on Sunday from 9-10 am.

REGISTER >

Sunday will also feature a specialty Para Coach Development Clinic facilitated by Tara Chisholm (head coach of women’s National Para Team). The session will focus on basic skills and the importance of having players develop confidence, self esteem, and a love for the game. Coaches will be given a tailored course for those working with Para programs, an introduction to player development, coaching tools to increase knowledge of the game and effectively communicate with athletes and parents, and support Para athletes in team, practice, and game settings.

REGISTER >

Hockey Alberta’s Preferred Partners

Flip Give – Check out Flip Give, a free and easy-to-use cashback app for teams, designed to help sports families lower the cost to play by shopping for the things they’re already buying from over 700 top brands.

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TeamGenius – Turn tryouts into a breeze this year with our partner, TeamGenius. They help volunteers ditch the paperwork and spreadsheets for a single in-app experience.

DETAILS >

The Coaches Site – Set your coach up for success this season with a membership to The Coaches Site, where the game’s best coaches share their skills, drills, and tactics to the global coaching community.

DETAILS >

Best Western – If you need a home away from home for games or tournaments this hockey season, visit Best Western for exclusive Hockey Alberta membership rates.

DETAILS >

Traxx Coachlines – In need of safe transport this hockey season? Start with TRAXX Coachlines, a transportation and tour solutions company, providing first-class charter motor coach services throughout Western Canada.

DETAILS >

Vereburn Medical Supply - Vereburn Medical Supply is the official medical kit supply company to Hockey Alberta and is offering all Hockey Alberta members with reduced pricing on medical kits and supplies.

DETAILS >

MHA Minor Leagues Communication Pathway

Streamlining communication channels between Hockey Alberta, Minor Hockey Associations, and Leagues is a key element of the ongoing review of the Minor League structure for tiered Minor Hockey and Minor Female Hockey. With the collaboration of the Leagues, Hockey Alberta has developed an MHA Communication Season Pathway which highlights deadlines and key contacts for items such as Player and Team Registrations and Discipline and Sanctioning for the streamlined Alberta One regulations, policies, and procedures as well as those of the Regional Minor Leagues. It is intended to be a training tool for MHAs that can be provided to new and existing executive members.

MHA MINOR LEAGUES RESOURCE >

Good luck in the 2022-23 hockey season!