11.4 Maltreatment Awareness Day (2024)

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the host communities for the 2025 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB.

Host communities for the 30 provincial championships have been confirmed. The remaining four provincial champions are determined through league playoffs.

Championship tournaments are being hosted in locations across the province - from Peace River to Okotoks, and Jasper to Wainwright, the action will carry itself throughout Alberta.

2025 Provincial Hosts >

ATB is returning as the presenting sponsor of the 2025 Provincial Sponsorships.

Participating teams for the provincial championship tournaments are determined through league playoffs.

Hockey Alberta’s Tiered and Female leagues include: Hockey Calgary, Edmonton Federation Hockey League, Central Alberta Hockey League, All Peace Hockey League, North Eastern Alberta Hockey League, Rocky Mountain Female Hockey League, and East Central Alberta Female Hockey League.

Week one (March 20-23) sees the first action on the schedule, with championships including: U18 Female A, U18 Female B, U16 AA, U15 AAA, U15 AA, U15 A, U15 B, U15 C, U15 A NBC, U15 Female AA, U13 A, U13 B, U13 C, U13 D and U13 Female B.

Week two (March 27-30) features: Junior C, U18 AA, U18 A, U18 B, U18 C, U18 A NBC, U18 Female AA, U15 Female A, U15 Female B, U13 AA, U13 Female AA, U13 Female A and U11 AA.

The final weekend (April 2-6) showcases Junior B and U17 AAA.

Junior A, Junior Female, U18AAA and U18 AAA Female provincial champions are decided through league playoffs.

RED DEER – Forty volunteers have been selected to lead the eight teams competing at the 2025 Prospects Cup.

The staffing complement for each team includes a director of operations, a coach mentor, a head coach, two assistant coaches, and a trainer. The Prospects Cup is a core Hockey Alberta Development program that allows athletes, staff and on-ice officials an opportunity for growth into the next steps of their hockey journey.

The Prospects Cup is being held in Red Deer at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, May 7-11. The province is divided into four regions, with two teams selected from each region. Male athletes born in 2012 and playing in a Hockey Canada-sanctioned program are eligible to try out.

Regional Camp registration opens on January 20. Regional camps will take place April 11-13 in Calgary, Olds, Vegreville, and Edmonton.

Listing of team staff below, the director of operations will be announced closer to the Prospects Cup.

North Grey (Vegreville) 

 
North Blue (Vegreville) 

 
Capital Green (Edmonton) 

 
Capital Purple (Edmonton) 

 
South Gold (Olds) 

 
South Black (Olds) 

Calgary White

Calgary Red

 
Hockey Alberta Staff 

RED DEER  –  Thirty volunteers have been selected to lead the six teams competing at the 2025 Alberta Challenge.

The staffing complement for each team includes a director of operations, head coach, mentor coach, two assistant coaches, apprentice coach and therapist. The Alberta Challenge is a core Hockey Alberta Female Development program that allows athletes, staff and on-ice officials an opportunity for growth for the next step in their hockey journey.

The Alberta Challenge is hosted at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer from April 30-May 4. The province is divided into North and South regions, with three teams selected from each region. Female athletes born in 2010 and 2011, playing in a Hockey Canada-sanctioned program, are eligible to try out.

Regional Camp registration opens on January 13. Regional camps will take place April 4-6 in Cochrane and Beaumont.

Listing of the director of operations and therapists will be announced closer to the Alberta Challenge.

Alberta Challenge Website >

South Black 

 
South Green 

 
South Grey 

 
North Blue 

 
North Red 

 
North Yellow 

 
Hockey Alberta Staff 

RED DEER – Thirty-six volunteers have been selected to lead the six teams competing at the 2025 Alberta Cup.

The staffing complement for each team includes a director of operations, coach mentor, head coach, two assistant coaches and a therapist. The Alberta Cup is a core Hockey Alberta Elite Development program that allows athletes, staff and on-ice officials an opportunity for growth for the next step in their hockey journey.

The Alberta Cup is hosted in Red Deer at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, April 23-27. The province is divided into North, Central and South regions, with two teams selected from each region. Male athletes born in 2010 and playing in a Hockey Canada-sanctioned program are eligible to tryout.

Registration for regional camps opens on January 6. Regional camps will take place March 28-30 in Calgary, Red Deer, and Spruce Grove.

Listing of team staff is below.

Alberta Cup Website >

Alberta Green (Calgary) 

 
Alberta Red (Calgary) 

 
Alberta Black (Red Deer) 

 
Alberta Blue (Red Deer) 

 
Alberta Gold (Spruce Grove) 

 
Alberta Grey (Spruce Grove) 

 
Hockey Alberta Staff 

During the 117th Annual General Meeting, three candidates were elected to Hockey Alberta’s Board of Directors.

Incumbents Bill Gourley and Karen Lee are joined by Zahra Nurani all of Calgary were elected to the three-year term by the member organizations in attendance at the AGM, which was held virtually on November 28.

Short videos for the newly-elected directors can be found on the Hockey Alberta website. They join returning directors Allan Mowbray, Francois Gagnon, Michael Bates, Al-Amin Vira, Danielle Paradis, and Len Samletzki (Chair).

Additionally, the 2024 AGM included two Notices of Motion that were passed unanimously to amend Bylaws 1.7(f) and 5.1(a), (b), (c).

The amended bylaws implement term limits for all directors, and replace election of the chair position by the members with the Chair being appointed by the elected directors.

2024 AGM >

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is now accepting coach applications for the 2025 Team Alberta programs.

Team Alberta U18 Female is looking fora Head Coach, two Assistant Coaches, one Video Coach, and one Goaltender Coach to guide the team at the 2025 National Women’s Under-18 Championship. The event takes place in November at a location that will be determined later.

U18 FEMALE COACH APPLICATION >

Team Alberta U16 Male is seeking a Head Coach, two Assistant Coaches and one Video Coach for the 2025 WHL Cup. The WHL Cup is slated for October 2025.

U16 MALE COACH APPLICATION >

Applicants must:

- Be qualified at the NCCP High Performance 1;

- Be in good standing with Hockey Alberta and/or member Branch;

- Have a strong knowledge base and understanding of systems and strategies.

The deadline for all applications is January 6, 2025.

Inquiries can be directed to Mike Kraichy, Manager, High Performance at [email protected].

It is a milestone in the world of hockey officiating.

For Chiara Knowlton, officiating hockey was just part of growing up. “It’s a family affair,” she says. Chiara started officiating at age 11, while her mom, Shelley, has officiated for over 27 years, with Chiara following suit. “We all tried it at least once, and I just really loved it.” Chiara recalls. Years later, the pair became the first mother-daughter duo to officiate a U SPORTS Canada West game on October 25, 2024.

Shelley’s journey began in St. Albert, where she played hockey as one of the few girls in the league. After years of complaining about bad calls, a referee challenged her to take a clinic. “I did, and I never looked back,” Shelley says. She soon got her kids involved, bringing them to referee ice sessions when they were young. “They were immersed early on.” Shelley says.

For Chiara, the realization of the milestone hit her during the anthem. “That’s when it really sank in — we’re doing this now.” Shelley had a similar moment pre-game while at Clare Drake Arena that night. As they stepped onto the ice, she let Chiara go first for their lap and thought, “She’s arrived.” The two of them joke that Chiara is Shelley’s “succession plan”, and while Shelley couldn’t be prouder, she declares, “She’s faster than me now. I won’t admit it, but I’m a little worried. She’s coming for my job!”

All three of Shelley’s children started refereeing around the age of 11, but Chiara is making the game even more enjoyable for both mother and daughter. “When I work with her, it’s really fun because I don’t have to worry about watching her. I trust that she’s going to do the right thing,” Shelley says. However, for Chiara, it can be more challenging, as Shelley holds her children to a higher standard. “I hold my kids to a little bit higher standard than I would hold other officials, but I think that’s just me trying to make sure that they’re doing a really, really good job,” Shelley explains.

As the presence of female officials continues to grow in hockey, the Knowltons’ story is bound to inspire the next generation. Chiara’s advice for young officials is simple: “Don’t get discouraged.” Even when faced with challenging situations, “you can overcome every obstacle. You just have to persevere and learn new tricks to stay focused in the big moments.”

Shelley agrees, noting, “Female hockey is the fastest-growing demographic, and there are so many opportunities for young female officials.” She encourages those thinking about officiating to take the leap. “It’s never too late. There’s always a place in hockey to officiate.”

For anyone interested in starting their officiating journey, Hockey Alberta offers programs to help get anyone involved and develop in the role. Whether you’re just beginning or looking to advance, there are pathways to grow and thrive in the officiating world.

QUISPAMSIS – Team Alberta U18 Female competed in the National Women’s U18 Championship from November 3-9 in Quispamsis, NB, finishing in sixth place.

Team Alberta faced adversity to begin the tournament, losing their opener 8-2 to the eventual gold medalist Ontario Red. Tayla Lamabe (Sherwood Park) and captain Sade Sandilands (Carstairs) scored the goals for Team Alberta.

Following the loss to start the tournament, Team Alberta bounced back, defeating Team Atlantic 4-3, scoring four consecutive goals in a come-from-behind victory. Ella Lloyd (Ardrossan) and Emelia McDermid (Airdrie) turned in two-point performances with one goal and one assist. Daniella Martorana (Edmonton) also pitched in with two assists. Goaltender Taya Christie (Medicine Hat) made 20 saves in the Alberta win.

In the final game of the preliminary round, Team Alberta lost to Team Saskatchewan 5-2. Alberta got goals from Presley Zinger (Red Deer) and Brooklyn Deck (Chestermere), and the helpers for both Team Alberta goals came from Paige Smith (Gibbons). Alberta finished third in Group A with a win and two losses, setting up a quarterfinal game against Team BC (1-1-1), who finished second in Group B.

Team Alberta then fell 6-1 in their quarterfinal game to the eventual bronze medalist Team BC. Alberta failed to keep up with BC’s scoring, allowing four unanswered goals following the first period. Alberta’s lone goal came from Smith late in the first. The quarterfinal loss put Alberta in the fifth-place game against Ontario Blue, where they ran into a hot goaltender and could not find the back of the net, losing 2-0.

Smith and McDermid led Alberta in scoring, scoring three points each in five games. Lamabe was Alberta’s lone multi-goal scorer, finishing the tournament with two goals. Alyssa Barrette (Calgary) and Christie shared the net throughout the tournament, each appearing in two complete games and splitting duties in the final contest. Barrette finished with a 4.80 goals-against-average and a .818 save percentage. Christie finished with a 4.50 goals-against-average and a .836 save percentage.

You can view the entire schedule from the tournament here.

Hockey Alberta is hosting female-only coach clinics in Edmonton for the 2024-25 season.

There are two clinics available for the season. Intro to Checking Principles on November 12 at the South Side Athletic Club Office, and Coach 2 is scheduled for November 17 at the Downtown Community Arena. Registration for these courses is now available below.

CHECKING PRINCIPLES – NOVEMBER 12 >

COACH 2 – NOVEMBER 17 >

Female-only coach clinics provide an inclusive environment to all female to learn the game and become certified in the necessary clinics.

For questions and information on the upcoming clinics, please contact Danielle Wheeler, Manager, Female Development at [email protected].

Monday, November 4 marks Hockey Alberta’s recognition of Rule 11.4 in the Hockey Canada rulebook for on-ice discrimination AND Maltreatment Awareness Day. The following was written by Anton Joseph, EdD (Candidate), MBA, BSc. Anton is the chair of Hockey Alberta’s EDI Committee.

Maltreatment in hockey, whether in the form of abuse, harassment, or neglect, poses significant risks not only to the individuals directly involved but also to the sport as a whole. As hockey culture becomes more aware of mental health and player well-being, understanding why addressing maltreatment is essential becomes crucial for players, parents, coaches, and administrators. Ignoring maltreatment may perpetuate a cycle of harm that undermines trust, development, and safety within the sport.

Impact on Players’ Mental and Physical Health

Maltreatment can have severe psychological and physical impacts on young athletes, leading to long-term mental health challenges, diminished self-esteem, and increased anxiety. A study by Stirling and Kerr (2009) highlights the pervasive effects of emotional abuse in sports, showing that athletes who endure maltreatment may experience depression, anxiety, and a loss of enjoyment in the sport. The negative psychological effects can lead to burnout or the abandonment of a promising athletic career.

Failing to address maltreatment reinforces the idea that such behaviour is acceptable or unavoidable in competitive environments. Players who experience support and protection are more likely to thrive both in their athletic performance and overall development, fostering resilience and commitment to the sport.

The Role of Parents in Preventing Maltreatment

Parents are central to the protection and development of young athletes. Parental involvement provides an essential oversight role in their child’s athletic environment and reinforces a safe culture within the sport. According to Côté (1999), parents contribute significantly to shaping a young athlete’s motivations and values in sports. When parents recognise and respond to signs of maltreatment, they demonstrate to their children that their well-being is more important than athletic achievement, building trust and safeguarding the player’s mental health.

Ignoring maltreatment can inadvertently communicate to young athletes that such behaviour is permissible, affecting their understanding of healthy boundaries and self-worth. Therefore, parents must not turn a blind eye to maltreatment but instead should advocate for their children’s safety and work with coaches and administrators to address concerns.

Coaches Responsibility to Foster a Safe Culture

Coaches have a profound influence on players’ development and experience in hockey, making them uniquely responsible for preventing and addressing maltreatment. Coaches who actively support a positive, respectful environment contribute to players’ growth and performance. A study by Brackenridge (2001) highlights that coaches who ignore maltreatment inadvertently endorse abusive behaviours, creating a hostile environment that can become a breeding ground for ongoing abuse and harassment.

Taking action against maltreatment strengthens the trust between coaches and players, ultimately leading to a healthier, more productive athlete-coach relationship. By addressing harmful behaviours, coaches reinforce a culture of accountability and respect that benefits the entire team.

Administrators and the Enforcement of Anti-Maltreatment Policies

Administrators play a critical role in establishing policies and procedures that protect players from maltreatment. Implementing comprehensive anti-abuse policies and fostering an environment where athletes feel safe reporting issues are vital to upholding the sport’s integrity. Donnelly and Petherick (2004) argue that effective administrative oversight and clear policies are essential to address maltreatment concerns and create a culture of zero tolerance for abuse.

Turning a blind eye to maltreatment issues risks diminishing the reputation of the hockey program, driving away athletes and stakeholders who prioritise safety. Administrators who ensure robust policies and clear reporting mechanisms demonstrate a commitment to protecting young athletes and promoting hockey as a safe, supportive sport.

Long-term Effects on the Sport’s Reputation and Growth

Ignoring maltreatment has broader consequences for the future of hockey. When young players experience harm within the sport, it can lead to disillusionment and withdrawal, deterring others from participating in the future. As more attention is drawn to the treatment of athletes, sports organisations that are proactive in addressing these issues will be better positioned to attract new players, sponsors, and fans.

Creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment contributes to hockey’s positive reputation as a sport that values its players’ well-being. This environment encourages continued growth, participation, and respect for the sport at all levels, ensuring its future as a viable and respected athletic pursuit.

Addressing maltreatment in hockey is a responsibility shared by all stakeholders – players, parents, coaches, and administrators. By proactively addressing harmful behaviours, each person involved in the sport can foster a safe, supportive environment that enhances young athletes’ growth, health, and success. Maltreatment left unchecked not only damages individuals but also undermines the integrity of the sport. Hockey has an opportunity to lead by example, demonstrating that the safety and well-being of players come first.

RED DEER – 17 players from across the province have been named to the NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch list for the 2025 NHL Draft.

Tri-City Americans defenceman Jackson Smith (Calgary) earned an ‘A’ rating, a rating indicating players who are projected to be taken in the first round of the NHL draft. Forwards Nathan Behm (Calgary) and Braeden Cootes (Sherwood Park) earned a ‘B’ rating, meaning that a player is projected to be selected in the second or third round.

Players with ‘C’ rating are projected to go in the fourth or fifth round, while the ‘W’ rating indicates players projected to be sixth- or seventh-round candidates.

The full list of Albertans named to the Players to Watch List can be found below:

RED DEER – Team Alberta showed that even when things got difficult, there was never a time to back down or quit. A 8-1 win in a rematch of last year’s final against Team Manitoba left Team Alberta as champions of the WHL Cup for the sixth time in team history.

The first period kicked off with Mirco Dufour (Rocky View County) opening the scoring to give Team Alberta the lead. Matthew Hilderman (Cochrane), Brock England (Airdrie), Jensen Marsh (Cochrane) and Nathan Cole (Airdrie) added on to the unanswered lead in the second period. Manitoba would get one back close to the end of the second period. Kyle Obobaifo (Calgary) and Jaggar John (Fort McMurray, 2) found the back of the net in the third period to extend the lead for Team Alberta. Leif Oaten (Calgary) made 16 saves in the win. England was awarded the MVP of the WHL Cup.

Team Alberta’s round robin started off a bit rocky with a 5-2 opening loss to Team Saskatchewan. They followed that with a 5-2 win to Team Manitoba with captain Ben Harvey’s (Edmonton) natural hat-trick leading the way. A 2-0 shutout loss against Team British Columbia saw Alberta placing third in round robin play and setting up a rematch in the semifinals against Team Saskatchewan. There, they trailed 4-0 about halfway into the second period, but things suddenly clicked and Team Alberta scored eight unanswered goals, with Hilderman capping off the comeback victory with his fourth goal of the game, an empty netter, to win 9-5 and set up a rematch against Team Manitoba.

This team deserves to be proud of their performance all week and the results showed it. Congratulations!

You can view the complete schedule from the WHL Cup HERE.

Save the Date!

Alberta Female Hockey Day returns for its sixth year. The event will take place in the southeast corner of the province, hosted by Medicine Hat on February 1^st, 2025.

Female Hockey Day is a Hockey Alberta initiative aimed at bringing female players, parents, coaches, and supporters together for the development, growth, and celebration of the game. Female Hockey Day has made stops in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Calgary, and Fort McMurray.

The Hockey Alberta Foundation will be giving community grants (up to $1,000 per applicant/MHA) for associations to hold their own Female Hockey Day event in conjunction with the main event. Please see Female Hockey Day Grant Application to apply to host your own.

RED DEER – Team Alberta has selected the twenty athletes representing Team Alberta Female at the 2024 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, November 3-9, taking place in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

This year’s roster consists of two goalies, six defence and twelve forwards. Ten players on this year’s squad also represented Alberta at the 2023 Championship in Dawson Creek, BC, and are returning for another run at the championship.

Fourteen communities across Alberta are represented in this year’s squad. Communities include Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Sherwood Park, Carstairs, Ardrossan, Red Deer, Dunmore, Okotoks, Chestermere, Gibbons, Strathmore, Airdrie and Desert Blume.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S U18 ROSTER >

Team Alberta’s selection process included the U18 Summer Camp in July in Red Deer with 46 players involved in on and off-ice sessions and three scrimmages. A shortlist of 28 took part in the Team Alberta Fall Camp in Red Deer which included three games against USports women’s teams (University of Alberta and MacEwan University).

Staff members of this year’s team are Chris Leeming (Edmonton), Head Coach; Jessie Olfert (Edmonton), Assistant Coach; Erin O’Toole (Lethbridge), Assistant Coach; Danielle Wheeler (Sylvan Lake), Video Coach; Bella McKee (Paradise Valley), Goalie Coach; Paige Shannon (Calgary), Therapist; Dave Campbell (Grande Prairie), Equipment Manager; Rob Dawson (St. Albert), Coach Mentor; Kendall Newall (Red Deer), Head Scout; and Michael Kraichy (Red Deer); Director of Operations.

“As a staff, we felt that this was a competitive process and are excited to work with the 20 players selected as we move towards the National Championship.” stated Kraichy.

Team Alberta, who is powered by Gatorade, will begin its tournament on November 3 against Ontario Red. The team’s full schedule can be found below, with times listed in MST.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is excited to announce the dates for the 2025 Spring Showcase.

The three-week event features the Alberta Cup (April 23-27), Alberta Challenge (April 30-May 4), and Prospects Cup (May 7-11), and is returning to the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer Polytechnic.

For the Alberta Challenge and Prospects Cup, this is the first step for athletes entering into the Team Alberta program. For Alberta Cup athletes, it is an opportunity for players to showcase their talents in hopes of being invited to U16 Team Alberta Summer Camp and ultimately representing Team Alberta at the 2025 WHL Cup.

Prior to the spring competitions, regional camps are hosted at various locations across Alberta to identify the players who will compete at each event. Each regional camp includes three virtual sessions from guest speakers to prepare players for the camp, a jersey and four ice-sessions. Dates and locations for regional camps are outlined below.

Applications are now being accepted from individuals interested in volunteering as a team staff member for any of the three events. Application deadline is October 30. Interested applicants should fill out the form(s) located at the applicable link(s) below.

2025 Alberta Cup - April 23-27

• Male players born in 2010.
• Regional camp registration opens on January 6.
• Regional camps run March 28-30 in Calgary, Red Deer, and Spruce Grove.

Team Staff Applications:

Hockey Alberta is seeking one head coach, two assistant coaches and one trainer for each of the six Alberta Cup teams.

AB Cup Coach Application > | AB Cup Trainer Application >

Go to the Alberta Cup website >

2025 Alberta Challenge - April 30 - May 4

• Female players born in 2010 and 2011.
• Regional camp registration opens on January 13.
• Regional camps run April 4-6, locations Beaumont and Cochrane.

Team Staff Applications:

Hockey Alberta is seeking one head coach, two assistant coaches, one apprentice coach and one trainer for each of the six Alberta Challenge teams.

AB Challenge Coach Application > | AB Challenge Apprentice Coach Application > | AB Challenge Trainer Application >

Go to the Alberta Challenge website >

2025 Prospects Cup - May 7-11

• Male players born in 2012.
• Regional camp registration opens on January 20.
• Regional camps run April 11-13 in Calgary, Olds, Vegreville and TBD (Capital).

Team Staff Applications:

Hockey Alberta is seeking one head coach, two assistant coaches and one trainer for each of the eight Prospect Cup regional teams.

Prospects Cup Coach Application > | Prospects Cup Trainer Application >

Go to Prospects Cup website >

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta has announced the roster for the Team Alberta U16 Male squad that is representing the province at the 2024 WHL Cup, taking place at the Peavey Mart Centurium in Red Deer.

The roster for this year’s squad is comprised of two goaltenders, seven defence and eleven forwards. Of the players on the twenty-man roster, seven players were taken in the first round of the 2024 Western Hockey League Draft, eight players were taken in the second round, three players were taken in the third round, and one player each was taken in the fourth and sixth rounds. This roster includes Aden Bouchard (Airdrie) and Ben Harvey (Edmonton) who were selected in the top five at third and fourth overall respectively, as well as Ossie McIntyre (St. Albert) and Owen Hayden (Calgary) who were selected in the top ten of the draft.

This year’s team includes players from eleven different communities across Alberta – Calgary, Edmonton, Cochrane, Blackfalds, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Sturgeon County, Airdrie, Rocky View County, Fort McMurray and Olds. Nine players play in the Alberta Elite Hockey League, while the other eleven players play in the CSSHL.

TEAM ALBERTA U16 WHL CUP ROSTER >

The selection process saw eighty players attend the Summer Selection Camp in Red Deer in July. A shortlist of thirty-five players was selected from that camp before the roster was finalized down to the twenty players representing the province at the WHL Cup.

“We’re excited with the group that we have selected for this year’s WHL Cup.” said Mike Kraichy, Manager, High Performance for Hockey Alberta. “We feel that we have a lot of depth at all three positions and look forward to getting to compete against the best players across Western Canada in October.”

The team’s staff this year includes Derrick Martin (Edmonton), Head Coach; Ryan Allen (Grande Prairie), Assistant Coach; Chad Scharff (Airdrie), Assistant Coach; Marcus Cheng (Calgary), Video Coach; Theo Zubot (Calgary), Goalie Coach; Matt Goertzen (Edmonton), Therapist; Dave Campbell (Grande Prairie), Equipment Manager; Bobby Fox (Calgary), Head Scout; Barry Medori (Spruce Grove), Coach Mentor; and Kraichy (Red Deer), Director of Operations.

The 2024 WHL Cup will showcase the top 2009-born players from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Team Alberta, powered by Gatorade, kicks off the WHL Cup against Team Saskatchewan on Wednesday, October 23. The schedule is available below.

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.

Both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day take place on September 30.

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.

On September 30, we encourage all Canadians to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.

MORE INFORMATION >

Hockey Alberta is hosting female-only coach clinics in Calgary for the 2024-25 season.

Taking place at the East Calgary Twin Arenas, there are three clinics available for the season. Coach 2 is scheduled for October 20, Intro to Checking Principles on October 27, and Coach 1 on November 2. Registration for these courses is now available below.

COACH 2 – OCTOBER 20 >

INTRO TO CHECKING PRINCIPLES – OCTOBER 27 >

COACH 1 – NOVEMBER 2 >

Female-only coach clinics provide an inclusive environment to all female to learn the game and become certified in the necessary clinics.

For questions and information on the upcoming clinics, please contact Danielle Wheeler, Manager, Female Development at [email protected].

Hockey Alberta staff as well as coaches from across the province gathered at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for The Coaches Site Live Conference. Over 400 attendees from 14 different countries participated in the three-day event, which featured on ice, breakout and main stage sessions involving some of the best coaches in the sport.

Some of the presenting speakers included Cail MacLean from the Calgary Flames, Moncton Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall, Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and University of Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato.

“The Coaches Site Live is regarded as the premier coaching conference in the world,” said Mike McGinnis, Hockey Alberta’s Manager, Player Development. “Hockey Alberta is proud to partner with The Coaches Site and we send approximately 20 delegates to the annual event. Every year we see exponential growth in those who attend as it’s impossible to not pick up one or two things from each presentation. We truly look forward to this event each year and we are excited to continue expanding our relationship with The Coaches Site to offer more opportunities for coaches in Alberta.”

One of those Alberta delegates who attended the event was Sage Sansregret, who spent this past season as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Junior Oilers White.

“The experience was definitely worthwhile,” Sansregret said. "It was a lot of fun being there to network and learn from some of the best coaches in the world. I think the biggest takeaway for me from this event is always to be willing to learn. There’s a lot of new concepts that you hear about during the conference and they really challenge you to expand your view and knowledge of the game.”

Sansregret believes events like these are vital to ensuring the next generation of coaches are making the most out of their opportunities.

“I think it’s extremely important,” she said. "It’s great to connect with other coaches and share ideas and thoughts. I think it helps the game continue to grow and move forward and it’s also great for young coaches like myself who want to start building a network and create a foundation for their coaching careers. High-level coaching jobs are network based, so events like these are great opportunities.”

The 2025 event is once again set for June at the University of Michigan.

The Female Coach Development Network is back for the 2024-25 season! The second season of the network is scheduled to pick up October 14.

Featuring monthly and bi-monthly presenters, the program provides access to mentors and resources for coaches to help navigate their seasons. One call or two calls are scheduled each month, from October-March, with professional development and the opportunity to discuss situations coaches are going through.

The Female Coach Development Network was created for female coaches across the province to connect and learn from each other. Sixty-seven coaches registered for the first year of the network.

The network is free to join and open to coaches at all levels and ages. Coaches who were participants in the network last season are required to register again for this season. Meeting and presentations will be recorded and distributed to the group following the session.

REGISTRATION LINK >