Hockey Alberta Registration Fee changes for 2023-24

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta is announcing four coaches who are deserving of the recognition of Coach of the Month, presented by Players Bench Team Apparel.

This season’s Coaches of the Month are Russ Glover, Darcy Gulbraa, Shannon Humphrey and Ryan Robbins.

Russ Glover

Russ Glover - of the Vulcan U11 Hawks - has coached for six years.

“When my kids started playing I thought it was a perfect opportunity to get involved,” said Glover. “It’s a great way to pay it forward to the next generation and give kids the skills they can use to enjoy hockey for a lifetime.”

Glover’s philosophy is simple – work hard, have a good attitude and show up for your team. And he understands that everyone has a role to play.

“We have a player who likes to announce the kids’ names and numbers in the dressing room before each game, just like a professional announcer,” said Glover. “It’s become a pregame tradition for us. At the end, the rest of the team joins in together to announce him so he’s not left out.”

Throughout the season, Glover finds the rewards in watching each of his players succeed and progress. He sees their individual wins as team wins.

“Seeing kids hit their individual milestones over the season is inspiring,” said Glover. “Our team has been on a mission to make sure each kid scored this year. When the last player got his, the whole team lost it!”

When he’s not at the rink, you can find Glover with his family on the farm, camping, kayaking, biking and playing ball in the yard.

Darcy Gulbraa

When his son’s team needed a coach, Darcy Gulbraa stepped up and 12 years later he is still behind the bench.

A volunteer coach with the Irma Aces U11 Male and U13 Female teams, Gulbraa believes in the importance of a positive atmosphere.

“I once heard the job of a minor hockey coach is to help kids to love the game more when they leave the rink than when they got there,” said Gulbraa.

Some of Gulbraa’s most memorable moments come from watching his players grow their love of the game – for example, when a player scores their first goal or a team qualifies for a provincial championship.

“One of the biggest things I enjoy is watching the players develop from the start of the year to the end of the season,” said Gulbraa. “In a lot of cases it’s hard to believe they are the same player.”

Gulbraa cherishes the relationships he’s made, including those with the great coaches he had throughout his hockey career.

“If they wouldn’t have taken time out of their lives to coach, who knows if I would be on the ice doing it,” said Gulbraa.

Shannon Humphrey

Playing hockey their whole life, Shannon Humphrey wanted to be around the game. Now that Humphrey’s kids love hockey, coaching is the favourite way to hang out with them.

“I’m a goalie coach by choice and a head coach by necessity,” said Humphrey. “I was empowered by my association to step into the role and every day I’m reminded that the kids are the reason I do what I do.”

Humphrey has coached hockey for five years. With years of coaching experience in soccer, roller derby, baseball and curling, Humphrey had a lot to offer.

“I had some pretty great coaches growing up who taught me to love the game,” said Humphrey. “I’m simply passing on their teachings and building on the foundation those coaches built for me.”

Aside from the coaching role, Humphrey works with Blackfalds Minor Hockey Association’s Board of Directors as director for equity, diversity and inclusion.

“This season our team has learned how to stand up for each other, create visibility, and be very strong allies for all diverse identities,” said Humphrey. “They’ve sent the message that hockey is intended to be a safe space for everyone regardless of their identity.”

Humphrey’s passion for hockey shines through the pride shown for the players and the game.

“Not only are we all learning to love and respect the game, we are learning to love and respect each other on and off the ice,” said Humphrey. “It’s my job as a coach to make sure each player feels seen, heard, and empowered. This is their game, their team and their safe space. I’m just here to facilitate it.”

Ryan Robbins

For 15 years Ryan Robbins has volunteered his time to coaching. Currently the coach of Stettler’s U11 Female and U9 Oilers, Robbins also volunteers with the East Central Hockey School.

With over a decade of experience, locals know who to turn to when a coach is needed.

“One year, I wasn’t planning on coaching, but I helped with evaluations and after they were done the team didn’t have a coach,” said Robbins. “I was asked to take them on, which turned out to be an excellent opportunity. They were a great group of kids and we ended up winning provincials.”

Having good mentors, Robbins took an interest in coaching and officiating at a young age.

“My father coached me through the years, which laid some excellent groundwork for me now,” said Robbins. “But we had some really great recreation directors to learn from too.”

Robbins coaching philosophy is always moving forward, both in skills and athletes game play. As players move forward, Robbins enjoys watching the kids grow in their abilities as well as people.

In January, the U18 Hinton Havoc travelled to a nearby community to play a regular season game. It was just another hockey game in another rural Alberta community.

For Hinton, it wasn’t just another hockey game though.

As the game went on, racial slurs echoed in the arena. At first, the Hinton Havoc’s manager, Charity Lawrence wasn’t sure what she heard. When she saw the mother of an Indigenous player with tears streaming down her face, she knew she heard correctly.

“I’m embarrassed to admit that this was my first experience with racism,” said Lawrence. “I did not know what to do. I was so angry, so emotional.”

The taunts and slurs were coming from a group of local young men. Lawrence confronted them, and when they denied it, she called the local minor hockey association.

After the game she spoke to the player and his mother who told Lawrence that this wasn’t the first time they had experienced this behaviour. As a team manager of seven years, she couldn’t believe that she did not know this was happening on her own team.

“I told this player and his mother that he never has to put up with things like this, it’s not okay,” said Lawrence. “His mother replied, ‘sometimes you just get tired of the same fight.’”

Lawrence responded with the will to fight for them and with them.

“The events of that day kept me awake at night,” said Lawrence. “I demanded the boys in the stands be identified and their parents contacted. I wanted them banned from future games we would play there and punished for what they did. But I didn’t feel like that was enough.”

It was only days later when Hockey Alberta’s Maltreatment Awareness contest came across Lawrence’s social media feed. The contest, in partnership with the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF), was developed to bring awareness to Maltreatment happening in the game.

“It could not have come at a better time,” said Lawrence. “This contest was another opportunity for us as a team to show our support for not only this family, but for every family who has ever been treated so horribly in minor hockey.”

The contest encouraged pictures to be taken with the posters and banners that were distributed across facilities in Alberta. Lawrence took it a step further by creating posters for the team to sport during practice and submitted a photo.

The effort and creativity caught the eye of the selection committee. Selected as the winners, the Hinton Havoc were awarded tickets to the Sportsnet Lounge at Rogers Place for the Oilers’ February 21 match-up against the Philadelphia Flyers.

It wasn’t until after they were selected that Hockey Alberta was made aware of how close to the heart this contest was for the team. After learning of Hinton’s experience, the EOCF invited the team to spend the day at Rogers Place. Together the team took in the Oilers and Flyers morning skate, toured the Oilers Hall of Fame, and met alumni, Kevin Lowe. Flyers forward, Kevin Hayes, even gave his stick to one of the boys.

“This event sparked conversations with families and the team,” said Lawrence. “I appreciate this opportunity given to us by Hockey Alberta and the EOCF, not just to go to the Oilers game, but to show this young man and his family how much we care.”

Maltreatment does not belong in the game of hockey. Hockey Alberta wants to create an environment that welcomes everyone. If you or someone you know experiences or witnesses Maltreatment, please report it. Hockey Alberta is committed to ensuring an investigation of all reports of Maltreatment, Bullying or Harassment involving participants takes place. To learn more about Maltreatment and how you can report it, visit hockeyalberta.ca.

If your facility or Minor Hockey Association is interested in the Maltreatment posters or banners, please contact Darcy Smith, [email protected].

RED DEER – Team Alberta Male U16 and Team Alberta Female U18, fuelled by Gatorade, both returned with fifth place finishes from the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island.

Competing in Summerside, the U16 team finished round robin with a 2-1-0 record before falling to Quebec in the quarterfinals. The squad rebounded to finish fifth overall, with a 4-1 win over Manitoba.

“The Canada Winter Games were an unbelievable experience for the staff and the team,” said Serge Lajoie, head coach of the U16 team. “Although we did not meet our on-ice expectation of winning a medal at the Games, our daily commitment to excellence and being supportive of each other throughout this journey has helped us all grow, not only as players and coaches, but most importantly as people.“

The U18 team was on the ice in Charlottetown in week two of competition. The team finished with a 1-1-1 record in round-robin, before also meeting Quebec in the quarterfinals, losing 3-0. Team Alberta then defeated Saskatchewan 6-2 to finish fifth.

"We couldn’t have been more proud as a staff of the group regardless of our outcome,” said Brett Wold, head coach of the U18 team. “Falling short of the medal rounds was tough, but our team bought in from day one at summer camp and that never wavered. Lots made new friendships that will last a lifetime, and the girls soaked in the atmosphere of the Canada Winter Games."

For more information on Team Alberta and the Canada Winter Games, visit hockeyalberta.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

RED DEER – International Women’s Day is March 8. This year, Hockey Alberta is taking the time to celebrate and recognize the female staff and volunteers who dedicate their time to making our game great!

International Women’s Day is a global day to recognize the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

Celebrated annually, the day serves to celebrate women’s achievements, educate and raise awareness for women’s equality, call for positive change advancing women and lobby for accelerated gender parity.

Hundreds of women have created a space in the game for themselves as players, coaches, officials, executives and volunteers at all levels. In the Hockey Alberta realm, 52 women have carved a path as staff members or volunteer committee members.

In addition, each year there are dozens of women volunteering annually as executive members on Regional Officials committees, and as coaches, trainers and therapists, and directors of operations for events such as the Alberta Challenge and the Summer Showcase, and Team Alberta programming.

Today, Hockey Alberta is recognizing all of the women who are involved with Hockey Alberta, and celebrating all women who across the province who work within the sport and who continue to inspire.

Hockey Alberta Staff

Cassie Campbell, Morgen Kidney, Danielle Kraichy, Kendall Newell, Holly McDavid, Katrina Papke, Stacey Pattison, Ellery Platts, Michelle Skilnick, Darcy Smith, Kara Spady and Danielle Wheeler.

Hockey Alberta Board of Directors

Kirstan Jewell, Karen Lee, Danielle Paradis

Hockey Alberta Foundation Board of Directors

Lisa Vlooswyk

Life Member

Annie Orton

Posthumous Life Member

Anne Hayden

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Taryn Barry, Lauren Dormer, Zahra Nurani and Alicia Souveny

Administration Committee

Amber Boman, Pam Douglas, Janet Fairless, Jennifer Foster, Seema King, Dawn Lemaistre, Lin Lumye and Diane Ziemer.

Appeals Committee

Debbie Northcott

Club Team Administrator

Lisa Davies

Elite Female Committee

Lise Cote and Stacey Keyowski

Female Officials Development Coordinator

Ricki Lee Brown

Maltreatment Committee

Renee Cook, Shelina Rawji and Jamie Williamson

Member Liaison

Chantel Timmons

Minor Discipline Committee

Sharlene Cook, Michelle Malbeuf and Robin Latajka

Minor Female Committee

Julie Feragen, Nicole Halvorson and Dana Henfrey

Para Hockey Committee

Tara Chisholm, Janice Coulter, Desiree Desrochers-Pegueno, Brooke Martens, Katrina Maximuchuk, Jen Sales and Sharon Veeneman

Kate Holan is a Type 1 diabetic.

The Canada Winter Games Team Alberta Female Goaltender calls it her superpower.

“It makes you put in that extra thought and work a little bit harder because you have to manage so much on top of hockey,” said Holan.

Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas makes little or no insulin. A Type 1 diabetic must monitor their blood sugars and manage the condition accordingly.

“I was diagnosed when I was 15 so almost three years ago,” said Holan. “I started having symptoms and when we ran the tests, the results weren’t a surprise being that it’s hereditary.”

Both Holan’s mother, Lisa and oldest brother Jack, are also Type 1 diabetics, so when Holan was diagnosed, she was surrounded by support.

“Knowing that I had their support took the weight off my shoulders,” said Holan. “It showed me that there’s people that can play hockey and manage their diabetes at the same time and they do it seamlessly, it just takes a little more detail in my everyday life.”

Diabetes isn’t the only thing she has in common with Jack. He is also a goalie. Watching him manage his sugars, Holan knew she could continue to play hockey. But she also had questions.

“There were thoughts of uncertainty like will I be able to manage at a high level and take care of my sugars and all my little things,” said Holan. “I’ve learned the biggest thing is knowing my body and knowing how I feel.”

NHLer Max Domi is diabetic and has said he is able to check his blood sugar on the bench as part of managing his diabetes while playing. Being a goalie, Holan doesn’t have the opportunity to check between shifts.

“I have to trust that if I checked (my sugars) in between periods and they were fine, that they are still fine. But I also have to make sure to be alert and to be in tune during the game,” said Holan.

Her regime starts well before she gets to the arena though.

“I have to be organized and stay one step ahead,” said Holan. “That’s not taking too much insulin if I know I have a practice that day and cutting back and managing my day before I get to the rink. And checking in and being on top of it once I’m there.”

In her third year of playing in the Alberta Female Hockey League’s U18 AAA division with the St. Albert Slash, she’s proven that elite hockey is no match for managing diabetes. Now with Team Alberta, Holan is literally living out her dream.

“I have dreamed of this since I was a little kid,” said Holan. “You look back at the history of the teams before you and you see the names that are huge hockey names and I feel so grateful to have this experience to represent Alberta.”

After this season, Holan will look to university hockey as a Mount Royal Cougar.

“To any kid out there with diabetes, never let it hold you back,” said Holan. “You could look at it as something that makes you unique or different but never something that could hold you back.”