Hockey Alberta Awards Announced

ALIX, AB - As parents arrive at the rink on frigid Saturday mornings throughout the winter, they joke to themselves about seeing Tyler Copland’s truck parked in "his spot", as he is always the first to arrive before a game. Whether it’s as a board member, coach, friend, mentor, parent, or sponsor, Tyler wears many hats in the town of Alix.

Since his boys began playing hockey with the Alix and Clive combined association, Tyler has been involved as a volunteer on different levels. He invests a great deal of time and energy into helping mentor the kids during every practice and game. When one game ends, he is typically gearing up to head to another arena to support his other son’s teams.

"Tyler has only missed a handful of practices and games over the years. His commitment is impressive, as is the message he has for the kids: just keep showing up, regardless of what struggle might be in front of you, just keep showing up," said Lori Gibson, who shared the story with Hockey Alberta. "He doesn’t tell the kids what dedication is, he lives it every day."

Tyler’s positive attitude is infectious throughout the teams he coaches. He is always quick to flash a smile and joke around with the kids, and holds nothing back when it comes to helping the players achieve their goals. Always keeping things light and fun, he loves nothing more than celebrating an accomplishment for anyone on his team whether it’s a goal, assist, win, or just a great shift.

As the first guy to the rink to open the rooms and set out the pucks, a supporter of the concessions and 50/50 draws, and yearly corporate sponsor, Tyler values the deep roots he has created in his community, and they would like to thank him for everything he has done.

If you have a great story or volunteer that you would like Hockey Alberta to highlight, please send the information to [email protected].

As part of the Hockey at Home Series, Hockey Alberta will publish a weekly video focused on goaltender skills drills that can be done at home.

This week, Team Alberta alumna, University of Calgary Dinos goaltender Dayna Owen shows how to practice passing fro a butterfly position. Check back every Saturday for the latest goalie skills video!

Passing from a Butterfly Position

Now is the perfect time to improve your puck-handling and passing, this drill can assist you in improving your passing skills as you get ready for next season!

Being able to control a dump in on net and make a quick pass to your teammates can assist your team in breaking the puck out of your own zone. In season and during team drills these skills, without deliberate focus and repetitions, can be easily overlooked which will ultimately limit performance. When practicing this skill try to keep the eyes up as much as possible, there will always be a need to “check” the puck but push yourself to keep your eyes up, when possible, to be able to scan and evaluate incoming forecheckers. This drill can be done with a puck or a ball, whichever works best for your training. When practicing these skills, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Start in an down/butterfly stance – Chest up, weight over your knees, eyes downward, chin in front of knees
• Hands away from the body, blocker and glove are positioned in front of the body. Elbows are bent and hands are ready.

• Establish visual connection on the puck and track the puck all the way into your or glove – eyes remain on the puck all the way in.
• Once the puck is in your glove, turn your glove down towards the ground and move your glove towards the ground to place the puck on the ground.
• You want to do this quickly and with some force so that once the puck makes contact with the ground and so it will lay flat while in your glove.
  • Avoid dropping the puck down as it can roll and make it more difficult to control.

• Take your glove off the ground, come back up in your butterfly to complete the passing sequence.
• For the passing portion: hands are away from the body, blocker is positioned mid-way up the shaft of the stick and the glove hand is positioned in an inverted grip above the paddle of the stick
• The glove can rotate to a standard player grip on the stick – based on the skill set of the goaltender
• Glove hand applies downward pressure and prepares to pass the puck
• Sweep the puck along the surface and pass towards your target

• To progress this drill:

• Head is up to read options to make the pass
• Do this on your backhand – this motion would be more of a sweep pass on your backhand
• Have someone flash a different number of fingers every 2-3 seconds
• Place obstacles to encourage saucer passes
• Incorporate footwork patterns prior to the butterfly & dump in/”shot” (smaller shuffles, bigger T-Push like cross crease movements, etc)

Hockey Alberta Goaltender Guide >

For more Hockey at Home videos, go to hockeyalberta.ca/hockey-home

Doug ’Crash’ Crashley of Crash Conditioning Ltd is back with a new, trimmed-down version of Hockey at Home with Crash Conditioning!

Doug ’Crash’ Crashley of Crash Conditioning Ltd is back with a new, trimmed-down version of Hockey at Home with Crash Conditioning!

CALGARY – Hockey Canada, in partnership with BFL CANADA, announced the first winners of the BFL Female Coach of the Year awards. Samantha Holmes-Domagala of Calgary has been named as the National Community Winner, and Shanya Shwetz of Edmonton has been named a Regional High Performance winner.

Giving back to the game that has given her so much, Holmes-Domagala coaches her daughter’s teams with Girls Hockey Calgary, serves as director of coaching for Timbits U7, U9 and U11 with the organization and runs skills clinics in Calgary for young girls. The Mississauga, Ont., native played 10 games with Canada’s National Women’s Team, winning gold at the 4 Nations Cup in 2000 and 2004. After playing with the Brampton Thunder of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), she moved west to join the Calgary Oval X-Treme of the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL), winning gold at the Esso Women’s Nationals in 2003, and co-founded the Strathmore Rockies (WWHL) in 2008.

Alberta’s High Performance BFL Female Coach of the Year regional winner is Shanya Shwetz of Edmonton. Shanya spent the 2019-20 season as head coach of the Edmonton Pandas Bantam Elite team (AFHL). She has also worked with the Team Alberta Female program, most recently as a Head Coach at the 2020 Alberta Winter Games and Video Coach at the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship.

A complete list of winners for each category by province and territory can be found HERE.

Hockey Alberta is excited to work with Ali Stead (@never2late2learn.hky) to bring you weekly off-ice skills drills, as part of the Hockey at Home Series.

Ali Stead is a hockey player and social media influencer. Having only started playing hockey a few years ago, she developed her skills quickly, and is now passionate about sharing her love and knowledge for the game. Be sure to check back every Thursday for the latest drill!

Puck Pullbacks

This simple drill will help players get comfortable with pulling the puck into the protected ’pocket’ behind their heels. This move is very effective for forwards when attacking the defender or for defenders trying to shoot around a shot blocker.

Give it a try with these key points in mind:

• Slide bottom hand to extend reach and range
• Top hand should be off the hip and moving freely
• Cradle/pinch puck with the backhand
• Use ’sculling’ skating technique (push with heels)

For more Hockey at Home videos, go to hockeyalberta.ca/hockey-home

RED DEER – The induction gala for the 2020 Class of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally scheduled for July 19 in Canmore, the celebration event for the Class of 2020 will be held in July 2021.

Members of the induction class are: Bill Bucyk, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Bob Clark, John Davidson, Dr. Randy Gregg, Ken Hitchcock, Jamie Macoun, and the 1974-75 Lethbridge Native Sons

“This was a difficult choice but ultimately the right decision based on the continuing uncertainty in Alberta with regard to the ongoing COVID-19 situation,” said Al Coates, chair of the AHHF. “The induction gala is an evening of recognition and celebration for the inductees, their families and friends. The AHHF strives to bring Alberta’s hockey family together, and we want to do our best to ensure that those who want to be in attendance have the opportunity, and that means delaying the official inductions until next year.”

Members of the induction class were informed of the decision earlier this week, and everyone who purchased tickets for the event has been contacted.

In addition to the decision on the 2020 Gala event, the AHHF has decided not to recognize a Class of 2021. Nominations from the public can still be submitted for individuals and teams to be recognized as part of the Class of 2022.

The online nomination form, and the full list of Honoured Members in the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, can be found at ahhf.ca.

As part of Hockey Alberta’s Hockey at Home series, Team Alberta alumni Jake Neighbours (Edmonton Oil Kings) demonstrates an at-home exercise to increase upper-body strength.

Yoga Push-Up

Remember to always keep your core tight, and to work on being mobile throughout the push-up. This allows for building of muscle and mobility!

For more Hockey at Home videos, go to hockeyalberta.ca/hockey-home

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta’s Minor Leagues Committee, represented by Alberta’s six (6) tiered Minor Hockey Leagues (CAHL, NAI, NEAHL, All Peace, Edmonton Federation & Hockey Calgary) have unanimously supported the implementation of non-checking/body contact only hockey at the Tiers 4 – 6 categories of the U15 division for the 2020-2021 season.

This decision to implement non-checking/body contact only at the Tier 4 – 6 categories of the U15 division comes after a thorough review of the survey feedback received from Hockey Alberta’s membership with regards to the proposal to implement non-checking hockey.

An FAQ document has been created to assist Minor Hockey Associations in the planning and implementation of non-checking/ body contact only hockey (Non-Checking) at the Tiers 4-6 categories of the U15 division. Hockey Alberta is also drafting a Parent Resource Document around Checking Education that will be made available.

Bulletin 19:10 - U15 Non-Checking/Body Contact Only

U15 Non-Checking Hockey FAQ >

As part of the Hockey at Home Series, Hockey Alberta will publish a weekly video focused on goaltender skills drills that can be done at home.

This week, Team Alberta alumna, University of Calgary Dinos goaltender Dayna Owen shows how to practice crease movement and screens. Check back every Saturday for the latest goalie skills video!

Crease Movement & Screens

Oftentimes, goaltenders do not get the opportunity to practice good habits in drills during the season. Now is the perfect time to work on good habits that can help get you ready for next season!

Being able to move across the crease efficiently and setting your feet all while managing screens can be a difficult component for goaltenders to master. You can isolate working on screens, or you can combine them with some footwork. In season and during team drills these skills, without deliberate focus and repetitions, can be easily overlooked which will ultimately limit performance. This drill can be done with a puck or a ball, whichever works best for your training. When practicing these skills, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Start in an athletic stance - bent ankles/knees, chest up and back straight
• Hands away from the body, blocker and glove are positioned in front of the body. Elbows are bent and hands are ready.
• To rotate to start your movement, remember your eye lead that we worked on in last weeks recovery drill.
• Set your feet square, maintain a good knee bend and look around the “screen”
• Once the “shot” is taken, make sure to track the puck all the way into your blocker (or glove)
  • If you do not catch it, square up to the rebound to practice good habits
• Make sure to do this on both sides (glove and blocker)
• You can creative on the obstacles you use for a screen!
• To progress this drill:
  • Have the “shooter” move to different positions to simulate shorter/larger pushes across
  • Incorporate up/down movements to simulate getting in and out of the butterfly (knee pads encouraged)
  • Reaction balls can be bounced off of the ground towards the goaltender
  • Obstacles can be placed to simulate a screen (depending on the skill set of the goaltender)
  • Change up the footwork patterns (smaller shuffles, bigger T-Push like cross crease movements, etc)

Hockey Alberta Goaltender Guide >

For more Hockey at Home videos, go to hockeyalberta.ca/hockey-home