Team Alberta Male and Female National Aboriginal Hockey Championship Shortlists Posted

RED DEER – Team Alberta tryouts for the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC) are taking place at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer, August 8-11.

Athletes are gathering in Red Deer to compete for a roster spot, with both Male and Female camps featuring on-ice sessions including small area games, practices and games. At 2PM on August 10, the Top 40 List for the Male team released. At 3:15 PM, the Top 33 List for the Female team relased.

TOP 40 MALE / TOP 33 FEMALE / CAMP SCHEDULE >

Hockey Alberta, in partnership with the Indigenous Sport Council – Alberta, are sending a U18 Male and U18 Female team to the 2025 tournament, scheduled for May 4-11 in Kamloops, British Columbia on the traditional territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.

Team Alberta U18 Female won silver at last year’s event in Grande Prairie while the U18 Male squad won its placement game by a 10-2 score over Team Eastern Door & North.

NAHC was established in 2002 by the Aboriginal Sport Circle, to serve as the premiere competition for young Aboriginal hockey players in Canada.

The annual event provides a forum for elite U18 aged Indigenous male and female youth and attracts participation from First Nations, Métis and Inuit athletes across the 13 provinces and territories. This annual event helps foster cultural unity and pride to celebrate Indigenous athletes and sport.

Coaching Staff announced for 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships

RED DEER – The coaching staffs have been named for Team Alberta Male and Female competing at the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

Team Alberta Female will be guided by head coach Richard Demery (Edmonton) who served as an assistant coach last year on the Male team. He is entering his ninth year of coaching, all of which has been at the U15 AA to U18 AA levels. Kendra Rosychuk (Calgary) returns to the team as an assistant coach with Chelsea Gauchier (Edmonton) rounding out the group.

Kevin Hasselberg (Dutchess) has been named the head coach of Team Alberta Male. Hasselberg is the current Head Coach and General Manager of the Drumheller Dragons and has more than 20 years of coaching experience. He also has been involved with Hockey Alberta’s development programs as he has taken part in the Alberta Cup and Prospects Cup tournaments. Damien Kulynuch (Calgary) is returning for a second year as an assistant coach along with Dallas Hines (Marwayne) who is working his first experience in the Team Alberta program.

The Recreational Hockey Model has been renamed to the Play Hockey Model by Hockey Alberta.

The Play Hockey Model, and the three streams within it, ensures families have access to affordable, fun, and safe opportunities to participate in youth hockey with a moderate to low time and financial commitment. The streams within the Play Hockey Model remain unchanged – Rec Hockey, Pond Hockey and Learn to Play.

PLAY HOCKEY MODEL >

To kick off the season, Hockey Alberta is hosting a Virtual Town Hall via Zoom on September 12, from 6-7 pm. The updated Play Hockey Model will be discussed, and Organizations and MHAs can connect and share best practices.

Please attend if you have sanctioned, are planning to sanction, or would like more information about sanctioning a Play Hockey Model program for the 2024-25 season.

Register at this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqceGgpzIqHNYsOgXLhRSitNSYkZQY2zwS

Read all the information about the transition to the Play Hockey Model in the information bulletin.

INFORMATION BULLETIN 24-02 – PLAY HOCKEY MODEL >

RED DEER - Updates have been implemented to Hockey Alberta’s Coach Education Pathways, with new and/or updated requirements and qualifications for the 2024-25 hockey season.

The changes involve new names for online courses offered within the Hockey Canada Coach Clinic (previously HU-Online), and Hockey Alberta’s in-person Coach 1, Coach 2 and Checking Skills clinics. There are also updated online course requirements for coaches at the Intro to Hockey and Minor Leagues levels.

Full details on the name changes, the specific requirements for coaches at each level of hockey, and the process for registering in HCR are available under the Coach tab on the Hockey Alberta website.

COACH REQUIREMENTS >

The clinic structure itself is unchanged for the 2024-25 season, with a required Online component, and a required In-Person clinic (includes classroom and on-ice time). As well, requirements continue for completing Respect in Sport – Activity Leader, and Hockey Canada Safety Program – Level 1.

INFO BULLETIN 24-01 – UPDATED COACH REQUIREMENTS >

CALGARY – Forty athletes are gathering at Cardel Rec South in Calgary for Hockey Alberta’s 2024 Female U16 Summer Development Camp August 9-11.

Four goaltenders, 12 defence and 24 forwards are attending the camp. The development camp serves as an introduction to the Team Alberta process.

U16 SUMMER DEVELOPMENT CAMP ROSTERS >

Camp features on and off-ice activities including both physical and mental sessions and will wrap up with Team Blue versus Team Gold at 12:30 P.M. on Aug. 11.

CAMP SCHEDULE >

All athletes who are registered with a Hockey Alberta or Hockey Canada sanctioned minor hockey association are eligible for Team Alberta programming.