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WHL extends partnership agreement with Hockey Alberta

CALGARY - The Western Hockey League announced today the WHL and Hockey Alberta have extended their current partnership agreement through the 2020-21 season. The new three-year partnership agreement will encompass the current 2018-19 season along with the upcoming 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

The agreement includes the WHL continuing to be a major sponsor of Hockey Alberta’s High Performance Programs and the Alberta Cup. Within the partnership, Hockey Alberta will continue to recognize the WHL as an official partner in Hockey Alberta’s Male Alberta Development Model, which includes the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League and the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League. The WHL will also continue as an official sponsor of other grassroots development programs.

“The WHL is very proud to continue serving as a major supporter of Hockey Alberta’s high performance and minor hockey system,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “We are committed to assisting Hockey Alberta with the growth and development of the game throughout the province.”

“We have worked collaboratively with the Western Hockey League for several years to provide many positive development opportunities for players throughout the minor hockey system,” said Rob Litwinski, Hockey Alberta’s CEO. “We look forward to continuing this work for the benefit of players throughout the minor hockey system.”

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.

About Hockey Alberta

Hockey Alberta is the Provincial Sports Organization and governing body for organized amateur hockey in the Province of Alberta. Hockey Alberta’s Vision is Hockey for Life, and Hockey Alberta encourages participation on both a competitive and recreational level for those who enjoy hockey for the sportsmanship, skill and enjoyment it can provide. Hockey Alberta’s Regional Centre network includes offices in Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Lloydminster, Red Deer, Calgary and Lethbridge. In 2017-18, there were more than 105,000 registered participants, including more than 86,000 players in Alberta.

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Four Alberta officials selected for Hockey Canada, IIHF events

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to recognize the four officials selected to represent the province on the national and international stage this season.

Referee Taylor Burzminski (St. Albert) has been assigned to Hockey Canada’s officiating team for the 2018 World Under-17 Challenge, which runs November 3-10 in Saint John/Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

Internationally, linesman Cody Huseby (Red Deer) is one of 23 Canadian officials selected for IIHF championships in 2018-19. Huseby will work the Group A games at the World Under-20 Division II Championships in Estonia, January 13-19.

Referee Fraser Lawrence (Edmonton) will also officiate at the IIHF World Championships in Division III in Iceland, January 14-20.

On the female side, referee Lacy Senuk (St. Albert) is doubling up this season, as she will work both the 2018 4 Nations Cup November 6-10 in Saskatoon, and the IIHF Women’s World Championship April 4-14 in Finland.

"A national or international assignment is the ultimate goal for an amateur official," said Craig DeCoursey, Chair of the Hockey Alberta Official’s Committee. "The selection of these four officials is a reflection of their commitment, dedication, and perseverance in their field. Not only are they leaders on the ice in Alberta, but their participation off the ice in supervision, mentorship and develepment programs makes their selection even more rewarding."

Hockey Alberta Foundation

EKEC supports Super HEROS

CALGARY - A new hockey program launches this week in Calgary that provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment to youth with cognitive challenges, including Autism and Down Syndrome.

Super HEROS is the newest program offered by Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS) Hockey, a pilot project providing the opportunity to play hockey for a group of young people who often face a range of challenges including isolation, disconnection from their peers, and not feeling fully integrated in the community.

Super HEROS was recently named a recipient of $5,000 from the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s Every Kid Every Community (EKEC) Grant fund.

EKEC’s goal is to provide every child in Alberta the opportunity to play hockey, have fun and, in many cases, experience the sport for the first time. The funding will help cover ice rental costs.

“Super HEROS does exactly what EKEC is all about - giving kids a chance to play hockey who otherwise likely wouldn’t have that opportunity,” said Tim Leer, Executive Director of the Hockey Alberta Foundation.

The program features 21 boys and girls, ages 7-17 years, with cognitive challenges. Participants rotate through four or five stations, each with a different short duration/ low intensity skill development opportunity. The focus is on fundamentals such as skating and puck skills through fun activities.

In the EKEC application, it was noted “there is currently no place for this population of kids to play. There are many barriers; physical, emotional, social that make organized hockey of any kind unrealistic;. This does not mean that they are not passionate about hockey, or sports in general, it just means they are limited in that there isn’t anywhere they can take part. Super HEROS will provide them with a place to take part in a sport they love and have aspired to play.”

The Super HEROS program operates at the Max Bell Centre, and includes introductory hockey skills training and workshops, along with helping the young participants establish a sense of belonging. Equipment fitting occurs on Wednesday, October 10, with the program starting Sunday, October 14 and continuing until mid-March.

For more information on Every Kid Every Community, go to hockeyalbertafoundation.ca. For more information on Super HEROS, go to heroshockey.com.

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Tom Renney on half-ice hockey in Alberta

RED DEER - Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney discusses the important of half-ice at the Intro to Hockey level, and the efforts being made in Alberta to ensure everyone’s first hockey experience is an enjoyable one.

Hockey Alberta Foundation

2018 Future Leaders Scholarship recipients announced

RED DEER - The Hockey Alberta Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Future Leaders Scholarship.

Seven outstanding post-secondary students were chosen from the 2018 Future Leaders Development Program to receive a $1,000 scholarship, with the opportunity to receive an additional scholarship for achieving "distinguished leader" status. Distinguished Future Leaders will be announced in January.

The 2018 Future Leaders are:

Tyler Charlet (MacEwan University)
Hayley Douglas (University of Windsor)
Scott Ferguson (Red Deer College)
Kaely McMurtry (Red Deer College)
Brett Ponich (University of Alberta Augustana)
Ben Sowa (Concordia University)
Jake Wozney (Red Deer College)

"I always felt that if a time came I could not actively play hockey (anymore), my involvement with the sport would come to an end," said recipient Brett Ponich. "(The Future Leaders) program has shown me that I can still get some of the same benefits from being a coach that i did as a player."

The Future Leader Development Program is designed to develop and train post-secondary students in the area of coaching. Areas of focus include proper instruction, administration, leadership, technical and tactical skills in hockey, so that the future leaders can carry those skills into our communities.

Since the Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1998, Hockey Alberta Foundation has invested annually in the development of great leaders for the future of the game and our communities in Alberta. The scholarship program operates in alignment with the Future Leaders Development Program, which focuses on educating and training our post-secondary student coaches to be strong and effective on-ice leaders.