Still time to register for this weekend’s AGM/ Hockey Conference

RED DEER - Are you a member of the board or executive with a Hockey Alberta member minor hockey association, club team or registered program?

Is your organization looking for answers on how to deal with the fast-paced changes in our sport and society?

There is still time for to register to attend the 2019 Hockey Alberta Annual General Meeting and Hockey Conference, with Matt Symes set to deliver the keynote address. The Hockey Conference runs Friday evening and Saturday morning on November 22 and 23, with the AGM set for 2 pm on November 23 in Red Deer.

Register >

Matt Symes is a founding Partner at Symplicity Designs. Over the last decade, he has helped introduce more than 350 organizations to the Principles, Methods, and Tools of Performance Excellence. Over the last six years, he has guided the deep transformation of numerous organizations in all sectors. Matt has led the successful transformation of companies as large as $30 million in revenue to as small as a two-person, $250,000 PR firm. Matt has also worked to help Government improve and co-led Symplicity’s largest and longest transformation with the Francophone education sector in New Brunswick

Symes will also present on Saturday morning with a leading change workshop, followed by a session on complaint handling and policy development, led by Steve Indig.

Indig began his career with the Sport Law & Strategy Group in 2003 immediately after being called to the bar as a lawyer. Steve has had the opportunity to work with over 650 national, provincial, and local sport organizations providing consulting and legal services related to governance, employment, contracts, policies, disputes, and privacy. He is a regular guest speaker and presenter at AGMs, conferences, and workshops, and also acts as a mediator and adjudicator. During the early years of his career, Steve was certified by the NFL, CFL, MLS, and FIFA to represent professional athletes as a sports agent. He continues to be involved in sport as an athlete in swimming, hockey, basketball, softball and golf.

Full Schedule >

For more information on the Hockey Alberta Annual General Meeting, go to hockeyalberta.ca or email Michelle Skilnick at [email protected]

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the coaching staffs for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

The six coaching staffs for the female program are comprised of one director of operations, one coach mentor, one head coach, one assistant coach, and one apprentice coach. The eight coaching staffs for the male program are comprised of one director of operations, one coach mentor, one head coach, and two assistant coaches.

Female Program Staffs > | Male Program Staffs >

Female regional selection camps kick off this weekend, November 29 - December 1 in Wetaskiwin (North) and Innisfail (South). Male regional selection camps run the following weekend, December 6-8 in Vegreville (North), Edmonton (Capital), Olds (South) and Calgary.

The Alberta Winter Games are set for February 14-17 in Airdrie.

RED DEER - Alberta Sledge is proud to announce the 17 player roster for the Alberta Sledge Program during the 2019-20 season.

The roster was finalized following a two-day tryout camp at Pason Centennial Arenas in Okotoks, Alberta. The camp included skills evaluations and two Intersquad games. A total of 20 players were in contention for the 17 roster spots.

Roster >

This program selection is not a reflection of the final team roster that will represent Alberta in the 2020 Canadian Sledge Hockey Championships in Leduc, Alberta this upcoming May. A final Team Alberta roster announcement will be made in the spring of 2020.

Alberta Sledge’s program roster includes two goaltenders, five defensemen and ten forwards. Head Coach Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB) assembled the roster with support from Assistant Coach Chris Cederstrand (Okotoks, AB), and Team Director Dean Krawec (St. Albert, AB).

For more information on Alberta Sledge, please contact Dean Krawec, Team Director, at [email protected] or 780-991-5507.

RED DEER – The Hockey Alberta Foundation has a new Chair and Vice Chair of its Board of Directors after the Foundation’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday at Red Deer College.

Dennis Zukiwsky (Red Deer) was acclaimed as the new Chair, taking over from John Windwick. Jeff Robson (Calgary) was acclaimed as the Vice Chair, taking over from Dennis Zukiwsky. Zukiwsky previously served as the Board’s Vice Chair, while Robson was previously a Director on the Board.

Two new Board Members were also voted in. Todd Thiessen, from Red Deer, and Kent Smith, from Medicine Hat. Both bring a wealth of experience and are sure to be an asset to the Board.

Board members continuing to support the HAF are John Windwick (Calgary) as the Past Chair, John Kosolowski (Edmonton) who remains the Board Treasurer, Bob Bartlett (Lethbridge), Graham MacLachlan (Calgary), Lorne Radbourne (Grande Prairie) and Chris Turchansky (Edmonton).

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta has a new Chair and Vice Chair at the helm of its Board of Directors after the organization’s 112th Annual General Meeting on Saturday at Red Deer College.

Len Samletzki was acclaimed as the new Chair, taking over from Terry Engen. Allan Mowbray was acclaimed as the Vice Chair, taking over from Fran Zinger.

Both step into their new positions from previous Director positions. Samletzki, from St. Albert, previously served as the Board’s Finance Director, while Mowbray, from Calgary, was a Director at Large.

Other Board members are Michael Bates of Cochrane, Francois Gagnon (Fort McMurray), Wilson Gemmill (Grande Prairie) and Brock Harrington (Drumheller). Engen remains on the Board as the Past President, taking over for Rob Virgil. Joining the Board, as the new Finance Director, is Donna Gallant of Edmonton. And Zinger is also staying on the Board for an additional year, as she was appointed to the final year of Mowbray’s Director at Large term.

In his inaugural address to the Members, Samletzki highlighted his three key priorities for the Board and Hockey Alberta over the next three years: growing the game, continuing to develop players and coaches, and the ability to be agile.

“We need to be able to react quickly to the changing face of hockey,” said Samletzki. “There is a great opportunity for us in the coming years.”

In his final formal action as Chair, Engen announced the 2019 Chair of the Board Award recipient is Aaron Rawlake. The formal presentation will be made to Rawlake at a future date.

In his closing address as Board chair, Engen reflected on how his work with Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada has “given me much more than I can ever give to them as a volunteer.”

He also reminded the organization to remember that they have great resources in the Life Members, five of whom attended this year’s AGM.

“It’s very important to be able to go to the Life Members for their input. We should never forget what history has done for us,” Engen said.

Long-time Hockey Alberta Board member, Rob Virgil (centre) was presented with a Hockey Alberta jersey at his final AGM as Past Chair. Rob Litwinski (CEO) and Terry Engen (outgoing Board Chair) made the presentation.