Giving the Gift of the Game

GivingTuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the United States.

According to its website, givingtuesday.ca, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement where “charities, companies and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes.”

This year, Hockey Alberta is pleased to highlight organizations that continue to make hockey accessible to every Albertan.

• Sports Central provides sports equipment at no cost to kids in need. Based out of Edmonton, the volunteers also accept gently-used equipment by donation.
• Calgary Flames Sports Bank helps kids and families across southern Alberta access equipment at no cost. The organization works with KidSport Calgary to breakdown the cost of fees and equipment to ensure every child has an opportunity to play sports. The Calgary Flames Sports Bank operates with the help of volunteers and donations.
• KidSport offers grants to help cover the registration costs for sport, allowing all kids to play. Grants can be applied for online and the organization welcomes donations.
• HEROS Hockey uses the game of hockey to teach life-skills and empower marginalized youth. The organizations provides free hockey programming for at risk children and youth, offering a safe and stable environment for them to grow, connect and succeed.

Every kid in every community should have the opportunity to play hockey. Over the years the Hockey Alberta Foundation has given over $1.5 million to help support grassroots minor hockey initiatives and get new players involved in the game.

The Hockey Alberta Foundation raises funds to increase access to hockey throughout Alberta by administering two grant opportunities:

• Every Kid Every Community offers two types of grants. The Player Assistance grant provides financial support to current or new players looking to play hockey. The Community Grant funds new programs or support an existing program focused on recruiting new players. Applications for Every Kid Every Community grants are due October 31, January 31, April 30 and July 31.
• Hockey Alberta Member Grant presented by Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation supports hockey programming in Northern Alberta (Red Deer - north). Priority for funding is given to those in need for leadership development, introduction to hockey, female, para, Indigenous hockey programming, and any inclusion and diversity initiatives. Applications are due November 30 and February 28.

To donate to one of the organizations supporting hockey opportunities across the province, please contact the partner organization in your area or the Hockey Alberta Foundation at foundation.hockeyalberta.ca.

RED DEER - Three new members were elected to Hockey Alberta’s Board of Directors during the 114th Annual General Meeting held virtually on November 25.

Kirstan Jewell of Rimbey, Karen Lee of Calgary and Bill Gourley of Calgary were elected as Directors at Large to three-year terms. They replace Michael Bates of Cochrane, Wilson Gemmill of Grande Prairie, and Francois Gagnon of Fort McMurray, whose three-year terms have concluded.

Gagnon will continue as a member of the Board, shifting to the role of Finance Director, taking over for Donna Gallant of Edmonton.

The new Directors join Board Chair Len Samletzki, Vice Chair Allan Mowbray, and Directors at Large Fran Zinger and Al-Amin Vira.

The meeting was opened with a land acknowledgement and greetings from Chief Wilton Littlechild of Ermineskin Cree Nation.

In his opening remarks, Samletzki looked back at the hard work of the hockey community across the province during a difficult 2020-21 hockey season.

“Reflecting back on the last year, including the last 20 months, three words come to mind: gratitude, adaptability, players,” said Samletzki. “Gratitude for you, our volunteers, staff and stakeholders across Alberta;. Adaptability - how quickly everyone in hockey was able to change to ensure our game is played. Plans that were changed, stopped, and then changed again. Players - in difficult times - you were here for the right reasons - ensuring the game was there for our players.”

Samletzki also recognized the recent announcement of three new Hockey Alberta Life Members - Terry Ledingham (Bon Accord), Annie Orton (Blairmore) and George Kalley (Drumheller).

In addition to electing three new Board members, a Notice of Motion related to Life Memberships was approved by the Members.

Following the completion of the formal AGM agenda, several operational updates were provided to the Members. Dennis Zukiwsky, chair of the Hockey Alberta Foundation, recapped a very busy year for the Foundation. Mike Klass, Director of Business Operations for Hockey Alberta, provided an financial update. And Hockey Alberta’s CEO Rob Litwinski provided a review of the 2020-21, and a look forward at the Objectives and Key Results that will shape the organization’s strategic priorities for the next four years.

RED DEER – Three Albertans will be officiating at the IIHF World Junior Championship on home ice this holiday season.

The three Hockey Alberta officials - Fraser Lawrence, Kyle Kowalski and Cody Huseby - will be part of crew of 26 officials donning the stripes in Red Deer and Edmonton.

For Lawrence (Edmonton), this is his third consecutive appearance at the World Juniors. He skated in the Edmonton bubble in 2021 and in the Czech Republic in 2020. Lawrence also worked the Western Hockey League final in 2019 and also has skated a number of other International assignments. He was named the Official of the Year for Hockey Alberta for 2019-20.

Kowalski (Edmonton) is also returning to the World Juniors after officiating in the Edmonton bubble, where he skated the Bronze Medal game in 2021. The son of a Hockey Alberta official and former member of the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons, Kowalski has worked the 2018 World Junior A Challenge, 2018 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and was selected to officiate the 2020 USports Cup that was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Huseby (Red Deer) is getting his first call to the World Juniors. Huseby’s international experience includes the 2018 World Under 20 Division II Tournament and the 2017 Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic. In 2011, he and his twin brother, Chad, became the first twins to work the lines together in the WHL. Cody is also the Regional Coordinator for Hockey Alberta’s North Central officials’ region.

For more information on the World Juniors visit iihf.com or becoming a Hockey Alberta official, visit officials.hockeyalberta.ca.

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta is excited to announce the return of the Alberta Cup, Alberta Challenge and Prospects Cup in 2022.

Returning after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trio of events will be held at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer Polytechnic in April and May.

For the Alberta Challenge and Prospects Cup (formerly the Peewee Prospects), this is the first step for athletes entering into the Team Alberta program.

For Alberta Cup athletes it is an opportunity for players to showcase their talents in hopes of being invited to U16 Team Alberta Summer Camp and ultimately representing Team Alberta at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.

Prior to the spring competitions, regional camps will be hosted throughout the province for players to register and attend. More information, including registration and camp details, will be available in January.

All camps and competitions will be subject to COVID-19 protocols and restrictions in place at the time of the camp and event dates.

2022 Alberta Cup - April 27 - May 1

The Alberta Cup features male players born in 2007.

Regional camps run April 1-3 in Spruce Grove, Calgary and Red Deer.

Alberta Cup

2022 Alberta Challenge - May 4-8

The Alberta Challenge features female players born in 2007 and 2008.

Regional camps run April 8-10 in Cochrane and Beaumont.

Alberta Challenge

2022 Prospects Cup - May 11-15

The Prospects Cup features male players born in 2009.

Regional camps run April 15-17 in Olds, Calgary, Vegreville and Edmonton.

Prospects Cup

In 2021, November has notably marked the return of hockey. Life has returned to the busy routine of moving from one activity from the next.

But today, November 11, Hockey Alberta encourages everyone to take a moment to remember those who have fought for our freedoms and honour those who continue to serve.

One of those current officers is also a member of Alberta hockey community - Canadian Armed Forces Commanding Officer, Major Leona Ahn.

Having served for more than 16 years, Leona is currently stationed in Edmonton. As a 23-year-old, she deployed to Afghanistan. Since returning to home soil, she has worked in international events such as the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, relief efforts after natural disasters such as the 2013 floods in Southern Alberta, and 2016 wildfires in Northern Alberta. Most recently, she has aided in the fight against COVID-19.

Though Leona didn’t grow up playing hockey, she fell in love because of the sport. Leona met her spouse, Angie, during a ball hockey tournament. An ice hockey player herself including a stint with the University of Alberta Pandas, Angie enrolled Leona in hockey lessons and Leona was hooked. Sealing their fate of being hockey Moms, their five-year-old daughter began playing Timbits this season.

With a family at home, Leona credits Angie and their two kids for her success and drive.

“I would be nothing without Angie and our family and I know that a lot of military members would say the same thing,” said Leona. “We cannot do what we do, we cannot do what we love, without our families and the incredible sacrifices of parenting alone. The postings, the instability for families sometimes and putting them through that and still having a smile and supporting, that means the world to us.”

For Angie, who is a teacher, being part of a military family means that schedules can change quite quickly, depending on Leona’s role at the time. But it is worth it.

“It’s a real honour to be a spouse to someone in uniform, that’s representing our country,” said Angie. “I always look at it as a really great opportunity for our kids to see somebody who’s not just looking out for family, but looking out for our community and our country.”

For the Ahn family, Remembrance Day is a time to set aside political affiliation or thoughts on foreign policy, and “support the human behind the uniform.”

“Remembrance Day is a great week to be in reflection and full of gratitude for the abundance of what we have as Canadians and to reflect on all the veterans that are no longer with us today and to the soldiers that are currently serving right now,” said Leona. “Because we’re mothers and fathers, we’re sisters and brothers, we’re your friends, we’re your neighbours.”

And the last 18 months have provided a new, contemporary context for the role of the military in Canada.

“Never did we think that the Canadian Armed Forces would be in long-term care facilities during a global pandemic. Never did we think that we’d be sending military nurses to be at the Royal Alex supporting ICU capacity, or did we think that we were going to do vaccine distribution in Indigenous communities up north,” Leona said. “These are your everyday soldiers. It’s not all about the bloodshed and combat, we’re a pretty holistic force as we’ve proven this year. We’re fighting fires, we’re doing flood relief operations, we’re up north, as well as trying to build relations, diplomatic ties, securities in other regions outside Canada where they don’t have the same privileges as us.”

This Remembrance Day take a moment. Reflect on those who have served, honour those who continue to serve and respect the thousands of military families who have sacrificed for our freedom and our country. Lest we forget.