THUNDER BAY, ON - On Monday evening, Hockey Canada handed out its annual awards, recognizing outstanding
volunteers and achievements in minor hockey in Canada. Nominees were submitted to Hockey Canada by its 13
member Branches, and the winners were voted on by Hockey Canada’s officers or the appropriate council.
Hockey Canada Award winners for 2003-2004 were:
Wade Taylor |
Truro, NS |
Volunteer of the Year Award |
Jacques Martin |
St-Pascal, ON |
Gordon Juckes Award (contribution to development of hockey) |
Orville Acres |
Pinawa, MB |
Female Breakthrough Award (promotion/contribution to female hockey) |
Marv Ryder |
Bonavista, NL |
Order of Merit (Atlantic) |
Jules Lavictoire |
Ottawa, ON |
Order of Merit (Central) |
Andre Brin |
Winnipeg, MB |
Hal Lewis Award |
Louise Allain |
Hockey Quebec |
Liz McKinnon Award |
Wade Taylor, of Truro, NS received Hockey Canada’s Volunteer of the Year Award, which recognizes an
outstanding volunteer who has contributed to amateur hockey and Hockey Canada. Taylor has been involved in
the administration of hockey in Nova Scotia for a number of years, becoming a key contributor on Hockey Nova
Scotia’s Board of Directors in 1995. Through his leadership and direction, Hockey Nova Scotia’s financial
position improved greatly. Taylor was also the Chair of Finance for the 2003 World Junior Championship and
the 2004 World Women’s Hockey Championship in Halifax.
Jacques Martin, of St-Pascal, ON, received the Gordon Juckes Award which recognizes the outstanding
contribution of an individual to the development of amateur hockey in Canada at the National Level. Martin
was the head coach of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators for almost eight seasons and was an associate coach with
Canada’s gold medal winning Men’s Olympic Team in 2002. Beyond his involvement on the professional and
international hockey stage, Martin has contributed time and effort to the National Coaching Certification
Program, has actively supported national and branch coaching programs in the Ottawa area and has been a
regular presenter at Coaching Seminars throughout Canada. Martin will be an associate coach with Team Canada
at the World Cup of Hockey 2004.
The late Orville Acres, of Pinawa, MB, was the recipient of Hockey Canada’s Female Breakthrough Award,
which is in honor of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the promotion and/or
development of female hockey in Canada. Acres was a very large contributor in coaching women’s hockey, in
provincial high performance programs, in the establishment of female hockey skills clinics and female hockey
development programs throughout Manitoba.
Hockey Canada Order of Merit Award was instituted in 1960 to "honor those individuals who for many years
have served amateur hockey faithfully, having participated as players, served as coaches and association
members, and made outstanding contributions to Canadian amateur hockey." The Order of Merit Award is honoured
in up to three regions of the country annually: Western, Central and Atlantic. This year’s Hockey Canada
Order of Merit recipients were Marv Ryder (Atlantic) of Bonavista, NL and Jules Lavictoire (Central), of
Ottawa, ON.
Marv Ryder, of Bonavista, NL, played, coached and managed in Newfoundland, and spent 13 years as president of
Bonavsta Minor Hockey. After two years as the Vice Chair at Large with Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador,
Ryder has been president of the Hockey Canada branch since 2000.
Jules Lavictoire, of Ottawa, ON, has spent all of 40 years dedicated to hockey in the Ottawa area.
Lavictoire was actively involved in his local minor hockey associations from 19. During this
time, Lavictoire was involved in the setting up of a hockey school, and very involved in Junior hockey in the
area. Elected Vice President of the Ottawa District Hockey Association in 1996, Lavictoire has been the
president of the ODHA since 1991.
The Hal Lewis Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the game of hockey by a staff member of Hockey
Canada. This year’s award went to Hockey Canada employee Andre Brin. Brin worked with Hockey Canada for five
years as Manager, Media relations, and recently left the organization to take on a new challenge with the
Francophone Games in his home town of Winnipeg, MB.
The Liz MacKinnon Award is in honour of former Hockey Canada President Bob MacKinnon's wife, Liz
MacKinnon, and recognizes a Hockey Canada delegate's companion for his or her support. For 2003-2004, the
Award went to Louise Allain.