Hockey Québec, in partnership with Hockey Canada, officially presented the six (6) new schools in Quebec who are joining the 125 across the country that are currently offering the Hockey Canada Skills Academy (HCSA) program during a Press Conference held at the Bell Centre in Montreal on October 14th.

“The HCSA Model is a complementary program of the player development system in Minor Hockey Clubs across Canada. Through the implementation of this new program, it is important to remember that HCSA’s are supplementary to the club system and are not intended to replace the clubs” said Paul Carson, Vice-President of Hockey Development at Hockey Canada. ”With the addition of the 6 Quebec/ based schools, there are now HCSA programs in all 13 branches in Hockey Canada”.

École St-Gabriel / Académie hockey Rive-Nord (Sainte-Thérèse, Qc)

The mission of the ‘Académie de hockey Rive-Nord’ is to offer players the highest level of teaching, both on and off the ice, in order to allow them their pleasure of playing, their knowledge and their abilities in a respectful context while ensuring the player’s school success by allowing him to practice frequently and develop his abilities. The program allows the hockey player to develop in-depth his technical abilities and individual tactics. It also allows him to further his vision of the game and better react to various situations.

The Hockey Respondent Dave Thériault is a Hockey Québec certified Level 3 Coach and Head Coach of the ‘Vikings des Laurentides’ in the Quebec Midget AAA League.

École secondaire Veilleux (Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Qc)

The Veilleux Polyvalent assumes the teaching to some 900 students registered in different pathways. As such, students can follow regular, adapted and enriched programs. The school also offers support measures to first and second year students amongst which, a particular program based on reaching success for boys which currently includes two groups of 16 boys (CAR Groups).

The Hockey Respondent Marco Roy is also a Hockey Québec certified Level 3 coach who has been involved in the Midget Espoir network since its inception.

École Georges-Vanier (Laval, Qc.)

The educational project proposed by the ‘École secondaire Georges-Vanier is based on a learning system by individual modules. The use of a module as a pedagogical tool, the respect of individual rhythm, a special framework for first-year students and a self-established timetable help in reaching individual teaching. As such, the student has the primary responsibility of his own education within a on-going progress pathway. School personnel guide the student in his search for autonomy and schooling progress. This flexibility facilitates integration of various activities. Individual learning is supported by collective teaching in various disciplines in which interaction fosters ingestion of knowledge or in portions of programs that require specific support by the teacher.

The Hockey Respondent Greg Yannopoulos is certified at Level 2 of Introduction to Competition by Hockey Québec.

École secondaire Cap-Jeunesse (Saint-Jérôme, Qc)

This year, ’École secondaire Cap-Jeunesse’ clearly focuses on success. The school lead the student to reflect on his method of learning and shows him other learning strategies. It becomes an environment centered on the act of learning. It develops within the student self-respect and respect of all others and, as such, becomes a privileged socializing environment that motivates interpersonal relations. The school promotes physical fitness, a balanced way of life, brings the student to take care of his health, his safety, his well-being and his environment thus becoming a stimulating healthy centre while preparing him to become a citizen and teach him democratic values.

Certified at Level 3 by Hockey Québec, the Hockey Respondent Patrick Gagnon is a former Assistant Coach with Saint-Jérôme of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League and the Midget AAA Hockey League.

École secondaire Massey-Vanier (Cowansville, Qc)

Massey-Vanier High School’s mission is to teach, socialize and qualify students while making them able to undertake and succeed their schooling, all of this by respecting the principle of equal chance. Massey-Vanier High School has identified three essential values (respect, rigour and cooperation) on which rest the educational project. These values will be projected and given priority every day and in the following years through the wording and the actions at every level, be it the administration, the personnel, the student, the parents and the community who cooperates with the school.

Occupying the same position at ‘École de la Haute-Ville’ in Granby, the Hockey Respondent Patrick Bergeron is certified at Level 3 by Hockey Québec. He is the Head Coach of the ‘Inouk de Granby’ of the Quebec Junior AAA League and a former coach in the Midget AAA League with Magog and Saint. Hyacinthe.

École de la Haute Ville de Granby (Granby, Qc)

The ‘Haute-Ville de Granby’ High School offers a very structured program to its students. Every student has a tutor that follows the student in his learning process as well as his personal development. The student greatly benefits from the very secure and peaceful environment of the school to ensure his growth as both a student and, in this case, an athlete.

What is a Skills Academy?

The format of Hockey Canada Skills Academy uses the model centered on the athlete in which the student-athlete is at the hearth of development. The student-athlete’s needs in matters of development of physical, mental and social abilities are always respected by each organisation associated with a HCSA Program. While minimum standards are required both in school and sports results (as agreed by the involved partners), each student-athlete progresses at his own rhythm and in accordance with his objectives. An average of 180 minutes of ice time per week is made available to the youngsters as well as obligatory off-ice sessions. An accent on technique and individual tactics is at the forefront of the program for the students. All of the coaches are certified High Performance or introduction to the competition 2, which indicates that these coaches have attained the highest level of formation for a hockey coach in Quebec.

Advantages of an HCSA Program for Minor Hockey and Schools

• More time devoted to training by maximizing the availability of arenas during school hours allows the players to benefit from more than 400 hours of training during the year.

• Better development of individual technical and tactical abilities.

• Better school results through the motivation created by balancing the school and sports aspects in the school system.

• More uniformity in the development of:

- players born in the latter part of the year;

- players who develop later;

- players who begin playing when a later age;

- players who mature later;

- Male and female players.

- Compulsory certification (IC2 or HP1) for coaches and interveners.

Current Holders of a HCSA License Receive Many Products and Services on an Annual Basis:

Reference framework for the HCSA teaching curriculum.

National Annual Seminar for HCSA interveners.

Pedagogical resources for HCSA’S.

Hockey Canada Medical and Liability Insurance Program.

Access to a Hockey Canada authorized apparel manufacturer.

Use of the Hockey Canada Skills Academy (upon approval, some restrictions may apply).

Electronic program to register students on the Web.

Promotional material, banners, professional cards and gauges for letterheads.

Hockey Québec Adds more Products and Services

Coaches’ certification program for those working with High school grades 4 and 5.

Referees certification program for Grad 3 High School students.

Possibility of attending on a free basis as a sit-in auditor when certified as IC2 or HP1.

Bank of lecturers available on request.

One Drill Draw license per school (Until November 30th for the first year).

One Coach Studio license (on the first year) (Video software to analyse technical actions and games.)

Access to our bank of drills; PIJE, individual tactics and goalkeepers.

Promotion through our Website and Hockey Canada.

The Montréal Canadiens get involved

The Montréal Canadiens, by way of their trainer, Mr. Pierre Allard, will be involved with the program this year by offering to a group of 35 student athletes from one of the six 2010-2011 skills academies a practice session with Mr. Allard himself during a day off.

The HCSA long-term vision is not to develop future professional hockey players or athletes performing on the international scene. According to Jacques Blouin, Coordinator at Hockey Québec: “The goal is to build confidence, individual abilities and self-esteem in the student-athlete by offering him opportunities in school and sports development while ensuring efficient use of arenas during school hours”.

The arrival of St. Gabriel, Veilleux, Georges-Vanier, Cap-Jeunesse, Massey-Vanier and Haute-Ville in Granby intend to be a first step for HCSA’s in Quebec, a new alternative set up by Hockey Canada and Hockey Québec that will benefit both the learning aspect and the sporting aspect of student life.

About Hockey Québec

Hockey Québec is a regulatory body established in 1976 which coordinates activities of some 7,000 teams regrouping over 100,000 players in approximately 250 sports organisations and supports the efforts of close to 50,000 volunteer administrators, coaches and officials throughout Quebec. For more details, please visit the Hockey Québec Website.

For more information on obtaining a HCSA license: