The first time a young hockey player steps onto the ice can leave a lasting impression.

The goal of Hockey Canada's Initiation Program is to make children's first contact withhockey a safe and positive experience so those players will return to the rink with smiles on their faces.

As national spokespeople, Paul Kariya of the St. Louis Blues and Jayna Hefford of Canada’s National Women's Team believe in the structured, learn-to-play concept of the program designed to introduce beginners to the game's basic skills.

"I believe it is important for every player to have access to the best program in the world for developing skills, while having fun," Kariya says. "Practice is so important, because it allows the kids to make more passes, take more shots on net and have the puck on their stick more than in any game."

"The Initiation Program sets the foundation for all future enjoyment and success our young players have in the sport of hockey,” Hefford adds.

Other goals of the program include: developing and understanding of basic teamwork through participation in a variety of activities and adapted game situations, creating and refining basic motor patterns, and introducing beginners to the concepts of cooperation and fair play.

"It makes no sense for kids to play organized games until they have reasonable mastery of skating, puck handling, passing and shooting," explained Dr. Murray Smith, a sports psychologist who works with both the Edmonton Oilers and Kelowna Rockets.

Doug Baba, who supervises the Initiation Program for the Prince George Minor Hockey Association, takes his job seriously.

"My focus is to make sure they come back ... that they have enough fun that they want to come back next year," said Baba, adding that Prince George has a great group of volunteer coaches who work hard to teach young players the proper skills right off the bat. "You wouldn't have a minor hockey association without the initiation group. It really comes down to what you learn in your first two to three years."

In Calgary, the Initiation Program has had a pair of high-profile sponsors behind it for the past five seasons.

"It's very unique in hockey," said Kirk Reynolds, coordinator of the Timbits Flames Program for Hockey Calgary. "The young kids are obviously the foundation for which all hockey revolves around. Everything is started at the Initiation level."

While the young players learn valuable skills they'll carry with them throughout their hockey careers, instructors also get a feeling of satisfaction from being involved with the program.

"You just want to develop their passion for the game," Reynolds said. "What you get back is just the fact that the kids are having fun. They enjoyment that they derive from the program is just everything. That's the greatest reward for any instructor - to see how much they improve and how much they get out of it."

Looking for the ultimate gift for the hockey player or coach in your family?

Hockey Canada’s ground-breaking DVD series, Skills of Gold, is it.

Hockey Canada has produced a cutting edge series of four DVDs designed to improve the skills of players of all age groups.

Say the person is your house is a coach and they’ve mentioned how they’d like to find some hints to get a player on his team to become a better skater. He’d just go to the chapter menu system and he’d find more helpful hints then he can imagine.

The DVD on skating, for example, breaks down backward skating like it has never been broken down before. The coach and player have three dozen segments to choose from, covering everything from the angle of the skate to the bending of the knee. Each segment has a 30-second clip explaining what is happening and if the coach and player were to view all of the clips, they would have an idea of not only what should be done but also how they should do it

The DVDs cover skating, puck control, shooting and scoring and checking.

Say you bought a DVD series on golf and the DVD takes you through every club and every situation the club can be used in. That’s what Hockey Canada’s DVDs do for you. It’s no wonder they are called ‘The Ultimate Technical Skills Series for Hockey’.

“It is an outstanding resource for all the Branches involved in minor hockey,” says Erin Thornton of B.C. Hockey. “Just having the virtual animation as well as the actual practice drills provide a great sort of visual resource for the coaches.”

The DVDs are far superior in both quality and depth than the VHS format. Say good-bye to working the rewind and fast-forward buttons and then have to look at a fuzzy screen. A second series of four DVDs are in the works and when production is finished, Hockey Canada will again be a world-leader in innovative cutting-edge teaching tools.

“The animation provides a great teaching resource for the coaches,” says Paul Carson, director of development for Hockey Canada. “It is a bigger toolbox on different skills. They’re something for everyone.”

The DVDs are laid out in a progressive manner from simple to difficult and also from one skill area to another. Because they are index-based and they come with a guide that tells you what is on the DVDs, you can access the skill area you want with ease.

“There’s a lot of information available to coaches and players,” says Carson. “Coaches will really like this and it will enhance their development.”

“It is one of those resources that until you see it, you can’t imagine it,” said Thornton. “It is quite something.”

The DVDs will appeal to coaches, parents and players and it is a bilingual product.

All eight Skills of Gold DVDs are available for $79.95. To order the Skills of Gold DVD, call toll free 1-800-667-2242, or visit Breakaway, Hockey Canada’s official store, at www.hockeycanada.ca.

Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Regional Centre (HCARC) is very excited that the Hockey Canada Skills Development Camps are entering its 11th season. The primary objective to these camps is to provide a vehicle for players and coaches to further develop the fundamental skills required to play the game of hockey. This is accomplished through weekend development camps for Atom and Pee Wee aged players both female and male.

The Skills Camps are a one or two day event targeted for boys and girls playing at the Atom and Peewee recreational level. Players are placed in situations where they are challenged to perform fundamental skills in an enjoyable and positive environment. Throughout the weekend players will develop-enhance the fundamental skills of skating, passing, stick handling and shooting, meet other players and develop friendships, enjoy the fun of hockey through skill development, learn the concepts of fair play, fitness, safety, teamwork, and the importance of a positive attitude. Last but not least, the HCARC would like to see all participants leaving with a memorable experience that they will not soon forget.

This year HCARC has a very busy schedule planned for 2007-08 season. HCARC is looking forward to bringing camps to new minor hockey associations throughout each of the four Atlantic Provinces.

As of the summer months HCARC already has had several sites booked for the upcoming 2007-08 Skills Camp season with more to follow. Those sites are as follows;

• Quispamsis, NB- September 23rd 2007

• Sydney, NS- October 2007 Date TBD

• Grand Bay, NB- November 3rd 2007 (HNB Development Weekend)

• Dartmouth, NS- November 4th 2007 (HNS Development Weekend)

• Dartmouth, NS- November 12th 2007 (Female Camp)

• Harbour Grace, NL- December 1st 2007

• Goose Bay, NL- December 1st 2007

• Bonavista, NL- December 2nd 2007

• Lab City, NL- December 2007 Date TBD

• Saint John, NB- December 15th 2007

• Saint John, NB- January 27th 2007 (Saint John Sea Dogs Camp)

• Plaster Rock, NB- February 9th 2007 (World Pond Hockey Camp)

Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Regional Centre’s 2007 Summer Development Camps

Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Regional Centre (HCARC) is excited for Summer 2007 for two reasons; the Centre will run it’s first ever Female Summer Development Camp in Fredericton, NB and it’s second annual week long Summer Development Camp in Mount Pearl, NL.

For the past two summers HCARC has experienced with Summer Development Camps. In summer 2006 it was HCARC’s first experience with a week long hockey school that was extremely successful. This summer HCARC decided to run a Female Summer Development Camp for female hockey players in the Fredericton area. Instructors will be from the local female university hockey team to assist with the camp.

Female Summer Development Camp- Fredericton NB (July 13th-15th 2007)

The Female Summer Development Camp in Fredericton is hoped to be the first of many Female Camps in and around Atlantic Canada. HCARC has been approached to do a summer camp in the area due to the amount of interest of female hockey in the area along with some key volunteers in place interested in delivering a camp for their young local female hockey players. The camp has two divisions; one being for Atom and Peewee Rec level players and the other division being a high performance level for Midget and High School aged players where some may be moving onto to the university level. For those young players it gives them an opportunity to work on their skills in mid summer which is something they may have never done before. For those high performance level players it gives them an opportunity to tune their skills for training camps or their provincial branch high performance summer festival camp in preparation for the Atlantic Challenge Cup during the Thanksgiving Weekend from October 5th-8th 2007.

Summer Development Camp- Mount Pearl NL August (August 27th-31st 2007)

The inaugural week long Summer Development Camp for both female and male Rec Atom and Peewee players took place on August 2006. It had become so successful that HCARC is returning for a second camp this August 27th-31st in Mount Pearl NL at the Small Wood Arena just outside St. John’s, NL. In 2006 the HCARC decided to have a smaller camp for the first attempt and took 60 participants. This summer for the 2007 camp HCARC is well on its way to exceeding 100 participants. The feedback and interest has been overwhelming since the 2006 camp. HCARC hopes there is enough interest from around Atlantic Canada to hold one camp in each province every summer. This week long camp is open for the following divisions; Novice, Atom and Peewee.

During this week long camp HCARC plans on having the St. John’s Fog Devils (QMJHL) involved again by having a few players assist with some of the on ice sessions and signing some autographs for the kids. In addition to the camp this year the Toronto Maple Leafs Development Staff are coming in for two days to run various drills and offer some great prizes and giveaways. Thanks in part to Hockey Canada’s Ontario Regional Centre that is based out of the Air Canada Centre we have been very fortunate to have a partnership with Toronto Maple Leafs and they are willing to come back to the St. John’s area to give back since their original connection to the area with the AHL’s St. John’s Maple Leafs when they were based in St. John’s, NL.

Please check Hockey Canada’s website for updates and additional camps at www.hockeycanada.ca. Please contact Brad Taylor if you require further information on Skills Camps in Atlantic Canada at Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Regional Centre at (506) 642-0490 or [email protected].

The Hockey Canada Skills Academy Program is a national initiative that evolved from the 1999 Molson Open Ice Summit on player development. Recommendation #10 tasked Hockey Canada with investigating ways to support the design and delivery of a school based program that would make use of facilities during regular school hours.

The 1999-2000 hockey season saw the Canadian Hockey Association (now known as Hockey Canada) spend a considerable amount of resources researching the sport school concept in Canada and across Europe. The goal was to learn about the sport schools across the world in order to develop a national program that would best suit the needs of the Canadian minor hockey system and its members. Dave King and Bjorn Kinding were commissioned by the CHA in 2000 to develop what is now known as the Hockey Canada Skills Academy (HCSA). The 2000-2001 hockey season marked the first year of operation for the Skills Academy program with two programs in Alberta. The program has since grown to 65 programs encompassing 80 schools nation wide for the upcoming 2007-2008 season. Collaboration between Hockey Canada, its 13 member branches, local minor hockey associations, local schools, and municipal school boards has allowed the Hockey Canada Skills Academy Program to grow into a second mainstream player development program mirroring the minor hockey club team system in Canada.

In order to operate a Hockey Canada Skills Academy one must apply to Hockey Canada for approval as a HCSA licensed program. Approved hockey academies must meet all HCSA licensee criteria and match the operational mandate and philosophy as set out by Hockey Canada and its member branches. Each application will be judged by the HCSA national board and applicable Hockey Canada Branch. In order to ensure applications are approved, it is important to demonstrate your partnership with your local school, school board, and minor hockey association; as well as outline a sound player development plan.

Becoming a licensee of the Hockey Canada Skills Academy program comes with many benefits. A sample of products and services that are offered to licensed academies include, but are not limited to:

• Use of the HCSA Logo

• HCSA on and off ice skill development guide

• Hockey Canada training videos

• Access to testing equipment

• Medical and liability insurance

• Annual instructor professional development seminar

Hockey Canada recently hosted 25 HCSA instructors at the University of Guelph for the annual Eastern Canada Skills Academy Seminar. Delegates from across the country gathered to participate in classroom sessions, on-ice sessions, and share their best practices with fellow academy instructors. This year’s seminar was highlighted by guest presenters Cheryl Pounder and Sean Skinner. Approximately 60 academy delegates will gather in Calgary from August 7-10, 2007 for the Western Canada Skills Academy Seminar.

If you are interested in more information regarding the Hockey Canada Skills Academy Program, please email [email protected].

Do you have a minor hockey coach in your family? Are they looking for ways to get better, to become a better coach?

Well why not Hockey Canada Skills Development Coaching Manuals?

The manuals are user-friendly, ensuring coaches have the time to work on the development of their players, and not trying to figure out how the drills work.

“It was important to make them user-friendly so that a coach can look at the plan in the binder, take it out, put it in the plastic sleeve and take it to practice without having to worry about making their own practice plans,” says Corey McNabb, manager of player development for Hockey Canada. “It saves a coach a lot of time and it ensures if the plans are followed that the skills are taught in the proper progressions. Coaches are busy, often going from work straight to the rink, so giving them a user friendly resource will ensure they will use it for development of their players.”

Hockey Canada Skills Development Coaching Manuals work as a guide for the coach, allowing for flexibility depending on the players and the team, while helping the coach gain the confidence and creativity needed to design their own lesson plans.

The manuals include four sets of six lesson plans, each with specific goals and objectives. The lesson plans allow for a fun-based approach to teaching, while still achieving the goal of teaching fundamental skills.

Manuals have been designed for a variety of age groups, including Initiation, Novice, Atom, Peewee, Bantam and Midget. There is also a manual for goaltenders.

Each Hockey Canada Skills Development Coaching Manual sells for $34.95, and can be purchased in one of two ways: through Breakaway, the official store of Hockey Canada, at 1-800-667-2242, or through your local Hockey Canada Branch or Regional Centre.

Check out www.hockeycanada.ca to find our where your local Branch or Regional Centre is located.

Featured skill development drill with Craig Hartsburg – head coach, 2007 National Junior Team:

Own the Dot – Peewee Manual, pg. 22

“As far as I am concerned, puck protection is an under-valued skill. Especially with the new standard of play, the player, or the team that can protect the puck will definitely succeed. This drill helps players improve this skill”

“As coaches, it is essential for us to continue to work on skills at all levels. It is really important to incorporate skill development in your practice plans. Watching a player improve his or her skills is one of the best parts of coaching.”

Featured skill development drill with Melody Davidson – general manager, National Women’s Team:

Double Give-and-Go – Peewee Manual, pg. 62

“This type of drill develops passing, pass reception timing and communication skills which are a team having success.”

“With the new standard of play at all levels of hockey, there is more room to jump into open ice. The quicker players and teams can move the puck, the quicker the game becomes and makes it difficult on opposing defensemen”

“Skill development is important at levels. Coaches need to be creative in maximizing how many times a young player gets to tough the puck during a practice. As an example, on breakout drills, let the kids mill around in the neutral zone passing the puck between five of them, and they dump it in on the coach’s cue.”

Over the years Hockey Canada’s National Coach Certification Program (NCCP) has developed some of the most renowned and innovative coaches in the world. From volunteer moms and dads to national and international coaching icons, the program is responsible for educating close to 20,000 coaches on an annual basis.

This summer, from June 25 – July 1, fifty coaches will descend on York University in Toronto to take part in the High Performance I and II coaches’ seminar. This week long, in-house program is targeted at coaches working with athletes in the high performance stream and will provide coaches with the opportunity to attend lectures on topics such as Practice Planning, Ethical Coaching, Leadership and Technical and Tactical play.

In partnership with the Ontario Hockey Federation and the Greater Toronto Hockey League this event will also provide coaches with a practical opportunity to work with athletes within the high performance context. Eighty under-17 male athletes from Ontario will participate in four practices and four inter-squad games with each of these sessions planned and delivered by the high performance coaches.

Mel Davidson, General Manager of Canada’s National Women’s Team, Level IV certified coach and group leader at the seminar, is a graduate of the program and a tremendous supporter of coach education. “The development of a high performance coach is a process that includes practical coaching experiences, educational opportunities, working with other high performance coaches and applying learning constantly” stated Davidson. “I know first hand the quality of the program and what it meant to my development.”

Along with Davidson, current NHL coaches Tom Renney, Mike Babcock, Perry Pearn, Marc Crawford, Mike Johnston, Ken Hitchcock, Jacques Martin and Andy Murray have completed NCCP High Performance certification throughout their careers.

This year’s training attendees include former NHL rearguard and current Brampton Battalion assistant coach, Drake Berehowsky; World Gold Medalist and current Head Coach at Waterloo University, Geraldine Heaney; and former National Junior Team player, Eric Calder.

For more information on NCCP coaching programs in your area contact your provincial branch.

Selecting a summer hockey school can be a difficult decision to make. There are numerous hockey schools in each community each offering unique features and experiences; but how do you select the appropriate camp to meet your players’ needs? There are numerous variables to consider when selecting a summer hockey school for your player.

An important variable to consider when selecting a summer hockey school is whether to select a residential hockey school or a daytime hockey school. Both options offer your player a spectrum of benefits, therefore it is up to the parent and player to determine which options works best for them. Residential hockey schools offer the player the experience of participating in a hockey program in a new environment, away from home, where the player is exposed to new friends, experiences, and opportunities. A daytime hockey school offers the same experiences, but allows the player to continue to fulfill their responsibilities and commitments at home. If your player enjoys traveling, or wishes to attend college/university away from home, residential hockey schools may be an exciting opportunity for them to experience.

It is important when selecting a hockey school to select a school that places a strong emphasis on the development of the fundamental technical skills of the game. Skating, puck control, and shooting should make up the majority of on-ice sessions. It is the development of the fundamental technical skills that is going to help your child develop into the most successful player he/she can be. It is also important to consider hockey schools that offer a dry-land, off-ice, or class-room component to their program. Much can be learned and great improvements can be made away from the ice surface. These components help develop life skills which will help your player succeed not only in hockey, but in many other situations they may encounter.

Another important consideration when selecting a summer hockey school is the quality, and quantity of instructors. Ensure the instructors employed are certified through Hockey Canada’s National Coach Certification Program (NCCP), and have a strong background coaching hockey at the development level or high performance level. Do not be enticed by schools that advertise NHL “guest coaches”. “Guest coaches” are not involved in the daily on ice activities, and may not be scheduled to appear while your player is attending the school. Also, ensure that there is a good player to instructor ratio on and off the ice. A strong on-ice instructor to player ratio is one instructor to every 6-8 players. This will maximize the time and opportunity your player has to learn from the qualified and knowledgeable instructors.

While Hockey Canada does have a number of comprehensive insurance programs that protect every player, coach, assistant coach, manager, Hockey Canada Safety Program personnel, official and volunteer involved in Hockey Canada sanctioned hockey activities, that protection does not extend to summer hockey schools. Therefore, before selecting a school, be sure to find out what kind of Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance coverage the school has in the event of an injury.

Before registering for a summer hockey school, do your homework on the school you wish your player to attend. Communicate with players and parents of players who have attend the school in previous years. This is a great way to ensure the quality of the school. Also, contact the school directly and verify the information you have received from their brochure and other sources. Make sure to ask any additional questions you have regarding their program.

Finally, make sure that the summer hockey school experience is FUN for your player. Fun is the ultimate goal of hockey, and should be for the summer hockey school experience.

Please find below a checklist for selecting a summer hockey school

HOCKEY SCHOOL CHECKLIST FOR CHECKING OUT SCHOOLS

• Ads and promotional literature?

• Direct inquiries?

• Previous attendees?

• Fees?

• Safety?

• The head instructor?

• The staff of instructors?

• Staff screening process?

• Hours per day of on ice instruction?

• Skills, tactics and team play taught?

• Scrimmage time and games?

• Classroom instruction?

• Dryland training?

• Videotape?

• Other instructional activities?

• Grouping players of similar skills and needs?

• On-ice pupil/instructor ratio?

• Amount of individual instruction?

• Report card?

• Meal menus?

• Sleeping accommodations?

• Off-ice supervision?

• Skate sharpening facilities? Pro shop?

• Medical and first aid facilities?

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR GOALTENDERS

• How many goalies on the ice at one time?

• Special goaltending instructor?

• How much instruction time?

• The goaltenders' curriculum?

• What's the pupil/instructor ratio?

PREPARING TO ATTEND HOCKEY SCHOOL

• arrive in good physical condition

• check and pack all your equipment

• extra socks and underwear

• extra sticks

• other sports equipment and clothing

• health insurance ID

• know what skills you want to improve

• Come ready to have fun!

I get asked by concerned coaches all the time, what should I do with my goalies in practice? This is not an easy question to answer as it is important to try to pay attention to all of your players to get the most of them. To simplify it, your goalie needs a minimum of 10 minutes per practice for them, and this will amount to 1 drill per practice. I do believe a coach can make time for one drill per practice, and the rest can be about the team. Let’s not forget that the most important thing for a goaltender is the team, and vice versa with the players. If the team is not good, it is not good for anybody. Your goalie will improve doing team drills, but if you make time for one drill per practice, you will be able to give them the attention they deserve. It will make them feel as though they are an important part of the team, not to mention the fact that they will improve dramatically.

Practice tips:

1. Set aside 10 minutes ( 1 drill) for your goalies per practice:

This amounts to one drill, and this is all they need. They do not need anymore, but cannot have any less. When you are part of a team you need to work on all aspects of the team, and goaltenders are a part of it. If you have a 1 hour practice, 10 minutes is not much to ask as 50 minutes can be devoted to your players. I believe this is a fair and ample amount of time to devote to your goaltenders.

2. Goalies should participate in all skating drills:

I cannot emphasize enough that your goaltenders should be doing all skating drills, the only difference being that if at all possible, get them to do the drills using their goaltending stance. It is so important for them to be strong skaters. You can also opt to take them aside when doing skating drills with players at the beginning of practice and do crease work drills. There is a whole list of goaltending crease letter drills that are skating orientated and easy to do. These can all be found on the Hockey Canada website in some of my previous goaltending articles.

3. Goalies should participate in all passing drills:

In this day and age you cannot be a complete goaltender if you cannot play the puck, so if your team is practicing a passing drill you should try to incorporate your goaltenders in all passing drills

4. Space out your shooters:

There is a strange belief out there that by giving your goalies shot after shot after shot will somehow improve them. This could not be more wrong. When doing goaltending drills with your goaltender, you should ask yourself if this a game like situation. The more drills you can do with your goalie that are game like, the better they will become. Goaltending is about patience and control, not flopping and swimming. So one shooter, and one rebound shot should be the limit in all drills, then move to the next shooter. They need time to learn to recover and get set for the next shot.

5. Communication with players and goalies:

Always let your players know when a drill is for the goalies and not for them. It works the same way in the opposite direction as to let your goalie know when a drill is for the players……keep open lines of communication

6. Game type situation drills:

I always found that the drills I improved the most with were game type situation drills. I would much rather do a drill that involved my defenseman than just an open shot after shot drill. I practiced so I would be better in a game, this to me is why game type situations with odd man rush drills were the best way to improve. It usually guaranteed I would get a shot and also allowed for me to practice a game type situation. So 2on1’s, 3on2’s, etc. are a great way for your goaltender to improve.

7. What to teach them:

If you know nothing about goaltending, the most important thing you can teach your goaltenders is to outwait the shooter. Wait for them to make the play and don’t commit early. A guessing goalie is not a good goalie. Goaltending is about patience and control. Let the shooter make the first move.

8. Try to always have 2 coaches at practice:

Whenever your goalies have some idle time, a second coach can be a great deal of help. Even if he just shoots stationary on the goalies for 5 minutes it is better than having them stand around. Do breakaways with them, anything just keep them active. If a second coach is not present, and you have 2 goalies, designate one goalie to lead the other goalie in skating drills or ups and downs, or mirror drills. Get them to coach each other.

9. Finally, do not lose sight in the fact it is important for your team to score:

This may be a contradictory statement to some earlier tips, but remember, not all drills are for goalies, and vice versa. I remember I used to complain a lot about some of the drills in practice. If they were too offensively orientated, or if I was getting scored on too much I would be upset. One day it finally dawned on me that, if my team doesn’t practice scoring goals, how will they score in a game? It does a goaltender absolutely no good if his team does not score. I have never seen a goalie win a 0-0 hockey game. So implement scoring drills, but communicate with your goalie that the drill is for scoring, not for them.

Ideas of how to incorporate your goalies into practice in 10 minutes

1. Have your assistant coach take them aside to do skating drills at the start of practice while you are working with the team at the other end

2. Do dump ins and passes to your goaltenders at one end while the players do passing drills at the other end

3. Make your warm-up drill a goalie specific drill

4. Last ten minutes of practice set aside for coach controlled goaltending drills (I emphasize the words coach controlled)

5. When doing breakout drills, dump to the goalie and have them make the outlet pass to the winger

6. Do end zone drills for example 3 on2’s out of the corner with point shot.

7. Have a second coach present to run goalie through drills when they are idle

8. Have them coach each other through skating drills and mirror drills when they are idle in practice.

Sample everyday goalie practice plans:

60 Minute Practice:

1. 0-10 min: skating warm-up or passing drills
   10-20 min: goalie drill
   20-60 min: team drills
   
   
2. 0-10 min: Warm up
   10-50 min: Team drills
   50-60 min: Goalie drills
   
   
3. 0-10 min: warm-up
   10-30 min: team drills
   30-40 min: goalie drill
   40-60 min: team drills

Summary

The whole point being is that it doesn’t matter where, or how difficult the drill is in practice. Designate ten minutes per practice with your goalies, and above all, teach them to outwait the shooter.

Stephen Walkom has an idea what minor hockey officials are going through as they enforce Hockey Canada’s new rule emphasis on stick fouls, diving and obstruction.

And the NHL’s Director of Officiating has some advice for them.

“Stay the course,” says Walkom. “Referees do not go out there and look for penalties. They go out there and work to the standard that has been set down. I think what is important is for Hockey Canada to define its standard, and they have.”

Hockey Canada has done just that. In adopting a new standard for restraining-type penalties for the 2006-07 season, the national governing body has asked its referees to crack down on hooking, holding, clutching and grabbing to improve the quality of the game at the minor hockey level. Officials are applying the new standard at every level.

“It leads to a better game. It leads to a game that has skill and speed in it and it is far more exciting than a game that has clutching and grabbing,” says Walkom.

The new standard was adopted at Hockey Canada’s annual meeting last May in St. John’s, NL. Shortly after, Hockey Canada went to work putting in place an instructional DVD to better illustrate and show the guidelines for not only officials but all participants in the game to help them understand and adapt to the changes. The DVDs were shipped to the provincial Branches at no cost, and clips are available for viewing at www.hockeycanada.ca.

Hockey Canada also held a seminar for referee supervisors from across the country. Supervisors are key components in the game environment; they monitor referees and make suggestions on rule interpretations.

“Really, all we are doing is asking them not to re-invent anything. We are asking them now to call the rule book; it is not a rule change,” says Todd Anderson, Hockey Canada’s manager of officiating. “It is a change in philosophy in how they are looking at the game and how they are reacting to the infractions on the ice.”

“I do not think we have as big of a learning curve down in our novice and atom caliber of hockey because the illegal tactics are not there yet. The game is fairly pure. Where we start to see the biggest learning curve is in the bantam, midget, and junior categories where they are having to retrain themselves, not only the players but also the officials.”

There are approximately 33,000 minor hockey referees and linesmen in amateur hockey across Canada, ranging from 13 years old to mid-50s. But once they are at the rink, they have a job to do.

“My tip to the official is regardless of what he has done during his day, whether he has been in school or at work all day, when he steps on the ice he owes it to the game to work hard and focus on his responsibility to the game,” says Walkom.

“And if he does it and he enjoys it, great, then work at that level. If he does not enjoy it and he is working hard at that level, then go down and work at a lower level because there really should be a genuine passion for what he is doing and a genuine joy for what he is doing because if it becomes work then there is somebody else out there who might have the passion and the skill set and would get the enjoyment of doing it at the level the other guy is suffering through.”

The NHL has offered to have former NHL referee Terry Gregson, now the manager of the league’s supervisory services, come and speak to any hockey organization seeking help.

Walkom was asked about the role of the coach in applying the new standard.

“To me, when you are a coach on the bench you influence your players, you influence the parents and the fans and you also have a big responsibility not to abuse your position of power with the officials. A lot of officials at the amateur level are just doing what they are told and if you choose to intimidate and abuse young adults or kids, then shame on you,” says Walkom.

Anderson adds that so far things are on track.

“From what we have heard, overall the environment is positive. Many of our kids play the game for enjoyment and enjoyment does not often come with being hooked, held, and restrained. You learn to play the game with your skill and speed and this should reward the environment. It will be a change for some but from what we have seen already, the players and referees are adapting.”

Since 1997, Hockey Canada has provided young players and coaches with the opportunity to enhance their skills in a positive learning environment through Hockey Canada Skills Development Camps. The one-day or two-day camps leave a lasting impression as players develop new friendships and challenge themselves during the on-ice and off-ice sessions. Focus during the Skills Development Camps is on learning fundamental skills, fair play, respect, teamwork, leadership and fitness.

The popularity of the camps, coordinated by Hockey Canada’s Regional Centres, has exploded since their introduction. The 2006-07 season saw more than 75 camps hosted nationally, with more than 800 volunteers and coaches and over 4,700 players taking part.

“It was a first-class experience and I am thankful for being included,” one coach said after taking part in a camp. “I am the envy of our team’s coaching staff.”

In addition to the regular camps that were held this year, the Hockey Canada Regional Centre West (HCRC-West) took part in three special Hockey Canada Skills Development Camps.

Hockey North Tour

For a week in January, instructors from the HCRC-West embarked on a trip north to assist in various skills development initiatives. Working with Hockey North, the HCRC-West was able to coordinate four different stops, the first being Yellowknife, NT. Here, HCRC–West Manager Derek Descoteau and Hockey Canada Development Coordinator Kevin Bathurst joined 30 Peewee-aged players and six coaches on the ice, leading them though a number of drills and specialty clinic material focused on puck control. All of the players who took part were presented with Hockey Canada Skills Camp jerseys.

The next stop was Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, located in the Arctic Circle. Despite a temperature of -40°C, more than 50 players and a dozen coaches took to the natural ice at the community rink to take part in development sessions. The sessions were followed with school visits the next morning.

Cambridge Bay, Nunavut marked the third stop for the Skills Camp program. Again, 50 local players took part in two days worth of development sessions that included on-ice and off-ice sessions held at the local high school.

The trip wrapped up back in Yellowknife for one final ice session with the Peewee rep team. In total, more than 150 players and 30 coaches took part in on-ice and off-ice sessions during the week.

"Our trip was a great success,” Bathurst said. “It was great to experience the passion the people of the North have for the game. The level of talent the youth possess is extraordinary. The game is in great hands, and will continue to flourish for a long time."

Canucks Centre for BC Hockey Skills Development Camp – GM Place, Vancouver
In February, GM Place played host to a special Skills Development Camp. Hockey Canada partnered with the Canucks Centre for BC Hockey and BC Hockey to bring this special event to Vancouver.

120 Atom and Peewee players from across British Columbia were able to live out their dreams and skate on the same ice as their heroes. All of the players took part in two on-ice sessions led by BC Hockey course conductors, a team building session that included a guest appearance by Vancouver Canucks mascot FIN, and a tour of GM Place.

After a long day that featured many smiles and even more pictures taken, all of the players took one last look around and dreamed that some day they may be back again.

World Women's Championship Skills Development Camp – MTS Centre, Winnipeg

In April 2007, Winnipeg was the host to the top women’s hockey players from around the world at the 2007 IIHF World Women’s Championship. What most people don’t know is that, prior to the championship, Winnipeg was also host to some of Canada’s up-and-coming female talent. In February, 120 female hockey players participated in a weekend-long Skills Development Camp ran in partnership by Hockey Manitoba, the World Women’s Championship host committee and Hockey Canada.

Girls from all over Manitoba arrived at the MTS Centre excited for the opportunity to skate on the same ice where Canada would later go for gold. Fifteen female coaches volunteered to assist with the camp, and a number of coaches attended a ‘We Are Coaches’ session presented by Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada following the camp. All of the participants received a ticket to one of Canada’s games at the World Championship.

For more information on Hockey Canada Skills Development Camps, please contact your Branch or local Hockey Canada Regional Centre.