2015 wjc volunteers 640

Training under way for World Juniors volunteers

With the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship a month away, Montreal and Toronto welcomed their volunteers for training sessions

Wendy Graves and David Brien
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December 6, 2014
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As the countdown to the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship reaches its final month, the Montreal and Toronto host committees met their volunteers at three training sessions in each host city during the last week of November.

“Volunteers are really at the heart of this event and everything we do at Hockey Canada,” Darryl Boynton, the tournament’s Toronto-based general manager, told his city’s first wave of volunteers.

Hockey Canada’s Riley Wiwchar has had a hand in organizing the 2009, 2010 and 2012 World Juniors, and is now the city lead in Montreal. “Volunteers enjoy coming to work during this event because they are able to make new friendships, all while creating once in a lifetime memories,” he says.

“People often talk about the product that they see on the ice, but tend to forget about all the volunteers who contribute behind the scenes,” Wiwchar adds. “They’re the ones who are the most crucial part of the events success.”

The sessions allow the estimated 1,500 volunteers to pick up their volunteer gear and accreditation badges and meet some of the faces they’ll be spending their holidays with. Judging by the early arrivals and countless smiles in Toronto, everyone is eager to get the 2015 tournament under way.

“I’m excited to soak in the atmosphere and just be a part of this (event). How often does it come to Toronto?” says Kimberly Aggio, who’ll be selling 50/50 tickets at the Air Canada Centre. Getting to meet her fellow volunteers was just one reason why Aggio was happy to attend her training session. “I’ll get a good gauge of the atmosphere and what it’s going to be like.”

In both cities, volunteers were handed numerous pieces of Nike clothing, all clearly identified with the official 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship logo. All volunteer packages include a red long-sleeved Dri-Fit shirt, a grey half-zip long-sleeved shirt and a grey full-zip sweater, a pair of gloves and a backpack. Some volunteers were handed extra items, depending on their functions during the event.

The most important accessory they picked up, though, was their accreditation badge. Accreditation committee members handed their fellow volunteers their badges and had them pose for a photo. The colour-coded-by-committee badges use numbers and letters to signify what zones the volunteer will have access to in and around the Bell Centre and Air Canada Centre.

As an off-ice official volunteer, Robert O’Brien’s access will allow him full view of the ice at the Air Canada Centre. By day, O’Brien sells granite, so the World Juniors will provide a nice change of pace.

“I thought it would be fun (to be involved), watch some good hockey games and just help out a bit,” he says. The volunteer session, he adds, is a good chance to learn the dos and don’ts for doing his job. Off-ice officials will get on-the-job training when Canada takes on Russia in a pre-competition game at the Air Canada Centre on Dec. 19; some of Montreal’s volunteers will get their first taste of the action when Canada hosts Switzerland on Dec. 23, also as part of the RBC Road to the World Juniors pre-tournament schedule.

Bill Wellman is the coordinator for the 14-person Toronto-based team whose duties will include doing time keeping and tracking statistics.

“(Tonight) I want to meet and get to know my people,” he says. “I want to make sure everyone is confident in their roles.”

Newly outfitted, volunteers sat for an event overview hosted by their city’s respective World Juniors staff. A welcome video from Hockey Canada president Tom Renney and several Team Canada prospects thanked the volunteers on hand. In Montreal, both a French and English host outlined things like what an ideal volunteer is, what a typical day at the event will like and the different procedures that will be in place.

Volunteers were invited to a specific session based on the committee they had been assigned to. After learning what was expected of every volunteer, people were able to gather in smaller groups with their team members.

The night was exactly what Mary Tallon was looking for. Tallon attended the 2009 tournament in Ottawa – seeing Jordan Eberle’s semifinal heroics in person – and wanted to be involved behind-the-scenes this time. “I’m looking forward to learning what they want me to learn to be the best volunteer for what their needs are. I want to help people enjoy their stay in our city.”

As the coordinator of volunteer recruitment, scheduling and registration, Christine Trelle has been seeing people’s names for months. Finally she could put a face to them. “That helps you schedule people,” she says. “You get to see people’s personalities, which will help fill certain positions when other coordinators ask for team leads.”

Trelle hopes these evenings are helpful for the volunteers, and that at least one message gets through above all others.

“Whatever task you’re assigned to, do the best you can do and, most important, have fun.”

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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