Fall-Council-Agenda

HOCKEY MANITOBA FALL COUNCIL

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

AGENDAS & REPORTS

Hockey Manitoba Fall Council Meeting

Table of Contents

Fall Council Agenda ...... 3 Minor Council Agenda ...... 4 Development Council Agenda ...... 5 Female Council Agenda ...... 6 Senior Council Agenda ...... 7 President ...... 8 Executive Director ...... 9 Financial Report ...... 13 Past President ...... 15 Chair of Hockey Development ...... 16 Hockey Development Report ...... 16 Chair of Senior/Adult Rec. Hockey ...... 18 Chair of Minor Hockey - Rural ...... 19 Chair of Minor Hockey - Winnipeg ...... 19 Chair of Female Hockey ...... 19 Director, Officials ...... 20 Brandon – Minor Council Representative ...... 21 Eastman – Minor Council Representative ...... 21 Interlake – Minor Council Representative ...... 21 Norman – Minor Council Representative ...... 22 Parkland – Minor Council Representative ...... 23 Westman South – Minor Council Representative ...... 23 Yellowhead – Minor Council Representative ...... 24 AAA U18 Representative ...... 24 Central Plains – Development Council Representative ...... 25 Interlake – Development Council Representative ...... 26 Pembina Valley – Development Council Representative ...... 26 Westman South – Development Council Representative...... 27 Winnipeg – Development Council Representative ...... 28 Brandon – Female Council Representative ...... 30 Eastman – Female Council Representative ...... 31 Norman – Female Council Representative ...... 31 Parkland – Female Council Representative ...... 32 Pembina Valley – Female Council Representative ...... 32 Westman South – Female Council Representative ...... 33 Yellowhead – Female Council Representative ...... 33 MWJHL – Female Council Representative ...... 34

Hockey Manitoba Fall Council Meeting

September 29, 2019 - Winnipeg, MB Canad Inns Polo Park

Tentative Agenda

Sunday September 29th

8:30 AM – 12:00 PM Minor Council Ambassador M Development Council Ambassador K Female Council Ambassador G Senior/Adult Rec. Council Ambassador J

12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Break - Provided for all delegates Ambassador 3

1:00 – 2:00 PM Assembly Session Ambassador 4

1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of 2019 Annual Meeting Minutes 4. Business Arising 5. President's Report 6. Financial Report 7. Executive Director's Report 8. Hockey Development Report 9. Board of Directors' Reports 10. Council Representative Reports 11. Council Reports & Business Arising 12. Season Opener Overview 13. Notice of Motion Process & Deadline 14. Semi Annual Meeting 15. Other Business

2:00 – 3:00 PM Board of Directors Meeting Ambassador 4

Minor Council Meeting

September 29, 2019 Canad Inns Polo Park

1. Welcome – Introductions

2. Approve Agenda

3. Approve Minutes - 2019 Annual meeting

4. Regional Playoffs – deadline to complete, dates regions have scheduled

5. Provincials:  Deadline to apply to host – October 15th  Hosts confirmed by end of October/early November  Team entry deadline – December 1  Confirm team placements mid December. Regions must pre-approve teams  New format for Bantam/Midget

6. Amalgamation, Registration, Tournaments, Travel permit

7. Overage:  Clarify eligibility  Clarify for Provincials

8. Male Bantam AAA 2019-2020

9. U18 AAA League Update

10. High School Hockey Update

11. Transfers: Discussion on the current process and provide clarification

12. Appeals : Discussion on the current process and provide clarification

13. Regional issues, concerns

14. Notice of Motions for Semi Annual

15. Peewee AA – Interlake

16. Minor Council reports

17. Adjourn

Development Council Meeting

September 29, 2019 Canad Inns Polo Park

1. Adoption of agenda

2. Regional reports

3. Officials - Charles/Harvey a. Clinic info and updates b. Mentorship & Supervision c. ODC updates and priorities  Female recruitment

4. Coaches - Certification / Clinics update – Erikson

5. Players/Programs - Development Staff a. IP / Novice - Questions, clarification, other info needed? b. Development program info/updates - Critical dates and tasks  Rising Stars  Rising Stars Plus  Female Peewee Prospects  Director’s Cup  Program of Excellence 1. U16 Male 2. U16 Female 3. U18 Female 6. Discussion topics  Bantam AA  Growing the game  Seasonal structure 1. Novice/IP - Examples from neighbouring branch 2. Female AAA midget

Female Council Meeting

September 29, 2019 Canad Inns Polo Park

1. Opening remarks, Introductions

2. Adoption of Agenda

3. Approval of Previous Female Council Minutes – Spring 2019

4. Update on Hockey Manitoba staff

5. Reports - U18 AAA - MWJHL - WWHL

6. Update and review of AP , reporting and streamlining process, Junior and Senior

7. Update on Pembina Valley Pilot Project

8. Bantam AAA players on U18 rosters

9. Review dates for showcases, possible host of third showcase

10. Discuss new appeal process

11. Accredited School regulations and registration

12. Provincials, dates, teams, hosting and timelines

13. Overage procedures

14. Motions for January?

15. APs, out of region players, player transfers

16. Other business

Senior Council Meeting

September 29, 2019 Canad Inns Polo Park

1. Welcome / Introductions

2. League Updates  NCHL ; THHL ; SEMHL ; CSHL ; NWSHL

3. Senior “A” Provincials Dates / Locations

4. Officials / Rule changes

5. Senior AAA  Review teams and team formation regulations

6. Registration Changes

7. Other Business

8. Adjournment

President

Welcome back everyone. It's so good to see such a great group of dedicated volunteers join our Hockey Manitoba Board and Staff at the Season Opener meeting this weekend. Peter has assembled a great group of presenters and workshop leaders again this year. Thank you, Peter.

We had 2 Hockey MB teams competing in the Dianne Woods Memorial Golf Tourney at Elmhurst GC in June. Thank you to Hockey Winnipeg for hosting this very worthwhile fundraising event.

I'd like to thank all the Board members that have sat on registration appeals already this year. It's a very important part of being a board member.

Peter and I attended the Hockey Canada Summer Congress meeting in Calgary the first weekend in Sept. Some items of interest:

 8 Jr. B and 6 Jr C teams from MB took advantage of Hockey Canada's $1000 incentive to wear full face shields for the 2019-20 season. As well, each player would have an insurance fee reduction of $30. All teams under the Jr "A" category will wear full face shields in the 2020-21 season.  Discussion about double rostering of athletes attending and registered with accredited Sport Schools. Mixed feelings.  Scott Furman has taken a position with Hockey Canada as the Western Representative for the Member Engagement Program (MEP) 1) Will be establishing an overall communication pathway and tracking system 2) Set up meeting schedules 3) Agenda specific items 4) Collaborating on certain issues and tasks in the West 5) Reviewing expectations and accountabilities.  Presentation from Victor Henriquez. Have a clean and transparent Social Media policy.  Mike Bruni is chairing the Hockey Canada Nominating Committee. Our MB & SK rep on that committee is Kallie Wood from Moose Jaw SK.  Denise Pattyn, presentation on Board Diversity  Pat McLaughlin & Caroline, presentation on Hockey Canada Strategic plan 1) Focus on fun 2) Retention 3) Coaching  Scott Smith updated on CWHL and what the Hockey Canada Women's team would be doing if the regular league doesn't exist  HCR 3.0 being worked on. A vendor will be selected by end of 2019 to rebuild. Staffing has been reduced from 9 programmers to 1, as work will mostly be done by successful vendor.  I attended a meeting in June with Sport Manitoba together with Peter, Scott and Bernie. A discussion was held about our 2019-2020 Integrated Funding Framework Submission. The meeting went well.

As you know, we have or soon will have, 4 new office staff members in the Hockey MB office by early October. We knew that Devin Himpe was leaving us to take a position at the True North. And we decided we were going to hire another staff person in charge of Sponsorship and Communication. Saxon Miller has stepped in to fill Devin's position and Ezra Ginsburg has taken on the Sponsorship and Communication position. Please take the time to introduce yourself to these new staff members and we all wish them the best as they join our Hockey Manitoba team.

Since our Hockey Manitoba meeting in May, Scott Furman has accepted a new job with Hockey Canada and Meaghan McMullen has taken a new job elsewhere. Scott will be attending our 3 major meetings and will be living in Winnipeg. 8

We look forward to working with Scott in his new role with Hockey Canada. Please take time this weekend to thank Scott for all he's done in Hockey MB over the past 17 years and wish him all the best in his new journey. We also wish Meaghan well in her new position.

The interview process and selections to fill these 2 positions are complete and Peter hopes to add the new staff members by early October.

Thank you to the staff, board members and volunteers as we move through this training period with 4 new staff members. We'll all have to pitch in as a team and make this work.

The office renovations are complete and the furnishings are ordered. We have added 2 new office rooms.

One other issue that we need to bring to everyone's attention; Kim Davis didn't run for the Jr Board Chair position in the spring. No one else put their name forward either. That position remains vacant. We're working with 8 Board members now and will be trying to fill the Chair of Jr position this fall. If any of you are interested or know of someone that might be, please let us know.

I need to mention all the exciting events Hockey MB has coming up in the 2019-20 season. First, the Hockey Canada U18 female tournament is in Morden & Winkler the 1st weekend of Nov. We have the Western Regional Telus Cup playoff tournament in Virden in April and the same weekend the champion of our Female AAA U-18 team will be hosting the SK champ for the right to go to the Esso Cup. The Portage Terriers will be hosting the Centennial Cup for Jr "A" supremacy in early May. And to finish the season off, Hockey MB will host the Hockey Canada AGM the last weekend of May.

I look forward to a productive weekend and successful season. I would like to sincerely thank all the volunteers and staff for making this weekend so enjoyable. All the best moving forward in the 2019-20 season.

Respectfully submitted, Bill Whitehead

Executive Director

Four years ago Tom Renney, CEO for Hockey Canada proposed and tasked the Branches to reach 1,000,000 members by the year 2020. The current national membership is approximately 600,000 so despite Tom’s initial optimism the goal was not accompanied by the necessary national strategy. In order to have achieved this goal all branches needed to identify a plan that focused on recruitment and retention at all levels within their program and without a national strategy we collectively have failed to achieve very little progress. Despite being unable to achieve this goal we must continue to make a concerted effort at all levels of the system in order for the NSO/PSO’s to be viewed as world sporting leaders.

Certainly the ongoing success of the Team Canada National Program is impressive and fills us all with pride, however elite players are only one aspect of our program and in order to reach the level that Tom Renney has proposed all membership levels must continue to grow in all categories. Traditional recruitment and retention methods must be examined for us to stay ahead of the curve and to simply rely on the recruitment practices that existed decades ago and expect registration to increase would be wrong and a disservice to the game and our existing membership. Canadians are very proud of our success and association with the game and although we are intensively humble we must continue to explore all avenues to maintain our status as world leaders. Hockey Manitoba is certainly a sport leader in our Province but all areas of our program delivery must be examined, challenged and improved to continue to attract new members as well as retain our existing membership base. I am confident this is a challenge that should be central to our entire membership and must be a priority for the game to grow and together I am confident we can meet the goal.

Unfortunately, Hockey Canada was unable to find a suitable candidate for the Regional Director position over the past year and as a result the branches were not sufficiently serviced by an interim manager and the Vice President of the Engagement Department. This was not an effective structure, which the Western Branches voiced their concerns which lead to a meeting between the Western Executive Directors and the Vice President, Member Engagement to review the program on June 24, 2019. The Western Executive Directors identified 5 senior members of the Branches and tasked the VP to contact them to canvass their respective interest. Hockey Manitoba recommended Scott Furman as an ideal candidate and after a formal process was offered the position as the Regional Director in July.

The purpose of the Hockey Canada Engagement Department is to serve as the primary liaison between Hockey Canada and the Branches regarding the delivery of the Hockey Canada Strategic and Operational Plan. The Regional Director is responsible for ensuring that strong, dynamic, long- term professional relationships are formed and managed successfully within all levels of hockey within their region. Although Hockey Manitoba is disappointed in losing a long term and important member of our staff we are excited for Scott and are confident he will have an immediate impact on the Membership Engagement Department. Scott has all of the necessary skills and experience to make a significant impact on the direction of hockey and we are looking forward to working with him to achieve our goals. Although he has only been in the job since August 19th I have already seen a significant change in regards to the flow of information from Hockey Canada that did not previously exist.

I was fortunate to attend Hockey Canada Skills Academy training seminar July 3 – 5, 2019 which was conducted by Hockey Canada and held in Winnipeg. It was a very informative event and provided a good insight into a significant aspect of the game. Scott, Bernie, Erikson and Derek Poplawski (Hockey Winnipeg) were able to attend all or portions of the seminar and I believe it gave everyone a renewed appreciation and motivation specific to program delivery.

Regional issues and a global perspective continue to have a direct impact on partnership programs as an ongoing challenge for Hockey Manitoba. Support must be embraced by organizations, associations and regions to address similar concerns for the benefit of the overall good of the program. Constant communication and cooperation for the benefit of the game must be maximized if the game is to receive the by products of a concerted effort by staff and volunteers. Changing demographics must be taken into consideration in digesting the participation and formation of teams to help service the views and philosophy of our membership. It is vital that each stakeholder thinks beyond their localized area in order to receive the greatest return. The encroachment of entrepreneurs continues to be a challenge and it is difficult to compete against full time programs that specialize and target a small fraction of the membership. We need to balance the structure and delivery of our programs as well as stride to achieve a gold standard in order to establish Hockey Manitoba as the premier option for our membership.

Respect at all levels needs to remain a strong focus for our entire membership. It seems to be an eroding concept not only in our sport but throughout society and as an organization we need to be diligent in addressing this aspect of our game. Too often respect is given lip service and has a tumble down effect on the overall operation of the game and we need to elevate our standards. Recent postings on social media have escalated to a level that is extremely concerning with members displaying little regard through the use of vulgarity, offensive and inappropriate language.

Both Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada have adopted new Governance structures over the past 6 years in order to maximize the productivity of each of our respective programs. Volunteers are an integral component of our program and their contribution and voice in the decision making model continues to remain important. The change in structure continues to recognize volunteer contribution and the adoption of a more development focus model will have tremendous long term benefits for the management of the sport.

With the establishment of the Hockey Canada Engagement Department I am confident that program delivery is headed in the right direction with the focus on the necessary processes that will assist in the development and the appropriate alignment of the NGB and PSO strategic priorities.

I am happy to report the 7th Annual Hockey Manitoba Season Opener is on schedule to be a great success based on advanced registration and the impressive lineup of presenters. Hockey Manitoba is excited to once again provide this opportunity and we are confident that the program that has been assembled will enhance and assist our tremendous number of volunteers in the delivery of their respective programs. Former coach and mentor Dave King (The Importance of a Coach as a leader), Matt Symes (The Future of Hockey), Linton Sellen (Leadership Training) and author Allyson Tufts (Experience of a Hockey Mom) as well as Hockey Manitoba are all scheduled to make presentation. Registration is ahead of the numbers for last season which was the best attended in the history of the event.

Unfortunately our resources will continued to be challenged due to program expansion and the increased costs of operation but I believe Hockey Manitoba continues to offer an outstanding opportunity and one of the most affordable member programs in Canada. With the loss of some key staff members over the last 18 months which accounted for nearly 50 years of experience it is important that we focus on program delivery for existing programs and that delivery expansion should be well thought out before introducing.

The safety of all members of our program remains at the forefront. The education and early detection of concussions is certainly a priority and continued association in providing educational information to assist members with this very serious issue is paramount. Hockey Manitoba will continue to promote this program for the best interests of our membership. Information can be accessed on the front page of the Hockey Manitoba website.

The President and Executive Director attended the Hockey Canada Summer Board Meeting in Calgary September 6 – 7, 2019. The items on the agenda included review of By-laws and Regulations, Board Diversity, Playing Rule Changes, Transgender Policy, Unsanctioned hockey, the CJHL Agreement, Growing the Game, Program Delivery, Accredited Schools Program, Hockey Canada Registry, Atom Pathway and Naming of Age Categories. All submissions that were discussed will be dealt and finalized at the AGM Winter Congress this upcoming November in Montreal.

In conjunction with the respective Hockey Canada branch Technical Directors/Executive Directors are scheduled to meet October 21 - 23, 2019 in Calgary for an Operational Meeting. The agenda includes updates and workshops on the following topics programs – Member Engagement Communications Pathway, NHL/NHLPA Partners in Hockey, Player Pathways, Accredited Sports Schools, Future Members Ops Meeting Content, Registration Analytics, Program Inventory Hockey Canada Registry. The next scheduled in person Operations meeting is planned for April for Calgary.

Each year the Hockey Canada Branches are asked to submit nominations for the following awards at will be presented at the Spring Congress Meeting May 28 – May 30, 2020 in Winnipeg. The following are the Awards – Outstanding Volunteer of the Year; Female Breakthrough Award; Gordon Juckes Award; Order of Merit and Officiating Award. The deadline date for submission of all nominations is early January 2020. Nominations received after this date will not be considered. Volunteers are the foundation of our program and it is important that we submit and promote their contribution for recognition. Since the Hockey Canada Spring Congress will be held in Winnipeg it would be nice if you could pass along any names of candidates that would be worthy representatives. Hockey Manitoba urges you to please forward their names to the office so we can assist in the application process. The office will circulate the pending memo to all association members once it is distributed by Hockey Canada near the end of 2019.

The “Chevrolet Power of Play” continues to build a grassroots movement among the Pee Wee age group to inspire kids to reinforce the important values that are learned through the game. Coaches distribute a Most Inspirational Player Award at the end of each game based on players displaying the qualities that make us the best we can – teamwork, heart, leadership, fun and determination. Awards are not based on skill but rather based on the qualities that all team players can emulate. The coach kit consists of a Bauer hockey bag; lesson plans to support 10 inspirational words that will be the mantra of the program; 20 branded pucks; tape ball starter kit; 25 pairs of laces and 25 rolls of tape. This year there will be over 3,000 kits available nationwide. Part of the program is the challenge for all teams to give back to the community and a selected winner is awarded the Good Deeds Cup. Two seasons ago The Pas Huskies captured the awarded and were given a cheque for $15,000 which they donated to Oscar’s House shelter in the town of The Pas. The money was very much appreciated and without this donation the Oscar’s House shelter was in jeopardy of closing. Last 11 season the prize money was significantly increased with the winner of the Good Deeds Cup being awarded a cheque for $100,000 which they donated to their designated charity.

This program is similar to the Canad Inns Aalto’s Player of the Game Awards that Hockey Manitoba has launched in the 2015 season by Hockey Manitoba and has been distributed to associations.

Hockey Manitoba is proud to report that 109 of the 112 registered Minor Hockey Associations in Manitoba have registered and are using the online player registration system as per the regulations. In addition junior teams are entering their 12th year of registering their players online and Hockey Manitoba has encouraged senior to do so this season. Hockey Manitoba has provided exemptions to only a handful of associations in the past when registration numbers do not support the benefits of using the online system. Online registration in Manitoba is considered the envy of Canada’s other 12 branches who still have been unable to incorporate league or parent online registration into their respective programs.

Hockey Canada is in the process of canvassing all Branches in regards to feedback and observations with the current HCR application and Hockey Canada expects to be launching a new HCR 3.0 within the next 12 months. Hockey Manitoba has been asked to pilot the new system before it is introduced to the rest of the country and is considering the option.

Motions Semi-Annual - Board members are reminded that the deadline for both Constitutional and Regulations changes is 60 days in advance of the Semi-Annual Meeting which is scheduled January 17 - 18, 2020. Therefore, the final date for the submission or motions to be dealt with at the semi-annual meeting would be November 19, 2019. As per our bylaws the Executive Director shall communicate such proposed amendments or alternations to each member 45 days prior to the semi-annual meeting which Wednesday December 4, 2019.

Hockey Manitoba will once again offer the Dodge Caravan Program targeted for teams aged 7 to 8. This is the 12th year of the program called Caravan Kids. Teams will once again be awarded $500 to be applied towards the purchase of jerseys or operational costs for their team when they display the name bar “Caravan Kids” on their jerseys. Historically Hockey Manitoba has enjoyed over 100 teams registered each year and over the past 10 years minor hockey teams have benefited by receiving over $500,000 in Manitoba alone. The interest remains extremely high and each year we have a number of teams on a waiting list. In addition the program typically fills up within a week of registration being opened. Hockey Manitoba generates $50 from Chrysler for each team registered that participates. Registration will be open soon. We have approached the organizers with a request to expand our allotment from previous years however it is based on dealership cooperation and support and our quota is full for Manitoba. There is a possibility that some branches will be unable to achieve their quota with the possibility of being reallocated to Manitoba.

Hockey Canada will again operate The First Shift program that are scheduled between October and January throughout the country. In conjunction with the NHL and the NHLPA the First Shift Program is designed to introduce players to the game and includes full head to toe equipment, 6 weeks learn to play hockey program guide focusing on fun while learning basis skills. Cost of the program is $199. Of the 180 First Shift programs this winter in Canada 10 applications to host The First Shift program will be in Manitoba and are going to be held at the following sites – October 15, 2019 Hockey Brandon, October 16, 2019 Ste. Rose, October 18, 2019 APHA (Winnipeg), October 22, 2019 South Winnipeg (Winnipeg), October 23, 2019 Fort Garry North (Winnipeg). The remaining 5 events will be held at Chancellor, Dalhousie, Ralph Maybank, Ryerson and Westgrove Schools as part of the (Winnipeg Jets School Program). The dates of the Winnipeg Jets program have not yet been announced.

Hockey Canada has approved the following 26 skills academies in Manitoba for 2019 - 2020. These include Ecole Seven Oaks Middle School, Ecole McIsaac Flin Flon, Ecole St. Malo, Churchill High School, Frontier Collegiate School, Frontier Mosakahiken School Frontier, Garden City Collegiate, George Waters Middle School, Gillam School, Hedges Middle School, St. James John Taylor, Morden Collegiate, Morris School, Oscar Lathlin Collegiate, Portage La Prairie School, River East Collegiate, Rivers Hockey Academy, Ruth Betts Community School, Shaftsbury High School, St. James Collegiate, Starbuck High School, St. James Sturgeon Heights, St. James Westwood, Tec Voc High School and W.C. Miller 12

Collegiate. Official notification will be received from Hockey Canada once they have received the signed license agreements from each of the schools.

Hockey Manitoba has purchased a table to support the 2019 Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Dinner scheduled for October 5th at Canad Inn, Polo Park. Players Bob Fitchner, Trevor Kidd, Marty Murray and Terry Yake are several of those that will be inducted, as are Builders Kelly McCrimmon and Barry Shenkarow along with Official Rob Haithwaite and many others. If you are interested please contact Peter Woods for tickets.

Hockey Manitoba has also purchased a table for the Sport Manitoba Hall of Fame Dinner scheduled for Saturday November 3rd at the Victoria Inn. Jon Montgomery (Skelton) and Goald Medal Champion who now host Canada’s Amazing Race is scheduled to be inducted. The event is a major fundraiser for the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and is typically very well attended. If you are interested in tickets please let me know.

Please welcome 4 new staff members who were appointed over the summer; Lauren Osborne, Coordinator Registration and Support Services. Lauren just started on September 23rd. Ezra Ginsburg, Coordinator Communications and Saxon Miller, Coordinator Grow the Game. Ezra and Saxon have assimilated very well and both are settling into their new positions. Jessica Horton, Manager Operations is scheduled to start on October 4, 2019 to complete our staff.

Earlier this summer construction was completed on the office expansion so Ashley will be now able to move out of her current office which we will return to meeting room. The furniture for the new offices is arrived on Monday September 16th so 4 members have been reassigned new offices.

The Manitoba Moose presented Hockey Manitoba with a cheque for $3,999 on August 14th as a condition of the partnership agreement between the Manitoba Moose and Hockey Manitoba. Thank you for your contribution.

On July 26th I attended the honorary naming of a stretch of Oakdale Street in Charleswood to the Wayne Deschouwer Way in tribute to the longstanding Charleswood Hawks president and Hockey Manitoba volunteer. It was a special moment for everyone in attendance and well deserved for a likeable and dedicated volunteer of our organization.

Hockey Manitoba is pleased to announce that 13 Manitoba Communities/MHA/Leagues (Dauphin MHA, La Salle MHA, Red Sucker Lake MHA, Ste. Anne - Eastman, St. Vital AA Vic’s Peewee, Winnipeg East MHA, APHA Polar Bears, St. James Rockets Peewee, U of Manitoba Bison, , Landmark, Eastman, Pembina Valley MacDonald, Ile des Chenes Eastman and Altona MHA) will be participating in the 9th annual World Girls Ice Hockey Weekend (WGIHW) scheduled Oct. 4 - 6, 2019, The goal of this weekend is to have events from coast to coast to coast that recruit, retain and engage female players, coaches, officials and fans – old and new. This event aims to celebrate and grow the female game, and unite Canadians through grassroots programming led by female hockey associations, minor hockey associations and communities. In addition to the 13 communities 5 communities have scheduled Esso Fun days.

Respectfully submitted, Peter Woods

Financial Report

We would like to welcome everyone to a new hockey season and provide the following financial report:

Financial Statements for the Year Ending May 31, 2019

Meyers Norris Penny (MNP) has completed the audit for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2019 and we are pleased to circulate the draft financial statements for your information. The audit itself was once again completed quickly and

13 with minimal incident. Thank you to Scott Furman and Bonnie Lawson for their assistance in making this process run smoothly. There is a surplus on general operations of $99,846, and although in isolation it seems significant it only represents an approx. 3% surplus on our original budget of $3,184,900 which is in the overall picture is a small margin.

As you are aware, Hockey Manitoba adopts and works towards a balanced budget each fiscal year. In fact, in the fiscal year 2 years ago the branch experienced an overall deficit of $1,389 while last fiscal year we showed a surplus of $172,384. However, there were a number of unique circumstances that can be attributed to the surplus for the previous fiscal year. First, approx. 32% of the surplus was the direct result of increased funding from outside sources (Sport Manitoba, Hockey Canada). This funding fluctuates from year to year, and Hockey Manitoba budgets a conservative amount based on averages in past years. From time to time, we receive additional or increased funding from World Juniors held in Canada, Hockey Canada Trust Fund interest, Sport Manitoba Games Funding, etc. Second, approx. 20% of the surplus is the result of reduced administrative expenses, mainly from staffing changes that occurred throughout that year. The remaining surplus was the result of increased revenue in some areas and a reduction to some of our operating costs such as programming or marketing and promotions.

This past year we were able to positively control or reduce costs in a number of area including marketing/promotion, bingo, coach development, meetings which all contributed to the overall surplus of $99,846.

It is important to note that any surplus experienced over the past number of years has mainly been on account of receiving additional, unbudgeted funds from outside sources. Hockey Manitoba's membership and program fees remain average compared to other branches, and in fact significantly lower in many cases. We continue to provide coach certification clinics at no charge (unlike most branches), and subsidize our player, coach and officials development programs. We do not anticipate a surplus of this significance in the 2019 - 2020 season and need to be very cautious with all expenditures. Also note, Hockey Manitoba has not increased its membership fee in the past three fiscal years.

The Board of Directors continues to discuss the best possible use of surplus funds moving forward. As you know, we have created new funding opportunities for Minor Hockey Associations (Grassroots Hockey Grants, Goaltender Development Grants) 2 seasons ago totalling $65,000 and this year, we will continue to develop initiatives to assist in recruitment and development at no cost such as the IP Face-Off, Grassroots Skating Clinic, Mentorship Clinics, etc. These discussions will continue on how to best serve our membership and we will strive to implement impactful new initiatives, funding opportunities and/or projects in conjunction with our strategic priorities to improve, grow and develop our game at all levels, while assisting our member Minor Hockey Associations, Regions and Leagues throughout the branch..

A summary of the financial statements is as follows: Total revenues on operations were $3,187,766 and total expenses were $3,072,261. Details are outlined in the Statement of Operations on page 2 and the Schedule of Hockey Operations Expenses on page 9 of the financial statements.

Hockey Manitoba's assets as of May 31, 2019 were $1,601,909 and liabilities were $308,709 resulting in total equity (as identified on the Statement of Financial Position under “Fund Balances”; page 1) at $1,293,200. Please keep in mind that approximately 55% of these funds are internally restricted for various initiatives, contingencies and legacy funds, resulting in a total unrestricted equity of $656,719.

Receivables totaling $305,400 at May 31, 2019 are somewhat elevated compared with past fiscal years, which include revenues collectible from various development programs, fees, sponsorships, etc. that were not received by year end. In addition, many of our programs occur in the latter part of the season which is the main factor in carrying such a significant balance into the new fiscal year. Approximately 90% of these receivables have been collected to date and we do not anticipate any significant bad debts or write-offs post audit.

Payables totaled $241,609 at May 31, 2019 and can be explained from the rationale list above.

Prepaid expenses ($31,344) and deferred revenues ($67,100) carried into the fiscal year ending May 31, 2019 are outlined in Note 7 (page 7) of the financial statements.

We certainly welcome any questions from all Council Representatives pertaining to the financial statements which can be addressed during our review prior to their approval by the Board of Directors on Sunday afternoon. Based on feedback from our auditors, we continue to be satisfied with the financial controls in place within our organization and the extent to which we monitor our revenues and expenses.

2019 - 2020 Fiscal Year Looking forward to the 2019 - 2020 fiscal year, we remain hopeful in attaining a balanced budget. As the hockey season, clinics, programs, etc. are only beginning, it is premature to note any specific details at this time. A financial review of our budget will take place at the Semi Annual meeting in January 2020 complete with updated notes on all revenue and expense variances.

Again, as you aware, there were no Hockey Manitoba membership fee increases included in the 2019 - 2020 budget.

Investments Our investment portfolio remains consistent and the next maturities are in February 2020. The Board of Directors chose to move a majority of the investments from RBC Dominion Securities to Assiniboine Credit Union in 2019 to obtain higher interest rates. The market value of our investment portfolio at year end was $771,932, (page 1) which consists of various GICs and a high interest savings account.

Sponsorship Our organization continues to enjoy strong relationships with our official partners, additional sport partners and event partners. In 2018 – 2019 we realized $110,053 in revenues, which is an area that we will focus our efforts to increase in the coming year. There are also many other partnerships and marketing initiatives we engage in every season for the benefit of our members and the game in general.

We hope everyone enjoys the Season Opener, and we look forward to productive discussions over the weekend.

Respectfully submitted, Bert Dow Peter Woods

Past President

Hopefully everyone had a good summer and you are prepared for another hockey season. I have been part of a number of appeals and think the new policy of submitting written appeals is working well. Best of luck to all——have a great season!!

Respectfully submitted, Brian Franklin

Chair of Hockey Development

Imagine a country where over 90% of children grow up playing organized sports. Where costs are low, the economic barriers to entry few, travel teams aren’t formed until the teenage years — and where adults don’t start sorting the weak from the strong until children have grown into their bodies and interests. Then, the most promising talents become the most competitive athletes in the world, on a per-capita basis.

There’s no need to imagine - that country is Norway. At the last Winter Olympics; Norway, a nation of just 5.3 million, won more medals, 39, than any other country in the history of the Winter Games.

Further investigation reveals legislation that all Norwegian sport bodies must follow: ● Participation is the only priority through age 13 - after that top prospects are identified and surrounded by great coaching ● Kids decide how much they want to train - emphasis is on providing safe training environments & activities that facilitate friendships. ● Want to transfer clubs in midseason? Go ahead, no penalty. Suit up with a rival club next week, if you wish. ● No publication of scores or standings before age 11 ● No regional championships before age 11

Youth sports in America is a $16 billion industry bankrolled by parents who are often unaware of the science of athletic development and nervous that the bullet train of opportunity will leave the station if their child doesn’t hop on, year- round, at age 8.

Not in Norway. There will always be frustration from the more ambitious parents and young athletes about the constraints on testing their talents beyond the local level at early ages.

Norway is not Canada. One advantage sport leaders in Norway acknowledge is their country’s relatively small size, which helps get key stakeholders on the same page about sports policy. Also, families don’t need to chase athletic scholarships because college, like health care for youth, is free. Sports is not seen as a way out of a tough neighborhood. Norway is a wealthy nation with oil, gambling and other revenue streams that can be mobilized.

In Canada we have basically given entrepreneurs full rein to work their magic, untethered from the actual needs of youth. Money chases money. Children from low-income homes are half as likely to play sports (34 percent) as those at the upper end, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Following something similar to Norway’s “Children’s rights of Sport” could re-center priorities, close gaps and produce more elite athletes.

Thanks to Tom Farrey for providing stats and data stated above.

Respectfully submitted, Tony Franklin

Hockey Development Report

OFFICIALS: We are underway with the certification program and have already completed the Level IV – VI re-certification clinics. The Level IV-V upgrade seminar has concluded as well which saw 24 officials selected from across the province come to Winnipeg to take part. The seminar included presentations from conflict management specialists, athlete dieticians as well as a sport psychologist. Along with the presentations on ice instruction was given to increase performance on the ice. The Bantam AAA Officials Program, previously known as the Director’s Cup Program, will use 16 regionally identified officials interested in advancing into the Midget AAA and Junior Programs within their respective regions. This will be an official’s first step towards the Hockey Manitoba High Performance Officiating Program, with supervisors at every game, and scheduled on and off ice events. Congratulations to Nick Grenier, Linesman (Eastman), Andrew Paul Linesman (Brandon) and Derian Penziwol, Referee (Brandon) who will be attending the OPOE camp in Abbotsford in early October. Special thank you to Director of Officiating, Harvey Nichol and the Officials Development Committee; Karlin Krieger, Paul Comte, Brenden Burnell and Ashley Desjardins for their continued support and initiatives.

COACHES: Coaching clinic registration is well underway with clinics starting as early as October 1st and continuing until the December 1st deadline. We have four Development 1 clinics confirmed for this season - two in Winnipeg, one in Brandon and one in Flin Flon. Coach 1 – Intro to Coach and Coach 2 – Coach Level content has remained relatively the same as last season. As a branch we decided to integrate specific content that provides a walkthrough of how to access the Hockey Canada Network App’s as well as highlight the features of the app. We believe this app is a great resource for all coaches so we want to ensure any coaches that attend our clinics are trained on how to utilize it.

U-18 POE: We are just coming off of the conclusion of a very successful U18 POE September Exhibition Series that saw Team MB take on Team SK, the U of R and U of M in a very competitive tournament. The coaching staff will be making a limited number of releases as we work to get down to our final roster in preparation for the Canada Winter Games in February.

U16 FEMALE POE: Our Female U-16 Team Manitoba participated in the Swift Current Wildcats Midget AAA tournament September 6-9 as the conclusion to the 2018 Female U16 POE. The highlight of the weekend was a very hard fought game against the Female U16 Team Sask which marked the first time two provincial Female U16 teams have faced off in competition. We saw some great improvements in the program this season and the quality of our young female athletes continues to get better year after year. I would like to thank the coaching staff of John Ferg, Kelsi McGonigal and Troy Gould for their hard work and commitment to the program for the past two years.

CCM RISING STARS PLUS+: The program remains a region-based program for 2nd year Peewee-aged players (12 years old) that include skill sessions throughout the fall/winter leading up to the region’s selection of players to advance into CCM Rising Stars Plus+ program. The CCM Rising Stars Cup held last May was very well received with players across the province mixing to form 12 tournament teams. It was excellent for all to see the level of talent within this age group and equally important for them to view the competition held at the same venue with the DC Prospects Tournament. There continue to be some growing pains with the Rising Stars Plus program as we saw a number of athletes begin the program, but drop out at varying points leading up to the tournament. The current format with 12 teams will remain.

FEMALE PEEWEE PROSPECTS: The 2018 Female Peewee Prospects program continued the positive momentum from last year and brought a great development opportunity for our Female Peewee athletes. Registration numbers once again improved upon our previous years as this program is becoming a more established part of the Spring season. Feedback regarding regional skill sessions was very positive and the final tournament in April continues to be very well received.

SPECIALTY CLINICS/MENTORSHIP: Already booked a number of Specialty Clinics for this season and we are doing the best we can to accommodate them all. Thank you to the regions that have taken the initiative and booked clinics in their regions. As always we have to continue to promote these sessions as an augmentation to the coaching clinics.

HM FACEOFF FESTIVAL: Continuing this season as a provincial-wide program, significantly impacting players, coaches, and parents in all corners of the province. Hosted in part with Regions, these events are established to include every eligible IP team/player in the province. On-ice the events focus on fun and skills for the player, with on-ice support and mentorship for the coaches. Off the ice special presentations surrounding long-term player development will be delivered by key Hockey Manitoba development stakeholders. Saxon Miller, our Coordinator of Grow the Game has been working with regions to ensure dates are booked and will be assisting with the communication surrounding these events as we move into October and November. 17

U-16 POE: The 2019 U16 Boys program completed their Summer Development camp in August with a two day camp consisting of skills, tech/tac and team building at the Bell MTS Iceplex. The focus now shifts toward the Exhibition Game vs. the Winnipeg Wild September 29th before heading to Calgary for the Western Canadian Championship October 23 – 27th.

DIRECTOR’S CUP PROSPECTS: The Director's Cup Prospects Tournament held during AGM weekend, May -5, was another success. The quality of play was encouraging with players across the province mixing to form 12 tournament teams. It was impressive to see the talent we have at this age group. All elements of the program ran much smoother this season and Pembina Valley and Westman South both ran excellent Development Tournaments at the end of March. Numbers for the Directors Cup Prospects are starting to become somewhat of a concerns as multiple regions had difficulty filling out rosters. Discussion will take place this weekend on cutting down the roster sizes for DCP to 17 athletes as opposed to the current roster size of 20.

POE-WHL SKILLS COMBINE: Following the Directors Cup Prospects appx. 126 players were invited to the POE-WHL Skills Combine which includes WHL Combine testing and 3 games. Teams were coached through the weekend by staffs made up of in training HP1 coaches and a number of WHL scouts were in attendance for the weekend. Going forward this event is no longer a part of our WHL agreement and as a result a review will be conducted on the program to determine its future for upcoming years.

BANTAM AAA SHOWCASE: The Male Bantam Showcase and Female Showcase 1 are scheduled for October 4-6 in Winnipeg with full participation from all regional teams. The Male Showcase will see teams playing league games as well as on-ice goaltender skills, WHL presentation and coach development session. The Female Showcase 1 will also see a number of league games throughout the weekend as well as on-ice forward and defense skills. We are looking forward to what should be a great weekend of hockey and an excellent kickoff to the Bantam AAA season

Respectfully submitted, Bernie Reichardt, Dustin Stewart, Erikson Solnes and Charles Bergstresser

Chair of Senior Male/Adult Rec

3 teams have registered for Senior AAA/Allan Cup play. South East Prairie Thunder, St. Anne Aces and the Norway House Bruins will once again compete for the Prov. Championship and the right to advance to Inter-Branch play against the Rosetown Redwings. We will meet in Dec. to finalize details for prov. Play.

All Senior Leagues have either met or will be in the near future to re-organize for the 2019/2020 season. All 4 Leagues (North Central, Tiger Hills, South East and Carillon) will play this season. The Hockey Man. Senior “A” Championship will be on the agenda as we look to improve the product.

Our provincial Adult Rec. Tournament will be on again, without the expertise of the original founding member, Scott Furman. I hope that the League reps will step up and help Trevor continue this event.

Best Wishes to Scott Furman as he embarks on a new and exciting adventure with Hockey Canada. I am sure Pat and the kids will notice him underfoot more often. Good Luck !!!

Respectfully submitted, Ray Brethour

Chair of Minor Hockey – Rural

Welcome to the Annual Season Opener and your Fall Council meeting.

The season has been quiet to date but with registration now in full swing should be a little busier as we move forward.

To date the board has participated in a few registrations appeals under the new format.

Reminder the deadline to apply to host Provincials is October 15th. Late in October we will select the Provincial host communities. Regions are tasked to review the host selections to ensure that they are in the correct category.We will then have a Conference call in December to approve team placements. When placing teams follow the new regulations and if you have any questions or require clarification please contact Ashley or myself. Regions and your teams need to be cognizant of the changes we approved to the Bantam and Midget Provincials.

As always, a reminder that everyone should review the Notions of Motion we approved at the 2019 Semi Annual meeting, so you are aware of items that are new or different in the 2019-2020 handbook.

If you have any Notice of Motion for next season, a reminder the deadline to submit is in November.

The office has sent out several information bulletins please ensure that you forward these around your respective regions. Amalgamation, Tournament Sanctions, registration, etc.

Here’s to a good weekend of discussion and as always, a successful season for all.

Respectfully submitted, Ken Gladden

Chair of Minor Hockey – Winnipeg

Welcome to a new season!

Since my last report, everything has been quiet throughout the summer months for Minor Council. We had the Hockey Manitoba planning meeting in June and some hearings that I have been involved in but other than there is nothing to report on at this time.

I am looking forward to a good year and working with everyone to continue to grow the game.

Respectfully submitted, Chris Hall

Chair of Female Hockey

Welcome back to another season of hockey in Manitoba. I would like to thank the Hockey Mb Staff for giving me the support and information I have needed throughout the year. A big thank you goes to Scott Furman for all the years of dedication and work in growing the game of hockey in Manitoba. Wish you all the best in your new position in Hockey Canada.

I have been involved in the June planning meetings and a few appeals to date. The new format seems to be working. There will be a few things to work out but so far so good. Thank you to the Board of Directors for the help and support throughout the year.

It is great to see the regional programs up and running, good luck to all the teams involved. Portage will be hosting their annual tournament September 20th to September 22nd. I look forward to attending the U-18 AAA Midget league meeting as well as watching some games. Thank you to Ferdi and all the tournament volunteers for putting together a great weekend of hockey.

I look forward to getting to the AAA Bantam showcases and the World Girls’ Hockey Weekend in Winnipeg on December 6th,7th ,8th in Winnipeg. Good luck to everyone with their season and thank you to all the volunteers that keep hockey in Manitoba going strong,

Respectfully submitted, Cal Harrison

Director, Officiating

The Official’s certification season is underway and will be conducting Clinics for all levels.

Our focus this year will be grassroots officiating mentoring and advance instruction. We have Pembina Valley conducting on ice Mentoring throughout their Region in all Atom games for the 2018-19 season. Some other Regions will be trying on ice mentoring to see how it works in their Regions.

With Male U-18 Regional Championship this coming year, we will be continuing with the Coaching/Mentoring program that was started with the MMAAAHL last year, where we plan to cover 25% of the regular season games. This will improve the league by developing consistency among all referees officiating within the MMAAAHL. We will be using this to identify new officials for advancement to high level of hockey and has potential to move into the Hockey Canada Program.

We will be bringing in 5 Referees and 10 Linesmen from around the Province for the Male Bantam AAA Showcase being held at the BELLMTS Iceplex on Oct 4th – 6th. They will have a skating session on Friday evening and classroom presentation on Saturday afternoon. All officials will officiate 2 games during the weekend and will be mentored by one of our Evaluators.

We will be continuing with a similar Program for Female officials during the Girls United Weekend in December. Also looking to start a mentorship Program for all Regions to identify new officials for advancement into higher level of hockey and has potential to move into the Hockey Canada Program.

Hockey Canada is hosting the Western OPOE Camp in Abbotsford, BC on Oct 11th – 13th. We have 3 officials attending – Derian Penziwol(Ref), Andrew Paul(Lines) and Nick Grenier(Lines)

In Mid-November Hockey Canada is hosting the Male Level VI and Female Level V Seminar in Montreal and we have 2 officials attending. Ben Croker – Male Level VI, Amy Martin – Female Level V.

Respectfully submitted, Harvey Nichol

Minor Council Report – Brandon

Well here we grow again! Thus far for 2019-20 we have 791 registered players. If that number holds we’ll see an increase of more than 8%. Some pretty phenomenal growth in today’s world. We’re not sure what we’re doing right but we plan to keep doing it.

I’m too lazy to actually look it up but it seems we are busier than ever with transfer and overage requests thus far this year.

In short Brandon continues to be awesome and we love Winnipeg. In the words of a Hollywood immortal, “Th-Th-The, Th-Th-The, Th-Th… That’s all folks!”

Happy hockey, Glen Parker

Minor Council Report – Eastman

The 2019-2020 Season in Eastman is here and we are excited to get the season underway. As volunteer pools depreciate, we are thankful in Eastman of the good working relationships between our Board and Associations. We would like to take a moment to thank our tireless and dedicated volunteers.

Our Eastman Skill Development and Coach Mentorship Program will be enhanced with an increase in sessions which will allow us to maintain reasonable player numbers on the ice during skill sessions. Last year, 536 Peewee players, 34 Bantam AA players and 83 coaches participated in the sessions that were held across the region and we expect a slight increase in their season’s numbers.

Eastman introduced enhancements to our Coach Mentorship and Analyst Program which is providing the Eastman Board with valuable feedback on each regional team as well as help ingrain a culture focused on development both in player skills and interpersonal growth.

We are hosting a Novice Coach Development Day in October that will focus on the Novice Half Ice Program. Coaches will all participate in an instructional course and attend seminars on the novice format. This will ensure consistency in format for our league. We will again host two IP Festivals in the region.

Female Hockey continues to grow in our region and this year will have enough teams to form an Eastman Female League.

Eastman hosted a Summer Summit in June where all of our associations attended a planning session. These sessions are extremely valuable so that we all have input in planning the future of the region.

Respectfully submitted, Ken Kutzak

Minor Council Report – Interlake

Interlake Minor Hockey has a lot of brand new board members this season. We as a board are getting ready for a great 2019-2020 season. 21

The Board is planning an Initiation Jamboree towards the end of November.

Our Novice Jamboree will be held October 26. There will be no Novice playoffs this year in the Interlake, we will plan a season ending jamboree.

The number of teams in the Interlake will be approximately the same as last year. There seems to be a goalie shortage in our region. There will be Male Bantam AA playing in the Eastman AA league, a Male Bantam AAA and a U17 Prep team playing in the Winnipeg league. We have a U18 Provincial team.

Female Hockey numbers will be the same as last season in the Interlake. There will be Novice, Atom, Pee Wee and Bantam and U18 female teams. There will be a Female Bantam regional and a Female U18 regional team as well.

I would like to thank our regional coaches and managers for putting their time and effort into another hockey season.

I would like to thank Darren Bond and Liam Wheddon who oversee the regional program and organize all the tryouts.

I would like to thank all the Interlake Minor Hockey volunteers who have planned their season within their respective associations within Interlake Minor Hockey.

Many thanks to all the Interlake Minor Hockey Board who are planning a great season.

Respectfully submitted, Dave Underwood

Minor Council Report – Norman

Norman Region has started off quiet with our regular Male and Female camps. Disappointed we were not able to roster a Female Midget AAA team. Sport schools are enticing our elite players.

Appears all associations engaged with Coaching Clinics mostly all firmed up as well as all Officials clinics planned or nearly complete.

Norman is planning to continue our Male Midget AA and Midget A League, as last season Norman had 10 teams of 15- 17-year-old players, providing hockey opportunities for these young athletes.

I am working to attract another new association.

Thanks to my Board Members, Hockey Manitoba Staff as well as all Minor Executive Volunteers in Norman.

Respectfully submitted, Ron LaRocque

Minor Council Report – Parkland

The PMHA Board is looking forward to implementing a variety of programming in the region that includes Coach Clinics, Referee Clinics, Specialty Clinics, Goaltending Clinics and the IP mentorship program (although we are still looking for a local Mentor/Lead on this program).

We will be working with our MHAs and AAA programs to support local skating clinics/programs and we anticipate offering Hockey Manitoba Development programs. The last weekend in January has been set aside for Peewee and Bantam development programming/team selection. Parkland continues to offer male Midget and Bantam AAA programs along with a Female Bantam AAA program. Our Midget female players are associated with the Yellowhead Female Midget AAA program.

We anticipate that the Parkland Minor Hockey League will continue to operate again this season, thanks to the leadership of our MHA Presidents.

We are looking forward to a successful season and thank all volunteers for their dedication and contribution to the game of Hockey.

Respectfully submitted, Phil Fafard

Minor Council Report – Westman South

Well, as I write this note the outside temperature is 28˚C and feels like 34˚C. It is pretty difficult to be thinking about hockey meetings at this time of year when it is so nice outside. Unfortunately, harvest is not really in full swing as Mother Nature has not cooperated for the past three weeks. It is to be dry and hot for about 3 days before we get more rain.

Our Regional Committee has all returned: Director – Guy Williams Development Coordinator – Brad White Female Council – Derek Shearer Referee Coordinator – Landon White Goaltender Coordinator – Brian Elder Secretary-Treasurer – Frank Bennett Thanks for stepping up to assist, gentlemen.

I would like to thank each of the associations for the work that they have done to prepare for the upcoming season. This is a busy time of year for everyone who lives in a rural community. Who wouldn’t want to be thinking about hockey?

There has been plenty of discussion about team formation for bantam and peewee teams. I appreciate everyone’s patience while awaiting bantam AAA roster decisions. Once these are finalized we can make sure that we have places to play for all of the remaining players in the region.

On that note, I would like to thank everyone involved at the regional level who has worked so hard over the past month in preparation for the various AAA Bantam and Midget Female and Male tryouts that are nearing their conclusion. Thank you to Mr. Tony Franklin for representing Hockey Manitoba at our first meeting.

Respectfully submitted, Guy Williams 23

Minor Council Report – Yellowhead

Heading into my 6th year as Director of the Yellowhead region and 9th year attending the Hockey Manitoba meetings I have seen many changes. So many positive changes to programs and of course the consistent decline in enrollment in the region. This has forced the amalgamation of another 3 associations. More work is needed in the region, the province and quite likely the country to figure out a way to increase enrollment. We have discussed this extensively in my time here and we have not come up with a plan that works yet. I think we must put a focus on this and potentially strike a committee with the guidance of Hockey Canada to identify the reasons why we are not attracting new members at a better rate as well as possible solutions to this. I realize this is a big nut to crack, but we must get to work. The work we have done with the programs we have are great but are for the existing members. I don’t have the answer, but we as a group must get there.

In Yellowhead we have embarked on a new initiative for Coach Development. We are doing a Coach Development Weekend. Included in this October 26/27 weekend will be 4 Specialty Clinics. It will be an all-in-one location, with 2 clinics on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. This is the first time we are trying this as our efforts in the past have proved to be less than fruitful. So instead of continuing down a path that doesn’t work, we are trying something different. If you want any info on this, please stop and ask me.

We will once again be consolidating out Development Weekend for Rising Stars, Female Peewee Prospects and Director’s Cup in Shoal Lake on the last weekend of January. We find that this weekend really brings the region together all at once and our interest and ultimately our enrollment is very strong.

I would also like to acknowledge Scott Furman and his recent career move. Our loss is certainly a huge win for Hockey Canada. Scott will be missed by all our members, and especially I will miss his counsel. He has helped me understand many things, and straightened me out on some as well. All the best, Scott.

Respectfully submitted, Dan Johnson

Minor Council Report – AAA U18

Our league begins this weekend under our new U 18 banner as have removed the Midget name from our league name. All 13 teams are back again this season with some new faces but, also many teams have the same staff in place. One major change is long time head coach Doug Novak (Kenora Thistles) has stepped down to take on the manager position.

Our schedule also has remained unchanged with all teams playing 48 games. It is a balanced schedule with all teams playing two home and two away games vs each team. The top 8 teams will be in the playoffs. Each series will be the best of 5 beginning the end of February.

The Telus Regionals will be hosted by the Southwest Cougars at the Tundra Oil and Gas Arena in Virden the beginning of April. Southwest is already in as host and if they happen to win the league as well the finalist will become the host, otherwise the league winner will represent our league vs the Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario champions. This is the second time Southwest has hosted this event. It was a huge success the first time and we anticipate more of the same this time around.

We are going into the second year or our partnership with Hockey Manitoba for Referee Development. Harvey is in charge of the program this year. We began this last season and we are confident our combined efforts will have a positive effect over time on developing and improving the officiating in our league.

Respectfully submitted, Greg Thompson

Development Council Report – Central Plains

Central Plains is running both a U18 and Bantam “AAA” program in the Region for the 2019/20 season. The U18 AAA Capitals are in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League and currently have approximately 28 players competing for positions, along with a few imports to fill some spots. They hope to have a roster of 17 skaters and 2 goalies and are going to host the Manitoba AAA U18 Showcase in Portage la Prairie in October 2019. The Bantam Capitals are playing in the Hockey Winnipeg AAA Bantam League and will participate in the Showcase tournament at the Ice Plex to kick off the season. Both the AAA U18 and AAA Bantam programs are having issues with numbers for tryouts. Central Plains will not run their Bantam AA program in the Hockey Winnipeg League this year due to numbers. The Region looks forward to participating again in various Hockey Manitoba Programs.

Central Plains Development Committee has planned many events for the 2019/2020 Season. Our Development Coordinator, Rod Sveistrup, put together a calendar of events and posted it on our Central Plains web-site for all to access. The events calendar was extremely useful for registration and providing additional information on each event. AAA Council, the Development Committee, Central Plains Board members and volunteers will continue to work together to provide opportunity for development at all levels and areas.

Planned events for the 2019/20 season are as follows:  TBA, 2019: Referee Clinic for Coaches to provide information for all level coaches on rule changes, understanding calls from officiating perspective and how to interact with referees.  Oct. 17th, 2019: Small Area Games Specialty Clinic.  Oct. 22nd, 2019: Checking Skills 1 Clinic.  TDA, 2019: Referee Seminar Level 3 for any official that is refing U18 Male AAA, Junior.  Oct. 27th, 2019: Novice Jamboree! Fun day of activities, games and presentations for all Novice players, Coaches and Parents.  Oct. 27th, 2019 –IP skating presentation and on ice clinic for all coaches attending the Novice Jamboree.  TBA, 2019: Rising Stars and Female Prospects Development practice session for all 2nd year male and all female peewee aged players.  Nov. 3rd, 2019: Coach Level 2 Clinic, to provide certification for coaches needed for Atom, Peewee and Bantam.  Nov. 13th, 2019: Puck Control Specialty Clinic.  Nov. 19th, 2019: Coach Level 1 Clinic, to provide certification for first time coaches needed for Initiation and Novice.  TBA, 2019: Referee Clinic Level 1 & 2 for officials and potential officials.  TBA, 2019: Initiation Jamboree. Fun day of on ice activities, games and presentations for Initiation players, Coaches and Parents. Festival was facilitated by our IP mentor (Doug Jeffrey)  Dec. 8, 2019: Goaltending Specialty Clinic.

In Addition to this information, the Region will be looking at additional resources to better assist or support Central Plains. (I.e. part time office staff, financial audit services, event volunteers, treasury services...etc.)

Central Plains will be meeting with GDI to review and refine that support attached to Regional programs for further Goalie development along with Portage Minor running their program with GDI throughout the year.

Central Plains will be meeting with The Rink to review and refine that support for our Power Skating programs targeted at Peewee, Atom and Novice age groups.

Respectfully Submitted, Mike Neill

Development Council Report – Interlake

AAA teams started the year with tryouts, we brought out Brent Zelenowich to do once a week goaltender development. The sessions are going well. IP Festivals have started to be planned out along with Novice Festivals and Atoms.

We have three coach clinics planned and one checking clinic. The Referee Camp information was passed on to our Referee in Chief, hopefully we will see one happen in the Interlake. We have a few skill development camps happening in throughout our regions.

We look forward to improving on our development plan each year.

Respectfully Submitted, Charlene Bodnarchuk

Development Council Report – Pembina Valley

PVMHA development has the following programs and events scheduled for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. A Calendar of Events has been circulated to all presidents, this will be posted on the PVMHA website in the upcoming weeks. Programs requiring on-line registration will also be sent out and posted on the website.

PV Skills: skill development sessions were added this year in support of a 6 week development period pre-season. 30 ice times between August and September run by the PVHMA development group. This was offered to Novice/Atom and Peewee/Bantam.

Development Team: Associations have supported the additional role of a development rep. This group of PVMHA development and development representatives meet three times per year.

Coach Specialty Clinics: With the support and requests from the development group, 4 coach mentorship clinics on the following dates:

Specialty Clinic - Skating September 29, 2019 Winkler Specialty Clinic - Small Area Games October 6, 2019 Winkler Specialty Clinic - Goaltending October 5, 2019 Morden Specialty Clinic - Developing Defense October 5, 2019 Morden Specialty Clinic - Shooting and Scoring November 2, 2019 St. Claude Specialty Clinic - Skating November 10, 2019 Carman Specialty Clinic - Puck Control November 9, 2019 Miami Specialty Clinic - Small Area Games TBD Mac Specialty Clinic - Developing Defense TBD Mac Specialty Clinic - Skating 1A November 24th Altona Specialty Clinic - Skating 1A December 7th Manitou

Player Development Clinic: PVMHA hosted a body contact sessions on August 17th for first year Bantam players.

Rising Star Development Sessions: 12 Sessions. Major age Male only peewee players. The Rink Training Center will be leading the sessions. Cost is $20 per session, registration is online and payment is online. Check Calendar of Events for dates and times

Female Prospects Development Sessions: 6 Sessions. Major and minor female peewee. The Rink Training Center will be leading the sessions. Cost is $20 per session, registration is online and payment is online. Check Calendar of Events for dates and times

Goaltender Development Sessions: These on-ice sessions are targeted at Atom, Peewee and Bantam age goaltenders. There are 8 sessions scheduled and GDI will be leading the sessions. Cost is $30 per session, registration is online and payment is online.

IP Faceoff Event: PV will host two events IP FaceOff Event November 24th Altona IP FaceOff Event December 7th Manitou

Coach Level Training: PV will host Intro to Coach, Coach level 2, and body contact clinic this fall.

NCCP Coach Level 1 Clinic November 17th Miami NCCP Coach Level 2 Clinic November 3rd Miami NCCP Coach Level 2 Clinic November 10th Miami NCCP Checking Clinic November 16th Miami

Respectfully submitted, Shawn Dias, Ryan Hutton, Chris Laing

Development Council Report – Westman South

Westman South held their regional meeting on Monday, Sept. 16.

The IP Festival for Westman South will be held in Hartney on Saturday, Nov. 2. Hartney minor sports will be the host association.

Important Coaching and Specialty clinics are set for the region. A big thank you goes to Erikson Solnes for all his time and effort organizing these clinics.

 Oct. 12 – Small Area Games - Hartney  Oct. 26 – Coaching Level 2 – Shilo  Oct. 27 – Coaching Level 1 – Shilo  Nov. 3 – Puck Control – Virden  Nov. 16 – Checking – Hartney  Nov. 23 – Goaltending 2 – Oak Lake

Hartney is hosting a Goaltending Clinic for Novice to Pee Wee players on Oct. 5 – 6. Instructors will be from GDI in Winnipeg. Killarney Minor Hockey hosted a skills and agility camp for players Sept. 20 – 22.

All AAA programs are up and running. As of this report the AAA U17 Wildcats have attended a tournament in Calgary. The U17 Cougars hosted their annual tournament in Souris the weekend of Sept. 13. The AAA Bantam Cougars hosted their 3 on 3 tournament followed by tryouts. They attended a tournament hosted by Central Plains in Portage Sept. 13 to 15 and will host their own tournament in Souris, Sept. 20 – 22. The AAA Bantam Wildcats are through the tryout selection and are preparing for the season.

Westman South has 3 parent/coach volunteers who are providing a Pre Season program for Bantam AA aged players following the guidelines set in the Hockey MB Handbook. Killarney is the host site and this program is something new for our region.

Planning is in progress to provide the following programs. Pee Wee Rising Stars, Pee Wee Female Prospects and Bantam Director’s Cup

Regional Official’s Coordinator, Landon White, led a Referee In Chief (RIC) meeting on Sept. 16. Strong support continues to grow with the Atom Mentorship program. The 3rd annual Ref Camp will be held in Souris on Dec. 21for young officials looking to improve, build confidence and/or advance.

Respectfully submitted, Brad White

Development Council Report – Winnipeg

Winnipeg Jets First Shift Programs: There will be 3 Winnipeg Jets First Shift (formerly known as Canadian Tire First Shift) Programs in Winnipeg this year. Registrations for all three are already full, showing the continued success of these well- established programs. Hockey Winnipeg will continue to support our Area Associations who host these programs for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 10.

Female Novice Jamboree: Hockey Winnipeg’s Female Council will once again be hosting a “Female Novice Jamboree” at the MTS Iceplex this year. The event will introduce female Novice players and their parents to the structure of Novice hockey in a fun manner.

Novice Half-Ice Program: This program has become well established with all of our Area Associations adopting the Half Ice/Development Zone model. While resistance was initially encountered (mostly at the Novice A level) last season, greater acceptance gradually took place throughout the year.

Development Zone Coordinator Program: Hockey Winnipeg created a “Development Zone Coordinator Program” for Novice A hockey last season. AA and AAA female and male hockey players from the ages of 14-17 were recruited and hired to coordinate on-ice activities in the Development Zone during Novice A and Female Novice A1, A2, and A3 hockey games. The program allowed Novice coaches to predominately focus on the Game Zone during Novice games and provided an opportunity for our Coordinators to gain experience that we hope will lead to an interest in coaching in the future. The program was a success and we look forward to continuing the Development Zone Coordinator Program in the 2019/20 season.

Novice Transition Season: As nine (9) Area Associations indicated that they were unable or uninterested in this program, only one Association hosted Novice Transition Season games last season. The program occurred from April 13-April 30 and included 12 Transition Season teams with each team playing six (6) full-ice games.

Goaltender Development Program: Hockey Winnipeg will once again be partnering with the Ice Lab at the Bell MTS Iceplex to offer our Goaltender Development Program for male and female A1, A2, and A3 Atom, Peewee and Bantam aged goaltenders. Due to the noticeable demand for this program last season, we plan to expand the program to allow 100 goalies to register instead of our previous limit of 75.

Referee Development Courses: Hockey Winnipeg will be offering 4 free referee development courses this season. These courses are not certification clinics, but are meant to provide additional education and support to Winnipeg’s officials. Winnipeg Jets Learn To Play Program: Hockey Winnipeg once again worked with the Winnipeg Jets Learn to Play Program last season. Hockey Winnipeg will continue to support our Area Associations who are involved in these programs and assist in encouraging these participants to register for minor hockey the following season.

Hockey Winnipeg Area Association Developing Funding: Hockey Winnipeg once again offered development funding that was made available to all of our Area Associations. Associations use this funding to create and provide development programs as they see a need for their Area.

Hockey Manitoba Instructional Stream/Specialty Clinics: Winnipeg has already confirmed 12 of these clinics to occur this upcoming season, surpassing our initial goal of having 10. We will continue to promote and coordinate these clinics with Hockey Manitoba and our Area Associations.

Hockey Manitoba IP Faceoff Festivals: Winnipeg has begun coordinating Hockey Manitoba IP Faceoff Festivals for the upcoming season. Although certain Associations could not participate in these Festivals due to timing issues last year, those who did were very appreciative of Hockey Manitoba’s continued support for grassroots programs.

Hockey Winnipeg Vice-President’s Cup/ Director’s Cup: Hockey Winnipeg once again hosted our “Vice President’s Cup” program last April. This development program was for male Bantam 2 AAA players and Minor Bantam AA all-star players and served as a precursor to the Hockey Manitoba Director’s Cup program – the top players from the Vice President’s Cup were invited to Hockey Manitoba’s Director’s Cup program. Players in the Director’s Cup program were granted eight (8) on-ice development sessions as well as an opportunity to participate in the Director’s Cup tournament.

Hockey Winnipeg Peewee Cup/ Rising Stars Plus+: Hockey Winnipeg introduced our brand new “Peewee Cup” program last April. Similar to the Vice President’s Cup, this development program was for male Peewee AA players and A1 all-star players and served as a precursor to the Hockey Manitoba Rising Stars Plus+ program – the top players from the Peewee Cup were invited to Hockey Manitoba’s Rising Stars Plus+ program. Players in the Rising Stars Plus+ program were granted eight (8) on-ice development sessions as well as an opportunity to participate in the Rising Stars Plus+ tournament.

Hockey Manitoba Female Peewee Prospects: Last year, registration for the Female Peewee Prospects program was based on category (female Peewee AA players had first opportunity to register, followed by A1 players) in Winnipeg.

Players were granted eight (8) on-ice development sessions as well as an opportunity to participate in the Female Peewee Prospects tournament.

AAA Development Programs: The AAA program continued their Monday Night Skills program for the AAA Bantam II, Bantam I and U17 Prep teams this past season. Each team was granted eight (8) forty-five (45) minute on ice sessions (every second Monday) throughout the season. Each session divided the team by position, defense, forward and goaltender, with each group working on position specific skills. As a result of the overall success of the program this season it is being expanded to sixteen (16) on ice sessions on every Monday night from Oct 21/19 to Feb 10/20. Along with the on ice team sessions each team is granted ten (10) one to one goaltender sessions with the MTS Ice Lab.

The AAA program began its season with a Pre-Season Goaltenders Clinic held at the Keith Bodley Arena. This one day Clinic is offered to all Goaltenders in the AAA program. The Clinic is run by Gord Woodhall and offers an opportunity for all AAA goaltenders to receive professional training under a Hockey Canada prescribed program before their season begins. This Clinic also involves team skaters as shooters for the goaltenders. This gives these individuals insight as to what teams are looking for when it comes to warming up their goaltenders for games and practices and what goaltenders are looking for in support. The University of Manitoba provides support to the AAA program by conducting an annual Coach’s clinic. The clinic consists of an on ice session by the University of Manitoba players and a white board session to discuss strategy and systems presented by the University of Manitoba coaching staff.

Respectfully submitted, Russ Cassidy, Brent Poplawski

Female Council Report – Brandon

Hockey Brandon has had a good start to the female program. Numbers remain strong in the younger age groups. We are pleased to have 25 Female Novice players, 3 Atom teams, 3 Peewee teams, and 1 Bantam team while our Midget group has only a few players.

At present we have enough goalies to support all teams in Brandon.

There is 1 double roster team in Atom and 2 double roster teams in Peewee.

The Behlen Female Challenge will be held once again in Brandon in November. This tournament will host teams from all over Manitoba and Saskatchewan in all age groups.

We are currently still an open region for Bantam AAA. We do not have enough interest from our players to form a team this year. The numbers are getting close and plans are to have a team next year.

A thank you goes out to the Hockey Brandon board and Female Vice President Jarrod Franklin for all their work towards Female Hockey.

Respectfully submitted, Myles Hubbard

Female Council Report – Eastman

EMHA is proud to announce that we have started a female division within our region. We have been working to put together female teams, both single and dual rostered, to provide an interlocking division. Our first year should prove to be a huge success with 13 teams for the upcoming season.

We will have 5 novice teams, 8 atom teams and 6 peewee teams (two of which will play out of Hockey Winnipeg). Our Bantam AAA team has just been formed and will be lead by head coach Trevor Hildbrandt. We've successfully managed to have both our female regional programs run out of Ste Anne, Manitoba. This is a huge accomplishment! We will also have 3 Bantam A1 teams playing out of Hockey Winnipeg.

Our U18 Midget program is well underway and lead by head coach Bill Bram. They have had much success in the last two years with nearly all of the graduating players committing to different universities throughout Canada and the United States. We will also be hosting a U18 AA program and a U18 A1 team, both of these teams will play out of Hockey Winnipeg.

We will be hosting 3 separate female hockey days in our region this fall, in Beausejour, Ste. Anne and Ile Des Chenes. These events will be open to all of the female players in Eastman and we anticipate a great turnout.

Respectfully submitted, Kristin Fonatine

Female Council Report – Norman

Welcome everyone, my name is Darin Mansell and I am the new Female Regional Director for Norman. Our goal is to promote and build our program to the point that we may once again have a Midget Female program.

We hope to achieve this by using existing programs such as female prospects and our bantam AAA group. We would like to start the prospects program in October or early November and have it run right up into the actual showcase itself. We will also be offering these girls the opportunity to skate with the bantam girls when we are in their respective communities. There are also initial talks of putting a team together at the minor Peewee age to compete in provincials. We will keep you updated on this.

Unfortunately we will not be able to ice a Midget Girls team this winter. There was a lot of effort put into getting this off of the ground but unfortunately losing girls to school programs etc., it just didn’t work out. We will have a Bantam program this year, that will struggle to compete but I feel it is very important we keep this running. The future for this program does look a little better as there are a significant number of girls coming through the system.

We are still struggling to get increased numbers of girls to participate from some of our communities, but possibly we can work with hockey Manitoba and these communities to come up with some new ideas.

I look forward to meeting and working with all of you, in this new role and welcome any positive feedback you may have.

Respectively submitted, Darin Mansell

Female Council Report – Parkland

U18AAA Female - 14 (2002-2005) girls attended tryouts in Yellowhead as mandated by our Hockey MB endorsed MOU. PMHA is currently compiling feedback on the first year of this MOU with Yellowhead and should have results collected in time for the next report.

Female Bantam AAA - We had 22 girls tryout this year which was our largest number in a few years. The region has once again opted for the dual rostered system. Our team will practice once a week in Grandview (Wednesday) and participate in showcase events, tournaments and a number of exhibition games. The team will be targeting approximately 25 games this year.

Female Peewee Prospects - We will conduct tryouts as part of this program during our Development weekend in January. This will be held at the CUP in Dauphin Jan 25/26, 2020.

World Girls Hockey Weekend - PMHA will once again be hosting promotional and development activities on this date (Oct 5) in celebration of IIHF World Girls Hockey Weekend.

Skating Skills Camps - PMHA has placed an emphasis on continued development of skating skills. We are currently setting up female novice-midget aged skating camps throughout the region. We have our first one day camp (2 sessions) slated for late October, provided confirmation of ice. We have enlisted the services of a Hockey Canada HP1 certified instructor who will be focusing on stride, transition and edge work.

Local Female Programs/Teams

Atom - Grand Plains MHA will be hosting the Atom Ice Dogs who will compete in the RMFHL and provincials- current numbers sit at 13 Peewee - Grand Plains MHA will be hosting the Peewee Ice Dogs who will compete in the RMFHL and provincials- current numbers sit at 12. Bantam -Grand Plains MHA will be hosting the Bantam Ice Dogs who will compete in the RMFHL and provincials- current numbers sit at 13 Midget - Grand Plains MHA will be hosting the Midget Ice Dogs who will compete in the RMFHL and provincials- current numbers sit at 10.

Respectfully submitted, Brian Haliuk

Female Council Report – Pembina Valley

PVMHA is excited for the growth of female hockey within our region! For the 2019/2020 hockey season we have 33 female teams playing within our region!!

Our grassroots program has exploded with 13 teams for the upcoming season. Red River Mutual Insurance will continue their sponsorship of our female grassroots program, PVMHA will host two female jamborees along with a year end celebration tournament.

Future Hawks program is back again this year. We had a lot of positive feedback from parents, AAA players and the younger girls who were able to attend a game. This was a great program bringing awareness to our AAA female teams within the region!

As a region we decided to host one large female hockey day in Morden for all the girls to attend on Oct 5, 2019. We have 164 girls registered ready to play 3on3, skills sessions, dryland activities and ending the day with a pizza party and watching the U18AAA season opener! This was a joint effort between all the associations female reps celebrating of the growth of female hockey in Pembina Valley!

Our atom league has 9 teams and Peewee has 7 teams for the upcoming hockey season. We will continue to interlock both single and double rostered teams and follow tournament format for play offs due to scheduling issues with double rostered players.

Our pilot project name has been rebranded and restructured to a “U16 league”. We have 4 teams and everyone is excited to get the season going! Our 1 U18 regional team playing out of the RMFHL.

We are very proud to announce our first ever all female coaching staff for our Bantam AAA team. Our team will be led by head coach Christine Bumstead, assistant coach Cass Carols and goalie coach Taylor Reimer. Looking forward to an exciting year and it’s our inaugural year as a single rostered team for this age group!

U18AAA returning coaches Shanley Peters and Dana Bell as co head coaches and Al Couling assisting. Ryan Hutton will also be working with the U18’s weekly throughout the season on individual player/team development and coaching strategies.

Respectfully submitted, Kim Paull Female Council Report – Westman South

AAA bantam tryouts saw 39 girls from Westman South and Brandon attend. Tryout includes a pre-season hosted by the Wildcats on September 21/22. They will be down to their final roster which will include practice AP’s on September 22.

AAA midget tryouts saw 31 midget and major bantam players as well as minor bantams filling out the tryouts. Tryouts included to exhibition game against Yellowhead and Interlake. The midget team is finalized and includes 17 skaters and 2 goalies. Westman South female teams for 2019/20 Atom: 5 Pee Wee: 3 Bantam: 2 Midget: 1

Respectfully submitted, Derrick Shearer

Female Council Report – Yellowhead

With another female hockey season starting, Yellowhead is excited to see all the female teams (approx 10) forming throughout the region from atom to midget.

Congratulations to Jena Barcello and McKyia Mazur in making the U18 Team Manitoba team that will be participating in the U18 Nationals tournament in Morden in November. Also to the U16 players Kasey Fouillard, Sadie Quane, Levi Derkatch, who participated in the Swift Current tournament earlier in September with the U16 Team Manitoba.

Yellowhead Hockey would also like to congratulate Jena Barcello to committing to University of Manitoba for the 2020/21 season.

The female Bantam AAA team has been again granted access into the Winnipeg AA Bantam league. Our region and the team is very excited about this. Dave Reagh has been appointed as the head coach for the Bantam AAA team for the 2019/20 season.

The midget team has also completed tryouts and selected their team. Derek Tibbatts will be returning as head coach for his 10th season.

We are currently making plans to offer the peewee prospects program again starting in late November.

Respectfully submitted, Shelly Nichols

Female Council Report – MWJHL

We have had a very busy start to our MWJHL 2019-2020 Hockey Season. There were a record number of players registering to play in our league this year, over 160. Of that number, over 150 participated in the Tryouts, and 10 of them were rookie goalies. The competition was fierce and the quality of hockey was very impressive. We will have players this year, coming from all parts of Manitoba, and some from Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northern Ontario and Minnesota.

We will continue to play most of our games in the Iceplex, and started our season off on September 21st and 22nd. Most coaching staffs have remained the same with the exception of the Silvertips which has an entirely new group. We welcome the new coaches to our league.

Unfortunately, our President, Kirk Kuppers, has decided to resign his position. Kirk has dedicated over fifteen years to his beloved MWJHL. He was one of the founding organizers of our league. His unending dedication to the promotion of Female Hockey for young women between the ages of 18 and 21 has resulted in hundreds of young women being able to continue to play hockey at a competitive level in Manitoba after the age of eighteen. He has also established strong links with other female hockey communities in Canada, and has shared his expertise in helping the Alberta Junior Female League get off the ground. He will be missed by our entire hockey community in Manitoba, and particularly the players. He knew them all personally, and always had a positive thing to say about each one of them.

Respectfully submitted, Linda Benson