Board Meeting - MINUTES October 27th – HNB Office , NB

Present – Jacques Poitras, Dawn Shaw, Neil Jacobson, Moe Theriault, Mike Rutter, Daniel Roussel, Todd Williams, Scott MacKenzie, Phil Huckins, Todd Pye, Andy Williams, Anita Scott, Mike MacMullin, Luc Martin, Louis Gaudet, Nic Jansen (staff resource)

Absent – Chris Green

I. WELCOME

Todd Pye welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 9:00 am.

Todd asked for any additional agenda items. The following items were added to the agenda:

- Senior Council election – Maurice Theriault - Female Provincial League – updates – Anita Scott

Gaudet / MacKenzie Motion to approve agenda. Carried.

II. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES

Poitras / Martin Motion to approve August 11, 2019 meeting minutes. Carried.

III. PRESIDENT REPORT

Report submitted and included in e-binder

IV. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT

Report submitted and included in e-binder

V. COUNCIL / COMMISSION REPORTS

Reports submitted and included in in e-binder

VI. ROC REPORTS

Reports submitted and included in e-binder.

VII. FINANCE COMMITTEE

Andy Williams provided the following updates. Committee held first conference call of the year mid-October. Continuing to look at the HNB building, and whether we should be looking at other options. With funding cuts from Hockey , will need to take a close look at expenses.

VIII. NEW BUSINESS

A. Commission Annual Plans (Female, Elite Hockey, Junior, Development)

Female Commission Annual Plan:

MacMullin / Shaw Motion to approve Female Commission Annual Plan. Carried.

Elite Hockey Annual Plan:

Theriault / Martin Motion to approve Elite Hockey Commission Annual Plan. Carried.

Task – Louis Gaudet to provide update at semi-annual meeting, regarding the HNB Major Midget franchise model.

Junior Commission Annual Plan:

Gaudet / Jacobson Motion to approve Junior Commission Annual Plan. Carried.

Development Commission Annual Plan:

MacMullin / A. Williams Motion to approve Development Commission Annual Plan. Carried.

B. National Women’s team game in – Nic Jansen

The National Women’s team will be playing Team USA at the Avenir Centre in Moncton on Tuesday December 17th. HNB staff are working with on development initiatives that can be held in conjunction with the game.

Theriault / Rutter Motion that all expenses and two tickets are paid for board members and female commission members to attend the game. Board members and female commission members not attending cannot transfer tickets or expenses. Carried.

C. ROC Manual – Nic Jansen

The ROC Manual has been edited and sent out to all board members. The Constitution Committee is currently reviewing the document, and plan to have a revamped document ready for the 2020-2021 season.

Rutter / Scott Motion to approve ROC Manual. Carried.

D. Hockey Canada Summer Congress & Winter Congress -updates – Todd Pye

Todd provided updates in his report.

E. Hockey Canada Operations Meeting – updates – Nic Jansen

Nic provided the following updates related to the Hockey Canada Operations meetings that were held Oct 21-23 in Calgary:

- QMJHL Gatorade Excellence Challenge – looking to adjust the number of teams that attend from . - Hockey Canada is creating a U16 Gold Medal Pathway work group, that will have representation from all branches. - Workshops on Hockey Canada proposed rule changes - Review IP, Novice, Atom and Peewee Player Pathways - Review Hockey Canada Accredited Schools Policy - Discussion on Hockey Canada Inclusion Policy - HCR 3.0 – will be piloted during 2020-2021 season and fully implemented during 2021- 2022 season.

F. Committee appointments update – Todd Pye

After Committee appointments were done in August, Bryan Cornish resigned from the Finance Committee.

MacMullin / Theriault Motion to approve Louis Gaudet to Finance Committee. Carried.

G. Media Requests – Todd Pye

In order to have a consistent approach, discussion on whether all media inquiries go through the HNB Office / President.

Task – Nic Jansen & Todd Pye to create a ‘draft’ Media Policy, prior to Semi-Annual meeting.

H. Senior Council elections – Maurice Theriault

Theriault / Gaudet Motion that ROC Chairs and members of ROC’s can approve Senior Council members within Region for the 2019-2020 season. Carried.

Task – Constitution committee to work with Senior Council and provide wording for Notice of Motion related to the election of Senior Council members. Carried.

I. Female League updates – Anita Scott

Request to receive extension until November 15th to submit Female Provincial League constitution.

J. Strategic Planning workshop – Todd Pye

Task – By December 1st, Nic will send out workshop notes and a survey which all board members need to compete.

Gaudet Motion to adjourn at 1:19 pm.

REPORTS

Written V. PRESIDENT’S REPORT Todd Pye

Welcome to this year’s Fall Forum. I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer.

Highlights (since June):

June: Atlantic Branch Meeting – Team Atlantic July: HNB Strategic Plan – Planning Session HNB Fundraiser – Car sponsorship HNB Committee Review and Potential Nominations HNB Appeals August: HNB Strategic Planning Session Jake Allen Program 34 HNB BOD’s Meeting HNB EHC Meeting HNB Appeals September: HC Summer Congress GNB Sport and Recreation HNB Minor Council Conference Call HNB Regional Meetings (4 of 6) HNB Appeals October: World Girl’s Hockey Weekend HNB Finance Committee Conference Call HNB ACC & Branch Presidents Meeting HC Appeal

Hockey Canada Summer Congress Summary:

• Discussed and provided comments on Hockey Canada’s (Transgender) Inclusion Policy • Reviewed and recommended acceptance of HC’s Non-sanctioned League Policy. • Reviewed the PeeWee player pathway with the intent of it being implemented in the 2021- 2022 season. • Reviewed and Recommended that the age divisions be renamed. HC to develop a communication plan for the membership. • CJHL Agreement Update – Scott Smith • Update – Tom Renney • CRA/HST Update – Brian Cairo • HC Insurance Update – Todd Jackson • Workshop on the proposed Rule and Regulation Changes – Supported/Not Supported/Further Discussion. • Presentation on Governance and Risk Management – Victor Henriquel • Presentation/Update on Hockey Canada Nominating Committee – Mike Bruni

In closing, I would like to thank the HNB BOD’s, the Councils and Commissions, the many volunteers and the HNB staff for their commitment to HNB. Thank you.

Yours in hockey, Todd Pye

Written VI. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Nic Jansen As the 2019-2020 is now underway, I’d like to take the opportunity provide some updates on HNB and Hockey Canada programming:

HNB Regional Meetings – Between September 9-17 HNB staff attended Regional Meetings with Minor Hockey Associations and leagues in Bathurst, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Florenceville and Edmundston. Updates were provided on development and administrative matters, and workshops held specific to Strategic Planning, an Atom AA proposal and Novice full-ice playing rules.

Administrative Resources – We have created a Constitution Template as well as a Communication Guide. Both resources are available on our website. The Constitution Template can be used by Minor Hockey Associations and Leagues to ensure their policies are up to date, also to get examples of best practices when creating new by-laws, regulations, etc. The Communication Guide offers to use tools to guide members in writing press releases, using social media and dealing with crisis management.

Strategic Planning – On August 10th-11th a Strategic Planning session was held with the HNB Board. We’re in the process of collecting feedback from all key stakeholders with HNB (Board, Council / Commission members and Minor Hockey Associations). The feedback collected will assist us with the creation of a new Strategic Plan, that’ll be presented at the 2020 Annual General Meeting.

Peewee AAA – Technical Director’s – A new initiative this season is Technical Director’s in each of the EDZA’s to work with the Peewee AAA coaches on their seasonal plan, skills checklist, practice plans. The goal is to provide elite level programming using the Hockey Canada LTPD – Learn to Train Peewee Pathway at the Peewee AAA level. This will ensure that players are working on the proper skills and tactics consistently across the province.

Partnership with Summit Dodge / Fredericton Nissan - The partnership includes a 2019 Nissan Sentra being the grand prize for the Hockey Annual Fundraiser, as well as Summit Dodge providing with their company vehicle, a 2019 Dodge Caravan. Community Hockey Programs – We continue to work with Minor Hockey Associations & local municipalities to run Community Hockey programs. Community Hockey is unstructured in the sense that programs are not arranged based on age, or skill. Players are not rostered on one team; as the teams can change from week to week. Confirmed community hockey programs this season are in Miramichi, Acadian Peninsula, West Kent Female as well as a new program in Saint John which will have approximately 400 members.

Rivalry Series Game – The National Women’s Team will be playing an exhibition game against USA on Tuesday December 17th at the Avenir Centre in Moncton. We are working with Hockey Canada on development initiatives that can be held in conjunction with the game.

Saint John District Youth Hockey Association to become members of Hockey New Brunswick and Hockey Canada - The Saint John District Youth Hockey Association accommodates male and female players, and divisions are based on the players school grade (K-2, Elementary School, Middle School and High School). The program will maintain their autonomy throughout the transition and continue to operate their programs as usual. Hockey New Brunswick will provide full support and program enhancements to ensure the experience for all participants is still one of FUN and excitement.

HCR – 3.0 – Hockey Canada is working with the members to create a new Registry system, with the hopes of having it completed by 2021. The new system will be more mobile friendly, have an improved registration process, be streamlined and will have simplified reporting options.

Telus THE CODE – Hockey Canada and TELUS are committed to #EndBullying, and teamed up to create THE CODE. An extension of the TELUS Wise program, THE CODE is designed specifically for the hockey community. It offers customized, free educational tools, resources and workshops to help hockey fans, players and families safely and respectfully navigate digital spaces.

Regional Championships – This season the following Regional Championships will be hosted in New Brunswick – Major Bantam – April 2nd-5th in Quispamsis & the Don Johnson Memorial Cup – April 28th- May 3rd in Cocagne.

Atlantic Challenge Cup – Our Provincial teams participated in the Atlantic Challenge Cup from Oct 11- 14. Our Male U14, Male U15 and Female U18 teams won Gold, and our Female U16 team won Bronze. This is the first time in the 24-year history of the event that we’ve won three Gold Medals.

National U18 Championships / World U17 Challenge – Congrats to all the HNB Alumni who were selected to attend these prestigious events – National U18 Female Championship – Cassie McCallum (Quispamsis), Arianne Roy (Petit Rocher), Dominque Cormier (Saint-Marie-de-Kent), Catherine Foulem (Dieppe), Valerie Hache (Shippagan), Shani Rossignol (Drummond), Abby Hustler (Hardwiche). World U17 Challenge – Peter Reynolds (Fredericton), Evan Nause (Riverview).

X. COUNCIL REPORTS All i. Officials Mike MacMullin

No report submitted.

ii. Senior Phil Huckins

The 2019-2020 hockey season in New Brunswick will see 3 senior hockey leagues operating, The Regional League, 6 teams (Roger Lizotte League) (senior “a” one team registered “aaa” allowing them to compete for the Allan Cup, Acadian Senior Hockey League, 6 teams and the (former) North East Senior Hockey League, 3 teams under Roger Brun.

Last year all leagues were well attended with the level of play was very competitive. Haut Madawaska completed well in the Allan Cup and has registered “aaa” for 2020.

Recreational Hockey is still a priority to ensure that all leagues have proper insurance under HNB/HC. In order to meet the 2020 target many recreational leagues in the province should be approached for listing under HNB. (Follow-up).

One thing we must look at is offering the league presidents a vote in all matters that effect registered senior hockey leagues. (Follow-up).

I would like to thank everyone for attending and all the best for 2019-2020,

Thank you,

Phil Huckins Senior chair

iii. Minor Luc Martin

Je suis à la 2ième année de mon mandat, nous commençons une autre saison de hockey sur le bon pied.

Lors de la fin de semaine du 10 et 11 août j’ai pris part à des réunions avec HNB et Hockey Canada à Fredericton. C’est réunion se sont très bien déroulé nous avons discuté de l’avenir du hockey.

J’ai pris part à 2 rencontre d’automne (Falls Meeting) soi dans le district # 1 et 2, le taux de participation était acceptable.

Nous avons eu une réunion téléphonique à la fin de septembre, la participation des membres de conseil mineur fut très bonne. Lors de cette réunion j’ai mentionné que j’aimerais et je ferais mon grand possible pour assister à une réunion de chacun des districts cette saison.

En début d’octobre j’ai pris part à une réunion du district # 1 et du district # 2. Le district # 1 et 2 se ressemble, ils ont chacun 2 associations avec près ou au-delà de 200 membres et ensuite quelque petite association. Leurs problème se ressemble beaucoup et ils ont une très bonne communication ensemble.

Je planifier au courant de l’hiver d’allé regarder le plus de parti au hockey mineur dans différente région et mon but est d’assister a au moins une réunion par district au courant de la saison.

I am in the second year of my term, we are starting another hockey season on the right foot.

On the weekend of August 10 and 11 I attended meetings with HNB and Hockey Canada in Fredericton. This meeting went very well we discussed the future of hockey.

I took part in 2 Fall Meetings in District # 1 and # 2, the turnout was acceptable.

We had a telephone meeting at the end of September, the participation of the minor council members was very good. At this meeting I mentioned that I would like and would do my best to attend a meeting of each of the districts this season.

In early October I attended a meeting of district # 1 and district # 2. District # 1 and # 2 look alike, they each have 2 associations with near or over 200 members and then some small association. Their problem is very similar and they have very good communication together.

I plan during the winter to go watch more minor hockey in different areas and my goal is to attend at least one meeting per district during the season. At this meeting I mentioned that I would like and would do my best to attend a meeting of each of the districts this season.

iv. Elite Hockey Louis Gaudet

(see attached annual plan)

iv. Female Commission Anita Scott

(see attached annual plan)

v. Development Commission Chris Green

(see attached annual plan)

vii. Junior Commission Scott McKenzie

(see attached annual plan)

XI. REGIONAL OPERATIONS COUNCIL All REPORTS Jacques Poitras i. ROC 1

ROC 1

Minor: District 1 already had 2 meetings this season. Registrations appear to be slightly up from last year with a few more days for registrations (try-outs starting this week-end). Rural communities represent a challenge again this year, with not enough registration to have teams in some level, parents will travel to neighboring community. Long term commitment between associations is vital for the kids, but does not seem to be understood by some community leaders. League with district 2 will offer right competitive level for pee-wee, bantam and midget teams. Vulnerable background check and coach certification will be the focus in the next month to make sure teams have the minimum requirement from volunteers.

Female: A summer camp was hosted at the Centre Jean-Daigle on August 30th- Sept 1st . Close to 30 girls, age 6- 16 attended the 3 day camp with 6 ice session, and many off-ice clinics ranging yoga, zumba, cross-fit and also a session on nutrition. Camp was under the supervision of 3 former Universite de Moncton female hockey players and a few local volunteer.

Res-Ma-Vic will offer a few skills clinics activities, dates to be determined and will depend on demand. Last year, sessions were offered every two weeks and attendance was an issue (mostly due to schedules of minor hockey games).

Senior: Season will be played with 6 teams (Panthères Haut Madawaska, Prédateurs Témis, As St-Basile, Draveurs Bas-Madawaska, Dynamo Kedgwick and Thunder Perth-Andover). Ambassadeur de St-Jacques and Castor de St-Quentin are both taking a one year leave of absence due to lack of volunteers to run the operation of the team (SJ) or not enough players (SQ). Season will be 20 games and every team will make the playoff.

Officials: Jack Lebel was elected chair for officials in ROC1. Refresher clinics and clinics for new officials took place and one more clinic will be offered. 22 new referees have been recruited so far, a great news. Currently has 84 referees for the season and hopes to add a few more before the start of the season.

EDZA: Training camps have started in early September. Coaching positions are all filled for this season. Looking for great season once again. Midget AAA – Fredericton caps will play a game in Edmundston November 10th. Looking forward to see them and hope this becomes an annual event (if not more often). This year’s roster includes 7 players are from our region.

Junior: Both teams in the region have had busy summer with the draft session held in Edmundston last June, and new coaching staff for both teams. Season has started and attendance is still very good. Whishing both teams a successful season.

Initiative Short -Term Standardize playing surface dimensions – Maintain Shared ice for IP level Standardize practice to game ratio – comply with modified games at IP and minimum number of games at novice. Will rely on community club to ensure quality practices are being delivered and meet the required ratio for each age group. Two meetings (IP and novice in separate groups) being held with all coaches at those levels (Oct 21 or 22). Intent is to review the IP and novice program with guidelines, how jamborees are structured and the expectation from volunteers to adhere to the guidelines. Attendance is mandatory for every association. Encourage coaching certification and player development standards are being met – Compliance with Coaching certification and vulnerable background check.

Initiative Medium -Term Promote the use of Hockey New Brunswick Skills Camps, not only for development week-end but also during the season. All IP Jamboree played on shared ice

Initiative Long -Term Development coach session was offered recently in Restigouche-Ouest with a dozen participants. This past year has been productive in our region where 5 individual took the High Performance coaching clinic in Ottawa this summer. Jeff Plourde (Pee-Wee AAA), Brian Dube (Bantam minor AAA), Martin Perron (High School), André Mercure (Edmundston minor hockey & Blizzard) and Paul Leclerc (high school) from Grand-Falls.

ii. ROC 2 Dawn Shaw

ROC 2 is looking forward to hockey competition, wishing all volunteers, and members a great season.

Minor: Registrations is complete in all district associations. A few issue again with the Atom level. Craig and a group interested parties have worked to have a Midget A team in the district for the Central Midget League. Planning is in process for Development Weekend with all coaching certification to be completed that weekend. Houlton and Presque Isle will once again participate in D2.

Female: Western Valley Female Hockey Association held a World Girls Hockey weekend on October 4 and an and Esso Fun Day on October 6. With decreasing numbers in the older age divisions due to high school hockey, WVFHA will host only one Pee Wee level team at this time

Officials: With 3 out of 4 clinics already completed, numbers are down slightly up to this point, losing a few senior officials due to relocation for work commitments. The number of new officials seems to be holding steady compared to other years with 12 so far. Our final clinic is being held October27. We seem to have a good core of younger officials who are making the future look very promising, with another season or 2 under their belts, along with some guidance, they should be ready to step up to the next level.

Nothing to report from our pre-season meeting from Junior or Senior.

Wishing everyone a safe and fun 2019/20 hockey season!

iii. ROC 3 Neil Jacobson

ROC 3 held its fall meeting on October 21, 2019.

With respect to Female Hockey, the ROC would like to congratulate Shellany Brewer on her recognition as Hockey Canada Female Ambassador. Hockey Canada will release a video with respect to her recognition in the upcoming weeks. Shellany has worked hard to build the Central Female Hockey Association (CFHA) and over the past year has helped CHFA grow from 2 board members to a full slate of board members; and from 1 team of mixed aged players to 4 teams age specific teams. CFHA has all secured times from three associations which has been a big help. CFHA is currently in the 5th week of the Esso Fun Days program, held World Girl Hockey Weekend at UNB with both UNB and STU Woman’s teams participating, and has sold out its upcoming female only NHL First Shift program. All these efforts are paying off with the help and support of many people in the District.

Kevin Pottle provided an update on checking clinics. He completed clinics for a few MHA’s however not all participated. There was a question as to the qualifications required to teach this important skill. Who is doing it? Are others following the Hockey Canada curriculum? This should be addressed at the Development Commission. Finally, Kevin has reached out to all MHA’s regarding assisting their development weekend plans however has not heard back from any at this time. Kevin will work with Hazel Wells, District Director to push this in the upcoming weeks.

The HNB Fall meetings were well attended by all MHAs. Hazel Wells has since met with all associations and working closely with all ROC members to ensure programming, leagues and clinics are well received. While registration numbers are not in yet, it is looking like a positive year.

The ROC is still working towards obtaining funding and the is hope to have a request finalized in the near future.

There is nothing to report from Senior Hockey, Officials or Junior Hockey.

Finally, I would like to thank HNB staff for their support, and ROC 3 committee members for their tireless efforts.

Neil Jacobson ROC 3 Chair

iii. ROC 4 Chris Green

Members: Jim Allaby, Jeff McLeod, Eleanor Marshall, Barry Farnsworth, Joe Nagle, Jill Purcell

Region 4 is facing severe challenges with the implementation of non resident user fees for City of Saint John arenas. Saint John Youth and Lancaster Minor have both seen a drastic drop in enrollment numbers, specifically at the IP and Novice levels. EDZA South was granted admission into a different category of ice rental (created for the ). They will pay an additional $60 per hour for ice rental in exchange for not participating in the non resident user fee program. Commercial hockey is also exempt from non resident requirements.

The ROC has been working hard to lobby and persuade elected officials to steer towards a regional cost sharing agreement rather than a user fee that is scheduled to exponentially increase yearly.

The drastic drop in enrollment at the grassroots level, in my mind, is an emergency to hockey as a whole. We (ROC/HNB) need to be more politically active going forward to prevent a similar crisis in another community. I fear that the damage caused in this region is nearing irreparable levels.

ROC4 has been in negotiations and will see the Saint John District Youth Community Hockey League join the ranks of HNB. This is truly a historic event. This will see an additional 350-400 youth receive HNB programming at the community level. The addition of these youth will bolster the future of hockey in this province.

ROC4 will be facilitating open community level jamborees this season to engage these new players and coaches.

Top Corner Hockey in Saint John is poised to enroll 50+ youth within it's ranks this season. Numerous players were introduced into the minor ranks over the past season and will continue to feed strong players who would not otherwise had the chance to play.

The Bantom "AAA" Atlantic Championships will be held in the Town of Quispamsis this coming year. This is great news and will bring economic spin-off benefits to the region.

ROC4 will be hosting numerous officiating clinics and recruitment drives throughout the region this fall. We will be specifically targeting the Charlotte county and St. Stephen area.

ROC4 has been working closely with SNDHL to tailor game schedules to accommodate non Saint John based teams. We have also been working together to mitigate scheduling difficulties surrounding female provincial and local games.

Chris Green

v. ROC 5 Maurice Thériault

ROC 5 Chairman

ROC 5 will hold its first meeting at the end of October. We have been in contact with the NB Sports and Culture and have received our funding for this coming season. We want to offer our condolences to family and friends of Mr. Ned Fowler, the first president of Hockey New Brunswick, who passed away just recently.

Minor Hockey

All the Community Clubs are set for the 2019-2020 hockey season. The directors have had meetings with their Community Clubs. Once again ice time is at a premium this season. The Community Clubs activities are underway.

EDZA

Both Rockets girls teams (Bantam AAA & Midget AAA) are operating his season. The girl’s AAA midget are back after a year of absence. All AAA bantam and pee wee boys’ teams are back. The AAA Flyers have started their season and are doing well. The midget AAA minor team is not operating this season.

Female

The annual DQ tournament will be the main event again this season. It will be played in January 2020.

Junior

We do not have any Junior A hockey in our area but the Junior B League is well and running again.

Senior hockey

Nothing to report at this time.

Referees

All recertification clinics have been completed. A busy time of the year for Tim and his crew.

vi. ROC 6 Mike Rutter

MINOR Miramichi Minor has once again split into 5 associations – Miramichi, Renous, Baie st. Anne, rogersvile and Sunny Corner. The district 8 league will oversee the recreational teams in the District. Try outs for competitive teams have started. All competitive teams will play in the North shore League except for Midget , who will play in the Central Midget League.

FEMALE Registration numbers for 2019-2020 have increased and the region will have 4 female teams. 1 Atom, 2 PeeWee and 1 Bantam. There was a 2 day all female skills development camp held this fall.

JUNIOR There are 2 Jr. teams in ROC 6 and Sunny Corner Thunder. Both teams have started the year and continue to depend on Community support as both teams continue to fund raise to stay in operation.

OFFICIALS Four NHL officials were in Renous this fall because of Kraft Hockeyville answering questions and provided great mentorship. Three minor and new officials clinics were held this fall. The focus this year is to reduce the negative behavior directed at officials and increase the evaluations of young officials.

SENIOR No Senior report.

vii. ROC 7 Daniel Roussel

Meeting: Roc did not officially meet since the AGM. We met at different hockey meeting and some discussions over emails. Meeting is plan for October 23. Volunteers are all busy with the start of minor hockey.

Regional Event Review: Elite hockey teams has started their seasons. Competitive teams and rec team’s start theirs schedule this weekend. We have some issues regarding number of teams at different levels in the regions.

Senior hockey: Acadie Chaleur hockey league would be on the run for another season with a 20 games schedule. 5 Teams from our ROC would be involve for the 2018-2019 season. The teams are Chaleur, Caraquet, Shippagan, Tracadie and Néguac. Dalhousie would be the other team in the league.

Officials: Official registration process is over in Acadian Peninsula and Chaleur regions. 5 clinics has been done to register the officials for ROC 7.

Clinics: Coaching clinics are in progress to be plan for minor hockey in Acadian Peninsula and Chaleur region. People are working to organize clinics in HNB development weekend in Chaleur and Acadian Peninsula. Goaltending clinics are schedule all over ROC 7 for the course of the winter with the lead of Mario Larouche and Charles Austin.

Objectives for the region: 1. Look at all levels of hockey for team composition and numbers of teams 2. Look at registration trends and find a way to stabilize them/Regional teams at all levels 3. Find a way to reduce hockey registrations 4. Maintain specialty clinics for the regions

Daniel Roussel ROC 7 chair

viii. ROC 8 Todd Williams

ROC#8 met last night at the arena in Dalhousie.

The new Senior Hockey team in Dalhousie (the Marauders) has generated a bit of excitement in town, and although there are only 14 games in the schedule, people in the community appear excited about having competitive hockey in their arena.

We also had discussion about Senior Council, and the concern that as it functions now, is it serving the purpose it is meant to, or should it have more responsibility. For our area, it definitely will serve a purpose as all of us at ROC #8 believe it is an important support mechanism for our new Senior Hockey team. We discussed that Senior Council role may have to change to adapt to the Senior hockey landscape of the province. Although there are only two leagues in the province, we believe it is important that a Senior Council exists, but we also discussed the possibility of Senior Council members get out to the rinks early in the year and talk to the guys that play “pickup” hockey. Inform them about what HNB can offer in terms of insurance, and listen to any questions they may have about what we offer. We talked about how that has been done before, but we also agreed that no matter the outcome of the previous contact, we should attempt to do it every year, just to remind the group getting on the ice that we have something to offer.

We then spoke about the Junior Commission, and the fact that there have been similar concerns with its function. Again, with the amount of Junior A, B, and C teams in the Province, we believe that there is definitely a need for the Junior Commission. We discussed the concern that with the Junior A teams being in a league governed by , and most of the issues for our Junior B,C teams are dealt with by the league ,there may not be any responsibility for the Junior Commission.

We believe that one way to have the Junior Commission more involved with its teams, is to have HNB encourage all teams to go to their Junior Reps for inquiries to HNB.In relation to meetings, Reps could contact the teams in their area ,and ask if there are any concerns they need addressed at the Junior Commission meeting. Continuing with Junior Hockey, the have had a good start in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. They have not only been winning on the ice, but attendance has been great as well. The members of ROC#8 are in agreement that as long as we have teams in the Province at these two levels, it is important that we have representation for them. There can be conversation about responsibilities for each of them, and what ways we can help them moving forward.

Brian Arsenault has reached out to HNB for assistance in offering skills sessions in both Campbellton and Dalhousie arenas. In keeping with the LTPD, we would like to focus on the younger players, but also offer sessions to the older players in the Association. The goal is to maintain the females we have, build in our numbers at the young age, and have a safe, fun, developmental hockey environment for the kids. The conversation of a female Provincial League is ongoing. There is a desire to create a league in which all areas in the province has an equal opportunity to participate. We are hoping this becomes a reality this year.

Brian also spoke about offering a 3 on 3 program for the female players that would be addition to there regular minor hockey ice time, and also continue with female only practices throughout the year. Brian also spoke to Restigouche North registering for World Hockey Day,and afternoon speaking to one of the executives, they will be applying for that as well as Esso Fun Days.

Eric PELLETIER said that hockey is basically just starting for the local Association. We did have the President of Restigouche North (Rene Hache), and an executive(Roger Hickey)meet with us last night with concerns about numbers of players, but also about the issue of player development. They are witnessing more players and parents at the young age only having a desire to play Rec Hockey. This desire appears to based on previous year hockey experiences in which players were in teams that lost most of the year. Because of this, both players and parents decide to play Rec where they believe they have a chance to win.

One of The concerns of Restigouche North is that because they only have one Atom AA team and three Rec teams, how can that one team develop enough players to support both PeeWeeAAA and PeeWee AA? They said they had made a request for the league to have an “A” division as well,but it was denied by the league. Their goal for the “A” division was to have another group of kids playing at a more competitive level than the rec division.

HNB has had conversation about having our AAA program, be more involved with the local Minor Hockey Associations, therefore, ROC #8 ,has been in conversation with the Northern Moose, to try and arrange for their team to play a home game in the Campbellton Dalhousie area. They suggested that on that particular day, they could also come up in the morning with players, and go through skill practices with the local Association, and encourage the kids who are playing the game.

On October 5,they had a nutritionist come to Bathurst ,and the AAA coaches were also involved in practices at the local Association.

All players were invited to participate in this information session. In closing, there are concerns about the Development of players in the North, but there is also a desire to work together to improve on programs to help serve all the kids. We will continue to communicate with all of those giving time to various levels of hockey, to improve development opportunities, and to help create a fun, safe ,hockey experience.

Yours in Hockey, Todd Williams ROC#8 Chair Senior Hockey

HOCKEY NEW BRUNSWICK COMMISSION – ANNUAL PLANS

FEMALE COMMISSION – submitted by Anita Scott

Introduction In keeping with Hockey New Brunswick’s mission, to be a “leader in developing positive lifestyles, inclusive communities and opportunities through hockey”, the All Female Action Plan has been developed to grow the female game across New Brunswick. With female players making up less than 20% of Hockey New Brunswick’s total registrations, variations from the Minor Operations manual are sometimes necessary to achieve this.

The All Female Action Plan features initiatives to recruit female players to the game and to retain those females as players as long as they are eligible, give those players an opportunity to move on to a higher level of hockey, and eventually return to HNB as volunteers. All the initiatives and programs are governed by the HNB Minor Operations Manual.

The Female Commission believes this is possible by creating Female Minor Hockey Associations, All Female Hockey Teams, Elite Female Hockey Teams, All Female Hockey Leagues and All Female Development opportunities.

Hockey New Brunswick Female Registration Data

Hig Sp h ec. Seas Ad Ato Bant Initiat Mid Sch Novi Pee Hou Ne Seni Ju N Sled Total/se on ult m am ion get ool ce wee se ed or v. A ge ason 13- 14 202 305 279 250 522 0 236 414 12 7 0 0 0 2227 14- 15 184 297 309 262 646 0 232 392 44 10 25 32 0 2433 15- 16 159 275 276 274 663 0 224 332 34 14 48 2 80 0 2322 16- 13 17 150 289 254 342 133 538 276 326 39 4 49 1 2 2 2535 17- 17 18 97 264 275 281 153 509 312 278 0 0 58 0 7 0 2404

Current Initiatives – Female Minor Hockey 1. New Brunswick Female Provincial Hockey League –This league will feature all female teams from around New Brunswick competing against one another one weekend per month throughout the regular season. Teams will play different teams each month. In an effort to reduce the travel commitment, teams alternate between travelling one month and then hosting the next month where possible. Final regular season standings will determine rankings for the HNB Provincial Female Championship in the Female Peewee A & AA, Female Bantam A & AA, and Female Midget A & AA divisions based on the number of teams in each level of the current year.

2. Dual Registration – Dual Registration allows female players to register with both an all- female minor hockey team as well as a male/mixed-gender minor hockey team for the same season. The player must declare upon registration which team will be her primary team in the event of a schedule conflict. This will potentially allow larger geographic areas/areas with minimal female registration numbers to host all-female teams without affecting registration numbers in local minor hockey associations/community clubs.

3. Creation of Female Hockey Associations – Female Hockey Associations allows volunteers to focus exclusively on the specific needs of the all-female game. The 2019-2020 season will see most areas of the province represented with Female Associations. They are as follows: Western Valley Female Hockey Association, Central Female Hockey Association, West Kent Female Hockey Association, South East/Sud Est Female Hockey Association including Zone A & B, and Greater Miramichi Female Hockey Association.

Future Initiatives – Female Minor Hockey 1. Create awareness of how All-Female Associations currently work within each District to allow for each zone to work collectively with their respective Minor Associations to allow for development and growth of female hockey players as well the number of children playing hockey under HNB.

2. Create all-female leagues within the EDC zoning by-laws to allow for all-female teams to play one another more often without extra travel cost. This will also allow parents and players to understand the demographics when it comes to playing AAA hockey in NB.

3. Create more female development camps throughout the province to ensure all girls have an opportunity to take part in these camps with the help of HNB staff and Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Coach Mentor.

Current Initiatives – Female Elite Hockey 1. Nova Scotia Female Midget Hockey League – Hockey New Brunswick Midget AAA teams joined with in the NSFMHL beginning in the 2017 - 2018 season to raise the level of competition for both provinces and to add variety for the teams. Last season’s play drew interest from a number of USport and NCAA recruiters and expansion of promotion methods and the addition of game video promise to expand interest even more this season.

2. NB/PEI Bantam AAA Female Interlocking Schedule - The HNB Bantam AAA Female teams also found an increase and variety in their competition by participating in a four-weekend interlocking series with the Hockey Bantam AAA Female teams last season. This series received positive feedback from both branches and will return for the current season.

3. U13 Development Days – We will be hosting two U13 Development days this allows female Peewee players to compete with and against their peers around the province as well as exposing them to Female Elite Hockey.

4. Under Age Player Rules – By relaxing the requirements to move a second-year female player up an age level, Elite Female teams now have more flexibility to fill out their rosters in years where player numbers are low.

Future Initiatives 1. Provincial Championship Date Change – By swapping the current weekends for the Provincial Championships in Bantam AAA Female and Midget AAA Female, Elite teams will have more flexibility in the use of Affiliated Players which will help them both in the short-term, to succeed on the ice and in the long-term, to retain those players in their respective programs.

2. NSFMHL – Continue and strengthen relationship with HNS at midget AAA level. Maintaining the current relationship between HNS and HNB continues to strengthen the HNB program allowing the girls to become more competitive to be seen by scouts/schools.

3. Midget AAA Female Franchise Model – By adopting the Team Franchise Model currently in use by Hockey Nova Scotia, teams will be able to devote more time and resources to player recruitment and retention, particularly during the off-season. The Moncton Rockets will be utilizing a pilot project this season in hopes that each area will have their own franchise in the future.

ELITE HOCKEY – submitted by Louis Gaudet

Introduction:

The Elite Hockey Development Model system operates within Hockey New Brunswick and provides for the development of the elite athlete reflecting a “New Brunswick Made Development Model”. Every player that enters this system is a ‘Project’. Our mission is to take that player to the highest level of personal development as possible in the game of hockey. The EHC Development model sets out a vision for hockey in New Brunswick that takes advantage of the history and culture of the game to increase participation and to lay the foundation for success. The EHC, operating with the approval and under the authority and jurisdiction of Hockey New Brunswick (HNB), Hockey Canada (HC) and the NB Minor Hockey Council (NBMHC) shall be responsible for the Administration of all Leagues that operate under the HNB Elite Hockey Development Model within the Province of N.B.

Elite Hockey Executive Committee:

Chair: Louis Gaudet EDZA North: Bobby Frees EDZA South: Cody Fullerton EDZA East: Denis Sheehan EDZA West: Ray Arsenault HNB Minor Rep: Luc Martin HNB Female Rep: Jason Lyons

• Reports to the HNB Board of Directors. • Reports administratively directly with the HNB Office. • Oversees the operations of Elite AAA Hockey in New Brunswick. • Establishes discipline and sanctions for any EDZA that is not following the guidelines set out by the Commission. • Ensure consistency throughout the province in the administration and presentation of the Hockey Development Model. • Ensures philosophy of Hockey Development Model is strictly adhered to.

Ongoing Initiatives:

• Reviewing/Evaluating each of the four EDZA structures to ensure continuity and success of the EHC programs at the Female and Male levels. • Review EHC Best Management Practices (changes made where required). • Updated Website linked to the HNB Website. • Working on standardized selection process for teams. • Promotion/evaluation of the Major Midget Franchise model. • Pilot project – Female Midget AAA franchise in EDZA East • Peewee AAA – Technical Directors for each zone to aid and assist in developing coaches for the Elite stream. • Code of Conduct developed for all Elite team personnel. • Hosting Provincial AAA Championships at the Male Peewee and Bantam levels in one location on the same date. • Created Task teams for both the Female and Male Elite programs to review, evaluate and suggest possible changes to both programs. Reports to be presented to the HNB Board of Directors in January 2020.

Boundaries:

The Commission shall administer the Elite Hockey Development Model through 4 distinct areas, known as Elite Draw Zone Areas (EDZAs).

EDZA West: The West Draw Zone Area for all Divisions of play with exception of Midget Major shall be comprised of the geographic area identified by Hockey New Brunswick as Regions 1, 2 and 3.

EDZA South: The South Draw Zone area for all Divisions of play shall be comprised of the geographic area identified by Hockey New Brunswick as Region 4.

EDZA East: The East Draw Zone Area for all Divisions of play, with exception of Midget Major shall be comprised of the geographic area identified by Hockey New Brunswick as Region 5

EDZA North: The North Draw Zone area for Divisions of play with exception of Midget Major shall be comprised of the geographic area identified by Hockey New Brunswick as regions 6, 7, and 8.

Please Note:

Male Midget Major has separately defined boundaries, to ensure the continued operation of a Midget Major program in each of the 4 Draw Zones. The Boundaries for this division of play shall be defined as follows:

The NB/PEI Male Midget Major League division, New Brunswick based team boundaries shall reflect the same boundaries as the Elite Draw Zone Areas with one exception. Players within the geographic boundaries of Kent Centre Minor Hockey and Restigouche-West Minor Hockey will be part of the Northern Draw Zone Area. The HNB Elite Hockey Commission may re-define the boundaries subject to the approval of the Commission Executive.

Subject to the approval of the Elite Hockey Chair and their respective EDZA Chairs, players in the following divisions (Bantam AAA, Bantam Major, Midget Major, Female Bantam AAA, Female Midget AAA,) can move outside of their zone.

For the 2019-2020 season there will be no Midget Minor teams in New Brunswick.

Divisions:

Divisions of play under the Elite Development Hockey Model include:

Pee Wee AAA Bantam AAA Bantam Major Midget Major *see below Female Bantam AAA Female Midget AAA

*Midget Major operates under a new HNB Major Midget Franchise model. See attached Midget Terms of Reference.

Each EDZA will determine where all teams in its jurisdiction will be based and will have the proper number of teams in each Division as prescribed by the Commission. EDZA’s not following this stipulation will be subject to sanctions by the Commission Executive. The sanctions decided by the Commission Executive are NOT appealable.

Elite Hockey Commission Male Team Structure:

Major Midget 1 Team/EDZA

Bantam Major Bantam Major Bantam Major Bantam Major EDZA East EDZA North EDZA South EDZA West 2 Teams 1 Team 2 Teams 2 Teams

Bantam AAA Bantam AAA Bantam AAA Bantam AAA EDZA East EDZA North EDZA South EDZA West 2 Teams 1 Team 2 Teams 2 Teams

Peewee AAA Peewee AAA Peewee AAA Peewee AAA EDZA East EDZA North EDZA South EDZA West 5 Teams 4 Teams 4 Teams 5 Teams

Elite Hockey Commission Female Team Structure:

Midget AAA Midget AAA Midget AAA Midget AAA EDZA East EDZA North EDZA South EDZA West 1 Team No Team 1 Team 1 Team

Bantam AAA Bantam AAA Bantam AAA Bantam AAA EDZA East EDZA North EDZA South EDZA West 1 Team 1 Team 1 Team 1 Team

Leagues:

Peewee League President – EDZA Chairs Bantam League President – Steven Jones Midget League President – Barry Thompson (HPEI) Female AAA Hockey League President – Mike Bonin

Peewee AAA teams play in their individual EDZA’s and attend tournaments throughout the year. EDZA, Provincial and Atlantic Championships are held.

Bantam AAA and Bantam Major play in a HNB Provincial League. These teams participate in tournaments as well. Provincial Championships are held for both levels of Play. Atlantic Championships are held at the Bantam Major level.

Midget Major Teams participate in the NB-PEI Midget Major League and operate exclusively under a new HNB Franchise Model. There are a variety of Tournaments that teams attend during the year as well as an interlocking schedule with HNS. Provincial Championships are held by teams home Associations with the winners participating in the Atlantics. The Atlantic Champion competes for the National Championship – .

References:

HNB Elite Hockey Commission By-laws, Constitution and Regulations as amended May, 2018

HNB Elite Hockey Commission Operations Manual as amended June, 2019 (Created May 11, 2014)

Exceptional Player Status - HNB Elite Hockey Commission Policies, Appendix A, Exceptional Player (12 year old) Policy - p. 2 – 10, Exceptional Player (14 year old) Policy – p. 11 – 20

2019-20 HNBMHC Sanctioned Tournaments Tournament Guide

HNB Website – www.hnb.ca

Hockey Canada LTPD Manual

JUNIOR COMMISSION – submitted by Scott MacKenzie

The 2019-20 commission consists of members from around the province: Sterling Loga - Vice Chair, Danny Brawn, Carl Watters, Mike Clark, Louis Gaudet and Sheldon Hay (President Jr B-C) . Rod Clark stepped down as Vice President of MJHL and thus has stepped away from the Junior Commission.

The MJHL is up and running with the St. Stephen Aces relocating to the Fredericton area, now known as the Fredericton Red Wings. NB representatives in the MJHL are the Edmundston Blizzards, Grand Fall Rapids, Miramichi Timberwolves, Campbellton Tigers and the Fredericton Red Wings. The various commissions have little involvement in their respective provinces with this league.

The NB Junior League consists of both “B” and “C” level teams. Moncton Jr. Vito’s and the Kent Koyotes compete in the Don Johnson League and the Southern Sting, Sunny Corner Thunder, Tri-County River Cats and the Western Valley Panthers compete in the Maritime north division. The Southern Sting relocated from Saint John to Blacks Harbour. We wish them the best of luck in the move.

This year the league lost a team from Cap-Pele due to owner/management issues. Hopefully this will correct itself in the future and they will rejoin the league.

The league will play and interlocking schedule with the “B” and “C” with the “B” also playing an interlocking schedule with the PEI teams.

The Kent Koyotes with be hosting this year’s Don Johnson’s Cup tournament in April of 2020. The Inter branch agreement was signed on September 6th, 2019. The Maritime North Championships with be held in Nova Scotia.

Scott MacKenzie NB Junior Commission Chair

DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION – submitted by Chris Green / Mike Gillingham

1. Novice playing rules – The commission presented the playing rules for Novice half-ice at the 2019 AGM and have since compiled information from the associations regarding playing rules for full-ice games. The commission will be putting together the rules in a document similar to the half-ice rules which will be distributed in December to the associations to prepare all Novice 2 teams for the full-ice games.

2. Atom Pathway – The Atom pathway was presented at the 2019 AGM and was placed in the Minor Operations manual as a recommendation for the 2019-2020 season. The pathway will fully be implemented for the 2020-2021 season. The plan is to have a workshop at the 2020 AGM so associations can share best practices to ensure a smooth adjustment to things such as the try-out process and any other changes that have to happen with the Pathway.

3. Atom AA Proposal – The Atom AA proposal was presented at the 2019 AGM and again at the September regional meetings. We will continue working with Minor Council and the Minor Hockey Associations to gather feedback, with the potential of implementing in the 2020-2021 season.

4. HC Network – The Hockey Canada Network App was introduced to coaches in the 2015 clinic season to replace the Hockey Canada skills manuals with a new more technologically advanced and user-friendly system. This is a tremendous resource for those that use the App and the feedback is outstanding, however much like the skills manuals only a small percentage of coaches are taking advantage of the App. We will be putting more of an emphasis on the tutorial portion of coach clinics to make our coaches more comfortable using the App for practice planning etc. We want to be a leader in this area and have all of our coaches using the app as it will in turn make our coaches and players better moving forward.

5. Coach Clinics – clinics are in full swing for the 2019 season with many associations already hosting clinics. Respect in Sport and the safety clinic are offered online along with the HU Coach 1/2 which is a pre-requisite for Coach 1 and Coach 2.

6. Specialty Clinics – We are offering specialty clinics once again for the 2019-2020 season in the areas of goaltending, checking, skills, skating, shooting and scoring and developing defensemen. Last year we hosted 22 specialty clinics and we would like to build on this number for this season.

7. Skills Camps – We once again will be offering skills camps which can be requested by associations. We currently have 2 booked on PD days and will be looking to book our female skills camps over March Break once again. We also hosted 2 pre-season skills camps as well in Miramichi and Moncton which were a success.

8. Female Coach Mentor – we are privileged to have 2 female coaches from our High- Performance Program (Genevieve David & Cassidy Hilworth) who were selected by Hockey Canada to attend training and who will in turn be delivering female coach clinics. This initiative with Hockey Canada is a great way to get more females involved in coaching.