2018 Annual General Meeting June 1-3, 2018 Moncton, NB

2018 Annual General Meeting

June 1-3, 2018 Moncton, NB

Schedule Hockey New Brunswick Annual General Meeting 2018

Start Finish Meeting Friday, June 1st, 2018 3:00 PM 5:00 PM Board of Directors 6:00 PM 9:00 PM Registration 7:00 PM 9:00 PM Female Annual 7:00 PM 9:00 PM Development Annual 9:00 PM 12:00 AM Social Saturday, June 2nd, 2018 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Registration 9:00 AM 4:00 PM Junior Annual 9:00 AM 4:00 PM Minor Annual 9:00 AM 12:00 PM Officials Council 1:30 PM 4:00 PM Officials Annual 9:00 AM 4:00 PM Senior Annual 6:00 PM 9:00 PM Annual Awards Banquet 9:00 PM Social Sunday, June 3rd, 2018 9:00 AM 12:00 PM HNB Plenary Following AGM Board of Directors

Hockey New Brunswick Annual Plenary Agenda Moncton, NB Sunday June 3rd, 2018 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

I. Welcome Ray Carmichael II. Credentials Committee Report Nic Jansen III. Minutes of 2017 AGM (Tracadie-Sheila) Ray Carmichael IV. Business Arising from the Minutes Ray Carmichael V. President’s Report Ray Carmichael VI. Executive Director’s Report Nic Jansen VII. Standing Committee Reeports a) Appeals/Ombudsman Mark Bordage b) Constitution Barry Farnsworth c) Personnel Dave Corbett d) Risk, Conduct and Safety Neil Jacobson e) Awards Jacques Poitras VIII. Provincials Council/Commission Chair Reports a) Minor Council Todd Pye b) Officials Council Mike MacMullin c) Senor Council Phil Huckins d) Female Commission Anita Scott e) Junior Commission Bernie Leger f) Development Ron Arbeau g) EHC Todd Pye IX. Regional Operations Council Chairs Report ROC Chairs X. Finance Committee Reports a) Appointment of Auditors Andy Williams b) HNB Audited Statement Andy Williams c) Fiscal Policy Amendments Andy Williams d) HNB 2018-2019 Budget Approval Andy Williams e) NBHOC Audited Statement Mike MacMullin f) NBHOC 2018-2019 Budget Approval Mike MacMullin XI. HNB Constitution Notices of Motion Ray Carmichael XII. Annual General Meeting a) 2019 Nic Jansen b) 2020 Nic Jansen XIII. Calendar of Commitment Nic Jansen XIV. New Business XV. HNB President Election Nic Jansen XVI. Adjournment

Hockey New Brunswick Minor Hockey Council Agenda Moncton, NB Saturday June 2nd, 2018 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

I. Welcome Todd Pye II. Credentials/Roll Call of Delegates Nic Jansen III. Any Additions & Approval of Agenda Todd Pye IV. Minutes of 2017 AGM Minutes Todd Pye V. Business Arising from Minutes Todd Pye VI. Dr. Stephen Norris – LTPD Presentation Dr. Stephen Norris VII. Chair's Report Todd Pye VIII. Development Chair Report Ron Arbeau IX. NBFHC Representative Report Angie McKinley X. Elite Hockey Commission Report Todd Pye XI. District Director Reports (Written) Directors XII. Risk and Safety Management Report Neil Jacobson XIII. Executive Director’s Report Nic Jansen XIV. NBMHC Operation Manual Amendments Bryan Cornish XV. Allyson Tufts – Lessons from Behind the Glass Presentation Allyson Tufts XVI. HNB Constitution Notice of Motions Bryan Cornish XVII. Other Business – Additions to Agenda Todd Pye XVIII. Election – Minor Chair Nic Jansen XIX. Adjournment

Hockey New Brunswick Junior Hockey Commission Agenda Moncton, NB Saturday June 2nd, 2018 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

I. Welcome Bernie Leger II. Roll Call of Delegates Bernie Leger III. Commissioners Report Bernie Leger IV. Minutes of 2017 Meeting V. Business Arising from Minutes a) Maritime Branch Agreement b) Coach Certification c) Minimum wages for Major Junior Players

VI. Regional Championship Reports a) Don Johnson Cup Sheldon Hay/Bernie Leger b) Maritime Hockey North Sheldon Hay/Bernie Leger

VII. Junior A Report Rod Clark Junior B Report Sheldon Hay Junior C Report Sheldon Hay

VIII. Commissioners Report: Junior B and C Hockey in the Province IX. Executive Director’s Report Nic Jansen X. Notices of Motion XI. Other Business XII. Adjournment

Hockey New Brunswick Senior Hockey Council Agenda Moncton, NB June, 2018 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

I. Welcome Phil Huckins II. Roll Call of Delegates (Voting Credentials) Phil Huckins III. Agenda Phil Huckins IV. Approval of 2017 AGM minutes Phil Huckins V. Business Arising from the Minutes Phil Huckins VI. Chair’s Report Phil Huckins VII. District Reports Directors VIII. Female Representative Report IX. League Reports X. Executive Director Report Nic Jansen XI. Disbanded teams owing money to HNB Nic Jansen XII. Senior A League for next season Phil Huckins XIII. H/C AGM Report Phil Huckins XIV. Allen Cup 2018 Claude Theriault XV. Notices of Motion(s) Phil Huckins XVI. Notice of Amendments Phil Huckins XVII. New Business XVIII. Adjournment

Hockey New Brunswick Female Commission Agenda Moncton, NB Friday June 1st, 2018 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

I. Welcome Anita Scott II. Roll call of delegates Anita Scott III. Commissioners Report Anita Scott IV. Minutes of 2017 Meeting Anita Scott

V. Business arising from Minutes a) Eric Poirier should host a meeting to find a replacement for President and VP positions for the SNBFHL. b) Anita is tasking the female commission to draft a proposal for Pilot Project, which will be presented at the Minor AGM on June 10, 2017. c) Female Commission will come up with a new structure and titles to be brought forth as a NOM for the 2018 AGM. Deadline to submit is March 31, 2018.

VI. Commission Member Reports Members VII. Executive Director’s Report Nic Jansen VIII. Notices of Motion Anita Scott

IX. New Business a) AAA Update Jason Lyons b) Communication & work load sharing Anita Scott c) Female Development Days Darren Gallen d) U13 structure within HNB Darren Gallen e) Provincial Guidelines Anita Scott

X. Adjournment

Hockey New Brunswick Development Commission Agenda Moncton, NB Friday June 1st, 2018 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

I. Welcome Ron Arbeau II. Roll call of delegates Ron Arbeau III. Agenda and approval Ron Arbeau IV. Minutes of 2017 Meeting Ron Arbeau V. Business arising from Minutes Ron Arbeau No Business arising from 2017 AGM minutes

VI. Commissioner Report Ron Arbeau VII. Commission member reports Members

VIII. Notices of Motion/Notices of Amendment Ron Arbeau

IX. New Business a) Coach 1 – IP/Novice Mike Gillingham b) Coach Facilitator Clinic Mike Gillingham c) NCMP Clinic Mike Gillingham d) Atom Workshop Ron Arbeau

X. Adjournment

President – Ray Carmichael

It is an honor to welcome you to this, the 50th, Annual General Meeting for Hockey New Brunswick. It was in 1968 that New Brunswick took leave from the Maritime Amateur Hockey Association, formed the New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association (NBAHA) and was officially admitted to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association as a full member with all rights and privileges.

2018 marks another milestone. It is the 30th year for our Fundraiser partnership with Clark’s Chevrolet, which provides an opportunity for families to reduce the personal expense for participation.

This Annual Meeting also concludes my term as President of Hockey New Brunswick. It has been an honor to have served in this position for the past six years and I thank everyone for your support, commitment to our organization and passion for the game.

Annual General Meetings are a time to celebrate successes and this weekend’s event is a credit to the vision held by those brave volunteers and the many that followed. In particular, we should recognize Ned Fowler, our first President and all subsequent Presidents.

From this humble beginning HNB has grown to provide a hockey experience for approximately over 14,000 registered participants annually and 350,000 over the past 25 years. An experience that would not be possible without the 3,000 registered coach and bench personnel and the many volunteer executives and community members who manage minor association, leagues and deliver our programs, camps and clinics throughout the year. Thank you to everyone!

HNB cannot standstill and as an organization must continually seek improvement and be open to new ways of doing business that keep pace with rapidly evolving expectations by players and parents. I encourage you to keep an open mind this weekend as we discuss ways to better the delivery of our sport to the grass roots. HNB governance and administration must be simplified to reduce the many layers of often conflicting if not confusing rules and regulations from Hockey Canada down to the Minor Associations. Better communication of the various roles and responsibilities is an essential element in managing conflicts as they arise.

The Hockey Canada lead IP/Novice initiative to introduce cross ice small area games will certainly change the appearance of the game on the ice going forward. However, this is only a start as new methods of operation must be identified to satisfy the demand by youth and parents for instant gratification. Options such as multiple 12 week seasons, community hockey programs, clearer separation between recreational (non- checking) and competitive (checking) and other options must be explored. Ongoing coach training, certification and performance audits are key to the success of any HNB programs. In closing I want to thank our dedicated staff that keep our organization running smoothly, make the game happen on the ice for the youth in our sport and deliver on our --MISSION: Leader in developing positive lifestyles, inclusive communities and opportunities through hockey. --VISION: A better New Brunswick through hockey Executive Director – Nic Jansen

Hockey New Brunswick had a successful 2017-18 season; it’s a pleasure to present this report which outlines highlights from this past season, as well updates on some new initiatives and programming for the coming season.

Sponsorship Programs – This season 50 Novice / Atom teams received $500.00 through the Dodge Caravan Kids program. 172 Peewee coaches received Chevrolet Power of Play kits, which included a duffle bag and prizes for all members of their team.

World Under 17 Challenge - In October, Saint John / Quispamsis was selected as the host site for the 2018 World U17 Challenge. This will be the first International event hosted in New Brunswick since 1995. We are planning to run a number of Development Initiatives in conjunction with this prestigious event.

Canadian Tire First Shift – Hockey New Brunswick ran eight Canadian Tire First Shift programs this season - Edmundston, Woodstock, Fredericton (2 programs), Hampton, KV, Moncton, Bathurst). The program continues to be well received, and assist with getting new families into hockey. We had eight Minor Hockey Associations apply to run programs for the 2018-19 season.

Initiation Program – At the HNB Regional Fall Meetings all Minor Hockey Associations were provided with the blue 4 oz pucks.

HNB Skills Camps – Four HNB Skills Camps were held this season (Sussex, Woodstock, Grand Falls & Bathurst), we also ran three all-Female camps which were held over March Break (Keswick, Miramichi, Riverview).

Bell Capital Cup - The Miramichi Panthers (female) & Lancaster Bombers (male) won a trip to participate in the Hockey on the Hill event. The event was funded through the Government of Canada / Ottawa Senators and included flights, accommodations and meals. The Miramichi Panthers came home with a Silver Medal.

Hockey Canada Community – The Hockey Canada Community website featured a story on the Top Corner Hockey program, that’s hosted in Saint John. The story is available at - https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/videos/5755662303001/a-program-making-a-difference

HNB Community Hockey Program – HNB assisted with funding for four Community Hockey programs this season (Acadian Peninsula, Saint John, Riverview and Sackville). The program is designed for players who are not registered on another team; will have less structure then the typical Minor Hockey format, and will be a low-cost option to participants.

Regional Meetings – HNB Staff ran 6 Regional Meetings in September. The meetings were well attended and the feedback received was positive. We will once again be running Regional Meetings at the beginning of the 2018-19 season – dates and locations will be confirmed in the summer.

Hockey Day in NB – As part of the HNB 50th Anniversary celebration, we will be hosting a ‘Hockey Day in NB’ in each of the 8 Regions. The events will be in conjunction with a high profile game (Jr. A, QMJHL or CIS), and will feature a number of development initiatives (player camps, parent sessions, etc).

National Championships – The Moncton Flyers represented HNB at the Telus Cup in Sudbury – the Flyers finished 5th. The Elsipogtog Hawks represented HNB at the Allan Cup in Rosetown, SK – the Hawks lost in the Semi-Final.

Regional Champions – Congratulations to the following teams on winning Regional Championships: North West Pioneers – Peewee AAA, Moncton Flyers – Major Midget.

Parent Code of Conduct – Eighteen Parent Code of Conduct letters were sent out this season, which is a significant increase from the previous season.

Social Media Policy – Three letters were sent out to individuals / teams that violated the HNB Social Media Policy.

Hockey Canada Insurance Increase - In November, Hockey Canada announced an insurance rate increase effective the 2018-19 season. The insurance rates will go from $16.15/participant to $21.30/participant.

I’d like to thanks the HNB Board of Directors, as well as all Council / Commission / Committee members, and dedicated volunteers involved with all Minor Hockey Associations in New Brunswick. The commitment, hard work and knowledge that each of you displayed over this past season has been outstanding.

Nic Jansen

Minor Council – Todd Pye

Minor Council, Female and Hockey Development continued to partner and work together to grow and improve our programing. We continuously offer skills camps and clinics to all areas of the branch. The Branch continues to improve its educational programing, membership support and minimum coaching/volunteer requirements at all levels of minor hockey which should have a positive impact across the Organization. HNB’s IP cross-ice initiative and IP Jamborees continue to grow and be successful. The feedback on this HC and HNB initiative is very positive. Provincial championships were provided for Peewee, Bantam and Midget categories. They included all levels. Atlantic Championships were held for Provincial Champions at the Peewee AAA, Bantam AAA and Midget Major Categories. Non-checking C Championships were provided to only Community Clubs that wished to participate. FEMALE: Peewee A - Miramichi Panthers Bantam AAA - Western Phantoms Bantam A - SEFHA Stars Midget AAA - Northern Lightning Midget A - KV Kobras

MALE: Peewee AAA - North West Pioneers Peewee AA - Fredericton Ice Dogs Peewee A - Grand Falls Jr Cats Peewee B - York North Coyotes Peewee C - Haut-Madawaska Pantheres Bantam Major - North West Bulls Bantam AAA - Fredericton Caps Bantam AA - Moncton Hawks Bantam A - York North Coyotes Bantam B - FYHA Lions Bantam C - Draveurs St-Léonard Major Midget AAA - Moncton Flyers Midget AA - Fredericton Midget A- York North Midget B - Lancaster Midget C - Kent Centre Bears Total minor hockey player registrations have pretty much remained the same over the last couple of year. Registration Report Totals: Initiation Novice Atom Peewee Bantam Midget Community Total M F M F M F M F M F M F M F Players 2016-17 Totals 1724 287 1854 276 1997 285 1940 323 1938 225 1697 131 166 168 13011 2017-18 Totals 1690 282 1915 312 2058 266 1983 279 1797 275 1638 137 94 152 12878

MAJOR MIDGET TEAMS: Moncton Flyers 17.18 20 20 Saint John Vito's 17.18 20 20 Northern Moose 17.18 18 18 Fredericton Caps 17.18 19 19

2017-18 Totals 77 77

NBIAA 16.17 753 543 1296 17.18 794 475 1269

Community Hockey Program 16.17 17.18 36 12 48

Combined Totals: Initiation Novice Atom Peewee Bantam Midget Community Total M F M F M F M F M F M F M F Players

2017.18 1690 282 1915 312 2058 266 1983 279 1797 275 1715 137 924 639 14272

HNB struggles with changing demographics. The HNB Strategic Plan continues to evolve and we are working quite hard to align ourselves with HC initiatives. Our Council will continue to work on HC and HNB initiatives which have and will continue to have a direct impact on demand for hockey programs, including an aging population and barriers associated with participation.

Hockey New Brunswick Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives: Short term-1 year: Design and implement an Initiation and Novice program that adheres to the Hockey Canada and Long Term Player Development guidelines. • Standardize playing surface dimensions • Standardize practice to game ratio • Ensure coaches adhere to LTPD in accordance with Hockey Canada

Change the current fall forum meeting weekend to a regional meeting format. The purpose is to create a better relationship between HNB and its volunteers and MHA. Also to disseminate information in an efficient way that will reach all MHAs and their members. • 6 meetings in central areas throughout New Brunswick • MHAs to be represented by their President, Registrar, and Technical Directors • Hold meetings in early September, before registration for minor hockey begins

Medium term-3 years: Provide development opportunities to elite male and female players. • HNB Cup (MU14, MU15, FU16) • Hockey Development Festival (MU14, MU15, FU16, FU18) • Atlantic Challenge Cup (MU14, MU15, FU16, FU18) • Pee Wee AAA Development weekend (MU13, FU13) • Christmas Regroup (MU16) • QMJHL Challenge (MU16)

Provide development opportunity to players at the community level. • Hockey New Brunswick Skills Camps • IP Shared Ice Jamboree • Creation of a community Hockey Program

Recruit and retain sponsors and partnerships, to maintain the services currently provided. • Work with a third party group (SOK & Associates) to secure new sponsorships • Continue to provide quality service to already existing HNB sponsors and partners

Long term, ongoing-5+ years Provide continuous coach/official education opportunities. • Continue to host NCCP Coach level 2 and Development 1 in the fall • Continue to support Field Officer Program (Shared Ice/Goalie Clinics) • Partner with Coach NB to provide coaches with the opportunity to collect professional development points and maintain their certification • Work with the NBHOA to provide development opportunities for officials of all levels maintain minor hockey registration numbers. Based on demographic research, HNB understands the area of focus to increase or maintain registration is to recruit and retain female / first nation’s participants and immigrant families. • Increase female registration • Make hockey accessible to immigrant families • Creation of Community Hockey programs • Develop and register sledge hockey participant

Last November, the HC BOD’s eliminated Councils at the National level. This change was felt necessary in order to implement their revised National Strategic Plan. Councils were replaced with Task Teams and the Task Teams will continue to change over time. These Task teams have been and will be given very clear KPI’s with solid deliverables. The current HC Task Teams are: 1. Recruitment 2. Retention 3. Female 4. National Championships 5. Program Delivery

I talk about this every year. Adult behavior and Incidents of conflict never seem to disappear. Incidents not only involve parents but coaches and off-ice players as well. Video recordings in the rink are on the rise. Social media has made it possible for incidents to be viewed around the world. At times there doesn’t seem to be any sense of responsibly. People believe hockey is a right not a privilege. This has to continue to be a strong National focus. As a result, HNB has taken several steps to change behaviors. We introduced the Parent Code of Code policy to HNB participants and HNB introduced mandatory Respect in Sport for Parents. This past year we sent out 18 Parent Code of Conduct letters. This year we have a NOA for our Operations Manual that we will be asking the membership to support to help resolve these issues in a timely fashion.

In closing, this will be my last written report as HNB Minor Chair. After 9 years and with mixed emotions I felt it was time. I will be running for HNB President at the HNB AGM in June. I would like to thank Minor Council, the many volunteers and the HNB staff for working hard to make hockey happen. It has been a great ride. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. As Red Green would say – Keep your stick on the ice. Thank you.

Elite Hockey Commission – Todd Pye

The Elite Hockey Commission meets regularly and continues to work on promoting and growing the Development program. We met the beginning of May with a very detailed agenda. We continuously review and update the HNB Elite Hockey 5-year Strategic Plan to ensure it aligns with and meets the needs of our Membership:

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. • Promotional Campaign for the EHC and EDZA’s. • Adoption of a central application process for AAA coaching positions and a standard team management contract for all AAA teams. • Working with HNB to ensure our coaches attend the HC-HNB Level 1 standardized Goalie Coaching seminar. • Promotion of the Major Midget Franchise model. • Study on AAA Player movement (why players leave the program).

Atlantic and Provincial championships were provided for Peewee, Bantam and Midget categories. The North West Pionniers hosted the Peewee Atlantic's in Edmundston. The Moncton Hawks were the HNB representatives. The Pionner’s won in the final over the Bedford Blues and are the Atlantic Champions. The North West Bulls represented HNB in the Bantam Atlantics in NFLD. The Moncton Flyers represented HNB at the Midget Major Atlantic Championships in Nova Scotia. After winning the Atlantic’s they are currently in Sudbury, Ontario competing at the Telus Cup – Canada’s National Midget Championship. In Female, the Western Phantoms went to the Bantam Atlantics in PEI. The Northern Lightning Midget team represented HNB at the Atlantics in Nova Scotia.

In closing, I would like to thank our Commission, the many volunteers and the HNB staff for working hard to make hockey happen. As Red Green would say – Keep your stick on the ice. Thank you.

Female Commission – Anita Scott

This season has been extremely positive for female hockey in NB. We had a great first season in Midget AAA merged with HNS. We will be continuing this for next season also. Bantam AAA paired with Hockey PEI to host a couple weekends and they went wonderful. they will continue to do this same format for next season too. The Female Commission is looking at starting a provincial league for all female teams to play under. We had two new associations formed this season. WVFHA had three teams registered under it and hosted Midget provincials this season. They struggled hard to find ice to house their teams for games and practices so they deserve to be commended for all they accomplished this season. CFHA was formed but was unsuccessful in hosting any teams this year. The association is looking for volunteers in hopes of trying to get up and going for next year.

Female Minor Council Report - Angie McKinley

The 2017-18 season kicked off with World Girls Hockey Weekend. World Girls Hockey Weekend took place on Thanksgiving weekend in October with a variety of events held around the province. Enough events were held that all girls playing female hockey had the chance to be involved.

HNB hosted an Under 13 Winter Jamboree in Moncton on December 29th. The jamboree was open to girls born in 2005 and 2006 and registered on an HNB team. It was a huge success and plans are to host another one in July or August. Three Hockey Canada Skills Camps were held for females, over the March Break, in Keswick, Miramichi and Riverview. All were full and many of the attendees were not currently playing female hockey.

We had two players attend the Canadian portion of the 2018 IIHF Global Game, hosted by the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, in cooperation with Hockey Canada and the IIHF. The Canadian segment took place on March 11, 2018 at the Iceland Arena in Mississauga. All bantam C players from around the province were invited to apply to attend. The attendees selected to attend this year were: Abby Randell from RV-SJFHA and Abby Kane from SEFHA. The female provincials were hosted by Miramichi (peewee A&C), KV (bantam) and Carleton (midget). Winners were as follows: Peewee A Miramichi Panthers Bantam A SEFHA Stars Midget A KV Kobras.

The 3rd annual Female U13 camp was held in Quispamsis on May 12 &13th. The U13 program runs as an introduction to the High Performance program and was open to any players born in 2006 & 2007. This initiative also continues to develop players for Hockey Canada’s “Project 2022” program that is preparing female athletes to compete for a position on Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Hockey team for the 2022 Olympics.

Two new female associations were formed prior to the start of the season in District 2 and District 3. The Western Valley Female Association had a successful first season. They had 3 teams playing at the peewee, bantam and midget levels. The Central Female Hockey Association was not able to form any teams this year. They plan to try again next season. Overall numbers continue to be a little concerning as we have less growth than we would have liked to see. Total female teams in the province for the 2017-2018 season were as follows:

IP – 3 groups (KV, RVSJ & SEFHA) Novice – 4 teams (KV-2, RVSJ and SEFHA) Atom – 5 teams (KV-2, Miramichi, RVSJ & SEFHA-2) Peewee – 7 teams (KV-2, Miramichi, RVSJ, SEFHA-2 & Western Valley) Bantam – 6 teams (KV-2, RVSJ, SEFHA, Sussex & Western Valley) Midget – 4 teams (KV, RVSJ, SEFHA & Western Valley)

This is my final report to Minor Council, as my term is up. I would like to thank Todd Pye and Ray Carmichael for their unwavering support of female hockey. As well, I would like to thank, Anita Scott and the rest of the female commission for their continuing work to grow a sustainable female program. I would also like to thank Nic Jansen, Mireille St. Laurent, and the rest of the HNB staff for their help and support.

Female Elite Hockey Report – Jason Lyons

Bantam AAA Female The NB Bantam AAA Female League finished their regular season with the Moncton Rockets edging out the Western Phantoms & Fundy Herricanes in the final standings. The Northern Panthers were fourth. The League AGM will be held later this spring. This has been a very smooth season for this league with all games completed with no issues. The NB teams also played a four-weekend exhibition series with Hockey PEI. This has gone very smooth and all games have been competitive. Feedback has been positive. The Moncton Rockets hosted the NB Bantam AAA Female Championship March 23 – 25 in Bouctouche with the Western Phantoms winning the provincial championship. The Moncton Rockets were an excellent host and the tournament featured good, competitive games across the board. The Western Phantoms represented HNB at the Atlantic Canada Bantam AAA Championship April 5 – 8 in Charlottetown, PEI. The Phantoms had a strong round robin but were relegated to the bronze medal game due to the tie-breaking procedure where they lost to the host team. Metro Force West (HNS) captured the Atlantic Championship.

Midget AAA Female The HNB teams ended with a strong showing at the conclusion of their first season with the Nova Scotia Female Midget Hockey League. The Moncton Rockets placed third overall, the Northern Lightning fourth, & the Fundy Nationals seventh in the seven-team league. There were not as many issues with game scheduling, etc in the second half of the season since the travel schedule was much lighter; however, the teams were not able to play as many games as they would have liked due to this. The NSFMHL Championship Tournament was hosted by the Moncton Rockets March 1 – 4. This event featured all seven NSFMHL teams competing for the League Championship with the Northern Subway Selects coming out on top. This was a great showcase for Midget AAA Female Hockey and was attended by several university hockey recruiters. The NB Midget AAA Female Championship was hosted by the Moncton Rockets March 16 – 18 in Cocagne. The Northern Lightning ended up on top after a very close & entertaining final game against the Moncton Rockets.

The Northern Lightning represented HNB at the Atlantic AAA Midget Female Championship held March 29 – April 1 in Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland. The Lightning had a strong round robin finishing second overall before losing to the Northern Subway Selects (HNS) in the final. The Esso Cup National Midget AAA Female Championship will be held April 22 – 28 in Bridgewater, NS.

Elite Hockey Commission The EHC Annual General Meeting will be held May 6 in Saint John. I have put forth two Notices of Motion to amend the EHC Operations Manual on behalf of Female Hockey. A proposed revision to 7.1/7.2 would allow second year Peewee & Bantam players to move an age level based on ranking in the top 15 of the team at tryouts rather than having to follow the Exceptional Player Status procedure. A proposed revision to Section 16.6 would mandate the use of a four-official system for all Midget AAA Female games under HNB. Three of the four EDZA Zone Chairs reported back on their anticipated number of players at Bantam & Midget for next season. EDZA North, South, & West have all committed to icing a Midget team as well as at least one Bantam team. There will be further discussion at the EHC AGM on how the Bantam structure may work.

Female Development Report – Darren Gallen

SEFHA will be hosting summer skills sessions for IP to Batman female girls.

Northern New Brunswick has hosted 5 to 6 all female ice sessions.

First Annual Easter weekend jamboree in Dieppe was a huge success with 12 teams from around the province.

Will start working with other associations on game plan for next year.

U13 female event in Moncton was a success and would like to host another in July or August if possible.

Propose to have HPEI and HNS create a U13 female team and have a jamboree style weekend with them as well.

Female Commission Provincial coordinator report

Female hockey associations provincially

- Greater Miramichi Female Association : 1 Atom team, 1 PW team - South East Female Hockey Association: 1 IP, 1 Novice, 2 Atom, 2 PW, 1 Bantam, 1 Midget team - River Valley Saint John Female Hockey Association: 1 IP, 1 Novice, 1 Atom, 1 PW, 1 Bantam, 1 Midget team - Western Valley Female Hockey Association: 1 PW, 1 Bantam and 1 Midget team - Central female hockey association: constitution developed, no teams registered this year - West Kent Female Hockey Association: 1 IP/Novice team Female teams registered under co-ed associations - KV Minor Hockey Association: 1 Novice, 2 Atom, 2 PW, 2 Bantam and 1 Midget team - Sussex Minor Hockey Association: 1 bantam/Midget team Female Leagues provincially - Southern NB Female Hockey League: RVSJ, KV, Sussex, WVFHA teams from Atom-Midget participating Provincials - PW hosted by Greater Miramichi Female Association, 6 teams in attendance - Bantam hosted by KV Minor Hockey, 6 teams in attendance Midget hosted by WVFHA, 4 teams in attendance

- General feedback from provincials at all sites included the need for more female teams around the province so that divisions can be tiered. Discussions at various sites also revealed that there is a need for improved education on the formats/procedures for the participation of female teams at provincials, even amongst female parents and associations. - ? Need for increase in fees. Feedback from hosts was that it was difficult to cover all costs. Development - 1 skills day hosted by WVFHA on development weekend - 3 skills days over March break in Keswick, Miramichi and Moncton – well attended

Female Senior

Senior no report submitted- this is the reason this position will be retitled in June.

The Female Commission is sad to be losing such a strong volunteer. Angie McKinley has decided this will be her last season volunteering with us after many long years. She will be greatly missed and her shoes will be hard to fill. Good luck in the future Angie and keep in touch!

Development Commission – Ron Arbeau

1. IP FUNdamental Demo Days – This was our second season hosting IP Demo Days. These were a huge success once again with 15 across the province.

2. Skills Camps – We hosted 7 skills camps in the 2017-18 season. We hosted the camps in Sussex, Grand Falls, Bathurst, and Woodstock as well as 3 Female skills camps in Keswick, Riverview, and Miramichi.

3. LTPD – will continue to work with all associations on the LTPD Model.

4. Specialty Clinics – We are currently in the process of organizing a National Coach Mentorship Program seminar which would take place in August of 2018. Dates and location to be determined.

5. Sledge Hockey – We worked with Para NB and had a weekend of Sledge Hockey in Fredericton which included players from across Atlantic Canada. Danny Lynch (Assistant Coach, National Sledge Team) did some skills sessions.

6. Male & Female Under 13 Program – We will be hosting our annual U13 Male and Female camp in Quispamsis from May 11-13. We currently have 83 Male registrants and 56 Female.

7. Coach Clinics – Coach Clinic season has completed. We had a total of 17 Coach 2 Clinics (457 Attendees), 1 Coach 1 Clinic (85 Attendees), and 5 Development 1 Clinics (71 Attendees).

8. High Performance Program – We made some changes with the layout of our Hockey Development Festival last summer in adding a practice as well as some more tests on the fitness side of things. We also developed a curriculum for the coaches to follow to ensure this camp develops our High Performance athletes throughout our entire process. This was very well received with our coaching staffs. We will have 5 groups this summer and will be getting prepared for the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer in 2019.

9. IP/Novice Hockey – The commission has been working with Hockey Canada on the IP/Novice model to bring forward to the membership. This will include game rules to ensure consistency across the country. Hockey Canada has added video on their website with the playing rules that will be implemented.

10. Coach 1 – We will be re-introducing the Coach 1 course for the 2018-19 season. The curriculum has been re-developed by Hockey Canada, and will now provide training specific to coaches who are working with Initiation and Novice players. 11. Aboriginal Working Group – I am on the national working group regarding recruitment of Aboriginals to the game of Hockey.

Junior Commission – Bernie Leger

Junior Hockey in the province had a good season, no major issues.

Tri-County of the NBJHL Junior C Division won the Provincial by defeating Southern Sting in 6 games and represented HNB at the Maritime Hockey North Championship in P.E.I . on April 4th to 8th , HNB lost in the semi-finals to Host Team the Junior Lynx .

Moncton of the NBJHL Junior B Division won the Provincial Championship by defeating Kent Koyotes in 6 games and will be representing HNB at the Don Johnson Cup held in Membertou N.S. from April 24 to 29.

In Junior A the Edmundston Blizzards won the MHL Championship, and will represent the MHL at the Fred Page Cup in Ontario. Edmundston which was relocated from Dieppe has had a tremendous season both on the ice and in the stands they were a full capacity for most of the season.

At the commission we are working towards finding another Junior B team we only have a 3 Team League at this time and are interlocking with Hockey P.E.I., I am scheduled to meet with the 3 existing Teams prior to the HNB Meetings this summer to discuss any issues or concerns , need to know also the commitment of each Team for the future of the League.

At the DJC we the Commissioners of each Province are scheduled to meet to discuss the DJC Agreement we here in NB and also in PEI have issues with traveling to NFLD every 4 years we are asking for every 7 yrs, there is also the timing of the Tournament which we want to move to the first or second week of April instead of the last week of April this due to exams.

In conclusion this was my first year as Junior Commissioner and also sitting on 2 boards the Awards Committee and Constitution., the experience is good and the members are very committed to what they are responsible for the HNB office has been a great help whenever I needed them.

Bernie Leger

Senior Council – Phil Huckins

The 2017-2018 senior hockey has concluded with a number of great highlights. This past year there was three leagues that operated with eighteen teams in total.

The CRH /RHL had nine teams this season.

The Panther Haut-Madawashka finished in first place of the regular season. As for the playoff series the Panther also won their three series in four games. This was a perfect sweep for a team of the CHL/RHL.

The Acadie Chaleur played there first season under HNB. They had a twenty games schedule with six teams. The first two teams of the regular season received a bye. The new team Shippagan Marchands played in the final against Tracadie. Tracadie won the series four games to one. Exciting first season overall with good crowds. Bouctouche has been accepted for next season. Dalhousie and Lameque also applied but no final decision have been taking so far.

The Northeast Senior Hockey League completed its seventh season of operation. The league started the season with four teams, the Bouctouche Dodge Ram JCs, the Elsipogtog Hawks, the MontaguePEI Stallions and the Memramcook Acadians. After just a few games the Montague team decided that they were unable to finish their commitment due to finances. The league finished the season with three teams.

The Northeast league was honoured in December to host the Poland National Men’s Hockey Team led by former NHL coach Ted Nolan and our own Tom Coolen, last year’s coach of the Allan Cup champions from NL.

The Elispogtog Hawks represented the Atlantic Region at the 2018 Allan Cup in Rosetown SK. From their original roster four players were unable to attend, three of them due to injuries and one because of a change in jobs. Even with a short team and only five defence, the Hawks did very well. They made it all the way to the semi-finals, playing four days in a row! We are extremely proud of Elsipogtog for their excellent performance and a job well done. I would like to thank Claude Theriault for representing HNB at this event and for all his assistance given to the Elsipogtog Hawks.

Moving forward it is important to stress more emphasis on growing our number through Adult Rec. There is a number of leagues operating without HNB and we should contact them and show the value under HNB and HC.

I would like to thank the three leagues and their continued support & play; the staff at HNB always available to assist with senior hockey. Last but not least, I want to thank the senior council for their tireless work this past year. Thank you for a successful 2017 -2018 senior hockey season1

Respectfully, Phil Huckins Female Minor Council Representative – Angie McKinley

Female Report to Minor Council for AGM Submitted by Angie McKinley

Three Hockey Canada Skills Camps were held for females, over the March Break, in Keswick, Miramichi and Riverview. All were full and many of the attendees were not currently playing female hockey.

The female provincials were hosted by Miramichi (peewee A&C), KV (bantam) and Carleton (midget). Winners were as follows: Peewee A Miramichi Panthers Bantam A SEFHA Stars Midget A KV Kobras.

Overall numbers continue to be a little concerning as we have less growth than we would have liked to see. Total female teams in the province for the 2017-2018 season were as follows: IP – 3 groups (KV, RVSJ & SEFHA) Novice – 4 teams (KV-2, RVSJ and SEFHA) Atom – 5 teams (KV-2, Miramichi, RVSJ & SEFHA-2) Peewee – 7 teams (KV-2, Miramichi, RVSJ, SEFHA-2 & Western Valley) Bantam – 6 teams (KV-2, RVSJ, SEFHA, Sussex & Western Valley) Midget – 4 teams (KV, RVSJ, SEFHA & Western Valley)

ROC 1 – Jacques Poitras

Minor: Our district consisted of six community clubs and included teams between the initiation and midget levels. The initiation to atom teams played within the district while the others played in the District 1-2 league.

The associations organized activities during the development weekend. Development clinics and coach certification were also offered. Our district is continuing to do follow-up to ensure they comply with the requirement to have the "parent respect in sport" online course completed before deadline, for the fifth year. The director and the associations are working hard to get 100%, and the results are paying off.

Our district hosted the Pee Wee C provincial tournament in Edmudnston. This year, 8 teams participated in the different provincial tournament. 7 of the 8 teams played in a semi-final, 5 played in one final and 3 won the provincial title. With this result, District 1 considers itself to be a healthy district, especially since with a slight increase in enrollment this year.

Regarding the initiation level, all jamborees and activities were held on reduced surfaces and adapted equipment.

Female: Female hockey did not have enough registration to form a team. The girls were playing in the various mixed associations. Members of the Women's Hockey Association held a dozen skills development activities for girls. About 15 girls from different associations and different age groups attended these sessions. A development camp will be held next August.

Senior: The circuit regional de hockey completed its 27th season of senior hockey in the region with 9 teams. Congratulations to the Panthères of Haut-Madawaska for their 2nd league championship. The Panthères of Haut-Madawaska also finished first in the standings for the regular season.

Officials: Another good season for officials, but recruitment remains a major challenge, especially in rural areas. Marc and his team are trying to offer more coaching and more evaluation / coaching to increase the expertise of officials. These assessments and follow-ups will continue to facilitate recruitment and retention.

Elite Hockey: The Pee-Wee AAA enjoyed another good season winning several tournaments in addition to winning the provincial championship and the Atlantic championship. The team was also host to this championship and was successful. As for the Bantams AAA minor, they have had a good season too, despite the limited number of tournaments they can register. The Bantam AAA major had a slightly tougher season, but still finished the season by winning the provincial championship. They had a great experience going to Newfoundland for the Atlantic Championship.

Junior: The arrival of a Junior A team in the region is another big success for us, not to mention the promotional impact of the league in the northwest of the province. The leaders breathed new life into hockey in the region, attracting 52,882 during the regular season and 24,973 in the playoffs ... close to 80,000. The use of social media and the involvement of players and leaders in the community and partnership with the school district in a reading program have made this team stand out this season. Finally, we congratulate the Blizzard for their excellent season. They finished first in the league, in the top 20 in the Canadian rankings, and took top honors with the Kent Cup, series champion.

Other: I would like to thank Luc Martin (Minor District Director), Claude Theriault (Senior Representative), Marc Ouellette (Officials Representative), Pierre Picard (Treasurer), Mark Cloutier and Nelson Fox for their good work during the season. I would also like to thank all the volunteers who are doing great work for the smooth running of hockey operations. This includes coaches, board members and local association, referees, managers, etc. Thanks also to parents who encourage children and arena staff who are often forgotten but are key members of our arenas.

Thank you to all board members, commission representatives and board for your support. Thank you also to the staff of the New Brunswick Hockey Office for your continued support throughout the season.

ROC 2 – Dawn Shaw

Let me start with congratulations to Chris Scott and Craig Young, returning for another terms as Zone 2 Officials Chair and District Director respectively. I’m sure as in the past multiple terms you will represent your members well.

Female: Very pleased to say the inaugural year of the Western Valley Female Association was a success. In their first year they managed to ice three (3) teams and successfully hosted a Provincial tournament.

They overcame various challenges including sourcing funding, issues with securing ice times and negative attitudes to female hockey in general. They hosted Esso Fun Days and Early Ice sessions to encourage new members and increased participation in the game. Congratulations to all dedicated volunteers, especially Cindy Pearson as the Association President. Looking forward to a second season with ever more support allowing more growth.

Junior: Unfortunately there will not be any Junior A in our zone in the next season with the announcement that the Woodstock Slammers are taking a leave of absence. We want to thanks the team and organization for 12 years of entertaining hockey. Congratulations to all players, volunteers and team organization and management. Looking forward to still having the Western Valley Panthers NBJHL team and to hosting Championships in 2019.

Minor: District 2 once again hosted a Canadian Tire First Shift event in the fall with 26 new participants resulting in all but 3 or 4 becoming new players to the game of hockey and was viewed as a positive experience for both players and coaches. Positively, some of the new numbers from the program helped to increase the Female numbers. Plans to host again in 2018/19 season. No major issues were reported and area successfully hosted various tournaments, 2 Zone events and a Provincials. Some association Presidents have expressed concerns over slight decline in player number and discussion around how to increase participation.

Officials: It was another positive year for the growth and development of the younger officials in Zone 2. With many senior officials contemplating retirement in the near future, it's very important to develop the younger officials to step into the higher level roles. These young officials stepped up and went above and beyond the call of duty by accepting the challenge rather nicely.

A huge thank you to Zone 3 for hosting yet another successful Level 3 clinic this season. I'd like to congratulate the following officials: Jake Kitchen, Brayden Legere and Logan Titus were all successful candidates upon completing their Level 3 training. I'd like to congratulate the winners of the Sonny McLellan Award:

Nackawic - Jake Kitchen Woodstock - David MacDonald Hartland - Connor Pelkey Florenceville - Johnny Warren Southern Victoria - Logan Titus Tobique Valley - Quinn Fitzpatrick

Thanks for all your time, effort and hard work as a great future awaits! This season we had 7 zone/provincial tournaments within our area, the officials did an exceptional job with no major issues! Bantam B Provincials using the 4-man system was great for the mentorship of our younger officials, with 100% of the games using a younger official with an older experienced official. Overall it was a great season with minimal issues, here's looking forward to the 2018-2019 season!!

Senior: The River Valley Thunder had another extremely successful campaign, coming up a bit short in the league Final. The Perth Andover group has done a fantastic job developing their sponsorship group which continues to grow up and down the “River Valley .“ The team seems to attract high level players that are fun to watch therefore creating a great fan base which is very evident if you have ever had a chance to catch one of their games.

The Thunder had a couple of player personnel issues that seemed to linger on a bit longer than they should have (Dominic Nozzolillo). But everything was solved at the end of the day. At the senior level I think we should revisit the way rosters are approved from one year to another. There seems to still be some confusion or tampering when it comes to the guidelines. Let me end by saying it has been a pleasure working with the ROC 2 members and the HNB Staff and all of my counterparts in the 2017-2018 season. Many thanks to all volunteers in District 2 for their tireless efforts in Minor, Senior, Junior and Female.

Respectfully, Dawn Shaw ROC 2

ROC 3 – Neil Jacobson

ROC 3 has a strong group of volunteers who work tirelessly to promote the game. This season we held four meetings which were very well attended by the committee members. The ROC has seen some changes/realignments. Kevin Pottle has joined the ROC coordinating the development stream, Ken Oliver took over Senior and Scott MacKenzie was elected vice-chair. Scott sat in on my behalf at the March 2018 Board Meeting.

While the ROC had high hopes that the Central Female Hockey Association (CFHA) would get off the ground, there was little uptake. CFHA was approved as an association in 2017 and the board met regularly. However, with few registrations in September the association stalled. Several of the board members resigned shortly after Christmas. Albeit disappointing, members of the ROC will regroup and work with associations in preparation of a plan for the 2018/19 season. Within the district, Shellany Brewer was very active. She organized the World Girls Hockey Weekend in October, Esso Fun Days, Try Hockey Events, and several skills and drills events. They were all well attended.

Minor hockey had 2292 players registered in 2017/18. There were 479 volunteers, which is a decrease of 201 volunteers last year. FYHA was awarded two Bauer Shift Programs for 2017-18 with 92 new participants taking part. The District saw five provincial banners in minor hockey and a AAA banner at the Bantam Minor AAA level.

There continues to be no registered senior hockey teams in Zone 3 and no serious interest has been shown by any interested parties to resurrect one.

There were 208 registered officials this year- an increase of 23 officials over last year. A total of 5 recertification clinics were held prior to the start of the season. Fifty-seven candidates attended the October 2017 Level 1 (new officials) clinic. The recruitment of new officials, especially in the smaller communities continues to be a major challenge. The ROC would like to congratulate Meghan MacTavish and Dave Geris who selected to work some key assignments - Dave worked the Men’s CIS U-Cup, and Meghan worked the Women’s CIS U-Cup and an IIHL Tournament in France.

The Tri-County River Rats on the Junior C league had a very successful season. Tri County is the new champions of their league. They have shown that their community based model is a success for others to follow. The Grand Lake Moose franchise also had a solid year and plan on operating in the 2018-19 season.

The development stream is one that has had little traction within the ROC/District in the past several years. Kevin Pottle has taken a good scan of the stream in his first year on the ROC. There is a lot of work to do with associations and coaches to guide, and support them as they work with our young hockey players. Some areas of improvements include support in yearly planning, practice structure and specific skill development. It is Kevin’s hope that he will be able to work with associations in the upcoming year to assist their Coach/Technical Directors in working with their coaches in a more structured manner.

This past year Kevin has also been involved with HNB Development Committee meeting working to develop guidelines for the introduction of IP and Novice Programs; represented HNB and the Development Commission as part of the New Brunswick Quality Sport Initiative initial meeting focusing on the development of a Strategic Plan looking at long term player development; met with FYHA Executive Director and Executive to discuss competition level within the Atom Competitive Level, Tiering at Novice Major and coaching support; discussed opportunities to deliver skill specific sessions both during the year and in the summer as part of the FYHA summer programming; and finally has run two specialty clinics in Fredericton that would mirror clinics which private hockey has been delivered. We believe that the ROC take a lead to promote the same level of skills camps at a reduced cost and keep participants within the HNBs program structure.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the members of ROC 3 for their support and dedication over the past year.

Neil Jacobson

ROC 4 – Barry Farnsworth

Our Region enjoyed another successful hockey year. This was due to the many volunteers who give unselfishly of their time and talents. Without these dedicated and competent people, hockey in our Region and across this province could not run as smoothly as it does. Thanks to all involved. Our EDZA South group under the leadership of Cody Fullerton provided development opportunities to players and coaches throughout our Region. Tryouts for Peewee AAA and Female AAA were conducted in April to better assess player talent levels and to provide team staffs with additional planning time to prepare for the next season.

Our Southern NB Minor Hockey League once again ran very smoothly this year. The league’s grand finale, the “Day of Champions Weekend” operated extremely well.

Additionally, Lancaster Minor Hockey hosted an exhibition game with Saint John Youth Minor Hockey to raise funds and show support for the Humboldt Broncos organization and family. The many volunteers, organizers, and participants of this event deserve heartfelt thanks for their display of the spirit of the game.

Our officials experienced a reduction in incident reports and the feedback I received regarding quality from throughout our Region was positive and encouraging to hear.

However, for all the many positives there remain areas of concern: the number of issues regarding parent behavior appeared to be on the increase but even more concerning was the seriousness of these incidents. Education and communication remain key to ensure these issues are contained, but they must also be addressed with absolute zero tolerance. Also, with the ever-rising costs of playing hockey we must continue to focus on how we can provide opportunities for underprivileged youth in our area. Programs such as Top Corner deserve all the support we can give. This year’s AGM marks the end of my third term as Chair of ROC4 and it is time to pass on the role. Being a member of the HNB Board has been a very rewarding experience and I am confident the new ROC4 Chair will feel the same way.

I want to thank the ROC4 members … Jim Allaby, Eleanor Marshall, Joe Nagle, Jeff McLeod, Erika Brow, and the region’s new Chair, Chris Green … I have always been impressed and overwhelmed with their desire to support and improve hockey in our Region. To Chris: you have a great regional group to work with, and I am confident that hockey will continue to thrive in our Fundy Region.

Hockey in our province is extremely fortunate to have members of the HNB Board who are all very passionate about the game and we have a wonderful supportive and knowledgeable staff in Fredericton. To Nic, Heather, Stacey, and Mike: a big thank you all for the hard work you do.

And to Ray Carmichael: my deepest gratitude for your commitment to fostering a Better New Brunswick through Hockey, and a personal thank you for the support and guidance you offered during my time as Chair of ROC4. Your leadership as President of HNB has been second to none.

ROC 5 – Maurice Theriault

The 2017-2018 hockey season in South-East New Brunswick was very successful by all accounts. This success is due to the tremendous dedication and commitment of the various council and commission members and volunteers involved in all levels of hockey in our region.

Minor: Gerald Bannister and Daniel LeBlanc are the District 6 and 7 directors along with Christine Dupuis on the Female side. Congratulations to all provincial winners and to all recreational league champions in the area. Many thanks goes out to all coaches, managers and league representatives. All community club executive members need to be congratulated for their fine work at the grass root level.

EDHZA East: The EDZA, under the direction of Louis Gaudet, deserve many thanks for the work done at the development level. AAA teams in our area had success again this winter. The Moncton Flyers are the NB and Atlantic champs.

Development: Dave Wheaton is responsible for our area. Many clinics were held in both District 6 and 7 this past winter (ie. initiation and coaches’ clinics, Speak Out! program and Hockey Safety) and once again coaches development was a success.

Senior/Junior: The Elsipogtog squad represented NB at the Allan Cup and made it to the semi-final. On the junior scene, the Moncton Vitos won the Junior B championship and represented NB at the Don Johnson Cup.

Officials: Tim Skinner is the representative for our region. Thousands of games were officiated this past season. Once again, many senior officials from the region were assigned to national and international events. We are very fortunate to have great caliber officials in our region. Congratulations on a job well done.

Finally, I am proud to be associated with such a dedicated and sincere group of individuals. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for a job well done.

ROC 6 – Mike Rutter

Minor: Another season has come to an end, with mixed results in the Miramichi area. The competitive teams were, for the most part, not particularly competitive in the North Shore League, finishing in the lower half of the standings in all categories. For the first time an Atom team competed in the Central Atom League, they were generally competitive without winning too many games.

The ‘C’ level teams fared much better, and the District 8 winners were spread across several organizations. Renous won the Atom ‘C’ Championship, the Miramichi Canadians the Pee Wee ‘C’, and Baie Ste.Anne the Bantam ‘C’. Moreover the Miramichi Pee Wee team represented Zone ‘D’ at the Provincial Championships held in St. Leonard.

The highlight of the year belonged to the Female Miramichi Panthers Pee Wee team, who captured the Provincial Pee Wee ‘A’ Championship held at Sunny Corner. They also finished runner-up in the Bell Invitational tournament held over the Christmas holidays in Ottawa, a game they lost in overtime. They also made it to the District 8 finals against the boys, where they lost to the Miramichi Canadians. An excellent season.

Many changes ahead in the MMHC executive for next season.....we’ll have a clearer picture of what the future holds following the Annual General Meeting on May 7th.

Female: The GMFA iced two teams in Atom and PW levels with both having successful seasons. Highlights of the year was the PW team representing NB in Ottawa and coming away with a silver medal and then winning the provincial banner in March.

The Northern Bantam Panthers played in the NB AAA Female league this year and the Northern Midget Lightning Midget AAA team won the provincials and represented NB in the atlantics and won a silver medal.

Next year the GMFA hopes to have two atom teams, one PW team and one Bantam team. At the EDZA level it again looks like one Bantam and one Midget team.

Senior: Baie St. Anne was the only senior team in ROC 6. They competed in the Acadie Chaleur League. The team finished in 4th position and lost to Neguac in the quarter finals. The team had a good year on and off the ice.

Junior: Both the Timberwolves and the Sunny Corner Thunder had early exits from the playoffs this season. Both teams feel they are in a good position to return next year. There has been some concern expressed by the Timberwolves that the rich get richer and an imbalance is being created with some teams having significantly more financial resources to attract players and staff.

Officials: Officials in ROC 6 continue to upgrade their credential by attending clinics in Moncton and Miramichi. A decline in the number of officials in the outside areas has increased the amount of travel for officials and consequently higher cost for Associations. We will be trying to work on a solution to this problem. The absence of AAA bantam and Midget on the river has made it more difficult for younger officials to get experience at these levels. We suffered a great loss with the passing of Scott McKay in December. The Zone 6 officials will be starting a charity to benefit youth our community in Scott’s name.

On behalf of ROC 6, I would like to thank our HNB staff for the work they do to make our jobs much easier and a special thanks to Mireille who will be missed.

Mike Rutter

ROC 7 – Daniel Roussel

I would like to thanks all the volunteers who works for hockey at all levels. HNB family needs people like you to promote hockey. I would also thank all minor hockey president and community clubs president under ROC 7 Francine Albert for Acadian Peninsula minor hockey and Mona Aubry for Néguac Community Club, Cathy Gosselin Caraquet Community Club, Ghislain Doiron Tracadie-Sheila community club and Marc Jason-Sylvain Haché Lamèque- Shippagan Community club, Marc-André Godin for Bathurst minor hockey and Brian Landry for Baie des Chaleurs minor hockey for their time and effort. Thank you all for your involvement with ROC #7 kids.

As ROC #7 president, I would like to thanks all my ROC 7 members for their time and efforts: Charles Albert, district 9 director; Luc Foulem, district 10 director; Jean-Marie Albert and Steve Maltais, referee; Gilles Cormier, senior; Gaëtan Haché, technical director and Francine Albert as secretary-treasurer. Thanks for your implication, time and effort for ROC 7. It was a pleasure to work with you

The minor hockey season went pretty well this year in our region. Many tournaments were held over our territory and I would like to thanks all the volunteers for that. I would like to thanks the Acadian Peninsula Minor Hockey Association to have held the Bantam C provincial tournament and the Acadie-Miramichi Senators to hold the Bantam AAA tournament in Lamèque- Shippagan.

Those players participate in prestigious events this year. Antoine Roy (U14 Atlantic challenge); Pierre-Vincent Guignard, Jacob Duguay (U15 Atlantic challenge); Geneviève Haché, Valérie Haché, Marik Mallet, Erica Plourde, Arianne Roy (female u16 Atlantic challenge) Ève Leblanc (U18 female Atlantic challenge) Gavin Caissie, Alexandre David, Jeremy Duguay (Gatorade excellence challenge).Congratulations to those players!

For adult hockey, the Acadie-Chaleur hockey league join HNB this year. We got 5 teams on our territory in Chaleur, Caraquet, Tracadie, Néguac and Shippagan.

Coaching and officials clinics were held in Acadian Peninsula and Chaleur region. Development 1 clinic was held in Bathurst.

I will like to thanks HNB president Ray and HNB staff for their support and time over the last season. Thanks Nic, Nick, Mike, Mireille, Heather and Stacy for 2017-2018 seasons.

ROC 8 – Todd Williams

Well folks, another hockey season has come to an end (on the ice) and as most of us write our reports, we are already thinking ahead for the 2018/2019 season.

Although there has been a local NorthShore Senior Hockey League for the past two years ,the Restigouche area have not been able to ice a team. Presently, there is an individual who has been inquiring about player interest. If the player pool is there ,the individual is very interested in having representation from the Restigouche are in the league.

The Campbellton Tigers Junior A hockey team had, what I consider, a successful hockey season. They were successful in making the playoffs, but were defeated by the Summerside Western Capitals. In the past ,the Tigers have operated on a “year to year” agreement with the city. After negotiations with the city, they are now working with a five year agreement. It is my belief that this is very important for stability of the team, and the ability to recruit young players. Sterling Loga continues to be a very knowledgeable resource for the Tigers ,not only with his hockey knowledge, but also as a liaison with the City Council.

Restigouche North hosted the Bantam AA Championships this year. The tournament was well organized, and many people from our community were present at the games. The local “Restigouche Vikings” were finalists this year ,but were defeated by a very strong Moncton Hawks team. Once the tournament games became important, complaints (opinions of some) became a minor issue. The Committee handled them in a very Professional manner, and on a couple of occasions asked for assistance from the HNB Reps who were at the tournament.

I have spoken to a couple of the Senior Officials in our area, and they have indicated that there is a real concern about the number of Officials that will be available in our area. The officials I spoke with indicated there are few young officials in our area, and in those few, there may be one who could replace the few older ones that remain.

Last year our ROC assisted one of the young officials attend the Don Koharski Camp in Moncton. We hope that we will be able to offer the same assistance this year, and if we are in the position to do so ,offer this opportunity to more than one young official.

It has taken some time, but female hockey was definitely a topic of conversation in our rinks during the past hockey season. Brian Arseneault has been very diligent in speaking to parents, coaches, parents and players(at the same time),and is encouraged by the elevated interest. Those involved are now asking questions, rather than just receiving information.

There have been a couple of ID camps in the area ,and attendance has been fair, but increased from when we originally began or task at bringing female hockey back to the area. One of the main concerns for parents is ,where will the girls play there games? What league will they be in?

I believe that there may be a notice of motion that may help us with this, but I also feel we need to work with the leagues to create a process where the females can play in their home area as well (ie;North Shore League).

In closing, I would like to acknowledge Ray for the many hours he has given to HNB over the last six years. Thank You for giving up your time to represent HNB not only at the local level, but within the Atlantic Region and Nationally.

I appreciate the time and commitment you have given the organization over your many years of volunteering.

As always, I want to Thank the Office Staff for everything they do. Whether it be provide a smile when you walk in, have a cheerful voice when you call, or do whatever they need to do to find the information you need, they are always helpful, and a pleasure to communicate with, THANK YOU!

Hope everyone has a safe enjoyable summer.

Todd Williams

Appeals Committee – Mark Bordage

This year the appeals committee dealt with 5 appeals. I would like to thank the committee members for their diligence in the work they performed. I would like to express my thanks to Ray Carmichael for all the work he has done for HNB and wish him well with his future endeavours. Constitution Committee – Barry Farsnsworth

In preparation for the 2018 AGM, the focus of this committee has been on clarifying items in the Constitution. The Notice of Motions include changes to provide a clearer definition of membership and also changes to bring our constitution in-line with recent changes in Hockey Canada.

Much time was also spent exploring structural changes that could have moved the HNB Board towards a policy governance model. Such a model would enable the board to focus on more strategic issues and provide greater accountability to the HNB membership. However, at this time the current Board has opted to remain with its existing structure of both policy and operations.

It has been a pleasure to serve as Committee Chair and I would like to thank the other members of the committee for their support … Eleanor Marshall, Mike Rutter, Daniel Roussel, Bernie Leger, Anita Scott, Ray Carmichael, and Nic Jansen.

Respectfully submitted, Barry Farnsworth

Personnel Committee – Dave Corbett

As the chair of the personnel committee, I would like to inform the board of the previous year’s activities of the committee. Over the past year we have met on a handful of occasions to discuss various topics pertaining to the HNB staff. These topics include such things as performance reviews; confirming salary increases for 2018/2019; reviewing the pay bands; discussing the overall engagement of the staff; succession; retention; etc.

As a whole, there are very few issues to deal with regarding the HNB staff. The staff seem fairly engaged and are performing their roles and responsibilities adequately under the guidance and leadership of Nic. We did, however, recently have 2 resignations of HNB staff members. We have conducted interviews for one of the positions and an offer will be going out soon. The job posting for the second position will go live in the coming days. In both cases, the committee met, collaborated, and worked well together to get these two staffing needs addressed. It shows me that this committee can effectively solve any problems and make any decisions necessary from a personnel perspective.

In closing, I feel that the committee and its members are a healthy and productive group that works well together in the best interest of HNB. I look forward to continuing to work with this group in the future.

Dave Corbett Risk & Safety Committee – Neil Jacobson

The Risk and Safety Committee has had an active year. In 2017, the committee was invited to join Minor Council as an Ad-hoc member. On behalf of the committee Tim Skinner has actively participated in this capacity during the 2017/18 season.

During the season the committee was asked to review / intervene in several complaints. Many more issues were dealt with at the local level. The R&S committee would like to thank the District and Minor Association volunteers for their efforts. It is a stressful process and very few matters end up escalating to the R&S committee level. A flow chart will be developed over the summer to better guide the process of handling complaints.

The complexity of the investigations and interventions during the 2017/18 season were compounded by participants suspected to have mental health issues. While challenging to deal with at any level, these complex cases take time. Often HNB will seek the guidance of the Risk and Safety Committee, legal counsel or Hockey Canada when appropriate.

The committee would like to stress that all members of HNB adhere to the social media policy and code of conduct policy. These policies should be reviewed yearly at all levels of the organization.

Finally, I would like to thank the committee members for their dedication and commitment.

Respectfully Submitted,

Neil Jacobson Chair

Awards Committee – Jacques Poitras

On Saturday May 5th 2018, the award committee met to review the nominations submitted for the various awards and scholarship.

Scholarships Total of 79 submissions were received and evaluated by the committee. As in previous years, great stories from all regions of the provinces, making the selection difficult.

Awards Fewer submissions were received this year for 3 of the 7 awards (total of 18 Vs 31 last year). As stated in the awards criteria, submission from the previous year could be considered again by the committee. Award 16-17 Submission 17-18 Submission Volunteer of the year 8 8 J. Charles Daigle 4 5 Vance Toner 3 2 Community Club of the year 3 1 Female breakthrough 6 3 HNB Initiation 5 0 Career Achievement Award 2 0

We also discussed a couple of other topics.

1) HNB Initiation award – discussion if we should also include novice and initiation for this award. Intent was to recognize the grass-root level. Understanding we also used smaller surface for both levels, and we see many new registration at novice, we should include both groups for consideration. 2) Having combined scholarship application into one submission did help, we have seen has many application this year as previous, but reduce the duplication of applicants (1 application instead of 3). It also allowed the committee to appropriately identify the applicants for the given criteria from each scholarship. 3) We did not receive (on time) any write-up for career achievement awards. It did prompt a question on how to identify who should be considered. Out-going members, or long serving members who may have many more years of service to offer. Board to provide guidance. Should we also consider having never received a previous HNB award as criteria to have a larger pool of potential candidate? Thanks to Dawn, Todd, Mike, Bernie, Mireille and Heather for the work they have put in this. As mentioned in previous correspondence, we are fortunate to read the wonderful stories from amazing volunteers and / or students that are members of our organization. It is because of such dedications that we can pursue our activities in making a better New Brunswick through hockey.

Jacques

District 1 – Luc Martin

Here we are at the end of another hockey season. We had Six (6) community clubs in District # 1, five of which were active. The RESMAVIC Women's Hockey Community Club took steps to reorganize and be able to offer women's hockey in District # 1.

At the regional level our activities started in August and during the season we had 5 meetings, plus our annual meeting to be held on May 22nd. At our annual meeting for a third consecutive year we awarded two scholarship (Uni, André Lebel) to two (2) players that they probed enrolled at district level # 1.

On April 24, myself, District # 1 Vice-President Mark Cloutier and ROC 1 Jacques Poitras met with the leaders of the Upper Madawaska Community Club to discuss the possibilities and future of their association for improving youth in the High Madawaska.

The Atom, Initiation Programs District # 1 is in good health, the Novice and Atom levels have participated and disputed parts within District # 1. Pee Wee Levels at Midget District # 1 & 2 are again paired together to offer a competitive line A and C.

We have hosted two (2) area tournaments in our district, the competitive Pee Wee A, Grand Falls and the Bantam C in Edmundston. District # 1 hosted a provincial Pee Wee C tournament in St. Leonard. We had eight (8) teams that participated in various provincial tournaments, of which five (5) teams went to provincial finals. The Pee Wee Competitive A team from Grand Falls, Pee Wee C from Haut-Madawaska and the Bantam C team from St-Leonard / Ste-Anne have emerged as champions of their provincial tournament. Restigouche West's Pee Wee Compete B and Edmundston Bantam Competitive A teams lost in the final. One of the highlights for the St- Leonard / Ste-Anne Association was a first banner at the provincial level.

We offered one (1) coaching training course for a total of 24 people who took the training. In addition, four (4) training courses were offered for young officials in the region, at the official level there is a slight decrease in registration. Our district also made it very important for new parents to take the Parent Respect in Sport course and this was once again a success in our district. Congratulations to the associations for mandating the respect course.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers, the community club executive officers, the coaches and their assistant coaches, the various league leaders and all the parents who support the volunteers.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ROC 1 Manager, the officials, and all District 1 Executive Chairs for the great season we have accomplished.

District 2 – Craig Young

Our Novice initiative has gone very well again this season. Our model has been sent nationally through a Novice working group and the response has been positive. Several other provinces are adopting similar models for Novice hockey.

Membership remained around the same in all associations within District 2 this season other than Carleton Minor. This was due to females registering with Western Valley Female. We have a new Western Valley Female Association consisting of three teams, Atom to Midget. Securing ice time was a huge hurdle for the new association but I think the other associations have been accommodating.

We held another First Shift program out of Woodstock this fall. We had 26 participants take part. It was a positive experience again for both players and coaches. All but 3 or 4 have expressed interest or are currently enrolled in a minor hockey association in their area. I applied for another session for the fall to keep this venture alive.

One thing we are still looking at is district teams rather than association teams. Our A division teams from all associations are lacking in skillset to compete with other teams around the province and it has been noticed by our members. One possible solution could be to have a zone league for competitive A. Our leagues are dwindling in numbers of teams and by offering a zone league it would allow better competition for teams as well as a variety of teams to play. We are the only zone in the province that has not gone in this direction and we need to follow in their footsteps.

We held 2 zone events and one provincial tournament in District 2. All three were well received by all teams.

I would like to thank Vince Kilfoil, Andrew Bird and Gerald Smith for their contributions to their respective areas as they are outgoing presidents. Their time commitment, professionalism and hard work proved beneficial for the kids in their associations and was greatly appreciated. I have been voted in for another term as District Director and I am looking forward to continuing the work we have started in our part of the province.

Respectfully, Craig Young

District 3 – Hazel Wells

Total number of players 2292(up by 4) and total for volunteers are 479 (down by 201)

FYHA- 1110 minor members (down by 13 from last season) OMHA- 549 minor members (Oromocto and Tri County) (down by 4 from last season) York North- 331 minor members (Keswick and Stanley) (up by 4 from last season) York West- 101 minor members (down by 6 from last season) Grand Lake – 132 minor members (up by 7 from last season) Boiestown/Doaktown – 69 minor members (up by 16 from last season)

DRIS Parent is incomplete – York North Stanley 4 York North Keswick -1 Grand Lake -0 OMHA Tri County- 0 OMHA Oromocto- 2 FYHA- 11 York West- 1 Boiestown/Doaktown-4

FYHA hosted 2 1st shift programs this year – Fall session had 46 participants and 32 transitioned to teams in January (most of the remaining 14 lived outside of the city of Fredericton boundaries and could not pay the user fee) and the winter session also had 46 participants.

District 3 has 7 players and 2 coaches that were issues suspensions which will carry over to next season.

District 3 hosted Midget Zones as well as Midget Provincials this season District 3 is proud to say we had 4 winners for Provincials this season

Peewee AA FYHA Ice Dogs Peewee B North York Coyotes Bantam A North York Coyotes Bantam B FYHA Lions.

Grand Lake/OMHA/Keswick/Boiestown had all had there AGM’s to date Stanley will host theirs on May 14th and York North will be held on May 27th in Stanley. FYHA will host theirs on May 17th. Tri County will host theirs in May ( date TBD) York West will be hosting theirs on April 29th

Hazel Wells

District 5 – Jeff McLeod

• The roster approval process was difficult to manage. Not knowing how many teams are supposed to be registered in my district made the approval process more difficult. I received 4 teams seeking approvals in April. The association registrar informed me that they forgot to submit. Better system should be created to identify how many teams each association has participating. • Provincial playoff qualifications guidelines are open to interpretation and as a result one association appealed the decision that prevented one of their teams to attend based on league results (regarding host teams). Would suggest that the guidelines are updated to prevent this incident from occurring again. • Have requested that when associations are submitting their constitutions/operations manuals they call out any language that is not in line with HNB/HC rules. This issue arose as a result of affiliated players and it was brought to my attention that the SNBMHL along with the local associations prevent affiliated players from participating in games unless there is an injury or missing player. • Language determining who is a member should be addressed as the incident we encountered in District 5 this year will come up again in the fall during registration. The parent has informed me that they are planning to register with another association. • Quispamsis has been selected to host the U17 world championships with several exhibition games being hosted by local communities. • Lancaster and Saint John Youth recently hosted an exhibition game to raise funds for the Humboldt Broncos which was well attended. The Broncos responded with an email on the day of the event thanking the associations for their efforts.

Respectfully, Jeff McLeod

District 6 – Gerald Bannister

Another hockey is over and now the work starts for the 2018—2019 season. I would like to thank all the Community Clubs who held a level of Provincials and congratulate the winners.

This past season went by very fast and I would like to think it was because there did not seem to be a lot of problems and what problems we did have we answer them.

We now are the point of time when all the Community Clubs are having their AGM. Thank you to the out-going board members and thanks to the board members who are staying on for all your hard work and welcome to all the new board members. Just remember you are volunteering you service and time for all the hockey players in HNB.

It has been a pleasure to work with the members of HNBMC and looking forward to the new season A very special Thank You to Ray Carmichael for all the time he has given to our game of hockey Thank you the Nic and the staff at HNB office. Also to the Members of District 6 and ROC 5 Thank You.

Gerald Bannister

District 7 – Danny LeBlanc

I want to start first to say thanks to all the associations from District 7 and Also District 6 and all the league presidents in our zone for a great hockey season. Thank you for your hard work and I would like also to say thank you to all the Staff from HNB for all their help throughout the season. Couldn't have done without all of you.

2017-2018 season was a really busy one but went fairly good.

To all the volunteers here at the AGM today and for all those who couldn't make it I want to personally thank all for your time and your dedication you all put in for your association.

Sorry wasn’t able to attend this year!

Again thank you all!

Respectfully submitted,

Danny LeBlanc District 7 Director

District 8 – Bryan Cornish

Another season has come to an end, with mixed results in the Miamichi area. The competitive teams were, for the most part, not particularly competitive in the North Shore League, finishing in the lower half of the standings in all categories. For the first time an Atom team competed in the Central Atom League, they were generally competitive without winning too many games.

Many changes ahead in thec MMHC executive for next season.....we’ll have a clearer picture of what the future holds following the Annual General Meeting on May 7th.

Bryan Cornish

District 9 – Charles Albert

And yes another one is over and let's say it's been a pretty quiet year in terms of the amount of complaints received. No matter the quantity, the complaints can be summed up in a few sentences.

- The coach does not respect the Code of Ethics - Referees are bad and '' Homers '' - Some parents treat us unfairly - We lost because the other team broke rules

All this to say that the more it changes the more it's the same.

There has been a decrease of 44 registrations this year and in the last 7 years there has been a decrease of 149 registrations in District 9. From 987 to 538, a decrease of 22%. It's huge, but looking at the numbers for the province, we see that all regions except Fredericton are experiencing the same problem but at different levels. The decreases are in the range of 4% to 35% with a 7% increase in District 3.

Seven of our teams went to the Provincial Championships and although they did not win, they still did well. I congratulated them and asked them to give me a report on their respective championships. I have taken notes that I will bring to the May meeting of the Minor Hockey Council to modify the Provincial Championship Guide because even if it is closely scrutinized each year, there are still things that are being done. in different ways in the Province.

I take this opportunity to thank Mireille for her excellent work and wish her luck in her new adventure.

District 11 – Eric Pelletier

Another hockey season has concluded.

I would like to thank Restigouche north minor hockey, for a good season. There were many new faces on the executive of RNMHA and also on the executive of the North Shore minor hockey league.

Like in previous seasons, there were some issues, but they were dealt with And no major problems came out of it. The number of parents that did not do the respect in sports Course, was lower than last season. We only had to remove a few parents and kids from the rosters.

Karenne Levesque chaired the committee that hosted the Bantam AA provincials and did a fantastic job. The local team came up short in the final game and ended up with the silver medal. Way to go.

Only a few coaches and volunteers were removed from the rosters as they did not complete their online courses. Suspensions were down a bit compared to last year, however I have a problem with officials, that have different reports on the GIR’s and on the scoresheets. There has got to be a better Way of reporting the incidents.

Our female representative on the ROC, Brian Arseneault and his committee are working hard to have all female hockey teams next season. It looks very good, that there will be a few all-female teams next season.

Finally I would like to thank outgoing HNB President, Ray Carmichael, for all his years of service to hockey in New Brunswick, to outgoing NBMHC chairman, Todd Pye, for all his guidance over years, to Nic and all the staff at the office, to the other members of minor council and to ROC #8, who all work together towards a common goal, to make hockey accessible to everyone.

Have a good summer, see you next season. Eric Pelletier, district 11