HOCKEY MANITOBA AGM

April 29 - May 2, 2020

AGENDAS & REPORTS

Hockey Manitoba Annual General Meeting

April 29 - May 2, 2020 All meetings will be conducted via video conference call.

Wednesday April 29, 2020

6:30 pm Minor Council Meeting

8:00 pm Female Council Meeting

Thursday April 30, 2020

6:30 pm Senior Council Meeting

8:30 pm Junior Council

Friday May 1, 2020

6:30 pm Development Council Meeting

Saturday May 2, 2020

9:00 am Assembly Session

1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Moment of Silence and Special Recognition 4. Approval of 2020 Semi Annual Meeting Minutes 5. President's Report 6. Financial Report 7. Executive Director's Report 8. Hockey Development Report 9. Board of Directors' Reports 10. Council Representative Reports 11. Council Reports & Business Arising 12. Notice of Motions 13. Annual Meeting 14. Elections 15. Other Business

Board of Directors Meeting to follow

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Minor Council Meeting

Wednesday April 29, 2020

1. Call to order

2. Welcome & Introductions

3. Adoption of Agenda

4. Voting Procedures

5. Approval of Previous Minutes - Semi Annual Meeting

6. Manitoba U18 Hockey League – Update

7. U15 League Discussion

8. Provincial Playoffs a. 2020 Provincial Playoffs – Update / Review b. U11 / U15 c. U13 / U18, U15 AAA – Cancelled - 2021 hosts

9. 2020 Notice of Motions – review from Semi Annual

10. 2020 Notices of Motion - New motions submitted

11. 2020 Fall AGM a. Minor Council Agenda Items b. Season Opener suggestions

12. New Business

13. Election - Chair Rural Minor

14. Adjourn

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Development Council Meeting

Friday May 1, 2020

1. Call to order

2. Welcome & Introductions

3. Adoption of Agenda

4. Voting procedures a. Candidate presentations

5. Approval of Previous Minutes - Semi Annual Meeting

6. Officials a. Ref Camp model presentation b. Pathway update c. Mentorship/supervision d. Clinic changes - updates

7. Players a. Program changes  Female Peewee Prospects  Rising Stars/Rising Stars Plus  Director’s Cup  POE b. IP game management - discussion c. Development Zone coordinator program presentation d. AAA Bantam Showcase - format/purpose

8. Coaches a. IP mentorship update - next steps b. Atom hockey - focus group? c. NCMP update - next steps

9. Discussion items a. Growing the game - HDC’s role?

10. Election results

11. Adjourn

4

Female Council Meeting

Wednesday April 29, 2020

1. Call to Order

2. Welcome & Introductions

3. Adoption of Agenda

4. Voting Procedures

5. Approval of Previous Minutes – Semi Annual Meeting

6. Provincial Playoffs- Review, concerns.

7. Notice of Motions - review and vote.

8. Discussion on Eastman AA Female Peewee Pilot Project

9. Information and updates from Bernie or Dustin on programs.

10. New Business

11. Adjourn

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Junior Council Meeting

Thursday April 30, 2020

1. Call to Order

2. Welcome & Introductions

3. Adoption of Agenda

4. Voting Procedures

5. Approval of Previous Minutes - Semi Annual Meeting

6. League Updates

7. Notice of Motions

8. Procedures Moving Forward - COVID-19 concerns a. signing new players b. registration training c. player safety

9. Election

10. Other Business

11. Adjourn

6

Senior Council Meeting

Thursday April 30, 2020

1. Call to Order

2. Welcome & Introductions

3. Adoption of Agenda

4. Voting Procedures

5. Approval of Previous Minutes - Semi Annual Meeting

6. Chair Report

7. League Directors' Reports

8. Senior A Provincials

9. League Registrar Updates/Compensation

10. Notices of Motion

11. Confirmation of Chair Position

12. Adjourn

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President's Report

Thank you all for your attendance through Zoom, to our Hockey Manitoba 2019-20 AGM. These are very strange times with this pandemic passing through, so please be patient as we try to Zoom our way through the Annual Meeting. We'll deal with Council Meetings earlier in the week. Assemblies and budgeting process will be talked through on Saturday. Along with their regular day to day duties, our staff has again guided us through another very busy and exciting season. A huge thank you goes to our Hockey Manitoba staff members, board members and the hundreds of volunteers throughout this province who put in countless hours providing services to our membership. These groups unselfishly commit an enormous amount of time making the "game" better for our membership.

We continue partnerships with Cargill, WHL, MJHL, Sport MB, Canad Inns, Hockey Canada, Reebok/CCM, Scotiabank and others. These corporate sponsorships have provided us with over $100,000. Partnerships provide exposure and benefits to our branch. Again this year our branch marketing has been headed up by Scott, until he took a job with Hockey Canada in their Branch Engagement Department. Jessica has taken on some of Scott's responsibilities in the office. We welcome Jessica to the Hockey Manitoba team.

Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders continues to be accessed by Hockey Manitoba members with support from Sport Manitoba. This program continues to be provided at no cost to our membership thanks to Sport Manitoba. Most other provinces pay Hockey Canada to access this program. The Respect in Sport Parent Program continues to be very important with the education of parents.

Scott Furman left Hockey Manitoba after 17 years of service. He was hired by Hockey Canada to be a part of the Branch Engagement group. Scott will be in charge of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC and Hockey North. A very large part of Canada. We know that Scott will do a great job for Hockey Canada. He'll be missed by all of us. His knowledge and experience is hard to pass on. We wish him well in his new job.

Our own Hockey Manitoba governance continues to work well. It continues to be a work in progress with small changes being made to help us serve our membership better.

Our Hockey Manitoba website continues to receive numerous compliments. This site is very attractive and user friendly. Hats off to the staff for the work they do with this valuable communication tool. As well, as times change, the staff keeps the Hockey Manitoba news updated on the social media sites.

Hockey Manitoba has funds available for regions and associations to apply "to grow the game at the grass roots level" for both male and female. We encourage the regions to take the time and effort to promote the game and access some of these dollars.

Bob Caldwell was back again this year to head up our Coach Mentorship program. Thanks to Bob and Bernie for organizing these very valuable, free coach instruction sessions. Breakfast Clubs are staying around 30. There are around 20 schools running skills academies throughout the province.

Hockey Manitoba U16 male team competed in a tournament in early November in Calgary. The U18 female team competed in the Canadian Championship tournament in Morden & Winkler. Congratulations to the players that comprised our Hockey Manitoba teams, and a big thank you to the coaching staff and management for these teams and representing Manitoba very well. Also a big Hockey Manitoba thank you to the Morden & Winkler committees and volunteers for putting in the time and effort to host the U18 Female Canadian Championship. A job well done!!!

Every year we have Manitobans enjoying success with our Hockey Canada teams. Being such a weird year with the virus, some of the year end tournaments won't be held. Congratulations to the Manitobans that competed in the U18

8 and U22 female tourneys, U17 and U18 male tournaments, as well as the World Junior Championship and the Spengler Cup.

Brenda & I were fortunate enough to travel to the Czech Republic to take in the World Juniors this year. We left on December 23rd and arrived home on January 7th. We had some great tours on our days off, we were with around 3000 other crazy Canucks over there. And to top it all off we won gold. I'd recommend this trip to any hockey fan that would like to see a bit of Europe at the same time.

We missed out on our last weekend of provincials because of COVID-19 and Hockey Canada suspending, and then cancelling, the 2019-20 season. All provinces followed suit. Peter and I were involved in a number of conference calls with Hockey Canada preceding the ultimate decision to cancel. Thank you to the associations and their volunteers that were able to host provincials this year. And we're truly sorry that the 10 associations that were totally prepared for hosting provincial tourneys on the mid-March weekend, were not able to carry on with the tournaments. I know a lot of work goes into these in preparations and hopefully we'll all get back to a new normal soon.

Harvey Nichol was our Director of Officiating this year. The officiating program continues to be improved. Thanks to all officials for helping out at clinics, evaluations and mentoring. Thank you to all the on ice officials as well. The game can't be played without you. Good job!

Along with the sponsorship of Scotiabank, we hosted the Female Hockey Festival at the IcePlex again this year. Around 1500 females take part. Thanks to our office staff, board members and volunteers that helped out to make this successful event possible.

Again this season, we had some challenges to work on:

 cooperation of minor hockey with high school and sport schools, both male and female.  coach deficiencies  retention and attraction of participants and volunteers  Novice half ice with teams wanting to travel to US or SK to play full ice. Hopefully this is the last season we hear of this  parents and coaches being suspended or removed from their hockey privileges.

Challenges and changes are always difficult but pulling together will end up in positive results that will benefit our entire membership.

A special thank you to Peter, Scott, Bernie, Ashley, Bonnie, Jessica, Dustin, Saxon, Trevor, Lauren, Ezra, Charles and Erikson for their commitment and dedication to our membership and the numerous programs we run. Far too often we lay unwarranted blame on our staff and take for granted the work they do for us. We must remember they are carrying out the tasks decided upon by our membership. We welcomed Jessica, Saxon, Lauren and Ezra to our staff this year. They're fitting in really well and getting used to their new jobs with most of a year under their belts. Scott and Meaghan left us this year. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours. Thanks again everyone for a job well done!!!

I also need to thank my board members. Great job!!! Thank you for pitching in and completing your assigned tasks. Thank you to Bert, Ken and Ray for acting on the scholarship committee. To Brian, for heading up the nominating committee and for agreeing to sit on our board as a member-at-large for another season. Tony, for heading up the Development group. Chris, bringing your Hockey Winnipeg thoughts to our table is very important. Cal, for heading up Female Council. Ken, being in charge of Male Minor with Chris helping out. To Ray, for making sure all Senior hockey in our branch runs smoothly. To Dale, thank you for accepting the appointment of Chair of Junior, as the position was open after no one stepped up for election last spring. Finally to Bert, for travelling with Peter and I to Calgary for the Western Branch meeting and a meeting with the WHL, as well as heading up the financial committee. And to all helping

9 to make our events work, travelling to meeting and provincials, sitting on appeals. These tasks all take a lot of time and effort. Thanks, Board!!

We will be handing out our Hockey Manitoba official, volunteer and scholarship awards in conjunction with the regions again this year. Congratulations to all the award winners. I also want to thank the numerous volunteers for their selfless commitment, dedication and support of Hockey Manitoba and what it stands for. Volunteers make this organization. To those continuing, your efforts are appreciated and to those moving on to bigger and better things, all the best. Thank you! I attended a large number of league games of all categories again this winter. As well I traveled to provincials in LaBroquerie and St Malo.

The Hockey Canada AGM was planned to be in Winnipeg in late May. However, with COVID-19, it has been cancelled in person and will be done by teleconferencing as well. Hockey Canada hopes to return to Winnipeg in 2022 to hold the AGM.

We want to hear from you, the volunteers, how we can improve our meetings, schedules, on the way we're delivering our programs. There will always be things to work on and improve. I'd like to thank everyone for their patience and support as we work for the good of all hockey in Manitoba.

Since the hockey season was cancelled in mid-March, all of our year end programming ended as well. The staff have been working at home and teleconferencing as teams to keep moving ahead with their work. The Development program is being reviewed and many other tasks that have been put on the back burner have been brought out to be dealt with.

This being my last long report as your president I have a few reflections on my 8 years as your President:

Governance - We were patient and presented it many times to all the groups. We had the themes, education, communication, development, as areas we needed to deal with. The Season Opener meeting is a perfect example of the education and communication component. We've had 250-300 people at the Season Opener from associations all across the province so everyone has an opportunity to hear firsthand what we're doing and why we're doing it.

Initiation Cross-Ice - We went slowly with the program as well. Many nay-sayers to begin with but with some time to take in all the information and explanations why? It made sense and we moved forward. There are very few nay-sayers left.

Novice Half-Ice Hockey - Same thing as Initiation. Many nay-sayers at first. This is not hockey? A lot of explanation, communication, education and putting the structure of the program in place. We ended up being a couple years ahead of many other provinces. Now people can see the advantages and we have very few commenting that the Novice Half- Ice program is ruining the development program for their child.

We've expanded the office staff to meet the needs of all.

Development - Another initiative of our governance review. Development will always be a work in progress. How can we do a better job of the programs we have? Do we need more or new programs? How do we be efficient? This will always be something that the hockey world works on.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, many things in everyone's life have changed. Many questions. When will we get back to normal? What is the new normal? Staff working from home. Numerous conference calls. Adjusting our 2019-20 budget to reflect missing the last 2 1/2 months of the season. Putting together an uncertain budget with many questions needing to be answered. How many fewer participants will we have when we start up?

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It has been my pleasure and an honor serving as your President for my 8th and last season. With the help of everyone, Board, Staff and Volunteers, the season goes by in a flash.

We make a great Hockey Manitoba Team. Your support throughout has been appreciated more than you'll ever know. Hockey Manitoba has a great future. Incoming President, Bert, all the best and I'll always be close by to chat with or help problem solve. Incoming Vice President, Tony, all the best. You are a very good listener and problem solver. To incoming Chair of Minor, Dan Johnson, you'll do a great job. You're all well- respected people in the Hockey Manitoba community. With elections in Junior and Development, a new board will be formed for next season. I trust and respect all the individuals letting their names stand and I'm confident Hockey Manitoba will be in good hands moving forward. I'm going to ask incoming President Bert if I might be allowed to address the group to say my personal thank yous when we're allowed to gather again in our large meeting format. conference calls just aren't the same!

Respectfully submitted, Bill Whitehead

Past President's Report

I hope this finds everyone healthy and safe. Unfortunately our hockey season was brought to an abrupt end - hopefully we will be up and running come September. This past season my duties have been mostly appeals and hearings. I also was part of all Board Meetings and conference calls.

As my time on the Board comes to an end I would like to thank the membership for their cooperation over the past number of years. It has been a privilege to be part of Hockey Manitoba and I wish the new Board the very best. May all Minor Hockey, Junior Hockey, and Senior Hockey organizations enjoy the upcoming season.

Respectfully submitted, Brian Franklin

Executive Director's Report

Introduction

The 2019 – 2020 season began with Hockey Manitoba hosting the 7th annual “Season Opener” which attracted one of the largest attendance in the short history of the event including representation from over 75 minor hockey associations. The purpose of the event continues to provide increased education and training opportunities for our membership through a series of lectures, presentations and exposure to some of the top hockey minds in North America. The 2-day event coincided with our Fall Board meeting and consisted of presentations, discussion and information sharing. The lineup of impressive presenters included Matt Symes (The Future of Hockey), Dave King (Former NHL Coach – The Coach as a Leader), Linton Sellen (Leadership Training) and Allyson Tufts (Author - Behind the Glass). This continues to be a very valuable program to motivate our membership at the front end of the season and provides essential direction and updates on our program changes. Although we had already begun planning for the 2020 Season Opener, the residual from COVID-19 and the uncertainty of when we will be able to return to play, we have chosen to take a pause for this year's event and unfortunately we will not be hosting a Season Opener this September.

Four years ago, Tom Renney the CEO for Hockey Canada, proposed and tasked the Branches to reach 1,000,000 members by the year 2020. The current national membership is approximately 600,000 so we did not achieve the goal. In order to reach the goal all branches needed to identify a plan that focused on recruitment and retention and growing the game at all levels within their program which to date we have not collectively demonstrated and achieved very little 11 progress. This is a challenge for all branches but in order to continue to be viewed as world sporting leaders a concerted effort must be made at all levels of the system. Hockey Manitoba has made strides and chose to invest in this area but provide grants to our members as well as the appointment of a Coordinator, Grow the Game but we recognize that a much more concerted effort is needed. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the residual impact it will have on membership, recruitment and retention are now even more critical and we must collectively work together to establish an effective strategy in this area. Unfortunately we are completely in control of this process but reliant on the Government, Regional Health Authorities, School Divisions and Cities/Municipals when they plan to put the ice into the facilities. Without the full cooperation of all of the above groups we cannot confidently project whether or not the season will begin on time. We are monitoring the situation closely and are hopeful the extreme social distancing steps that we have adopted throughout Manitoba will pay dividends down the road and we will be able to return to the rinks on time in September.

Certainly the ongoing success of the Team Canada National Program is impressive and fills us all with pride, however elite players are only one aspect of our program and in order to reach the level that Tom Renney had proposed all membership levels must continue to grow in all categories. Traditional recruitment and retention methods must be examined for us to stay ahead of the curve and to simply rely on the recruitment practices that existed decades ago and expect registration to increase would be wrong, and a disservice to the game and our existing membership. Canadians are very proud of our success and association with the game and although we are intensively humble we must continue to explore all avenues to maintain our status as world leaders. Hockey Manitoba is certainly a sport leader in our Province but all areas of our program delivery must be examined, challenged and improved to continue to attract new members as well as retain our existing membership base. I am confident this is a challenge that should be central to our entire membership which we have identified as a strategic priority for the game to grow and together I am confident we will strive forward to advance our goal. The 2020 – 2021 will certainly be a challenge but with a strong staff and volunteer base I am confident that it can be achieved.

As Canadians we periodically reflect on the state of hockey in this country and rightly or wrongly two of the most common dates we focus on are early January and the 3rd week in June. These dates just happened to coincide with the conclusion of the World Junior Championship (WJC) and the NHL Draft, whereas if we win the WJC and we have the most players selected in the NHL draft all is good. This past January we witnessed two Manitobans (Cale Addison and Joel Hofer) represent Canada in the Czech Republic and enjoyed a very successful tournament by capturing the gold medal. Both players played an instrumental role in the team's success and all Manitobans and Canadians shared in their victory.

Although these WJC and the NHL are one of the tools that we use to measure the success of hockey in this country they do not accurately summarize all of the good things that we continue to do as we strive to improve and deliver the game to our members on a regular basis.

This is not to suggest that the NHL draft and the outcome of the WJC are not important to us as a nation, however it is equally or of even greater importance to celebrate the things that we do very well. Certainly the recent introduction and positive changes relevant to Initiation, Novice and the pending changes to the delivery model for the Atom Pathway should not be ignored, as well as the numerous national and branch programs designed for the benefit of our membership.

We also have to realize that hockey is now, more so than ever, clearly a global game and we have to respect that a number of countries are producing players at all levels. It is now even more important for Hockey Canada and the respective branches and the need to continue to strive to collectively grow the game at every level.

As indicated membership growth continues to be a challenge, which Hockey Canada has recognized and has responded by restructuring and introducing a new department and delivery model. With the addition of Hockey Canada’s new Engagement Department (HCED) it is imperative that we make every effort to align ourselves both organizationally and strategically with the National Governing Body (NGB), which has forced us to rethink our own staffing structure. The 12 mandate of the Hockey Canada Engagement Department was established exclusively to assist the branches in the delivery of our respective programs so that we can operate collectively as one cohesive unit, as opposed to 14 independent organizations, which may have suffered from the appropriate leadership and guidance necessary for consistent program delivery. The introduction of the HCED has helped to address Branch needs to ensure the sum is greater than the whole.

Programming

Unfortunately the bulk of development programming, play-offs and Provincial Championship were all directly impacted due to the early finish once Hockey Canada announced in the second week of March that the season was cancelled. Although this was extremely unfortunate for everyone involved in our program I hope everyone can agree this was the right thing to do by placing the health, safety and well being of our members and their respective communities ahead of the game.

Two major events, the TELUS Cup Regionals scheduled to be held in Virden April 2 – 5, 2020 and the Centennial Cup scheduled for Portage May 9 – 17, 2020 have been rescheduled. Virden will host the TELUS Cup Regionals in April 1 – 4, 2021 while the Centennial Cup will return to Portage to be hosted by the Terriers in 2023.

Congratulations to the Clare Agnew, Chair and the Towns of Morden and Winkler as they hosted the 2019 U18 Women’s National Championships in November. Although Team Manitoba did not enjoy the success that they had planned for, the operations and presentation of the event was a gold standard and the organizers and volunteers should be extremely proud of the excellent job their did in showcasing their communities and hockey in Manitoba.

Other than the cancelled program at the tail end of the season, Hockey Manitoba continued the staging of events including the IP Face-off throughout the province, Bantam Showcase, and Scotiabank Female Girls HockeyFest. Although around 60% of the Provincial Tournaments were able to be held they are a highlight of the season for our member and can be a significant fundraiser for host communities. Typically our collective Provincial host sites generate over $130,000 or $4,900 average per event.

The IP Face-off provided the opportunity for approximately 2500 IP players in over 20 different locations the chance to participate in a daylong activity in a fun, enjoyable and friendly environment throughout the early part of the season. In addition to the on ice component Hockey Manitoba offered an introduction presentation for parents. Hockey Manitoba also held three Female Bantam Showcase events and one for Bantam aged male players that proved to be very successful; and the Manitoba Cup Provincials scheduled for mid April had 85 teams ready to participate in 8 different divisions and was set to go prior to the cancellation due to COVID-19.

The Hockey Canada Bauer First Shift program continues to be offered throughout Manitoba with several organizations looking to host events. Each program includes/included full head to toe equipment, six weeks learning to play hockey focusing on fun while learning basic skills. The cost of the program is $219. Information can be accessed by visiting the Hockey Manitoba website.

The Dodge Caravan program attracted almost 90 teams throughout the Branch, which is consistent with last number of seasons with each participating team receiving $500 for displaying a company decal on the backs of their team jerseys. This program will be offered again in 2020 - 2021 with the registration information available in the early part of June.

The “Chevrolet Power of Play” continues to build a grassroots movement among the Peewee age group to inspire kids to reinforce the important values that are learned through the game. Coaches distribute a Most Inspirational Player Award at the end of each game based on players displaying the qualities that make us the best we can – teamwork, heart, leadership, fun and determination. Awards are not based on skill but rather based on the qualities that all team players can emulate. Hockey Canada’s season goal that was set at 2,500 coaches/teams participating throughout the country was achieved. The coach kit consisted of a Bauer hockey bag; lesson plans to support 10 inspirational words that will be 13 the mantra of the program; 20 branded pucks; tape ball starter kit; 25 pairs of laces and 25 rolls of tape. Part of the program is the challenge for all teams to give back to the community and a selected winner is awarded the Good Deeds Cup. Two seasons ago The Pas Huskies captured the awarded of $15,000 which they donated to Oscar’s House which is a shelter in the town of The Pas. The money was very much appreciated and without this donation they were in jeopardy and closing. The prize money was reallocated this year with the winner collecting a cheque for $100,000.

This season the SW Kings from Winnipeg were one of the 3 national finalists and received a cheque for $10,000, which they donated to the Reese Ketler Fund. Reese played for the St. Vital Vics in the MMJHL and suffered a tragic spine injury earlier this season.

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

Hockey Manitoba continues to be the trailblazers for the coaching mentorship program, as well as continuation of an online “Respect in Sport”. We are extremely fortunate to have Bob Caldwell working alongside and leading our staff in providing direction in the delivery of an outstanding mentorship program.

This past season we maintained the registration for officials using the HCR online system. The experience gained from piloting the program over the past 10 seasons has augured well for the continuation of the same format and it is encouraging to see our Branch take a leadership role in the advancement of the administrative management of the game. The 2019 - 2020 season also saw the continuation of online training for Safety and Coaching both of which were provided at a low cost as a valued added approach to the education and training of our members. This is not the case in most of the other branches throughout Canada whereby the online program is used as a revenue source to augment branch budgets. The addition of a full time staff member assigned exclusively to manage the officials program has been an important step in the evolution of developing officials for our program.

Not only have we enjoyed a varied and successful provincial program but Manitoba trained athletes and officials have represented their home province on the national and the international stage. Congratulations to all Manitoba athletes and officials who were selected to represent Canada or our branch over the past season.

The branch is fortunate to have an experienced staff, a mature volunteer base and strong community support in order to be able to host events and programs of this magnitude in an effort to enhance the quality of life in Manitoba. Hockey Manitoba continues to provide a healthy environment surrounded by peers and colleagues who are enthusiastic, conscientious and constantly striving to provide a positive and enjoyable experience for our members. Our sport does not remain without its challenges, which can be partially attributed in part to our enthusiastic and passionate base of associates.

Registration

Hockey Manitoba has just completed the 12th year of our online player and coach registration plan whereby we were able to enlist almost the entire membership base to assist with the management of the registration program. Our records indicate that we were able to activate almost full support from our membership by enlisting close to 100% of minor hockey associations with only one remote location being unable to participate. Hockey Manitoba still experiences limited registration challenges in some of our remote communities due to internet band width and availability and are exploring alternatives that will not directly impact the integrity of our program. Surprisingly Hockey Manitoba is the only provincial hockey organization that has mandated online hockey registration and is the envy of most provincial hockey partners in achieving this standard. 14

On a most encouraging note Hockey Manitoba once again continues to be placed in the upper portion of branches in the country for the early registration of players of the overall membership entries. We continue to witness consistent success each year, which is extremely encouraging since at one time Hockey Manitoba had been listed in the bottom half of all branches in Canada. Congratulations to all regions and associations in contributing to this impressive improvement and to Lauren and Ashley and the respective Regional Registrars (Hockey Winnipeg and Hockey Brandon) for managing this aspect of our program. The addition of Lauren, as a full time Registrar in our office, has assisted in the delivery and consistency of the registration process which has advanced our program.

Hockey Manitoba will continue to progress with the advancement and implementation of HCR training and understands and recognizes that we must continue to train new volunteers on an annual basis. With the Parent Respect in Sport and full implementation of online player registration the Hockey Canada Registry (HCR) continues to act as a player registration management tool and is an excellent resource for minor hockey associations. The online format has worked well in other parts of the country and provides a significant advantage for associations, regions and the branch to get a head start on membership data. Hockey Canada has recognized the need to upgrade the HCR system and expects to launch an improved and new system within the next 18 months. Hockey Manitoba assigned Ashley Fergusson to sit on the Hockey Canada Task Team to review the current system and Hockey Manitoba will be piloting the system once it is ready to be implemented.

Hockey Manitoba successfully introduced the Respect in Sport Parent program branch wide 4 years ago year with nearly a 95% compliance and is now a mandatory requirement for all branch members. It is important that all organizations embrace the online parent registration to assist the implementation of this program to ensure our members safety remains at the forefront. Hockey Manitoba will continue to offer the Respect in Sport for players again this season at no cost to membership.

We will continue to review and refine other online concepts, which has included player transfers and overage approvals. This was one of our major goals that we introduced during our 100th anniversary season and after some initial communication and growing pains has progressed favorably.

An initial snapshot indicates that registration numbers for the 2020 - 2021 season will be consistent with previous seasons but it is important to remain conscious on promoting the benefits of the game in order to attract and maintain membership stability. Geographical location, demographics and the rising cost of the game and negative internal and external publicity are certainly barriers that place limitations on expanding our membership base. The game of hockey has some challenges and a concerted effort from all stakeholders must be embraced if the game is to advance. The addition of Canlan, six seasons ago, as a member of Hockey Canada has certainly assisted in the growth of our program however it has also created some additional challenges with data compilation.

As the game of hockey evolves specific to playing, coaching and an administrative perspective we need to adjust our outlook and perspective and ask ourselves - do we still believe this is the best way to do this? Hockey Manitoba has made some significant strides in the delivery of the IP and Novice program that deviate from the traditional approach but have been accepted as being beneficial for our members. As the caretakers of the game we all have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives through the delivery of a balanced, exciting and enjoyable hockey experience. We have to remember who the game is for and apply our best practices at all levels and categories in order to ensure the experience is positive and rewarding.

Coaching deficiencies for delinquent coaches remains a mild concern and challenge for our volunteer registrars who have been tasked with managing membership entries. Our office has done an exceptional job in managing this aspect of our program but with the introduction of Safety and the Respect in Sport online certification courses in the past few years we continue to adjust. The final coaching deficiencies as of December 1, 2019 deadline were Safety 16, Respect in Sport 137, Coach 1 – 29, Coach 2 – 62 and Checking 23. Total deficiencies is 267 which is an improvement from last season. Congratulations to Lauren and Erikson for managing this aspect of our program. 15

Despite the office, regional registrars and minor hockey associations spending a tremendous amount of time in trying to ensure that all coaches are accurately tracked the policy cannot be policed unless all associations and regions are willing to support the concept of coaching certification. The adoption of having associations pay a supplementary fee if the coaches in their respective associations failed to meet the certification deadline continues to demonstrate a measured result that the policy is effective. Fewer associations each year take advantage of this policy but rather direct their coaches to be fully certified. Although some associations registered their concerns the option to remove a coach prior to the December 1st deadline remains in effect and if a program is managed properly no supplementary charges need to be paid. We still have a number of coaches taking courses but fail to be placed on a team roster. This continues to be a significant challenge and further education needs to be a continual focus. We need to introduce a method that creates greater education and awareness for all members applicable to the value of being properly and timely certified. In addition some association have failed to add coaches to their respective team rosters thereby exposing teams and coaches to participating as a non-member. This creates some insurance challenges and exposure for members who may believe they are registered. Hockey Manitoba will continue to exercise random audits to a select number of minor hockey associations and organizations to ensure there is registration compliance in respect to this issue.

Hockey Manitoba believes that coaching education and compliance is both valuable and important and we are hopeful that we will continue to see improvement in this area of our program. Coaching is the most important position within our organization. Coaches often have more impact on a child than any other adult, other than the child’s parents, and in some cases coaches can be even more influential than parents. It is important that we continue to provide the resources and direction to ensure that our coaches are prepared, educated and confident in the job they are doing.

One of the priorities of Hockey Canada and supported by Hockey Manitoba is the recruitment and retention of members and with the support of the new Membership Engagement Department we will continue to identify ways and means to address this issue. This is the collective responsibility of our entire membership and the sharing of best practices of programs that have demonstrated growth is one method that should be happily shared. Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada continue to both identify recruitment and retention as one of our major goals and strategic priories for the 2020 - 2021 season. Obviously member drop off is going to occur as players get older and the ownership to continue playing is transferred to them from their parents as they move towards adulthood. As a result it is important to ensure that the membership base continues to grow to avoid a drastic decline in overall growth.

It will be the collective responsibility of the Councils, Staff and Board to identify a forward path as a priority for recruitment and retention. We need to be realistic and understand that there is competition for recreational opportunities and that hockey needs to strive to remain a leader in membership recruitment.

Sport Manitoba

Hockey Manitoba has been in the new location at 145 Pacific Ave. in the new Sport for Life Building just over 10 years. The Sport for Life Center houses the administrative offices of all of the 70 plus PSOs in addition to the Sports Hall of Fame, Gym and Fitness center.

Hockey Manitoba received a grant from Sport Manitoba for the 2019 - 2020 year which has remained relatively consistent with previous seasons. The amount of funding is comprised of a base grant in the amount of $98,000.00, with additional funds distributed through the evaluation of each PSOs “Sport Development Funding” submissions. Hockey Manitoba continues to score high on the funding scorecard from Sport Manitoba. Sport Manitoba once again has rated Hockey Manitoba as the top ranked program amongst the nearly 70 provincially funded programs. Considering the game of hockey ranks 3rd in Canada in participation behind soccer and swimming we should be extremely proud of our rating.

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Executive Director’s Notes

The Western Branch Presidents met in Calgary in February to review mutual program concerns as well as meeting with the WHL. The Western Branches met to identify and review our respective programs and remain collectively committed to program growth. Unfortunately despite Hockey Manitoba’s opposition the Western Branches discontinued the Western Bantam Championships three seasons ago and our continued effects to re-activate did not receive the necessary support.

Although Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada continue to offer some of the best programs in the world we need to continue to grow our marketing and promotion strategy. The adoption of a new Hockey Manitoba logo nine years ago has clearly assisted in the marketing and branding of our program. Although we have not yet maximized our branding opportunities I am confident this area has additional potential. The purchase of our new display unit six seasons ago certainly improved our profile and is utilized at all significant Hockey Manitoba programs and events and has assisted in elevating our visibility and branding awareness. Along with our social media presence and regular weekly TSN slot to promote our program we remain confident of a strong brand image. Having said all of the above, too often members refer to our organization as the MAHA, which we have not been called in over 20 years. I am not sure if that is a product of age or simply we are not doing a good enough job of marketing ourselves.

Competition for members and the reduction of program costs must be the cornerstone of our focus, and are important concerns that cannot be ignored if the sport is to grow. Hockey is the sport of choice for nearly 35,000 Manitobans and we need to maximize our resources, in order to not only maintain this figure but to attract new members at all levels of the system. With the exclusion of soccer the remaining 69 PSOs in Manitoba combined do not achieve the same level of membership as those that are playing hockey so it is obvious the high level of importance of the game to Manitobans is important.

Hockey Manitoba continues to demonstrate a strong growth in regards to sponsorship recruitment but feel that there are additional opportunities available to complement our success. There are extensive options available to youngsters and hockey needs to project a positive image to advance and attract new members on an annual basis. Hockey is an expensive sport, therefore any budget relief that we can provide to membership to offset annual dues should be one of our desired goals and outcomes. Our sport will always be unfortunately highlighted in the news for some of the wrong reasons but that should not discourage us from continuing to provide a positive and structured program for our members. It is unfortunate that the media appears to gravitate towards negative reporting but it is our responsibility to ensure they are aware of the significant positive and rewarding opportunities that are available through participation in the game.

Challenges for 2020 - 2021

Unfortunately our resources will continued to be challenged due to program expansion and the increased costs of operation but I believe Hockey Manitoba continues to offer an outstanding opportunity and one of the most affordable member programs in Canada.

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

Regional issues and a global perspective continue to have a direct impact on partnership programs as an ongoing challenge for Hockey Manitoba. Support must be embraced by organizations, associations and regions to address similar concerns for the benefit of the overall good of the program. Constant communication and cooperation for the benefit of the game must be maximized if the game is to receive the by-products of a concerted effort by staff and volunteers. Changing demographics must be taken into consideration in digesting the participation and formation of 17 teams to help service the views and philosophy of our membership. It is vital that each stakeholder thinks beyond their localized area in order to receive the greatest return. Boundaries will invariably be reviewed in order to provide the necessary balance for our entire membership to be able to compete on level playing field.

Respect at all levels needs to remain a strong focus for our entire membership. It seems to be an eroding concept not only in our sport but throughout society and as an organization we need to address this aspect of the game. Too often respect is given lip service and has a tumble down effect on the overall operation of the game and we need to elevate our standards. Racism is a concern that needs to be addressed and it is the responsibility of all members of our program to conduct themselves in a manner that is void of this behavior.

Volunteers are an integral component of our program and their contribution and voice in the decision making model will remain important. Our evolving governance structure will continue to recognize volunteer contribution and the adoption of a more development focus model will have tremendous long term benefits for the management of the sport. I believe we have made significant progress in addressing this issue.

Finally, Canada is no longer the owner of the game of hockey and we can’t simply show up and they award us the gold medal. I repeat, the most important person in our program is the coach and we need to provide them with the tools and resources in order to ensure the players are stimulated and are having fun. The changes that have been introduced for IP and Novice players to participate on a reduced half ice playing surface is a significant step and will clearly assist players development but in order to achieve success a consistent message of the advantages must be delivered to ensure branch compliance.

Certainly the major concern is how and when we will be able to return to play following the COVID-19 pandemic. This is unprecedented in all of our lifetimes and it is difficult to predict when we will be able to return to normal. The best we can do is be prepared and as a staff and organization that must remain our focus. This is a great game that provides opportunities, enjoyment and positive experiences and I am confident we will all come out of this stronger, resilient and kinder. Looking forward to see you around the rinks in September.

Summary

I would like to thank the President, Board of Directors, Regional Registrars, Sponsors and our strong office staff for their continued support and help that they have provided to the Branch operation over the past year. It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with everyone to meet the daily challenges for the benefit of our great game. In addition I would like to thank all the volunteers who will not be returning next season. The Branch acknowledges your support, effort and unselfish commitment and your contribution to the game has been appreciated. The game is clearly better from your involvement.

Respectfully Submitted, Peter Woods

Financial Report

With the balance of the 2019 - 2020 hockey season officially cancelled on March 13th we had an advanced opportunity to close the books for the fiscal year end of May 31, 2020. In addition to the budget, we are currently working on the reconciliation process for all membership fees and will be preparing for the year-end process and annual audit over the coming months.

The audit will be scheduled in early-mid September and the financial statements will be presented at the 2020 Fall Council meeting.

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2019 - 2020 Projections & 2020 - 2021 Budget

We are circulating the following information to all representatives at the meeting:

 2019 – 2020 Budget/Projections  2020 - 2021 Budget  2019 - 2020 and 2020 – 2021 Notes

All representatives are encouraged to review the information and forward any questions or concerns to the Vice President, or Executive Director. The 2020 - 2021 budget will be reviewed during Saturday's Assembly session with final adoption by the Board of Directors on Saturday afternoon following the morning Plenary session. As indicated the budget information includes detailed notes on all revenues and expenses, explaining variances for items to assist in the understanding and clarification of our financial forecast, budget process and financial position. We welcome questions during the review on Saturday, and of course at any time moving forward.

We are currently projecting a surplus of ($1,894.42) in 2019 - 2020, with a $10,000 contingency remaining in place. While there are fluctuations in a variety of budgeted areas, as has been the case periodically in the past, unbudgeted funding received from outside sources, particularly Hockey Canada, would typically have the greatest an impact on the fiscal year, however the finish to the 2019 – 2020 season was anything but a typical year. The cancellation of the 2019 – 2020 season on March 13th reduced our projected revenue by ($613,730) while our corresponding expenses were compressed by ($615,625). This projection is based on information at this time, however we have not yet completed our reconciliation, which may further impact the final figures once we have completed the audit in September of this year.

It is very important to note that we were not required to apply any anticipated transfer of unrestricted funds ($75,000) to offset budget expenses this year that were contained in the approved 2019 – 2020 budget. This in essence allowed us not to deplete any of our reserves, thereby allowing us the ability to positively maintain our current portfolio balance.

Overall revenues for 2019 - 2020 are projected to be ($2,631,619) while expenses are projected at ($2,629,725).

The submitted 2020 - 2021 budget is balanced as per branch policy, and as communicated at the Semi Annual Meeting, includes no Hockey Manitoba membership fee increases. However, with rising costs and the challenging and expected residual from the aftermath of the COVID-19 a number of necessary changes are being proposed in order to achieve a balanced 2020 – 2021 budget.

Please refer to the Budget Notes document for an in depth look at all revenues and expenses. A number of key items, which will be outlined during Assembly, are as follows:

 ($75,000) transferred in from our unrestricted fund balance (current balance is $541,215.42), NOT including any anticipated surplus from 2020 - 2021)  Investment of ($25,000) in Grassroots Development Funding Grants (continue program from last year)  Projected 10% reduction in minor hockey membership retention due to COVID-19 and the possibility of a delayed Return to Play  Retention of full WHL development fees previously currently split 50/50 with the players last registered team/MHA and Hockey Manitoba  Interruption/paused for the 2020 – 2021 in person Season Opener  Adjusted budgeted amounts in areas such as Grow the Game initiatives, Grassroots Goaltender Development, Coach and Officials Mentorship/Support, Best in Class Development programs, etc.

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Overall revenues and expenses for 2020 - 2021 are respectively presented at ($3,019,830) ($3,019,484) effectively imparting a balance budget.

We remain on target entering the 2nd year of a 5-year strategic plan approved by the Board of Directors in 2019. These priorities serve as the foundation for organizational structure and allocation of resources to ensure we spend or invest in areas that will have the greatest impact to our membership. We have also aligned our strategic plan with Hockey Canada's where possible. As we move forward, we will always look to our strategic plan as the guiding document when making decisions.

Despite the challenges we encountered the past season due to the early termination of the season, we have been fortunate in that we have received funding from outside sources not necessarily planned for, or have managed to mitigate costs in various areas. This has resulted in an approx. ($230,000) operating surplus over the past three years not including this year. What remains key is to ensure we begin to use our surplus funds wisely and discussions will remain ongoing (i.e. Use of Surplus Funds).

As we consider a more long term outlook over the next 4 or 5 years, despite the potential for required membership fee increases at some point, our goal, which we believe is attainable, is to cover most of our costs annually through our operating budget, while making use of a limited share of our unrestricted surplus funds in meeting strategic priorities, supported by our membership and approved by the Board of Directors. We will also work hard to obtain additional revenue sources (sponsorship, advertising, fundraising, retail, events, grants).

Investments

Our current overall investment balance as of March 31, 2020 is ($777,303). All of the branch's GICs are now held with Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU), and we have managed to increase our interest revenues through higher rates over the past year. The Admin & Finance Committee and Senior Staff will review and make the necessary re-investment decisions on behalf of our organization. It should be noted that approx. 85% of our investment value is allocated to branch internally restricted funds including Heritage Fund, Legacy Fund, Building Fund, Contingency Fund, Risk & Safety Fund and Mentorship Fund.

Sponsorship

We continue to enjoy ongoing successful Official Partner agreements with Canad Inns, CCM Hockey, Play it Again and Cargill Ltd. Cargill Ltd. renewed their sponsorship for an additional 3 year term in February, while negotiations with Canad Inns and Play it Again Sports remain ongoing but have been unfortunately interrupted due to COVID-19. Although Hockey Manitoba enjoys a very positive relations with both Play it Again Sports and Canad Inns it is difficult to predict the renewal outcome at this stage until we have a better idea when hockey will return to play in 2020 – 2021. We also continue to maintain strong partnerships with the Western Hockey League, Manitoba Moose, MB Hockey Hall of Fame, Esdale Printing, Budweiser, MTS Iceplex, Aaltos, Tavern United, among others. Our sponsorship revenue is fairly stable and with additional assets and opportunities moving forward we should reach approx. $102,000 in annual revenues this fiscal year.

Grassroots Support

Hockey Manitoba outlined a commitment to grassroots hockey at the 2017 Season Opener, and we were moderately pleased with the success of the funding program this year. Most of the applications submitted were approved, and a total of approx. ($20,000) was granted to various Minor Hockey Associations across the province for grassroots and goaltender hockey development initiatives. Hockey Manitoba is committing ($25,000) in funding support this year through our Development Legacy Fund, and information will be forwarded to everyone in mid-June.

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Special thanks to Bonnie Lawson for her commitment and diligence in helping to manage the Branch Finances, as well as all staff, Board of Directors, Council Representatives and the thousands of dedicated volunteers across Manitoba that contribute countless hours for the betterment of the game. We also fondly remember those that we have lost over the past year.

As always we welcome your questions and comments in regards to the budget or any financial aspect of our organization, and look forward to a productive Annual Meeting.

Respectfully Submitted, Peter Woods, Executive Director, & Bert Dow, Vice President

Vice President's Report

Well these are certainly challenging times for all of us, either in the work place or at home. For those that are either essential services or front line workers….Thank You!

As all are aware the hockey season ended abruptly and for some without closure, however it was the right call considering the circumstances. Since the Semi Annual meeting I was involved in a couple of discipline hearings, attended some provincials tournaments and attended the Western Branches Presidents meeting in Calgary with Peter and Bill. The clear message from the Western Branches is how we will enhance player experience and recruitment. In regards to player experience, we all agreed the importance of the Coach as a leader and making hockey fun for the player.

My hope is once the pandemic is behind us, we can get back some form of normalcy and we can begin to plan for a new season of hockey within in our communities, until then please remain vigilant, stay safe and most importantly remain healthy.

Respectfully submitted, Bert Dow

Chair of Hockey Development Report

Hello everyone - amid this pandemic crisis, hoping you and your family are well. As many of us continue to work from home, it has provided some extra time for reflection and planning.

Proposed changes to Female Peewee Prospects, Rising Stars/Plus, and Director’s Cup will be presented to our council during these meetings. Over the years it has become apparent that the delivery of our programs is difficult to execute. Geography and available qualified volunteers has made it difficult for some regions to effectively deliver these programs. The new model presented alleviates some pressure and obligation to the regions as well as improving the overall experience for our players. The goal of these programs remains the same but these changes allow for a shorter, intense event that provides education, quality learning situations, and competition for all. These events will be run directly by Hockey Manitoba and allows for all players/coaches involved to receive instruction from our best available Development mentors.

Thanks to Brent Poplawski and Landon White who will make presentations to our council during our meeting. Brent will share Hockey Winnipeg’s Novice Development zone program along with Landon’s “Ref Camp” model. Hopefully these presentations will inspire HDC reps to take some ideas and potential improvements back to their home regions.

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As I enter my last meeting as chair of HDC, I’d like to thank Bernie, Dustin, and the rest of the office staff who work in Development and have supported our efforts over the last number of years. More importantly, I’d like to thank the volunteers who have given so much of their time to the development side of hockey in this branch. Bob Caldwell and Harvey Nichol have been instrumental; along with all the regional representatives who have attended HDC and contributed to the gains and improvements we’ve made for our players, coaches, and officials. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to work in HDC and all the great volunteers in our branch. As Vice President, I will do my best to offer continued support to HDC, as well as learning and working with other councils and the overall business side of the branch.

And finally, a special thanks to all of you out there working to provide essential services to the people of Manitoba.

Respectfully submitted, Tony Franklin

Hockey Development Report

Coach Development

Following the Semi-Annual Meetings the Coaching program turned its focus to the High Performance 1 and Development 1 written assignments and field evaluations.

Of the 35 Coaches that attended the 2019 High Performance 1 seminar last July, 30 completed the online evaluations and submitted their written assignments. The submission deadline for the written assignments was November 30, 2019. Several coaches were granted deadline extensions due to extenuating circumstances.

Of the 30 assignments submitted 29 received passing grades and moved onto the final stage of the High Performance 1 certification process, the field evaluations. Considering many of the assignments were submitted and marked before the New Year it allowed the opportunity for some to schedule their field evaluations in the second-half of the season. 8 coaches completed their field evaluations, all of which passed and therefore completed the entirety of their High Performance 1 certification. These Coaches are now considered “Certified” in High Performance 1 and must shift their focus to certification maintenance as part of Hockey Canada and the Coaching Association of Canada’s (CAC) effort to promote continuous learning amongst high performance Coaches.

There was also an emphasis on evaluating outstanding High Performance 1 Coaches from years past. We identified 12 Coaches that belong to this group and managed to evaluate 5 of them this season. This will be an on-going process as we want all High Performance 1 Coaches to have the opportunity to be evaluated.

Hockey Canada and the CAC classify Development 1 Coaches as high performance Coaches, meaning they too must also go through the field evaluation process. This season we were able to evaluate 9 Development 1 Coaches. This initiative will continue to be an emphasis for the Coaching program moving forward and we hope to see this number grow next season.

In light of the situation surrounding COVID-19, planning for the 2020 clinic season will resume as normal. Regions have been contacted directly regarding local facilitator recruitment in order to better serve the province. If you are aware of any candidates for the clinic facilitator position you are encouraged to notify Erikson.

The plan is also to begin scheduling clinic dates. We realize this may be a difficult task to accomplish considering the level of uncertainty with facilities but these conversations need to be had. As we did last season, proposed dates will be

22 sent to your Regional representatives in the coming months. In the event in-person clinics are deemed unsafe, alternative options will be explored.

Player Development

After a very successful first full season with the Hockey Canada mandated Novice Half Ice program, we have received more good feedback on improvements to the Novice Half Ice program. We will look to see how the Atom Season structure rolls out next fall.

With the recent developments and the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019-2020 season, three of our four major development programs were outright cancelled. The Directors Cup Prospects, Female Peewee Prospects and Rising Stars Plus program and tournaments have been under review for some time now and a new direction will be discussed at this meeting. We hope with some potential changes going forward we will be able to continue providing top quality programming to our athletes and coaches.

The Male U16 POE Top-116 Selection had occurred and athletes were invited (based on our scouting reports). Since the cancellation of the season we have had several staff calls about possible selection camps, etc. Without any definitive start up dates we have explored a number of scenarios and await word on what can be executed to select our team.

Both the U16 and U18 Female POE Spring Camps were cancelled due to COVID-19 with the cancellation coming prior to invitations being sent out. The U18 coaching staff have been meeting every two weeks for calls and re-evaluating the direction going forward. As soon as we are given the go ahead a new camp/program structure will be rolled out for 2020 and we will get back to running top level female high performance programming in Manitoba.

Officials Development

With the season ending early this year we were disappointed to miss out on some development opportunities for officials but are pleased with the events, programs and initiatives we were able to run in the shortened season.

One in particular is the on ice Atom mentorship operated by the Pembina Valley and Westman South regions this season, this was the third season for PV and first season for WS. For young officials just starting a officials coach was placed on the ice to help build more confidence and to help answer any questions young officials may have. The coach is not to call penalties but only act as a mentor for the officials. It’s designed so that young officials don't let the mentor take over the game by calling penalties but by being encouraged when making calls, and talking with coaches.

During the clinic season an emphasis was put on the idea of “how are we able to engage more clinic attendees”. With the help of the ODC we have attempted more engagement seeking more questions from all those that have attended. This was done in hopes of having more officials prepared when they start their first few games.

Hockey Manitoba also ran a level 4-5 upgrade clinic in Winnipeg during early September. This clinic is designed to introduce new officials to the high performance section of our officials development. The upgrade clinic is a weekend highlighted with speakers addressing topics such as conflict management, dealing with stress, and nutrition. There was also on ice sessions to work on skating technique along with classroom sessions studying the rulebook. We saw over 25 officials selected and attended the weekend.

While identifying young promising officials is expected throughout the year, our two major tournaments are the Bantam AAA Showcase and Female Showcase in October and December. Hockey Manitoba asks regions to nominate and send officials to Winnipeg for the weekends. While in Winnipeg the officials are given games to officiate, supervisions and mentorships and also classroom time allowing them to grow and have a better understanding of what they need to improve and become “elite” officials. Once the weekends have completed the goal of the program is to follow up with the officials to see how they are developing and progressing. 23

Throughout the season supervisions are occurring throughout the province in each region. Local mentorships are taking place as well as trying to identify elite prospect officials in hopes of reaching the highest levels.

For female hockey events hosted by Hockey Manitoba, we made an effort to assign and schedule more young female officials to work the games and to be supervised by high level female officials.

With the season cut short, one new initiative we were unable to run was the male and female Bantam AAA Provincials. New to this season we asked regions to nominate potentially future high performance officials to work the weekend’s games. Officials would be supervised and instructed on their strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement. This weekend will hopefully run in future seasons to award young promising officials who have been recognized and earned a spot in the high performance officials program.

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

Chair of Senior/Adult Rec Hockey Report

Senior AAA - 3 teams initially declared for Allan Cup play, SE Prairie Thunder. Norway House Bruins and St. Anne Aces. Unfortunately, St. Anne withdrew citing player shortages. SE Prairie Thunder and Norway House played a best of five series that the Thunder won easily. Rosetown then withdrew leaving the Thunder an opportunity to advance to the Allan Cup. Hockey Canada shut down all activities prior to the Allan Cup.

Senior A Provincials - Unfortunately, there wasn’t an opportunity to try the new playoff format. Only one league was able to declare a Champion in a single game, winner take all format. Thank you to the League Reps for their support throughout these trying times!

Many Thanks to Ashley and Lauren for guiding the various League Registrars through a 1st year . Excellent job Ladies!!!

I have submitted my name for another term as Chair of Senior/Adult Rec. Hockey and am looking forward to working with the various Senior Leagues and Teams in our Branch.

Respectfully submitted, Ray Brethour

Chair of Junior Hockey Report

The 2019-2020 season began as always with the hope of a competitive year for all teams. By the standings on the websites of the various leagues, this goal was being achieved with many close races in the point standings.

In addition, Portage la Prairie was slated to host the Centennial Cup, Hockey Canada’s National Junior A Championship. All the above were brought to a sudden halt on March 13, 2020 when all hockey activities were ceased across Canada. What the future looks like for all levels of organized sport is unknown.

As always, I offer huge congratulations to all the volunteers that contribute their time and talent to allow hockey to survive and thrive in Manitoba.

Respectfully submitted, Dale Fossay 24

Chair of Minor Hockey - Rural Report

Welcome everyone to a new format for the 2020 AGM to discuss and wrap up another season.

This spring we held our Atom and Bantam Provincial Championships throughout the province, congratulations to all the hosts, community volunteers and everyone who worked to ensure their success. Thanks to all the people who stepped up as Branch reps at these championships. And congratulations to all teams who participated, did well and had fun participating. Our thanks to the Hockey Manitoba staff Trevor, Ashley, and Lauren for their work in coordinating the championships and the day to day work on our Provincials.

Our Peewee, Midget and Bantam AAA Provincials were unfortunately cancelled, our thanks to the hosts for all the work they had done in preparing for their respective Championships.

This was the second year under the new format for team placements, there was confusion, but things progressed relatively smoothly, and by all accounts was well received. There are still concerns on affiliation and how it is being used. We need more discussion on the purpose and what we need to do so it is used for the purpose it was created for and to ensure fair play.

At the Semi Annual Meeting, we passed several motions, so as a reminder please ensure you update your Regional Associations and the members on those changes. We are also being tasked to discuss and consider 10 new motions this weekend.

This season I participated in numerous Registration, Discipline and General Dispute hearings using the new format. It is so important that all parties ensure that they submit all pertinent information in advance of these hearings. The Committees review, listen and base their decisions on the what is submitted/presented, and they want to ensure that any decision they made is based upon all the information that is available.

The Fall Board meeting will also need agenda suggestions, possible Notices of Motion, and any other items you would like discussed. Please let your chairs know so that they can plan the agenda. In addition, if you have any topics that are of interest and could be part of the Season Opener please let the office know.

My thanks to everyone for your continued work on behalf of Minor Hockey, The Board of Directors, Regional Boards, Minor Hockey Associations and the entire Hockey Manitoba office staff.

It has been a great pleasure to serve as the Chair of Minor for the last 12 plus years.

To the new Chair of Minor, I am always available next season if you have any questions or require clarification on anything.

To all the staff of Hockey Manitoba who worked with Minor these past seasons, my sincere appreciation and thanks for the outstanding work you continue to do daily, please call or email at any time.

Hope everyone has a great summer and your future seasons will be even more successful.

Respectfully submitted, Ken Gladden

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Chair of Minor Hockey - Winnipeg Report

I have attended all of the Hockey Manitoba in-person and telephone meetings over the past year, missing only the first evening of the board planning session last June.

With the changes to how hearings have been conducted this season, I only participated in one or two and found this to be a more efficient model.

The number of parental complaints received in Winnipeg and some from the rural areas seem to have increased again this past year and are very time consuming to administer. Hockey Winnipeg had its first season with double aging at Peewee and had some obstacles to overcome with the number of teams at this age however, with the work of our VP Programs, Guy Jeanson, everything ran very well and we have some learnings to carry forward to next season.

The abrupt end to the season created some challenges in Winnipeg as it did for the rest of the province. Hockey Winnipeg thought that due to the situation it was not fair for our officials and timekeepers to lose out as a result and all games that were already assigned were paid. All of the burnt ice that resulted was also paid.

Hockey Winnipeg closed its office to the public and had staff in the office on a rotational basis until the province issued the health order closing all non-essential business. Since then our staff have been working from home and maintaining their regular duties.

Let's hope that we get past this pandemic quickly and our 2020/2021 season gets underway as scheduled. Keep Safe!

Respectfully Submitted, Chris Hall

Chair of Female Hockey Report

Welcome to our crazy world, I hope everyone in all of our hockey communities are safe and healthy. To date we have had some trying times and dealt with issues we have never dreamed of. I would like to thank all of our frontline workers for everything they have done and continue to do on a daily basis.

Our hockey world was turned upside down in very short order. As we go forward there will be many challenges to face in the months to come. I believe with everything we have been doing to prevent the spread of this virus, we will come out sooner than later. We will all look forward to getting outdoors and doing whatever we can.

To all the teams that were able to compete and become provincial medalists, congratulations. For the teams that never got the chance to play in the provincials, I understand your frustration and disappointments. I do believe that we did the right thing, cancelling the season at that point.

Let us all stay healthy and safe and look forward to another season of hockey in September.

Respectfully submitted, Cal Harrison

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Minor Council Report - Interlake

WOW! What an unexpected finish to the season. The 2019-2020 season brought about some positive changes, controversy, challenges and a lot of learning by the new board, including myself as Director.

The Initiation Jamboree was hosted in Arborg and was a success. Special thanks to Arborg Minor and Tom Chwaliboga for helping and supporting the jamboree. A total of 213 Initiation players participated. Saxon Miller from Hockey Manitoba also attended, with shwag for the players, and put on a very good presentation to the Initiation parents.

In IMH Novice hockey we had 18 teams in the Interlake. Interlake held two jamborees this season. One jamboree started the season off, which hosted in Stonewall and one jamboree ended the season which was hosted by St. Laurent and Lundar. The October jamboree was attended by all Novice teams from the Interlake. The yearend jamboree was not as well attended as IMH had to change the date of the jamboree due to Hometown Hockey hosted in Peguis FN. Thank you to the communities who hosted.

Atom hockey saw 278 total participants (65 female and 213 male) making up 20 teams throughout the Interlake. This year we doubled rostered the Female Atom players playing on club teams and formed a Female Atom team. The team, Interlake Bulldogs, played out of the Pembina Valley league. This season IMH changed the Atom playoff format to tournament style held over one weekend. Some issues were brought forward from the playoff format that will be addressed for the upcoming season. The players that we spoke with had fun and the concept overall was well received. The winner of Atom A playoffs – Warren Green. Stonewall won Atom B playoffs and St. Laurent beat Fairford to win Atom C.

IMH had 296 Peewee players forming 19 teams. Peewee teams play the season region wide. This season we had one female Peewee team from both Fisher River FN and Peguis FN communities. These two female teams participated in in our IMH league play. This is the third season for the female Peewee team in Peguis FN. Peewee A and B playoffs came to an abrupt end with the Covid-19 virus. Peewee C was won By Gimli.

In Bantam, we had 59 female and 159 male. In Midget hockey, we had 54 female and 152 male with 8 and 6 teams respectively. The season went well with a few issues. We had one Female Midget AA team, hosted by Stonewall playing in Hockey Winnipeg and one Female A Midget team in Peguis FN. We need to find a solution for league play for the female Midget from Peguis FN.

Our Regional teams, Male – Bantam AA, Bantam AAA, U17 Prep and U18 Provincial, Female – Bantam AAA and U18 AAA. Player numbers in the Interlake continue to struggle to ice these teams, especially our two female teams and our U17 team. Thank you, Darren Bond and Liam Wheddon, for your hard work and what seemed like endless phone calls at the beginning of the season to help put together our regional teams! As a board we feel these teams/programs are vital to the Interlake region for continued development of our athletes.

A huge thank you to my executive for their support and hard work throughout the season and to Jay Charison for his guidance as past president.

Respectfully submitted, Dave Underwood

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Minor Council Report - Norman

Not much to report as very quiet in Region with the COVID-19 isolation.

Norman Region completed its regional playoffs as planned.

Norman will be reimbursing fees for our Elite camps and picking up the costs.

Norman Midget League was able to complete their playoffs before the Cancellation of the season.

I am still working to attract another new association, but the regulations are a big hurdle in remote communities. Lack of internet and so much on-line bureaucracy. Also, was a little disappointed in the HCR database consistency.

Norman is looking at feasibility of combining Spring and Fall AGM. Pending COVID-19.

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

Respectfully submitted, Ron LaRocque

Minor Council Report - Parkland

PMHA implemented a variety of programming this past season, including:

 Identified a local Mentor/Lead for IP, although late in the season. We hope to have this person in place again at the start of next season to better support local U7 and U9 programs/coaches, etc.  We were able to deliver Coaching 1, 2 and Checking clinics in the region.  We provided funding to support and subsidize skating/skill development clinics for our MHAs and AAA programs.  We delivered Development Weekend programming and tryouts for the regional development programming.  PMHA offered male U18 and U15 AAA programs along with a Female U15 AAA program (dual rostered). At total of ten (10) U18 female players from Parkland region participated in the Yellowhead and Central Plains Female U18 AAA programs.  The Parkland Minor Hockey League continues to operate and provide a local league in the Parkland for teams U13 and younger.

Our AGM is set to occur on April 20th via ZOOM technology.

We thank all volunteers for their dedication and contribution to the game of Hockey and a safe return next fall.

Take care all.

Respectfully submitted, Phil Fafard

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Minor Council Report - Westman South

Interesting times. Aside from the pandemic thing going on that caused an abrupt end to the season, things are going pretty well. If we look at things in a positive way, the Jets are still in the playoff hunt. You couldn’t say that last year at this time as they were exiting the 1st round.

At this time, I would like to thank a number of people of our region who help to make thinks run smoothly in Westman South:

Development Coordinator – Brad White Female Council – Derek Shearer Referee Coordinator – Landon White Secretary-Treasurer – Frank Bennett

As well, I would like to thank:

Chair of Minor Council – Ken Gladden – thank you for all the work you have put into this position over the past few years and good luck with all future endeavors. Chair of Female Council – Cal Harrison Chair of Development – Tony Franklin – thank you to, Tony, who has stepped down from Development to take over as Vice-President. Best of luck.

I would like to thank the members of the minor hockey boards in each of our communities. It was generally a quiet year…in most of your communities. As usual, we still face issues with parent/coach conflict. Normally these have come about due to a lack of clear expectations and consistent communication at the beginning of the year. I am not blaming either side in these situations as often there are unrealistic expectations coming from both parents and coaches. We need to step back, sit down, cheer our kids (and the opposition) on and let the kids play.

Finally, it is important to recognize that we remember to thank the many volunteers in our communities and thank each one for helping to make our programs as successful as they are. Specifically, those of you who have no children left in the system but have chosen to give back.

This year, the person that comes to mind for me would be Mr. Brad White, from Boissevain, who stepped up to serve as the Westman South region’s Development Coordinator over the past 3 years. We greatly appreciate your commitment.

Thanks again to everyone. Looking forward to 2020-21.

Respectfully submitted, Guy Williams

Minor Council Report - Hockey Winnipeg

This season saw the introduction of dual aging in some of our A and AA divisions. For the most part this was well received by all. There were some logistical issues regarding scheduling and realigning of those affected division for the regular season and playoffs. Again with the cooperation of the area association presidents and our scheduler, most of the issues were resolved in a timely manner with a positive resolution.

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On the female side of things, the program is continually growing in recruitment and retention. The passion of the young female athletes is very noticeable in the rink. Whether it's a house league game through to the AAA teams, these athletes excel in sportsmanship and a high level of competitiveness. It's great to see that enthusiasm.

All programs enjoyed a successful season and shortened playoffs. It was a very unfortunate time that we had to cut the playoffs short. They were entering the stretch run as some divisions were into the finals and the competitiveness of the teams and excitement of the fans was great to see.

I would like to thank the office staff for their diligence and all around great team effort. We, as Hockey Winnipeg executive, are very fortunate to have a dedicated group of people that are the face of our association that represent us in a very professional and courteous manner.

Respectfully submitted, Guy Jeanson

Minor Council Report - Yellowhead

So, I think it we all feel that this is the single most crazy year anyone of us has ever experienced. Some Provincials unable to play, and some were completed, and congratulations to all the teams that won medals. The Yellowhead Provincials medalists are below.

Birtle Midget Female Gold Neepawa Peewee Female A Gold Elkhorn Peewee Female B Silver Elkhorn Atom Female C Silver Hamiota Atom Female A Bronze Hamiota/Rivers Bantam Male B Silver Minnedosa Bantam Male A Bronze Neepawa Atom Male C Silver

I would like to Thank both Jeff and Shelly for their extreme dedication to hockey in Yellowhead. They both do multiple jobs for the region and their dedication to the players and parents is to be commended. Getting to work with these 2 to provide programs and development with Yellowhead is very easy. They are huge assets to the region.

I am looking forward to turning over the Director position to a new and capable individual who will be just as dedicated and committed as both Jeff and Shelly. Our Regional AGM was cancelled and we will be scheduling that just as soon as the gathering restrictions are lifted so we can close out our year and have the elections that are needed to begin next season.

I look forward to reading everyone’s report and to our new virtual sessions this week.

Respectfully submitted, Dan Johnson

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Minor Council Report - AAA Midget

Our playoff season came to an abrupt end midway through our Semi Finals. As in all sports, it was disappointing, for players, coaches and parents. It was the right decision and everyone realizes that now even though may not have at the time. It was disappointing to the TELUS Western organizing committee that were to host in Virden that was cancelled. On a positive note they will be hosting the beginning of April in 2021.

Our Annual General Meeting was scheduled in April but is now pushed back to May 24. We are hopeful that we may go ahead with a normal meeting but if not, we will do it via video conferencing. With several key item to be discussed it is always better in person but we will only be doing it this way if the province and Hockey Manitoba have given approval for such a meeting.

One of the key items to discuss is the proposed all star game in January 2022 vs the AAA U18 Saskatchewan team. In order for this to happen a reduced schedule as well as monetary issues must be decided upon.

All of league hardware was given out the last week of the season and first playoff games. The Winnipeg Wild won the league regular season title as well as 8 individual awards including Paul Krueger as Coach of the Year. Another notable winner was Ryan Botterill of the Central Plains Capitals. He was League Most Valuable Player, Skill and Sportsman, First Team All Star and league scoring champion. All awards are decided on by the voting of the leagues 13 coaches.

As reported at the last meeting I am stepping down as commissioner. The League Executive has nominated Levi Taylor as the new commissioner of the league if ratified at our AGM. He is currently a vice president in charge of weekly/monthly awards and sponsorship. I am confident he will do an excellent job and will be attending HM meetings once he takes over June 1.

Respectfully submitted, Greg Thompson

Development Council Report - Hockey Brandon

IP Festival - October 27th 2019: All 12 teams from Brandon participated.

Coach Clinics - several clinics were held in Brandon  2 Coach 1 - Intro Coach  3 Coach 2 - Coach  1 Development 1

Speciality Clinics - Brandon was also able to host a number of speciality clinics.  2 Checking Skills  1 Goaltending  1 Small Area Games

Officiating Clinics - Brandon hosted four officiating clinics.  1 Level I  1 Level II  2 Level III

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There were 67 coaching mentorships, 23 were done as on-ice shadows and the rest were supervisors from the stands. We are hoping next season we can host a referee camp, they’ve been run in Souris the last three seasons.

Coaching Mentorship - We are very happy to have Dave Anning stepping into this role. We had a late start getting the program going, but we look forward to what he will bring to our association next season.

Rising Stars - 26 players participated in this program

Rising Stars Plus - We had 20 players participate in this program.

Female Peewee Prospects - We had 13 girls participate in this program.

Directors Cup - We had 23 kids participate in this program.

Goaltending Development - We had two groups that ran for 10 sessions each during the year. This program was run by Tyler Plante.

Player Development - This program had over 100 kids registered this year. There were 5 groups that ran Monday to Friday at 7am for 15 weeks. 4 Novice/Atom groups and 1 Peewee/Bantam group. We also had a Spring Development session planned for April that would have consisted of 8 sessions. It had 24 kids registered and a waiting list started. These programs were all run by Tyler Dittmer.

First Shift - It was held in November, we had 45 kids registered for this program and it was run by Glen Parker.

Respectfully submitted, Marc Lyver

Development Council Report - Interlake

Interlake Minor Hockey Association had another great season of hockey. Player numbers continue to remain the same throughout the region. Some associations have lower player numbers because of population, and other associations saw increases.

Initiation - Interlake hosted the annual Initiation Jamboree in Arborg on November 23rd, 2019 with 213 players attending. This event continues to receive good support and is a great introduction into hockey. Interlake would like to thank Tom Chwaliboga, Arborg Minor Hockey and its volunteers for making the event a success. A special thanks to Saxon Miller for the parent presentations on Initiation hockey. For next seasons jamboree we are looking to have our U18 AAA players and coaches assist with the event.

Novice – Interlake hosted its 4th annual Novice Jamboree in Stonewall on October 26th, 2019. This free event kicks off the start of our league and introduces parents to the beneficial concepts contained in the Novice Half-Ice Program. 241 Novice players attended the jamboree. A special thanks goes to Stonewall Minor Hockey for organizing the event. The half ice concept continues to be well received for the most part. Ideas for improvements include trying to improve the utilization of the development zone by making sure the team numbers are around 12 players/team (too few players and the development zone doesn’t get used). Interlake also hosted a second Novice jamboree to end the season as well. It took place on March 7th and was hosted by Lakeside (Lundar) and St. Laurent. Thank you to Lakeside Minor Hockey and St. Laurent Minor Hockey for hosting the event.

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Atom – Interlake Minor Hockey Association introduced a tournament style playoff (not elimination rounds) as per the Hockey Manitoba U11/Atom Pathway. On the weekend of February 21st – 23rd the Atom teams of Interlake Minor Hockey from both north and south combined to participate in a tournament style playoff for the first time at this level. Overall the format was well received and the players seemed to have a fantastic time. It goes without saying that there were a few hiccups which will be learned from and improved upon for future seasons. Interlake Minor Hockey Association would like to thank the St. Laurent, Teulon, Riverton, Warren, Lakeside and Gimli hockey associations for hosting games. We would also like to thank Warren Toderan for organizing the weekend schedule and setting up the tournament divisions. The weekend and tournament would not have happened without these associations opening up their arenas for teams to play.

Officiating – Hockey Manitoba hosted a Level I-II referee clinic in Stonewall at the beginning of the season. There was only one instructor assigned to the clinic which had over 40 officials in attendance. We received numerous complaints regarding this clinic from attendees. Interlake Minor Hockey hosted a referee camp for Level I-II in Arborg on December 7th, with over 40 officials participating. The camp consisted of a 2-hour classroom session and 1.5 hour on ice session. Lunch was also provided for the officials. With lots of positive feedback from our associations we will look at hosting a similar camp in the upcoming season. Thank you to our referee in chief Doug Zeller for setting up this referee camp and his continued efforts with officiating In the Interlake.

Regional  Interlake had 58 players enrolled in the CCM Rising Stars program. This number is higher than previous seasons.  Interlake had 19 players enrolled in the Director’s Cup program. This number is in line with previous seasons  Interlake had 26 players signed up for the Female Prospects Program.  Female hockey continues to thrive in the Interlake. Interlake’s focus to form female teams has led to a steady rise in participation and satisfaction within the program. This season Peguis FN had a Female U18 and a Female Peewee team. Fisher River FN rostered their first Female Peewee team.  Interlake has once again iced 6 regional teams, including 2 Male Bantam teams, 2 Male Midget teams, 1 Female Bantam team and 1 Female Midget team.  For the 2020/2021 hockey season Interlake Minor Hockey will be hosting an additional skills development program for our first-year male U13 hockey players. This program will mirror the Rising Stars program being offered for the second-year U13 players. For next season it will consist of six development skates in the first half of the season.

Interlake would like to thank our volunteers and Hockey Manitoba for their support. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Wes Killbery, Derek Miller and Kyle Willis for their hard work and great results looking after the Initiation and Novice jamborees as well as the regional development programs for this past season.

Respectfully submitted, Niels Kaczorowski

Development Council Report - Westman South

Westman South’s Initiation Face Off Festival started the year off as Hartney put on an excellent event as the host community. Next year plans will once again include the festival with the IP Skating Clinic. Thank you Deb Turner for organizing the event and Bob Caldwell for the instruction.

The Bantam AAA Cougars had a successful year only to come to an end with the cancellation of provincials in Swan River. Some parents had already travelled to Swan River when the call came that the hockey season was cancelled. 33

Outgoing managers are Debra and Shawn Plaisier and next season team managers are Cheryl and Gavin McKenzie. The Bantam AAA Cougars year end meeting was held on April 8th via Zoom. Some steps to take going forward are the search for a coaching staff and replacing Board Members from the region. Hartney and Souris are in year 3 of their 3 year commitment to host the program.

Tryout sessions for the Bantam Directors program in Westman South were held in Waskada on Jan. 20 and Jan. 27. There were 28 participants resulting in the selection of 18 skaters and two goaltenders. The coaching staff for the program were Troy Gould, Troy Chandler, Jesse Bernard with Manager Ian Dyck. This year’s Development Weekend and Skills Day were to be hosted by Brandon.

The Peewee Rising Stars program was held throughout the season with 4 skill sessions held in Boissevain, Glenboro, Waskada and Reston. Skill instructors were secured to present the Hockey MB program with the addition of goaltending instructors at each session.

Once the Rising Stars program was complete, evaluations for the Rising Stars Plus took place in Hartney on February 15 and 29. There were 24 participants in the evaluation sessions with each player receiving an evaluation report at the end. Coaches were recruited for the program and they were Mark Ryckman, Jim Cooke, Curtis Gouldie and Managers: Lon and Loretta Turner.

Hockey MB clinics held in Westman South were as follows:  Coaching Clinics - Coaches 1&2 in Carberry ,Checking in Hartney, Goaltending in Oak Lake.  Small Area Games scheduled in Hartney - cancelled due to weather  Puck Control scheduled in Virden - cancelled due to low registrations  Next Steps: Confirm Dates and Locations with Hockey MB for 2020 - 2021

I am leaving the position for Development Coordinator for Westman South and would like to thank Hockey MB Staff for their fabulous support when getting programs and clinics scheduled. It was very clear what talents these individuals have and the patience they showed throughout the season. The Development Committee has a lot of talented individuals and it was apparent in the meetings that hockey players and coaches in the regions are in good hands.

Respectfully submitted, Brad White

Development Council Report - Hockey Winnipeg

Winnipeg Jets First Shift Programs - 3 Winnipeg Jets First Shift (formerly known as Canadian Tire First Shift) programs were hosted by our Area Associations. Registration for all 3 were full, showing the continued success of these well- established programs. 5 Area Associations have applied to host First Shift programs for the 2020/21 season. Female Novice Jamboree - Hockey Winnipeg’s Female Novice Jamboree was another success at the MTS Iceplex this year. The event introduced female Novice players and their parents to the structure of Novice hockey in a fun manner.

Novice Development Zone Coordinator Program - Hockey Winnipeg created this program in the 2018/19 season for Novice A hockey. AA and AAA female and male hockey players between the ages of 14-17 were recruited, trained, and hired to coordinate on-ice activities in the Development Zone during Novice A and Female Novice A1, A2, and A3 half-ice hockey games. The program was much more successful in the 2019/20 season. We would be happy to share our material to other regions if they are interested in adopting a similar program for their Novice hockey.

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Goaltender Development Program - Hockey Winnipeg once again partnered with the Bell MTS Iceplex to offer this program for 9 to 14-year-old male and female A1, A2, and A3 goaltenders. The program was expanded to allow 100 goalies to register instead of our previous limit of 75.

Official Development Courses - Hockey Winnipeg offered 4 free Official development courses across the city. These courses were not certification clinics, but were meant to provide additional on-ice and off-ice education and support to young officials entering both the 2-Official system and 3-Official system.

Hockey Winnipeg Area Association Developing Funding - Hockey Winnipeg once again offered development funding to all 10 of our Area Associations. Associations used this funding to create and provide their own development programs for players and coaches in their Area.

Hockey Manitoba Instructional Stream/Specialty Clinics - Winnipeg hosted 12 clinics this season, surpassing our initial goal of 10. We will continue to promote and coordinate these clinics with Hockey Manitoba and our Associations.

Hockey Manitoba IP Faceoff Festivals - Winnipeg hosted 4 Festivals this season. All Associations involved were very appreciative of Hockey Manitoba’s involvement and support.

Hockey Winnipeg Vice-President’s Cup/ Director’s Cup - Hockey Winnipeg planned on hosting our “Vice President’s Cup” in early April. This 8-day program is for our top 13-year-old males and serves as the precursor/evaluation program to the Hockey Manitoba Director’s Cup program. Each Director’s Cup participant would have then received 6 on-ice skills sessions which would have been led by Evolution Hockey and Tyler Riel.

Hockey Winnipeg Peewee Cup/ Rising Stars Plus+ - Hockey Winnipeg planned on hosting our “Peewee Cup” in early April. This program is for our top 12-year-old males and serves as the precursor/evaluation program to the Hockey Manitoba Rising Stars Plus+ program. Each Rising Stars Plus participant would have then received 6 on-ice skills sessions which would have been led by Evolution Hockey and Tyler Riel.

Hockey Manitoba Female Peewee Prospects - Registration for the Female Peewee Prospects program was exclusive to female Peewee AA all-star players as well as coaches’ recommendations. Each participant would have received 7 on-ice skills sessions which would have been led by Jets Hockey Development.

AAA Development Programs - The AAA program continued their Monday Night Skills program for the AAA Bantam II, Bantam I and U17 Prep teams this past season. Each team was granted on ice sessions (every Monday) throughout the season. Each session divided the team by position, defense, forward, and goaltender, with each group working on position specific skills. Along with the on-ice team sessions each team is granted ten (10) one to one goaltender sessions with the MTS Ice Lab.

The AAA program began its season with a Pre-Season Goaltenders Clinic held at the Keith Bodley Arena. This one-day Clinic is offered to all Goaltenders in the AAA program. The Clinic is run by Gord Woodhall and offers an opportunity for all AAA goaltenders to receive professional training under a Hockey Canada prescribed program before their season begins. This Clinic also involves team skaters as shooters for the goaltenders. This gives these individuals insight as to what teams are looking for when it comes to warming up their goaltenders for games and practices and what goaltenders are looking for in support.

The University of Manitoba provides support to the AAA program by conducting an annual Coach’s clinic. The clinic consists of an on-ice session by the University of Manitoba players and a white board session to discuss strategy and systems presented by the University of Manitoba coaching staff.

Respectfully submitted, Russ Cassidy, Brent Poplawski 35

Female Council Report - Hockey Brandon

Well, that was quite a way to finish the Hockey Season. I hope all people are staying safe and healthy.

Hockey Brandon is still be led by Female Vice President Jarrod Fanklin. I would like to extend our thanks to him for the countless hours he puts into Female Hockey.

We are very excited to announce that our numbers at the younger age groups continue to grow and remain strong.

Hockey Brandon is looking forward to the growth of a Manitoba Bantam league. We are excited to see what this change brings.

All teams reported having fun at the Manitoba provincials.

The agreement between Hockey Brandon and Westman South at the U18 level continues to be working and will remain in place moving forward.

Congratulations to the following U18 players that represented Hockey Manitoba, Jenna Barscello, Jori Hansen-Young, Lainie Nichols and Natalie Williamson.

Looking forward to a new start in 2020.

Respectfully submitted, Myles Hubbard

Female Council Report - Parkland

Hopefully, everyone is staying safe amidst the unprecedented times we are currently in. Prior to the unilateral shutdown of all sponsored events, female provincials (minus AAA) were able to take place.

Congratulations to our Grand Plains Atom B Team who were able to capture the silver medal in Deloraine on the February 28th – March 1st, 2020 weekend.

Congratulations to our Grand Plains Peewee C Team who were able to capture the silver medal in Holland on the March 6th – 8th, 2020 weekend.

PMHA held its Peewee Prospect and Female Development on the January 25th & 26th, 2020 weekend. We had a very strong interest in the program with 23 girls signing up, and 20 at the tryout.

Parkland had seven U18AAA female players on the Yellowhead Chiefs this year as part of the Parkland – Yellowhead MOU for U18AAA Female Hockey. Parkland also had three U18AAA female players on the Central Plains Capitals this year.

PMHA would like to thank all players, coaches, parents, officials, and volunteers who made this year successful and we all look forward to “normalcy” next fall.

Respectfully submitted, Brian Haliuk

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Female Council Report - Westman South

Female Provincials:

Atom B – Deloraine: Gold Pee Wee A – Oak Lake/Souris: Bronze Pee Wee C – Southwest(Glenboro): Bronze Bantam – Southwest(Deloraine): Gold Midget – Souris: Bronze AAA Bantam: cancelled AAA Midget: lost in semis…cancelled

Female Pee Wee Prospects - Phase 1 of the program included 3 skills sessions November 28, December 12 and January 9. There was a skills, scrimmage and evaluation day held on January 25th. 22 skaters and 3 goalies registered for this year’s Female Pee Wee Prospects. Phase 2 was cancelled.

Coaches for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 are Meagan Robertson, Karissa Haney, Melissa Hunt and Sky Brown. We are very fortunate as a region to have non parent female coaches giving back to these programs. A huge thank you to them.

Respectfully submitted, Derrick Shearer

Female Council Report - Yellowhead

The 2019/20 season had all of the makings of another successful season of female hockey in the Yellowhead Region and around the province that unfortunately came to an abrupt end mid March.

Within Yellowhead Hockey, congratulations to the following teams on their accomplishments at provincials this season.

Atom A - Hamiota: Bronze medal Atom C - Elkhorn: Silver medal Peewee A - Neepawa: Gold medal Peewee B - Elkhorn: Silver medal Midget A - Birtle/Hamiota: Gold medal

Congratulations to all players and coaches who attended 2020 provincials.

There was a total of 14 Female teams in region for the 2019/20 season made up of 4 Atom teams, 5 Peewee teams, 1 Bantam team, 2 Midget teams plus the AAA Bantam and U18 teams.

Yellowhead Hockey organized another season of female Peewee prospects which had our highest registration to date with 30 girls attending the pre-skates. However, it is very evident that there is a lack of female goalies within our region and the province.

The AAA Bantam team entered into AA Winnipeg Bantam league for the second season which included 28 game season which was a very competitive league. Unfortunately with the canceling of AAA Bantam Provincials the girls weren’t able to finish off their season.

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The region’s female U18 AAA team had a very competitive season and playoff run but unfortunately it came to an end when they lost in game 5 in a hard fought semi final series. The MFHL U18 AAA continues to have top female players within our province with so many graduates moving on to play at the college and university level.

Congratulations to our graduating U18 players Jena Barscello, Lauren Michta, Madi Barteaux, Jaida Chartrand and Toni Koshowski. Jena has committed to U of M, Madi committed to ACC.

Yellowhead Hockey would like to thank all our players, coaches, managers and parents for their ability to volunteer and continued support to improve all our programs and teams within the region. Hope to see everyone back at the rink soon!!

Respectfully submitted, Shelly Nichols

Female Council Report - Hockey Winnipeg

This past season was a great success in terms of player development and retention. We are continually seeing numbers grow at the house leagues and Novice divisions. This bodes well for the ongoing growth of the female game. This past season saw the goalie development program grow by 30% from 70 Participants to 100. The net increase of 30 spots for the program was allocated to the female program in the hopes of developing more goalies at a younger age. We continually struggle to have goalies for all teams. Hopefully with this initiative on goalie development programs we will see a steady rise in goalies.

The AA/AAA programs are well positioned going forward. We do struggle with the AA Midget program, however with the continued support and hard work from the female council I believe that program is on the right track. As for the AAA Avros and Ice programs they are doing well as they were to face each other in the league final with the winner representing the province at the regional Esso cup play-down. Congrats to both teams on a great season and shortened playoffs.

Lastly I would like to thank the members of female council for their hard work and dedication to the respective program in their areas and also to their fortitude on being great partners in the female program as a whole.

Respectfully submitted, Guy Jeanson

Female Council Report - MWJHL

This has been a different year for the MWJHL. It started out with the sudden resignation of our President just as our tryouts were ending, and it concluded suddenly with all events being shut down in Canada on March 13, 2020. However, due to tremendous cooperation from all the coaching staffs, and remaining executive members, we were able to complete most of this season successfully. Everyone pulled together to keep everything going smoothly, and the players seemed to have another enjoyable season playing in the league.

We were able to complete all our league games, and two full rounds of our playoffs. We were in the third game of our final series on March 12, and, instead of having the series a best of five, and with group consensus, we were able to declare the third game to be the final game. Thus, we declared the Western Predators the Provincial Champs and the Polar Ice the second-place team. The Western Predators had also been in first place at the conclusion of league play.

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We have chosen our league awards, but have not made the presentations to the winners. These would have been made at the Windup and dinner. It is hoped that we will be able to do this as soon as possible, but only time will tell if or when this occurs. We have had to cancel our Prospect Camp, and we will not be attending the Duluth Hockey Tournament.

We are presently studying the possibility of a different format for our AGM which is usually held in June. However, we want to see how everything turns out at the AGM for Hockey Manitoba at the end of April and beginning of May before we proceed with anything. These are strange times, and we will just have to take one step at a time to see what will happen in the future. We certainly hope we can have our season next year, and we are not alone in this wish.

Respectfully submitted by, Linda Benson

Junior Council Report - MJHL

The MJHL season ended abruptly due to a health pandemic on March 13, 2020 bringing what would have been a very good season to a close. The playoffs were underway with one quarter final series concluded and seven clubs still competing for the league championship.

Since mid March the MJHL office has been busy assisting member clubs with accessing Federal Government funding assistance if eligible. Efforts have also included scenario planning for the re-installation of hockey activities once the HC ban is lifted. Various league schedule options for the 2020-2021 season have been discussed with the Board of the MJHL who have meet every two weeks since mid March and plan to meet every two weeks until mid June.

The date of the MJHL Draft of Bantam age players has been adjusted and will occur on Sunday, April 26, 2020 with all club representatives participating remotely via Hockey Tech Live Draft Centre. The MJHL website will carry all details and results in real time.

The MJHL Has hired a new staff person, Mr. Erik Swar, who has begun his role as Director of Marketing & Partnerships. The MJHL has decided to defer the hiring of a new Director of Operations as a result of the financial complications due to the COVID-19 health pandemic and resulting impact on the league.

In conjunction with Hockey Canada and the CJHL, the MJHL and the Portage Terriers have decided to maintain the current rotation for hosting of the Centennial Cup. Therefore, the 2021 event will be held in Penticton, BC and the 2022 event will be held in Estevan, SK. The MJHL and the Portage Terriers have the first right of refusal to host the 2023 Centennial Cup and must exercise that right prior to October 1, 2020.

MJHL Commissioner, Mr. Kim Davis will be stepping down as the league Commissioner at the end of June, 2020.

Respectfully submitted, Kim Davis

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