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MINOR HOCKEY PRESIDENTS GATHER FOR ANNUAL WORKSHOP
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Charlottetown – Hockey PEI Minor Council recently concluded their annual Minor Hockey Presidents Workshop at the Stanley Bridge resort. This workshop is an opportunity to bring together representatives (presidents and executive members) from the 21 Minor Hockey Associations to share information and forge common ground on issues related to the game of hockey in the province. Also in attendance are members of Hockey PEI Minor Council, Board of Directors and staff.
The workshop provides the opportunity for information sharing in such areas as: registration, provincial championships, development initiatives, policy decisions and regulations regarding minor hockey. This year many updates and decisions were made. The following is a summary of the workshop.
Coaching Certification
Delegates were updated on recent changes to the coaching certification program approved by Hockey PEI. Certification for “AAA” and “AA” coaches remained the same. The updated change is in regards to the fact that “A” teams must have at minimum one coach with Coach 1 certification. All team officials must have Speak Out certification. Deadline to obtain certification is December 31st.
Helmets on Minor Hockey Coaches
Hockey PEI announced that beginning in the 2008-2009 season all minor hockey coaches must wear a helmet while conducting team practices. This policy was adopted by both minor and development council and passed by the board of directors. As a result of recent incidents across the country and a means of safety Hockey PEI adopted this policy. Currently there are 9 of 13 branches across the country with a helmet policy.
Provincial Championships
A continuous debate held annually surrounds the selected dates for the provincial championships. This year minor council provided a presentation on day one based on feedback from the associations. Presidents had an opportunity to discuss and debate this topic and were presented with four possible options. Associations would vote on their preferred selected dates on the second day of the workshop. The following is the dates for the 2008-2009 provincial championships.
“A” Provincials - March 13-15, 2009
“AA” Provincials - March 20-22, 2009
“AAA” Provincials - March 13-15, 2009
Midget Male “AA” Wildcard - March 13-15, 2009
Novice Hockey
As a result of concerns that have arisen regarding the structure of Novice hockey in the province, minor council and the delegates discussed some of these concerns that were primarily at the “AA” level. As a result, associations agreed that minor council will appoint a coordinator to structure an exhibition schedule that would see teams play a maximum of 36 games throughout the season which includes participation in tournaments. Minor council will review this initiative after the season.
Presentations
In addition to business, delegates were treated to some presentations. Dean McIntosh, Senior Manager, Coaching from Hockey Canada shared his knowledge and vision regarding the game. McIntosh presented sessions on Long Term Player Development and Program Priorities – Building the Best Overall Program for your Community. Delegates were also treated to a great presentation from Kaitlin Murray of Kinkora. Murray provided a presentation from her recent trip in August to Vierumaki Finland where she represented Hockey PEI and Hockey Canada at the 2008 IIHF Youth Hockey Female Development Camp. Murray was one of three Canadian players to be invited to the camp.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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