The best of the west among college and university hockey teams will hit the ice at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex this weekend, with the induction of the Athabasca College Hockey Challenge.
The two back-to-back weekends hockey will feature a total of five, top-ranked Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) teams. The event features the men’s University of Alberta Golden Bears, NAIT Ooks and Augustana Vikings from Sept. 9-11, followed by the women’s University of Saskatchewan Huskies and University of Alberta Pandas Sept. 17-18.
“I don’t think there’s been an event like this anywhere in rural Canada,” said ACHC co-chair Jeff Johnson. “This is the first and I know it’ll be an exciting two weekends.”
Johnson added that an opportunity like this is rare, that minor hockey kids and members of the community get to watch this high caliber of hockey.
NAIT Ooks head coach Tim Fragle said this type of an event is a “win-win” for everybody.
“I believe that college and CIS hockey in Canada is a great brand of hockey that doesn’t get enough recognition,” Fragle said. “We’d say it’s a hidden gem. There’s lots of good players, and it’s a good brand of hockey to get exposed in the community of Athabasca.”
“Overall, I think everyone is a winner out of this,” he added. “The community gets the opportunity to see good schools and hockey coming in, and also we get exposed to the area of Athabasca for our current team.”
Johnson said that this event is much more than just a few hockey games, but it’s about raising awareness to the youth athletes in the area about post-secondary opportunities and how they can combine the two dreams. That’s why on Sept. 10, the Challenge is hosting an education fair, giving community members a chance to check out college academics and athletics.
“We want to show kids, that by pursuing athletic excellence you can get you education paid for, and you can get all kinds of doors opened to you,” Johnson said. “It’s a very rare opportunity that these kids – rural kids – get exposed to this caliber of athletics. Hopefully, it’ll open the eyes of some of our youth, and hopefully inspire them to achieve something we know we can achieve.”
Athabasca minor hockey clubs from Atom to Bantam will get a chance to skate with one of the three college hockey teams after each teams practice on Saturday.
Golden Bears head coach Serge Lajoie said he’s looking forward to participating.
“I like the ‘hockey day in Athabasca theme’ on Saturday,” he said. “It kind of gives the community and young players a time to interact with our players, and all the players with Augustana and NAIT. It lets them realize these players are no different then they are and that they moved up the minor hockey ranks in their community.”
The ACHC will have a Coaches’ Clinic on Sept. 10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring participating teams’ head coaches, Edmonton Oilers radio colour commentator Bob Stauffer, sports writer Jon Short, and assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers for nine seasons Billy Moores.
“Billy Moores is a bit of a legend in Alberta,” said Johnson. “He’s widely respected as a real down-to-earth coach who has been exceptional on helping athletes achieve and reach their potential.”
Johnson said the clinic is not just for minor hockey coaches. He encourages coaches of all sports, educators and parents to attend the free event. He added that the main message behind Moores’ talk and the fellow speakers is about creating strategies to employ to players, for their own personal development.
“That really transcends out of hockey to volleyball, soccer, football any sport,” Johnson said. “I think it’s an incredible opportunity for parents, minor hockey coaches, anyone who works with youth on all levels to come listen what he has to say.”
Athabasca Regional Multiplex manager and ACHC committee member, Dustin Pysyk said he is excited to see one of the Multiplex’s biggest sports events yet.
He said the ACHC means that the ice will be in a week earlier, and means a guaranteed income for the month of September. It also gives them a chance to profile the facility in a number of different lights.
“The college world and the university world – they’re all tight-knit and the GMs and coaches all talk with one another,” Pysyk said. “My hope is that we can show them that the Town of Athabasca and the Multiplex is a great area to come to, and that we’re very accommodating.”
He added that he hopes hosting an event like this will not only be in the good graces of the college’s sporting teams, but will inspire the local minor sporting organizations to host other large events as well.
“I’m hoping other people can step up and say, ‘You know what? If minor hockey can put on this kind of event, why can’t we put on this kind of event?’” he said. “Whether that’s hosting a provincial championship of some sort, or having a conference.”
With the three men’s teams playing the first weekend, the ACHC will showcase two high-caliber women’s teams as well, with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Alberta Pandas.
Erin Francis, ACHC committee member and head coach of Athabasca’s only female division hockey team, said that this is an excellent opportunity to show her young female hockey players and the community what high level women’s hockey is all about.
“I’m very excited for the town to realize the kind of level that female hockey players can play,” she said. “It’ll show that it is, in fact, their own game and not the same as the men’s game. It’s just a different brand of hockey, and I’m excited that we get a chance to showcase it here.”
“I’m excited for everyone – not just my girls, the whole community,” she added. “I think, for some of the long-time hockey players in this community to see what girls can offer as well – it’s going to be a good deal.”
Just like with the men’s teams, Francis and her girls’ hockey team will get the opportunity to skate with the two women’s hockey teams during the festivities on Sept. 17.
However, unlike the men’s teams, members of the Pandas will be billeted to the some of the Athabasca girls’ homes during the weekend. Francis said the added interaction will hopefully give her daughter and other female hockey players some extra motivation to continue playing.
“Just for (them) to interact with them and realize that they’re just regular people,” she said. “That they grew up playing hockey – most of them in small towns – now they’re here showing off their talents.”
For the over five months Johnson and members of the ACHC committee have been putting together this event, from securing referees, corporate sponsors, designing logos and websites. He added that although there are currently 12 members sitting on the committee, the amount of volunteer work throughout the Athabasca community has been great.
“The volunteers and help go beyond the main committee,” he said. “We give a great credit to them and the community. It’s quite a very involved agenda with the various things happening over the two weekends.”
“We just hope that people come and support it, by packing the arena and packing the Multiplex,” he added. “I know the community hasn’t seen anything like this, and no rural community in Canada our size has seen anything like this.”
