Calgary Hockey Magazine Winter Edition 2017

Winter 2017

CARSEN TWARYNSKI Part of the Legion of BOOM

IAN SCOTT

Among Top Goaltenders in Upcoming NHL Draft

FLAMES FOUNDATION

Finds Innovative Ways to Support Worthy Causes

y a d n u s y a d n u f PRESENTED BY

II

EVERY SUNDAY HITMEN HOME GAME!

KIDS TICKETS

$

7

99

Bring your skates and helmet and join the post-game family skate on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice!

Free with ticket purchase.

CALGARY HOCKEY MAGAZINE

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

6

CARSEN TWARYNSKI: Part of the Legion of Boom

5

26

Message from the Publisher of the Calgary Hockey Magazine

8

FLAMES FOUNDATION: Finds innovative ways to support worthy causes.

14

WES MCCAULEY Interview with one of the top rated NHL referees.

18 Arena Locator Map

CASSIE CAMPBELL-PASCALL: From road hockey, to Canada gold to the broadcast booth.

29

SKATE TO EXCEL: Skating fundamental and technical skills.

20

12 FLAMES HEALTH TRAINING CAMP

Providing Calgarians with opportunities to get healthy.

RAVEN HOCKEY STICKS: 3 Hockey Dads’ Innovation leads to better sticks for minor hockey players.

22

IAN SCOTT: Could be among top goaltenders in upcoming NHL draft.

31 SPOTLIGHT ON AN OFFICIAL: Mark Grundy

Early morning assist.

Š Tim Hortons, 2012

Message From

The Publisher Welcome to our Winter Edition of the Calgary Hockey Magazine!

In this edition, we are featuring Calgary Hitmen forward Carsen Twarynski, who is a third round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers. Twarynski grew up playing minor hockey in Calgary, and still remembers winning gold with Blackfoot in 2009 at the peewee level.

Another local player we’re featuring this issue is Prince Albert Raiders goalie Ian Scott. Scott played out at first, making the switch to goaltender in his fifth season of minor hockey. Scott played with the Westwood Warriors, moving over to the Calgary Northstars for bantam and midget.

The past two seasons, we’ve featured a few broadcast personalities from Hockey Night in Canada, including Kelly Hrudey and Harnarayan Singh. For this edition, we were able to meet up with Cassie Campbell-Pascall, former national women’s hockey player, and now a broadcaster with HNIC. In October 2006, Campbell-Pascall filled in for Harry Neale (he was stuck in a snowstorm) becoming the first female colour commentator to call an NHL game. (Cassie Campbell-Pascall is married to Calgary Flames assistant GM Brad Pascall.)

The Calgary Flames have strong ties to the community, and one of their initiatives is the Calgary Flames health training camp. On Saturday March 18, the Flames will be hosting their third annual health training camp at Winsport. This is open to the public, so people can have the opportunity to participate in pre-registered health testing, meet with a physician, and learn about a variety of different sports in Calgary. As Flames Foundation executive director Candice Goudie points out, “We want to make Calgary the healthiest city in the world.”

One of the mainstays in our magazine is the “Spotlight on an Official” feature, where we interview a young minor hockey official. For this edition, we met up with 20-year-old Mark Grundy, who has been officiating minor hockey for eight seasons. We’ve been doing this feature for over fifteen years, and it never ceases to amaze me the confidence and composure level exhibited by these young officials.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for an upcoming edition of the magazine, please pass it along. Maybe it’s a coach who goes the extra mile, maybe it’s a young minor hockey official making his or her way, or maybe it’s a hockey event making a difference in the community. If it’s hockey related, we’re all ears!

Credits President and Publisher // Rob Suggitt Art Director // Christine Kucher Graphic Designers Cailey Buxton // Katelyn Suggitt Contributing Writers Jeremy Freeborn // Joel Lenius Rob Suggitt Copy Editing Shari Narine Photography Credits Andy Devlin - EOHC Avonlea Photography Candice Ward - Calgary Hitmen Jared Heynen - Calgary Flames Hockey Club Jenn Pierce - Calgary Flames Hockey Club Lucas Chudleigh Mark Shannon - Calgary Flames Hockey Club Sportsnet Sales Associates Kerri Anderson // Lynn Schuster Administration Amber Grmek The Hockey Magazine is a product of Playhouse Publications Ltd. - an affiliate of Suggitt Ltd. President & CEO // Tom Suggitt President & CFO // Rob Suggitt 10177 - 105 Street, Edmonton AB T5J 1E2 Ph: 780.423.5834 // Fax: 780.413.6185 Playhouse Publications Ltd. also publishes the Citadel Theatre Playbill, Edmonton Opera Program, Arden Theatre Playbill and the Calgary Opera Program.

All Rights Reserved. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expresses within do not nessesarily represent the opnions of the publisher or Hockey Edmonton. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher - www.suggitt.com

Sincerely,

Rob Suggitt

Printed By R.R. Donnelley

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Publisher of the

Calgary Hockey Magazine Calgary Hockey Magazine | 5

“

Making the Hitmen in my first year was a big step up. Having the opportunity to play in front of friends and family is very special.

“

CARSEN TWARYNSKI:

By Jeremy Freeborn

PART OF THE LEGION OF BOOM Photos courtesy of Candice Ward - Calgary Hitmen

The Calgary Hitmen must be pleased with the progression of left winger Carsen Twarynski this season. The Calgary native is developing into a strong two-way power forward with strong physical presence at the junior level. The Philadelphia Flyers have also been impressed with Twarynski as they made him their third round pick, 82nd overall, in the 2016 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Flyers have a tradition of acquiring big body talent. In the 1970s, when they were first known as the Broad Street Bullies, the Flyers achieved great success with their physicality by winning the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cups.

Players such as Dave Schultz, Bobby Clarke, Andre Dupont, Ed Van Impe and Gary Dornhoefer would regularly get over

6

Calgary Hockey Magazine

By Jeremy Freeborn

100 penalty minutes per season while with Philadelphia.

Schultz, in fact, set the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a season with 472 during the 1974-75 season.

Over the last 35 plus years, Flyers forwards that have continued a physical presence of play include Ken Linseman, Paul Holmgren, Brian Propp, Mel Bridgman, Ray Allison, Tim Kerr, Ron Sutter, Rick Tocchet, Scott Mellanby, Rod Brind’Amour, Eric Lindros, Kevin Dineen, Chris Gratton, Joel Otto, Donald Brashear, Scott Hartnell, Keith Primeau and Wayne Simmonds. All these players had a high number of penalty minutes, but they could also produce offensively when needed, making the Flyers one of the most intimidating teams in the NHL over the last generation.

“Making the Hitmen in my first year was a big step up. Having the opportunity to play in front of friends and family is very special.”

It now appears that Twarynski has an opportunity to continue the big-body presence the Flyers have always cherished. At 19 years of age, he is already 6’2” and 200 pounds.

Twarynski first started skating at age three on the outdoor rink his father built. He played with Bow Valley up until atom and then with Blackfoot for two years with pee wee. For his bantam career, Twarynski played with the Calgary Bantam AA Blackhawks and the Calgary Bantam AAA Bisons of the Calgary Buffalo Hockey Association. Then for midget, he played for the Calgary Minor Midget Rangers and the Calgary Midget AAA Buffaloes.

One of Twarynski’s most memorable moments playing minor hockey in Calgary was winning the 2009 Esso Minor Hockey Week in the pee wee division with Blackfoot.

Twarynski had the opportunity to play with Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“That team was very special,” said Twarynski. “We had a really good year that year.”

Twarynski also had the opportunity to be coached by Brayden Point’s father Grant in pee wee.

“He is one of the best coaches I have had to date,” he said. “He made sure I did the fundamentals and told me what I had to work on the most. He still talks to me today, and tells me what he thinks I do well and don’t do well in games.”

What Twarynski cherishes the most from playing minor hockey in Calgary were the people and friendships he developed over the years.

“You don’t really remember the games you win and the tournaments you win in minor hockey,” he said. “But I made a lot of friends through hockey that I met when I was really young and still talk to today.”

In addition to his physical presence, Twarynski also brings an experienced defensive component to his game. While playing minor hockey in Calgary, he regularly played defense as well as forward. His experience playing hockey in his own end could be valuable in trying to make the Flyers organization, where he is projected to be a possible future third line checking forward.

There is one specific game on the Hitmen schedule that has more meaning for Twarynski than all of the others.

“The teddy bear toss games are awesome. In my first year of 2014-15 with the Hitmen, we had a deep playoff run (lost the WHL Eastern Conference final to the Brandon Wheat Kings), which was a lot of fun. Playing in a teddy bear toss game, which is known worldwide, is definitely pretty cool.”

Twaryinski participated in the Philadelphia Flyers’ summer development camp, training camp and an exhibition game against the New York Islanders on Sept. 26.

“They (Flyers) told me to keep playing how I play,” said Twarynski. “There is a reason why they picked me and if I keep doing it, things will go my way.”

In addition to his physical play, Twarynski believes he is a strong skater and sees the ice well when it comes to making plays. While with the Hitmen this season, Twarynski is trying to improve on his overall play in the defensive zone.

Twarynski has some interesting bloodlines when it comes to sports. His third cousin is Darcy Hordichuk, who played for the Hitmen in 1996-97, before playing 12 seasons in the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers. Twarynski’s brother Brayden meanwhile was a defensive lineman for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team from 2012 to 2016.

This season Twarynski would love to win a Memorial Cup for the Hitmen, something the organization has not been able to accomplish since joining the Canadian Hockey League in 1995.

“We all want to be winners in that room and we know that we are capable of it,” he said. “I think the biggest goal is to win a championship this year.”

In the long term, Twarynski plans to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. He knows that it will take a lot of hard work and diligence. If he is successful, a major reason for his future success will probably be his physical presence, something the Philadelphia Flyers have always been known for.

“I wouldn’t consider myself a defensive forward, but it (experience playing defense) definitely helps having that instinct back there,” he said.

Twarynski went undrafted in the WHL Bantam Draft. He joined the Hitmen in 2014-15 as a 16-year-old following the 2013-14 season, where he played with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, in addition to the Buffaloes of the Alberta Midget Hockey League.

“Not being drafted in bantam motivated me to prove everyone wrong,” he said. “Once I joined the Hitmen, I realized here was a team that had some belief in me.”

For those not drafted in the Western Hockey League, Twarynski says it is important to not give up on your National Hockey League dream.

“It is a lot more common than you think,” he said. “There’s a lot of players who don’t get drafted and who end up better than those who did get drafted through perseverance and practicing a lot more. I just say don’t give up and keep working.”

Twarynski has enjoyed his time with the Hitmen, and is grateful he got to continue to live in Calgary year round while playing his junior hockey career.

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Flames Foundation

By Jeremy Freeborn

Photographs courtesy of the calgary flames hockey club

finds innovative ways to support worthy causes

8 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

The Calgary Flames Foundation has innovative ways

to generate funds for its charitable causes. The Calgary Flames Foundation Lottery and the Calgary Flames Ambassadors Poker Tournament have both been successful endeavours.

The lottery benefits a number of causes including the Even Strength Program, the YMCA Grade Six program, their post-secondary scholarship program, the Rotary Flames House in partnership with the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, and Camp Kindle (camp experience for children with cancer).

The Calgary Flames Foundation Lottery jackpot draw will take place on March 31, 2017, when the Calgary Flames host the San Jose Sharks at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The winner will receive a minimum of $200,000. If more than 20,000 tickets are sold, then the winner will receive half of the jackpot up to a winning prize of $500,000 (if all 50,000 tickets are sold).

Hockey & Sports Fans!

is le is Tabble rtss Ta YYoouurr SSppoort re!!

Heere Fi Finnaallllyy H only

9NH.L0m0 4 at $in5 s e d clu 0 $4th9o9ut.0mat wi

In addition to the jackpot draw, this season there will be two early bird prize draws with the second draw taking place on Feb. 13, when the Flames host the Arizona Coyotes. The prizes include jerseys, cruiser bikes, iPods, iPads, Flames tickets and a blow horn. To qualify for the early bird prize draw, the $20 lottery tickets must be purchased by Feb. 1. Tickets purchased by March 20 qualify for the jackpot draw. Those who win in the early bird draw still qualify for the jackpot prize.

It is easier to participate in the Flames Foundation lottery than it is for their regular 50/50 draw. Participants can buy a ticket online at www. calgaryflames.com/lottery rather than attend a game at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Fans can still purchase Flames Foundation lottery tickets at the Saddledome from an iPad stand during games.

The special Flames Foundation Lottery started in the 2015-16 season as a means to allow fans to be involved in a raffle. Candice Goudie, executive director with the Flames Foundation, says fans wanted to purchase 50/50 tickets from home, but the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission mandates that fans be in attendance in order to qualify for that event’s raffle.

“This is a different license that we have and a way for people who are not at our games to participate,” said Goudie.

“The second reason is because we are looking at different fundraising models that are not so much focused on corporate Calgary,” she said.

Another major fundraising event for the Calgary Flames Foundation will be the 12th annual poker tournament, which will take place on Feb. 16. The tournament for 2017 has been moved from Deerfoot Inn and Casino to the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino, 3777 Grey Eagle Drive SW.

Order now at

780-586-6213

info@villageemporium.ca www.villageemporium.ca

also available at

village emporium

the village at pigeon lake 14 village drive westerose ab, T0C 2V0

made in canada

special orders available for NHL, MLB, Golf, Junior Hockey & more

“

...I feel it gets better every year. We have a group of volunteers and staff that work very hard on trying to generate a “wow” reaction and make the experience better for those contributing to our charity. It is always humbling to see that level of support.

“

Approximately 400 people will participate including Calgary Flames sponsors, select season ticket holders (determined by a draw), the Calgary Flames, Calgary Stampeders, and Calgary Roughnecks.

“As an event person watching the profile of the event and the (high) level of professionalism and experience that we provide to everyone coming, I feel it gets better and better every year,” said Goudie. “We have a group of volunteers and staff that work very hard on trying to generate a ‘wow’ reaction and make the experience better for those contributing to our charity. It is always humbling to see the level of support.”

Since the first Calgary Flames Ambassadors Poker Tournament in 2006, $3.5 million has been raised over the years.

“Our committee is so dedicated,” said Goudie.

Past prizes for winners have included Flames playoff tickets, four airplane tickets to anywhere WestJet flies, Top Shelf experience at the Scotiabank Saddledome (elite service at a Flames game which includes a five course buffet dinner and greeting from Flames management), jewelry, one year lease of a Jeep Wrangler, and a championship belt buckle. There has also been a live auction with prizes including scotch tasting at a Scotland distillery, a private jet to Los Angeles to see the LA Kings, and an opportunity to use a private yacht off the coast of San Diego.

10 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

For those interested in volunteering for the poker tournament, please contact the Calgary Flames Foundation at foundationevents@calgaryflames.com or phone the Flames customer service line at (403) 777-4646.

CONGRATULATIONS

To These Gold Medal Winners!

Esso Calgary Minor Hockey Week 2016 RILEY MCCKENZIE Grade: 3

8

Position: Right Wing

Years Played: 4

Current Team: Bow Valley Flames Novice 4 Favourite Hockey Team: Edmonton Oilers Favourite Hockey Player: Jordan Eberle Role Model(s): My Dad

Other Interests: BMX

Favourite Hockey Memory: Winning Esso Minor Hockey Week!

MATTHEW DOBBERTHIEN Grade: 10

Position: Forward

15

Years Played: 10

Current Team: Minor Midget AAA Blackhawks Favourite Hockey Team: Calgary Flames Favourite Hockey Player: Sidney Crosby Role Model(s): Coach Mike

Other Interests: Baseball, Golf, Reading

Favourite Hockey Memory: Scoring the game winning goal to win Esso Minor Hockey Week 2016.

Want a chance to appear in the Calgary Hockey Magazine?

Head to page 25, fill out and send in the entry form, and you could be featured in our upcoming Spring Issue, due out in March!

TRAINING CAMP PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR CALGARIANS TO GET HEALTHY

By Jeremy Freeborn

Photos courtesy of the Calgary Flames Hockey Club

The Flames’ third annual health training camp at Winsport will go ahead on March 18, 2017. The public will be able to participate in pre-registered health testing, meet with a physician, participate in a family workout, learn about the importance of nutrition, and learn about the variety of sports in Calgary. Doctors and specialists will also be speaking to the public in a special speaker series.

“This is a program that we are very proud of,” said Candice Goudie, executive director with the Calgary Flames Foundation. “It is something that our charity puts on and the Flames Foundation hosts.”

Calgary Flames president and CEO Ken King started the camp as a means for people to meet with health care professionals for free. “(He) invested in it as a gift to the community,” said Goudie.

The program is for people who do not yet have a family doctor or who don’t have the financial means to see a specialist about an issue. The program has been put in place to help motivate the public about the importance of movement and health, rather than fitness and exercise. The Flames Health Training Camp is not for those Calgarians interested in elite training.

Health care professionals have been able to test the blood pressure and heart rate of pre-registered participants (who are over the age of 16) and measure their height and weight.

They will also have the opportunity to learn about alternative physical activities if they are suffering from an injury.

“Health testing is the primary function of the Calgary Flames Health Training Camp,” said Goudie. “We try to facilitate the public in finding ways to help improve their health.”

The camp also has a program to help people cook a healthy meal for under $20 for their family. It also provides information about different sporting agencies where parents can register their children.

12 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

“

We want to make Calgary the healthiest city in the world.

“

The Calgary Flames are providing residents in the city of Calgary with an opportunity to get healthy.

“We try to put all of that information in one space so families and adults can get out of it what they want,” said Goudie.

Last year the speaker series consisted of nine topics—helping your children be active in an inactive world; understanding food labeling; understanding the myths of nutrition; helping the aging brain stay sharp through physical activity; how to remain healthy and active (if a person has mobility issues) without traditional exercise; effective strategies for changing behaviour; how to build an exercise program; learning about Calgary’s pathways and parks; and learning the role a professional sports organization, like the Calgary Flames, can play in the city of Calgary to motivate, inspire and educate its citizens.

“We are trying to be a part of that first step or that tenth step,” said Goudie. “Whatever step it is in the health journey for an individual.”

to continue to do our part in providing expertise and resources to facilitate the people in our community,” she said.

The Flames Foundation believes the Flames Health Training Camp is a useful program in improving the quality of life for Calgarians.

“We want to provide this event to the community and we want people to take advantage of the opportunities provided at the health training camp. We want to inspire, educate and motivate. We want to make an impact on the lives of every person who enters the building.”

“We want to make Calgary the healthiest city in the world,” said Goudie.

She admits that is a hard goal to measure, but that doesn’t mean the camp can’t do its part in influencing positive change in adults and kids.

“We want you to move more, play more, and eat a banana rather than a cookie. We try to give you tools to help you make healthier decisions. We hope you remember what you learned that day. We know memories are short but we want

King echoes Goudie’s comments.

Even though there is an exclusive adult-only component to the camp, there is also an opportunity for kids to play. There has been bouncy houses, obstacle courses, trampolines and skating available in the past, along with face painting. The Calgary Flames have also participated in an autograph session.

However, Goudie stresses that the training camp is not about the Flames. It is about trying to help Calgarians live better and healthier.

For more information please visit www.flameshealthtrainingcamp.com

Calgary Hockey Magazine | 13

The NHL’s

Top-Rated

Referee

WES

MCCAULEY

By Rob Suggitt

Photos courtesy of Andy Devlin EOHC

Being a hockey official is the only job in the world where you’re expected to be perfect your first day on the job, and improve from there 14 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

W

hen you’re an NHL player, you want to keep playing past the regular season, and it’s no different for NHL officials. The ultimate goal is to reach the Stanley Cup finals, and only the two best teams make it every year, and only the four highest rated referees are assigned games in the Cup finals.

Wes McCauley has proven himself to be one of the top officials in the NHL, making it to the Stanley Cup finals the last four years in a row. (Add the World Cup of Hockey assignment this past fall, and McCauley has become the “go to” official for big games or tournaments.)

McCauley’s dream growing up was to make it to the NHL as a player. Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1990, McCauley played a lot of hockey in the minor leagues (Las Vegas, Knoxville, Muskegon, Fort Wayne), but never got the call up to the NHL.

When asked about his first NHL game, McCauley states without hesitation “Chicago at Columbus,” and recites a number of NHL stars playing in that game: Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Martin Havlat, Patrick Sharp and Theo Fleury for the Blackhawks, and Rick Nash and Sergei Fedorov for the Blue Jackets. McCauley adds, “Doug MacLean was coaching Columbus, and Brian Sutter was coaching Chicago.”

“When you’re first up and watching some of these guys, it’s like wow, (but you gotta stay focused). It comes with experience, but still, there are times (on the ice) when you see a great play or great individual effort, and it’s ‘Wow – did I just see him make that play?’“

“Coming up, I always thought I was going to be a player. I played college hockey for Michigan State, and played three or four seasons in the minors. I was playing in Fort Wayne late in my pro career, and the coach there, Dave Farrish (former NHL player and currently assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche) wanted to chat with me after a pair of weekend games. I was feeling pretty good, because I thought I played well, so I’m meeting with Dave and he says, ‘There were a lot of scouts in the stands, and your name got brought up.’ So I’m feeling really good. Dave continued, ‘Yeah – we were thinking with the NHL going with two referees, we’re looking at certain ex-players, and with your bloodlines, we think you’d make a real good referee.’ So here I was thinking that the scouts were talking about me going up, and as it turned out, I was going to be sent down to the United League.”

As for “bloodlines,” McCauley’s dad John McCauley was an NHL referee from 1966–1981, a career which was stopped short due to an eye injury he sustained from an assault by a crazed hockey fan after a game between the NHL All-Stars and the Soviet Union in 1979. He tried working for a few years afterwards, but due to blurred vision, he had to give it up. The elder McCauley went on to become the director of officiating for the NHL, until his untimely death in 1989. He was only 44 years of age, the same age as his son Wes is today.

Did you ever get to see your dad (John McCauley) work?

“Oh yeah – we used to go to all the games he worked. I probably saw him work up until I was around seven years old (John passed away when Wes was 17 years old). I remember a game in Buffalo when they were playing the Leafs – these teams had a pretty good rivalry. I remember a very angry Tiger Williams knocking on the door and asking why John threw him out of the game. John responded, ‘I got the kid here,’ and looking over to where I was sitting, Tiger calmly responded, ‘Sorry John,” letting the issue go, then proceeded to take me over to the Leafs dressing room to meet the Leaf players.

“A lot of people remember my dad, and have very nice things to say about him. For a man who’s been gone more than 25 years, it’s pretty amazing to hear his name being brought up still. The biggest thing I learned from my dad was that he was happy for other people’s success. That’s a trait that I try to follow, and emulate. If you’re not jealous of other people, you’re probably a very content and happy person.”

McCauley’s first NHL game was actually scheduled to take place a week later in Buffalo, but he got a call about four hours before the Chicago-Columbus game saying that Brad Watson had food poisoning. He was in Cincinnati at the time (just worked an AHL game there), so he made the two-hour drive to Columbus, hardly having any time to think about his first game in the bigs, and this is where he stayed. (He ended up doing five games in five night, because he kept a few more of his AHL assignments, while moving over to the NHL ranks.) “It’s kinda off the beaten part a bit, probably a bit more travel than the other guys, but it’s a great place to live.”

What’s the best part of being an NHL referee?

“On the ice” McCauley answered without hesitation, and with asserted glee. “I know I’m biased, but you’re on the ice with the best athletes in the world. It’s the next best thing to playing. You’re basically playing the game, you gotta kinda play the game a bit but without the stick. You gotta anticipate, you gotta think where they’re gonna go, what they’re going to do with the puck. You gotta stay out of the way. You have to think in the game almost like a player.”

How important is training and fitness?

“I think it’s everything – health, diet, fitness. Just like the players, you know if you keep yourself in shape, you’re going to be out there, and it’s a great living. It really doesn’t feel like a job. I get paid to skate around with the

Calgary Hockey Magazine | 15

What’s your game day routine?

“Most of the guys will meet for breakfast, have a bit of a workout. Fitness is so important, and that’s for the better.

It’s better for the league. If you compare us to other officials in other sports – let’s say the optimal level of experience is 15 years or 16 years, because of the physical demands of our sport, we may not keep them as long. But the better we can stay in shape, you’re going to keep that experienced official for longer.”

How important is communication?

“We have to (be good at communicating) with the players and coaches. I think it’s very important. A big part of our job is to keep the game fair and safe. They want to win and they will do whatever it takes. But they look at us (partly) as the four guys who are in their way of winning. You have to manage this part carefully, and I think communication is a big part of it. I’m a believer that we have to work together and get through the game together. We’re all going to make mistakes, but the key is that when you make a mistake, you don’t let it blow up on you.”

Cup finals, something all NHL referees aspire to. There are bonus dollars for every round worked, but it’s mostly pride and the thrill of working the most important games of the season that motivates officials to make these cuts.

When asked how it feels to have been selected as one of the final four NHL referees the past four seasons, Wes doesn’t gloat…”It’s pretty humbling, and overwhelming, it’s always a goal. There were a lot of years when I just got in the business when it was just the first round for a number of years, and then one year I got to go to the conference finals, then the next year, I got chosen to do the finals.

That was the Boston - Chicago final in 2013, and it was a really good series.”

McCauley went on to do the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Stanley Cup finals. When you google Wes McCauley, one of his goal calls shows up prominently.

“

We have to (be good at communicating) with the players and coaches. I think it’s very important. A big part of our job is to keep the game fair and safe. They want to win and they will do whatever it takes.

“

best players in the world, travel to these great cities all over North America. I’ve got to do an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium. And last year, I officiated the Montreal – Boston matchup in Foxboro, Massachusetts. It’s really neat – the league’s real good to us. The day before, we get the ice to ourselves, the four guys working the game, along with our families, for 45 minutes of icetime all to ourselves. It’s nice for the kids to get to see one of the little perks dad gets. Maybe when dad is not always home for everything, here’s something special to enjoy. To see them – they love it. They have a great time.” (Wes has three children: one son, 16, and two daughters, 14 and 9, and they all play hockey.)

“NHL Ref Wes McCauley makes the most dramatic goal call ever” is one of the headlines, bringing you to see and hear his call.

“After reviewing the play, the call on the ice….stands…..WE HAVE A GOAL!” “It was kinda funny. You know what it was – I love the game. I’ve experienced playoffs with those two teams playing – L.A. vs. San Jose – it was a great hockey game. It was everything we want in a hockey game. It was funny, my daughter (who’s 14) said, ‘That’s just you.’ I wasn’t planning on making a dramatic call that night – I was into the game, and you know what – when it went viral, it was like holy moly.”

Who did you cheer for growing up?

“I never really had a team. I mostly cheered for players. Later on, I became a defenseman, so I really liked Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque, and before that, Bobby Orr (obviously).

Refs do 73 games a season, usually seeing all 30 teams every season and all 30 rinks. It’s rare for an NHL referee to do backto-back games with the same team in the regular season as this guards against familiarity between teams and officials.

Playoff assignments are based on merit, and only 20 out of the 33 full-time NHL referees get assignments for the playoffs.

(And the top 20 out of 33 full time linesmen.) From there, the number of referee assignments diminishes by round going to 12 and 12, then eight and eight, then four and four. Only the top four highest rated NHL referees get to officiate the Stanley

16 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

“There were a lot of games where I sat near the scouts so I would just watch the game and notice the great plays on both sides. I was a pretty lucky guy. Dad would have meetings and my brother and I would just go skate. I remember he had a meeting with Scotty Bowman in Buffalo and we just went to skate on the same ice the French Connection Line played on at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.”

Why jersey #4?

“I wore #41 when I was in the American League, and when Terry Gregson retired, I made the switch to #4. I was always a Bobby Orr fan, and my dad was 44 when he passed away (same age as Wes today), and his birthday was October 4th, so I went with #4.”

When asked about coaches, McCauley remarked, “There are lot of different personalities. It’s hard to single any one of them out, but I will say this –they’re all pros.

“It’s not like when I was a kid growing up. It’s interesting – I feel like I’ve grown with some, guys you’ve had battles with, we seem to be on the same page. I remember the late Pat Quinn was always good to me, and part of that was because of my dad.

“The biggest thing I’ve found over the years, you show them you care, that you have a passion for the game, and that you want to call a fair game, that’s all they want. So some of the guys we find a little fiery. For any guys coming up, the advice to young officials I give is to show them you care. When there’s a contentious call, take the time to go to the bench and listen to the coach. Sometimes it’s going over to get an earful…”Are you done.” “Yup.” You don’t always have to give an answer, but it’s off their chest, and the game continues.”

What advice would you give to aspiring young hockey officials?

“Obviously you have to know the rules, how to skate, positioning, your mannerisms. The biggest thing is take care of the things you can control.

“Officiating sometimes requires a bit of a split personality – sometimes you need to be tough, and sometimes you need to be a bit of a hugger.

“

it really doesn’t feel like a job. I get paid to skate around with the best players in the world & travel to these great cities all over north america.

“

When asked about any current players who impress him, McCauley is quick to point out former Calgary Flames player Jarome Iginla. “When I first came into the league, Jarome was in Calgary. It was one of my first games there, and I remember him coming up to shake my hand to say, ‘I’m Jarome Iginla, nice to meet you.’ There’s a guy who went out of his way to make me feel welcome in the bigs, and not that he had to – he just wanted to do this, even though he knew we would have dealings down the road.

“At the youth level, the hardest thing is the parents. The youth hockey player has a coach and gets to practice, but there’s really no practice for being an official – it’s just game experience. It’s hard, but they have to have a lot of selfevaluation. You have to ask your peers how they would handle a certain situation. Part of it is that you might not know you made a mistake – you may not have a mentor or supervisor at every one of your games.

“The best advice I got early on, and because there was no video replay, was to get the goals (or non-goals) called right.

Everyone wants to see goals. Get yourself in position behind the goal line to make the right call. If I’m waiving it off at the top of the circle, I’m probably catching the wrath of the players or coaches. I was always told early in my career, ‘Get to the line, get to the net.’”

And when there is a goal to call, once in awhile, it becomes an internet sensation.

Calgary Hockey Magazine | 17

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Calgary Hockey Magazine | 19

3 DADS’ INNOVATION leads to better sticks for

MINOR HOCKEY PLAYERS

By Jeremy Freeborn Photos Provided by Raven Hockey

Three hockey dads from Calgary are giving minor

hockey players at the grass roots level a hockey stick that works best for them for playing the game they love. Sean Reily, Dan Pilling and Guillermo Salazar are responsible for this revolutionary new phenomenon.

The story behind Raven Hockey began when Reily tried to buy a new junior stick to replace son Jack’s youth hockey stick. They soon realized it wasn’t working well for Jack.

Even though Reily cut eight to nine inches off of the new stick, Jack still struggled in passing and shooting the puck.

Reily then went to another sports store and spoke to a salesperson. He thought he had bought Jack the wrong hockey stick and asked what type of hockey stick he should have bought. The salesperson said it was important to take flex into account when buying a stick, and that a flex rating needs to be less than half of a person’s body weight. He told Reily that he weighs 180 pounds and uses a stick with a flex rating of 85.

Reily told the salesperson that his son weighed 40 pounds and asked to see their junior hockey sticks with a flex rating of 20. He was then told the store had no junior hockey sticks with a flex rating of 20, and the lowest they had was a flex rating of 50. While there were youth hockey sticks with a flex rating of 30, Jack had outgrown those.

The other problem Reily faced was that by cutting eight to nine inches off the stick, it increased the flex rating to 85 (from the original 50) and increased the stick’s stiffness. Reily soon found out that the 85 flex rating was the same that Washington Capitals’ superstar Alexander Ovechkin had.

Reily then realized he might be on to something. Not having a strong hockey background himself, he contacted two parents on his son’s novice hockey team. Pilling played hockey with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League and the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. Salazar was an analytics consultant, who had connections to the biomechanical research department at the University of Calgary, which does research for Adidas and Nike.

Pilling and Salazar were immediately interested.

20 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

“I thought it was great,” said Pilling. “I agreed all along that junior hockey sticks did not fit kids. They were far too stiff.

We have blurred the lines between youth and junior sticks and in the top end between junior and intermediate hockey sticks. We try to make sure all kids from age six to 13 have a hockey stick that actually fits.”

“It made perfect, logical sense,” said Salazar. “I play a lot of golf, and in that sport flex is very important.”

Reily applied and received a $15,000 technology grant from the Government of Alberta to test various prototypes of hockey sticks at the University of Calgary. A group of minor hockey players in Calgary aged six to eight were then fitted with sensors and electrodes, and had their swing speed and pressure measured. The muscle tissue in the forearms of the players was also evaluated.

The initial prototypes did not work out because the sticks were so flexible they would bend too easily. They could work as a shooting tool, but not necessarily in a hockey game.

“We came to the realization that in order to have a lower flex stick, we needed to build it smaller,” said Pilling.

Once Reily, Pilling and Salazar developed a stick that they believed had the proper flex, they established a partnership

with a Mexican-based manufacturer that was willing to create the type of hockey stick the Calgary dads were looking for.

The flex was not the only feature, however, that the dads recognized as important with their newly designed stick. They also realized that the blade size and the shaft were significant.

“The Ravens stick is a shorter stick with a lighter flex but a full size junior blade,” said Reily. “That is what Dan brought to the table early in the prototyping—that we stop prototyping youth blades and we start prototyping junior blades right away. This is something that made a big difference.”

The shaft was also critical. As kids wear gloves, it was easier for them to use a stick with a larger shaft than a smaller shaft.

“The bigger shaft allows them to twist the stick more effectively and torque the puck,” said Pilling.

The sticks come in four different sizes and are differentiated by a colour-coded system. Flex20 (green) has a height of 47 inches for players less than 50 pounds.

Flex30 (orange) has a height of 52 inches for players less than 80 pounds. Flex40 (red), has a height of 56 inches for players less than 100 pounds. Flex50 (yellow), has a height of 60 inches for players less than 120 pounds.

Reily also stresses the importance of feel, confidence and performance; three intangible qualities that are critical for minor hockey players when shooting the puck.

“What builds the confidence is the flex,” said Reily. “When players shoot the puck top shelf, everything changes.”

When discussing the durability factor, Reily stresses the importance of performance, and compares hockey sticks to race cars.

“Race cars are built for speed. Durability is one of the last features that they think about. Our sticks are built for performance. Durability is important, and is built into our sticks, but performance is absolutely first,” he said.

[ From left: Dan Pilling, Sean Reily & Guillermo Salazar on Dragons Den 2016 ]

In the fall of 2016, Raven Hockey received a significant financial boost as an organization. They were featured on Dragon’s Den and got economic support from Michael Wekerle of Toronto.

“It was incredible,” Salazar said. “It wasn’t just the deal. It was the endorsement of the idea, the marketing of our product, and the great exposure. We had Jim Treliving (father of Calgary Flames’ general manager Brad Treliving) endorse the concept and recognize that our sticks were important for hockey.”

“Stores have been coming to us for over a year now,” said Pilling.

“Now that we’ve been on national television, it will be exciting to see where we will go next.”

“It (our Dragon’s Den appearance) forced us to be more serious with the company,” said Reily. “It was our launching point and we knew our competitors were coming after us. It took us to the next level.”

To date Raven Hockey has sold over 25,000 sticks and can be found in 125 stores, including 16 stores in Alberta. They include Adrenalin Source for Sports, B&P Cycle and Professional Skate Service, in Calgary; Klondike Cycle in Edmonton; Evolution Sporting Goods in Leduc; Classic Source for Sports in Okotoks; Sin Bin Sports in Sherwood Park; and St. Albert Source for Sports.

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Calgary Hockey Magazine | 21

IAN SCOTT 22 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

Photos Provided by Lucas Chudleigh

COULD BE AMONG TOP GOALTENDERS

IN UPCOMING NHL DRAFT

By Jeremy Freeborn

Calgary Hockey Magazine | 23

On Oct. 13, 2016, a significant opportunity was given to Calgary native Ian Scott. His Western Hockey League team, the Prince Albert Raiders, traded their starting goaltender Rylan Parenteau to the Tri-City Americans for goaltender Nicholas Sanders (another Calgary native) and a third round pick in the 2017 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

The Raiders move cleared an opening for Scott and eliminated a possible goaltending controversy that could have existed had Parenteau remained with the Raiders this season. The 2016-17 WHL season is significant for Scott because it is his draft year and the possibility exists that he could be among the top goaltenders selected in the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft in Chicago. According to www.draftsite.com, Scott and Jake Oettinger, of Lakeville, Minnesota, who currently plays for Boston University, are both projected to be selected late in the first round.

Scott has been drafted in the first round once before in his hockey career. In 2014 he was selected ninth overall in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft by the Raiders.

On Oct. 23, 2016, Scott played on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice in Calgary. He made 32 saves in a 3-2 Raiders win over the Calgary Hitmen. Scott was named the game’s first star.

The October game was also redemption for Scott. On Dec. 3, 2015, Scott got the start for the Raiders in their regular season game in Calgary and struggled as he gave up five goals in just over two periods before being pulled in a 6-1 Hitmen victory.

Scott’s performance in October of 2016 was a significant example of just how far he has come in 11 months, and it is clear that the Raiders have great confidence in him.

Scott skated for the first time when he was two years old.

Like many minor hockey players, he was a skater first. He tried the goaltending position in his fifth year of minor hockey when no one else wanted to stop pucks.

“I liked it and it went from there,” Scott recalled.

Scott played his minor hockey in Calgary with the Westwood Warriors, and then with the Calgary Northstars in bantam and midget. He won a city championship with the Warriors at the peewee level in 2011. In the championship game, the Warriors beat Bow River 4-3 in triple overtime.

During his first year of bantam, Scott faced adversity when he went through double knee surgery. He talked about the personal challenge that he confronted when asked if he had a message to youth goaltenders.

“You’re going to have some ups and downs,” he said.

“Many players face adversity. It is just how you deal with it (that helps define you).”

With the Northstars, Scott participated in the 201415 Mac’s Midget Hockey Tournament. The Northstars advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to the Vancouver NW Giants 4-0 at Father David Bauer Arena.

That same 2014-15 season, Scott represented Alberta at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia. In five games, Scott posted a record of four wins and one loss, a goals against average of 1.80 and a save percentage of .938. Team Alberta advanced to the final where they lost 3-1 to Team Ontario.

In 2015-16, Scott played his first season in the WHL and had a winning record of 13-9-2 with the Raiders. However, in November of 2015, Scott left the Raiders to play for Team Canada White at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek, BC. Just like earlier in the calendar year, Scott guided his team to the final. However this time, he led his team to a gold medal, the first for Canada in the tournament since 2011. In four games, Scott had a record of three wins and one loss, a goals against average of 2.78 and save percentage of .900. In the gold medal game Canada White beat Russia 6-2.

“It was an amazing experience,” he said. “You only get that chance once in a lifetime. It was definitely pretty cool wearing the Canadian jersey and winning gold for the country.”

In the summer of 2016, Scott represented Canada in Europe for the first time at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Bratislava, Slovakia. Scott only played in one game and beat Slovakia 3-2 in overtime. Overall, it was a disappointing result for the Canadian team, as they finished in fifth place, and failed to win the tournament for the first time since 2007.

This past summer, Scott also participated at the Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp in Calgary. He got to work closely with former National Hockey League goaltender Dwayne Roloson, and talk with top junior hockey goaltenders Carter Hart and Evan Fitzpatrick.

Over the course of the 2016-17 season, Scott has made statistical improvements with the Raiders. He has seen his goals against average drop from 3.24 to 3.07 and seen his save percentage rise from .892 to .916. Head coach Marc Habscheid (who played in the NHL from 1981 to 1992 with the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames), thinks highly of Scott.

“He is calm,” said Habscheid. “He just has a really good mentality about him. He competes and doesn’t get too excited. He’s just a good goalie.”

Habscheid, who was a centre in the NHL, stays out of the way when it comes to coaching Scott. He allows goaltending consultant Kelly Guard to work with Scott instead. Guard is a Prince Albert native, who got as high as the American Hockey League and won a Memorial Cup with the Kelowna Rockets in 2004. He was the top goaltender and most valuable player

24 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

“

He is calm. He just has a really good mentality about him. He competes and doesn’t get too excited. He’s just a good goalie.

“

- Head Coach Marc Habscheid on Ian Scott

“Every year they talk about it and we talk about trying to push ourselves to try and be a competitive team,” said Scott.

For now, Scott is focused on trying to help the Raiders organization be the best they can be. He is not too worried about being drafted and believes everything will work itself out once his WHL season has come to an end. When asked if there was one thing he would like the NHL scouts to know about him, it is that he does not give up—especially when there is a loose puck around him in the crease.

In the meantime, the Raiders and the city of Calgary should be proud of a rising netminder all hockey fans should keep their eye on as the hockey season progresses.

of the 2004 Memorial Cup tournament. Guard also played for Habscheid, when he was the head coach of Kelowna.

Scott says it has been valuable for him to work with Guard.

“He has definitely helped me improve my game from last year to this year. It’s good that he can help add some things (to improve my goaltending).”

In assessing his own game, Scott believes his mental focus is one of his strengths. He is currently working on his hand speed and skating. In the game against the Hitmen, Scott’s hand speed was just fine as he made a great glove save off of a slapshot from Hitmen forward Taylor Sanheim that preserved the one goal Raiders victory.

Scott has enjoyed his time with Prince Albert immensely.

“It’s great. The guys I played with last year and this year are unbelievable. They have made it a great experience for me to remember,” he said.

The Raiders have not won a Memorial Cup since they beat the Shawinigan Cataractes in the 1985 Memorial Cup.

Calling Al l

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS Name:

If your child won a gold medal at the 2017 Esso Calgary Minor Hockey Week, we want to hear from you! Please complete the following questionnaire and send it in by February 15th, 2017, and your child could be featured in the 2017 spring edition of the Official Calgary Hockey Magazine!

Send in completed entries, along with a photo (preferably in a hockey uniform) to:

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Usual Position: Favourite Hockey Team: Favourite Hockey Player: Who is your Role Model: Other Hobbies / Interests: Favourite Hockey Memory:

publisher@hockeymagazine.net

Calgary Hockey Magazine | 25

Cassie Campbell-Pascall

Photos courtesy of Hockey Canada Images and Sportsnet

From Road Hockey to Canada Gold to the Broadcast Booth

By Jeremy Freeborn

Over the last two decades, Cassie Campbell-Pascall has been a major face not only on the Canadian women’s hockey scene, but the Canadian hockey scene.

A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Campbell-Pascall moved to Calgary following the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, and has called Calgary home ever since. On an early November morning, she

26 | Calgary Hockey Magazine

took the time away from prepping for her weekly Hockey Night in Canada broadcast to speak to Hockey Magazine Calgary.

Campbell-Pascall got into the game of hockey thanks to her brother Jeff, three years older than her. In the beginning, they regularly played street hockey. But when a girl joined Jeff’s hockey team, Cassie successfully persuaded her parents that she could play hockey, too.

Campbell-Pascall explains why she gravitated toward the sport of hockey.

“I loved the speed of it. I loved being with teammates. Even when I first started, I was with all boys and it did not seem to faze me. I just loved how much fun it was. My brother was the coolest guy I knew, so I thought I should probably do it, too. I was trying to follow in his footsteps.”

At age nine, she joined the Brampton Canadettes women’s hockey team. It was the first time that she played on an all-girls team.

“It was the biggest girls hockey association in the world at the time,” said Campbell-Pascall. “I really lucked out by getting to play with girls.”

In 1991, she captained Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown, PEI. She got to play in front of family, as her father’s family is from PEI. Team Ontario was favoured to win the tournament, but finished fourth.

Team Alberta, led by a 12-year-old Hayley Wickenheiser, won the gold medal.

Campbell-Pascall took away positive memories from competing in Canada’s top multi-sport national competition.

“It was a really neat experience and it gave me perspective on what it would be like to be an elite athlete,” she said. “It came at a time in my life when a lot of girls quit hockey because they didn’t see a future in it. That event kept me in the game.”

A year later, female hockey players who pursued the sport, had something significant to play for. During the summer of 1992, the International Olympic Committee approved women’s hockey.

It would be part of the program for the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano.

Campbell-Pascall represented Canada internationally for the first time on the senior level at the age of 20, at the 1994 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Lake Placid, New York. Her defensive partner was Natalie Picard of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

World Hockey Championship in Kitchener, Ontario. At the 1997 championship, Campbell-Pascall was named to the all-star team as one of the top two defencemen. She led the tournament with six assists and was second on the Canadian team in scoring with eight points. Campbell-Pascall would go on to win four more Women’s World Hockey Championships.

Team Canada was a gold medal favourite at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano.

The United States beat Canada 3-1 in the gold medal game.

Campbell-Pascall had one goal and two assists for three points in six games, with all points coming in Canada’s 13-0 win over Japan to begin the tournament.

Campbell-Pascall says she has more appreciation for Canada’s silver medal today than she did 19 years ago.

“As I look back now, it is more of a success. Definitely at the time, it was a huge failure. I still see the older girls’ faces—the players that you knew where 1998 would be their only chance for Olympic gold. I still see their faces on the blue line (after the gold medal game) and it haunts me to this day. It is not fun and I wish I could change the colour of that medal for them. Now I see the medal as a great success. We won the first ever Olympic silver medal in women’s ice hockey. I learned a lot about myself, more than if we would have won gold.”

For the 1998-99 season, CampbellPascall had a significant transition in her hockey career. She moved from defense to left wing. Tom Renney, who was the vice-president of hockey operations at Hockey Canada at the time, made the recommendation after seeing her play.

“I was pretty shocked and nervous about it,” she said. “I wondered if I would make the team because I knew Canada had a lot of great forwards. The coaching staff wanted a more defensive presence up front. It worked out well in the end.”

In 2001, Campbell-Pascall joined the Oval X-Treme in Calgary. She played five years with the organization, playing regularly in the centre hockey rink of the Olympic Oval.

“Natalie couldn’t speak a word of English and I couldn’t speak a word of French,” said Campbell-Pascall. “It was a great experience. I think she settled me down.”

Prior to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Campbell-Pascall won three consecutive gold medals for Canada at the Women’s World Hockey Championship from 1999 to 2001. On Nov. 27, 2001, she was named captain of Team Canada and remained the captain until her retirement in 2006.

Campbell-Pascall helped Canada win gold in both Lake Placid and the 1997 Women’s

“To be the captain of two Olympics was an honour for me,” she said. “It could have

“

I loved the speed of [hockey]. I loved being with teammates. Even when I first started, I was with all the boys and it did not seem to faze me. I just loved how much fun it was.

“

While growing up in Ontario, Cassie participated in a long list of sports. Not only did she play hockey, she also was a figure skater, volleyball player, basketball player, soccer player, gymnast and swimmer. Over time, soccer and hockey became her major sports interests.

been a handful of other players. I was lucky to be chosen and I tried to lead the best way that I could. I took a lot of pride in the captaincy and lead by example.”

At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Canada surprised the United States by winning gold. The Americans were the heavy favourites, as they dominated Canada in the pre-Olympic exhibition games. With unbelievable resiliency and determination – Canada was shorthanded 11 times – Team Canada beat the United States 3-2 in the gold medal game. In five games, CampbellPascall had two goals and one assist.

“For me that was the toughest year of leadership I had to go through,” she said. “We had a teammate let go (Nancy Drolet) and it was so much more special to win when you face adversity.”

The 2006 team was the best Canadian team Campbell-Pascall believes she ever played on. There was a strong combination of veterans and younger players. The team was also able to relax once the medal round started as the Americans were eliminated from the tournament losing 3-2 to Sweden before Canada played its first medal round game. Team Canada beat Finland 6-0 in the semi-final and Sweden 4-1 in the final. Campbell-Pascall had five assists in the tournament.

Calgary Hockey Magazine | 27

Campbell-Pascall retired from international competition following the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. In 157 games with the women’s national team, Campbell-Pascall had 32 goals and 68 assists for 100 points.

Canada in 2012, and is soon to receive the Order of Canada. Being a hockey player, she has difficulty accepting the recognition.

“I play a team sport,” she said. “I have trouble about being singled out over my teammates.”

Also for 11 years from 2004 to 2014, Campbell-Pascall organized a street hockey festival in Calgary. During that time, she helped raise $3.5 million for the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta.

Shortly after her retirement, CampbellPascall got a surprise call from Hockey Night in Canada. She was asked to join the weekly broadcast team on Saturday nights. On Oct. 14, 2006, she made hockey history becoming the first woman to be a colour-commentator of a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. Campbell-Pascall subbed for Harry Neale, who was unable to get to Toronto from Buffalo because of inclement weather.

“It was amazing,” she said. “But the volunteers on our committee were the real stars of the show. Everybody got my idea and we were able to help the Ronald McDonald House in a big way.”

Campbell-Pascall loves living in Calgary with her husband Brad, the assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames, and their daughter.

Campbell-Pascall also has great memories over the last decade of being part of the Hockey Day in Canada broadcasts. One time she, Wendel Clark and the CBC crew went on a bus overnight from Calgary to Nelson, B.C. because their flight had been cancelled.

“A perfect date night for us is sitting on the couch with a glass of wine watching a hockey game,” she said, admitting she watches a dozen hockey games on television per week in preparation for her weekly Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.

“We had a big party on the bus,” she said.

For rising, aspiring female hockey players, Campbell-Pascall has the following message.

Since her retirement, Campbell-Pascall has received significant awards and recognitions. She has been inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, received the Order of Hockey

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SKATE SKATE SKATE SKATETO TO TO TOEXCEL EXCEL EXCEL EXCEL By: Joel Lenius Each season hockey players are becoming bigger, stronger, and faster. The best hockey players are characteristically the most skilled and the strongest and fastest skaters.

Poor skating ability prevents hockey players from performing, and ultimately enjoying the game of hockey to their optimal ability.

Skating Fundamental & Technical Skills > > > > > > > > There are four fundamental technical hockey skills that each hockey player must possess and continue to develop and refine throughout their entire hockey playing career: skating, puck-handling, shooting, and passing. If athletes do not possess these fundamental technical hockey skills, more complicated skills, tactics, and systems become significantly more difficult to perform, and ultimately prevent athletes from optimally enjoying the brilliant game of hockey.

Of these four fundamental technical skills, skating is the skill with foundational properties. Each of the other three skills are built from a strong skating base. If hockey players cannot skate well, they will not be able to handle the puck, shoot, or pass to their optimal ability. Weight transfer, weight distribution, stance, gliding, the use of inside and outside edges, are all skating skills which are compulsory to perform puck-handling, shooting, and passing skills.

Pee Wee

ion es s Pr og r

ion

ss

re

og

TEAM PLAY SYSTEMS

Initiation

SHOOTING

PUCK HANDLING

How can hockey players develop a strong skating foundation?

1. Learn to skate before registering for hockey programming: Rushing children into hockey programming at an early age is not necessary and will hinder their overall development rather than improve it. Learning the basics of skating and building a strong skating foundation, before learning other hockey skills, is ideal.

Pr

STRATEGY

Novice

SKATING

2. Constantly refine skating skills: Like any skills humans possess, hockey players must continuously perform and refine skating skills at all divisions and categories of play to keep skills precise and robust.

Bantam / Midget

Atom

PASSING

TEAM TACTICS INDIVIDUAL TACTICS TECHNICAL SKILLS Progression

FOUNDATIONAL SKATING SKILLS To put the “foundational skating theory” into perspective, hockey players can relate it to other life skills humans develop.

If humans cannot count, they most likely will not develop the ability to manage data, do calculus, or algebra.

If humans do not know the alphabet, they most likely will not develop the ability to read and write. To perform the most complicated tasks and movements, humans must possess a strong foundation to build from and develop skills in a sequential pattern. Neglecting skating, or over-developing other skills to mask deficiencies in skating, will eventually catch up to hockey players at some point in their development.

3. Incorporate skating skill development into every practice: The importance of skating is evident. No matter what concepts, tactics, or systems a coach plans to work on during that practice, skating will be involved. Start the practice with refining the appropriate and relative skating skills that are required to execute the concepts in the rest of the practice plan.

4. Ensure that there is game application It is important to develop and refine individual skating skill technique, however it is even more valuable to practice those skills in game situational drills. To get players to buy into skill development, they must understand how it applies to a game situation and why they are developing that skill.

How can coaches teach skating skills in a progressive manner?

Coaches do not need to be skating experts to incorporate skating skills into every practice. However, coaches should possess the ability to “break-down” skills such as striding, starting and stopping, crossovers, etc. and teach them in a progressive manner. Here is a simple six stage progression to

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effectively teach skating. The progression is sequential and each stage must be accomplished to optimally develop skating skills for game situations: 1. Technique 2. Technique under Stress/Resistance 3. Technique with Speed 4. Technique under Stress/Resistance with Speed

TRUST YOUR EDGES The more confidence and trust that hockey players have in their inside and outside edges, the more efficiently they will glide or push. When skating, hockey players are either pushing or gliding - ensure that the appropriate edge is being utilized with confidence, to increase the length of the stride and the smoothness of the glide. When turning, or transitioning, a strong confidence in edges allows for less opportunity to lose generated speed.

5. Technique under Stress with Speed with Pucks 6. Chaos! Game situational skating, with no pattern or predetermined route/routine

What key skating concepts should coaches and players consistently refer to?

Whether hockey players are striding forwards or backwards, crossing-over, turning, or in transition, hockey players and coaches should constantly refer to the following concepts when performing any skating exercise:

SKATING SKATING STANCE STANCE Bend at the ankles, knees, and hips – drop the butt as if sitting in a chair. Keep the chest upright, head up, and arms in ready position. Maintain proper stance for optimal balance, weight distribution, and weight transfer in pushes. Concentrate more weight on the ball of the foot, rather than on the heels. Ensure that feet are underneath the body, hip width apart, and are on the flats of the blade – not on inside or outside edges.

EXTEND EXTEND FULLY FULLY IN IN EVERY EVERY PUSH PUSH Activate all leg muscles in the pushing phase of striding or crossing over. Finish each push with the “toe-flick” to add more power and length. Pushes should be occurring to the side of the body, rather than straight backwards. The larger the push, the more speed generated, and the increase in efficiency.

Push through the balls of your feet and fully extend the leg. Push to the side rather than to the back.

RECOVER RECOVER FULLY FULLY AFTER AFTER EVERY EVERY PUSH PUSH Bring the skates back under the body to maintain balance, generate power, and ultimately prepare the legs to push again. Return the pushing foot back under the body in a rapid straight-line route, as close to the ice as possible, without kicking up the heels.

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As today’s hockey players are becoming bigger, stronger, and faster, improving skating technique, efficiency, and ultimately speed is increasingly important. Skating well provides the opportunity for elite athletes to excel and recreational athletes to truly feel comfortable and enjoy the game of hockey.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Skating Resources for Coaches and Players Please visit the following links for further information on skating drills, education, and clinics: > Hockey Canada Drill Hub > Hockey Canada Network App > Hockey Canada NCCP Instructional Stream Clinics > ProSmart Sports Learning Systems > Skate Canada CanSkate Certification > Skate Canada CanPowerSkate Certification

T H G I L T O P S L A I C I F F NO ON A

K R A M Y D N U R G [ By Rob Suggitt ]

We met up with 20-year-old Mark Grundy, our “Spotlight Official” for this edition of the Calgary Hockey Magazine.

Mark started officiating hockey at 13 years of age, and is currently in his 8th season as a minor hockey official.

Mark is in his third year of university, with plans to be a high school physics teacher when he finishes up with his studies. In his spare time, Mark enjoys video games, golf and slo-pitch baseball. Mark took the time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions on how he got involved in officiating and what he likes most about officiating minor hockey.

Calgary Hockey: How many years did you play hockey before becoming a minor hockey official?

Mark Grundy: I played from initiation through to my second year of midget (mostly centre), so three years doing both – playing hockey and being a hockey official.

CH: When did you start officiating hockey?

MG: I started the first year I was eligible, when I was 13.

CH: What made you want to become a hockey official?

MG: At first, it was the money! There aren’t very many ways to make

CH: What level of hockey are you currently officiating?

MG: Everything from pee wee up to midget AA and junior C. CH: How many years have you officiated during Minor Hockey Week?

MG: Every year I’ve officiated, so this season will be my eighth.

CH: What makes you volunteer your time as an official for Minor Hockey Week?

MG: The games are far more exciting than during the regular season, the crowd and parents are far more engaged, overtime is even more tense, and if you get the chance to officiate a final all of this is heightened.

money at 13, and officiating seemed to be a fun way to do that.

CH: Any special memories from Minor Hockey Week?

MG: As a player, I’ve had the pleasure of being on winning

CH: How many games did you officiate last season?

MG: I would estimate 60, maybe 70.

teams three times, so each of those tournaments have been especially memorable.

CH: How many games do you plan to officiate this season?

MG: As many as I am able.

CH: What do you enjoy most about officiating hockey games?

MG: The challenge of it, it’s not an easy job and there’s always ways you can improve.

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CH: What kind of training were/are you provided?

MG: Other than the clinic all officials complete every year, we are supervised fairly regularly by other officials who work higher level hockey than us, especially going into A-program hockey.

The talks you have with your supervisor between periods or after the game is where a large portion of your learning as an official happens, as only so much can be covered in a clinic.

After that, you just have to focus on whatever pointers they gave you in future games to try and improve.

CH: Do you have a role model or mentor who has helped you along the way?

MG: I can’t think of any single person in particular. I’ve drawn on the knowledge of countless officials in developing what I do on the ice.

CH: How have you improved your skills as an official?

MG: Usually after I am supervised there will be a couple points brought up that I can work on or change in my game. I then focus on those items during my next few games, for example reminding myself I need to do X before every faceoff, until it just becomes a habit and is a part of what I do.

Photo provided by Avonlea Photography

MG: No injuries more serious than bruises but more close calls than I can count! Most are due to pucks in and around the head area. Just the other day I had a player on a dump in shoot a puck a couple inches from my face before I could tell him to look where he was shooting.

CH: How do you handle criticism on the ice?

CH: What is the toughest part about being a referee?

MG: Much of what we do as officials is subjective, especially penalty calls, and trying to explain our perspective on a call or non-call to an emotionally charged individual such as coach or player can be difficult.

CH: Ever suffer any injuries as an official? Any close calls?

MG: When I’m criticised I remind myself that hockey is an extremely emotional sport and because of that it is nearly impossible to leave the rink with everyone involved thinking you were perfect, even if you believe you called a good game.

Criticism is a part of being a referee, and if I do make a mistake I tell myself that I’m only human and focus on learning from my errors, rather than the comments I may hear from the stands or the benches.

CH: Do you have comments you wish to share with parents, coaches or anyone watching minor hockey?

MG: I think a lot of people believe referees think of themselves as infallible, and this simply isn’t true. We know when we’ve made a mistake, even if we can’t show it. All a referee is trying to do is facilitate a fair and safe game, if we are given the chance to focus on that rather than having to ignore or shrug off comments, we’re probably going to be able to do a better job.

Photo provided by Avonlea Photography

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SPOT T H G I L s l a n g i S e e r e f e R Boarding If a player is checked into the boards in a violent manner, then the referee may call a boarding penalty. A two minute penalty will be given for boarding, and in situations where the offense is more serious (when a player is vulnerable, etc), a five minute major penalty and game ejection may be called.

Body Checking Body-checking is not allowed until the bantam level. Delivering a body-check in the lower divisions will result in a two minute penalty being given. The referee’s signal is an arm across the chest with a flat hand.

Butt Ending If a player jabs (or attempts to jab) another player with the shaft of his or her stick above the upper hand, a butt-ending penalty may be called.

The referee holds one forearm over the other, the upper hand flat and the lower hand makes a fist.

Charging If a player takes more than two steps or strides, or jumps into an opponent when body-checking, a charging infraction may be called. The referee signals this call by rotating clenched fists around each other in front of the chest.

Checking From Behind If a player pushes, body-checks or cross checks an opponent from behind, a checking from behind penalty may be called. It is a game misconduct (ejection), coupled with a two or five minute penalty, depending on the severity of the offense.

Checking To The Head A minor or major penalty, depending on the degree of violence of impact and shall be assessed to any player who checks an opponent in the head area. A match penalty could also be assessed under this rule. If a player is injured, a major and game misconduct penalty or match penalty must be assessed.

Cross Checking When a player uses the shaft of his stick, held between the hands, to check an opponent. The referee signals with a pushing motion of the arms, fists clenched and shoulder-width apart.

(This signal imitates the action of a cross check.)

Elbowing The referee may call an elbowing penalty when a player hits or checks an opponent using his elbow. The referee signals by grabbing either elbow with the opposite hand.

High Sticking This occurs when an an opponent is checked by another player’s stick held above the normal height of the shoulders.

A more severe penalty may be called for flagrant high-sticking fouls, including ejection from the game. The referee signals this call by clenching their fists and mimicking a player holding a stick above their shoulders.

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Holding This is called when a player grabs the opponents body or stick and holds them back from play. The referee motions this call by grabbing either wrist with the opposite hand.

Hooking This penalty is called when a player slows down an opponent by hooking his stick on any part of the opponent’s body or stick. The referee signals this call with a pulling motion with both arms as if holding a stick.

Interference This penalty is called when a player impedes the progress of an opponent who does not have the puck. The referee signals this call by crossing his or her arms across the chest.

Kneeing If a player uses his knee (this includes sticking his knee out) to take down or check an opponent, the referee may call a kneeing penalty. If the infraction is of a more serious nature, the referee may consider a major and a game misconduct instead of a minor penalty. The referee signals this by bending down and grabbing his knee.

Misconduct This penalty may be called when a player demonstrates extreme and inappropriate behaviour toward another player or a game official. Depending on the severity of the offense, the player may be given a ten minute misconduct penalty. The penalized team, in this case, does not play shorthanded, unless there is contact involved.

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Roughing This penalty may be called when a player uses his arms or fists to hit another player. The referee’s signal for this is a clenched fist extended out to the front or side of the body.

Slashing This penalty is called when a player deliberately hits an opponent with his stick. The signal for this call is a flat hand chopping down on the opposite forearm.

Spearing Spearing occurs when a player thrusts or jabs the blade of his stick toward an opponent. Players are usually ejected from the game for spearing. The signal for this call is similar to hooking, however instead of a pulling motion with both arms toward the body, it is an outward jabbing motion.

Tripping This penalty may be called when a player uses his or her stick or any body part to trip the opponent with the puck. However, if the player touches the puck prior to contact with the other player, there is usually no penalty called. The referee signals this call by bending down and striking their leg with their hand, below the knee.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct This penalty may be called when a player exhibits poor sportsmanlike or inappropriate behaviour on the ice. A “T” is made with the hands to signal this call.

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