RETURNING PLAYER APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN MAILED:

All players that were enrolled in our programs for the 2011-12 season have been mailed a returning player application.  These applications went in the mail on May 10.  We ask all KMHA families to review their applications carefully and follow the instructions on the letter that is attached.  It is imperative that you clearly state on your returning player applications your intentions for the 2012/13 season (whether you wish to play in our Recreation/House program, tryout for a Rep team or tryout for an Atom Development team).  For Peewee and above we also ask that you specify which position you would like to play (Forward, Defence or Goaltender).  It is required that if you wish to register as a Goaltender that you clearly state that intention as we will limit the number of Goaltenders per division.

BEN HANLEY CHOSEN IN WHL BANTAM DRAFT:

Kelowna Minor Hockey Association would like to congratulate Ben Hanley on being selected in the 2012 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.  Ben was chosen in the 8th round, 159th overall by the Spokane Chiefs.  Ben played Left Wing during the 2011/12 season with our Bantam Tier 1 Jr. Rockets.  At 6'3" he was a towering force for our team this season.  We wish Ben lots of luck this summer when he heads to Spokane for his first WHL camp.  Your accomplishments have made us very proud!!
 

 

 

 

SOURCE FOR SPORTS® AND THE NHLPA

PARTNER TO FULFILL HOCKEY DREAMS FOR CHILDREN

TORONTO/ BURLINGTON (May 9^th, 2012) –The NHLPA and  Source for Sports®  are pleased to announce that Source For Sports® will be serving as the “Official Equipment Supplier” of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) Goals & Dreams Game Changer Award program.  The NHLPA Goals & Dreams Game-Changer Award assists individual families who find themselves in unique financial situations due to economic or social reasons such as job loss, divorce and more.

As the official equipment supplier for this award, Source For Sports® will fit and supply the hockey gear for these deserving applicants. 

“No one should be left out of hockey because they can’t afford it”, says  Greg Evtushevski owner of

Chevy’s Source For Sports®.  “We are very excited to partner with the NHLPA and help give back to people in our community and help all kids enjoy the game of hockey.”

Source For Sports® will also assist with fulfilling regular NHLPA Goals & Dreams equipment grants, beyond those included as part of the NHLPA Game Changer Award Program. 

NHLPA Goals & Dreams assists volunteer-based grassroots hockey programs that help economically disadvantaged children play the great sport of hockey.  NHLPA members and Source For Sports^® share in the belief that more children should have the opportunity to play hockey, a sport that educates players in teamwork, commitment, discipline and physical fitness.

“We are excited to partner with Source for Sports to help even more children play the great game of hockey.”  said Devin Smith, Chairman of the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund.  “This new partnership will provide children the joy of walking into a Source for Sports® store to pick out brand new gear”. 
“We have deep roots in our hockey communities right across Canada, and this partnership with the NHLPA will allow children to continue the hockey tradition that many of us enjoyed growing up”, says Brad Hause, President of Source For Sports®.  
 To learn more about the NHLPA Goals & Dreams and Game Changer Award programs and for information on how to apply for a grant through the NHLPA visit: http://www.nhlpa.com/giving-back/goals-dreams  

 

About NHLPA Goals & Dreams:

In 1999, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) launched the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 12 years, more than 60,000 deserving children in 25 countries have benefited from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams donations of full sets of hockey equipment; the players’ program has also assisted with upgrades and the building of hundreds of arenas world-wide. To date, NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $20-million to grassroots hockey programs around the world making it the largest program of its kind. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit www.nhlpa.com.

About Source for Sports:

With over 150 independently owned stores across Canada, we know that your sport means everything to you. Providing the equipment and expertise to help you play your best means everything to us. Source For Sports^® is where you'll find the right fit, the right advice, and the right equipment. And because each store is locally owned, you'll find a selection of equipment tailored to the local sports scene. It's what you can expect from Source For Sports^® because we know our stuff^®.

 

 

COACH EVALUATIONS:

KMHA is beginning to review applications for coaching positions for the 2012/13 season.  We respectfully request that all parents complete a coaching evaluation form for their child's coach from this past 2011/12 season (evaluation forms are available from the "Forms" page of our website at www.kelownaminorhockey.com).  It is imperative that we receive feedback from our KMHA families on how this past season was for their child.  We would like to hear any and all comments both positive and negative.  Parents are free to remain anonymous if they so wish or they may identify themselves (if you choose to identify yourself, please give us your email address and telephone number so we can contact you personally if there are any questions we may have).

If you had concerns with your child's coach this past season and you don't tell us about those concerns we are unable to address them.  To make your child's hockey experience the very best it can be we need to hear from you.

Forms can be emailed to admin@kelmha.com, faxed to 250-861-5358 or mailed/dropped off at our office at 1420 Ellis Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 2A5

 

KELOWNA MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

2012/13 INFORMATION

REP TRYOUTS

The 2012/13 season tryouts will begin on Monday, August 27, 2012 for the Bantam division and on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 for the Peewee and Midget Divisions.  Tryout groupings will be posted on the KMHA website prior to those dates.  It is the responsibility of the player to ensure they are aware of which grouping he/she is slotted into.  Players are required to attend ALL tryout sessions and requests for grouping changes will not be entertained. 

 

Please note that if you register for a rep tryout on your initial player application and subsequently decide that you wish to play recreational hockey you will be charged a $25.00 administrative fee.  Once you attend one tryout the $150.00 tryout fee is non-refundable.

 

Players successful in making a KMHA Rep team will be charged an additional $200.00 carding/rep surcharge fee.

 

ATOM DEVELOPMENT TRYOUTS

Atom Development tryouts will begin on Friday, September 14, 2012.  Tryout groupings will be posted on the KMHA website prior to that time.  It is the responsibility of the player to ensure they are aware of which grouping he/she is slotted into.  Players are required to attend ALL tryout sessions and requests for grouping changes will not be entertained.

 

Please note that if you register for an Atom Development tryout on your initial player application and subsequently decide that you wish to play Atom recreational hockey you will be charged a $25.00 administrative fee.  The fee schedule for Atom Development includes a $125.00 non refundable tryout fee.  Once you attend one tryout this fee is non refundable. 

 

Players successful in making a KMHA Atom Development team will be charged an additional $150.00 surcharge to cover extra practice time and league administrative fees.

 

RECREATIONAL/HOUSE LEAGUE EVALUATIONS

Recreational/House league team evaluations for Initiation to Midget will begin on September 17, 2012.  Tryout groupings will be posted on the KMHA website prior to that time .  It is the responsibility of the player to ensure they are aware of which grouping he/she is slotted into.  Players are required to attend ALL tryout sessions and requests for grouping changes will not be entertained. 

 

Please note that if you register for a Recreational team on your initial player application and subsequently decide that you wish to tryout for an Atom Development or Rep team a $25.00 administrative fee + the tryout fee will be charged. 

 

 

KMHA REFUND POLICY

KMHA will refund registration fees less a $50.00 administrative fee prior to the start of the 2012/13 season.  Once the season begins, fees are prorated for the period of time the player is involved in KMHA programs.  Prorated refunds with a $50.00 administrative fee are only refundable up to December 31, 2012.  After December 31, 2012 KMHA will not issue refunds for the 2012/13 season.  Tryout fees are non refundable.    Please note that players registering with KMHA that are successful in making a BC Hockey Midget AAA team will be given a full refund.

 

NEW PLAYER REGISTRATION

 KMHA will begin new player registration at 9:00am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at the KMHA office in the Memorial Arena at 1420 Ellis Street.  We will take players at that time on a space available basis.  Please complete the required paperwork prior to coming to our office on registration day.  It is imperative that you come with all of the required documents.  KMHA will not accept incomplete applications.  Typically we have line ups on registration day.  While we will have space available in some divisions after our first new player registration day there are no guarantees.

 

KMHA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

KMHA is a volunteer organization.  Our success is through the hard work and dedication of those who give of their time to work with our players.  We have many volunteer opportunities available and encourage each family to take up a volunteer role within your association.  Coaching applications are available on the forms page of our website.  Please complete one of these applications should you wish to be a coach or an assistant coach with one of our teams and submit to our office by May 31, 2012.  Please see the volunteer application if you would like to participate in an off ice capacity within the association.   We require Division Directors (please call our office for an overview of this position), tournament coordinators, team managers, Game Day volunteers for our community involvement initiative and many more rewarding volunteer opportunities.  If you have any questions on what you can do to help out, please don’t hesitate to contact our office at 250-861-5677 or via email at admin@kelmha.com. 

GOALTENDER POLICY

KMHA reserves the right to limit the number of goaltenders per division.  Players wishing to participate in our programs as a goaltender MUST make their position request clear on the player application form, failure to do so will result in you being unable to play that position should we have more than 2 goaltenders per team in your specific division.  KMHA will not supply goaltender equipment to players beyond the Atom Division. 

 

KMHA REFEREE OPPORTUNITIES

KMHA will host a Hockey Canada Officiating Clinic in early September.  Anyone 12 years of age and older that is interested in becoming an on ice official for the 2012-13 season must complete this clinic.  An HCOP clinic is required every season in order to be a referee or a linesperson within BC Hockey.  Clinic dates and information will be posted on the KMHA website under the officiating tab.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:

The Association's Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday, May 28, 2012 at 7:00pm at the Sandman Hotel, Kelowna.  This meeting is open to everyone registered with KMHA for the 2011/12 season. 

AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED:
KMHA held its annual Volunteer Appreciation/Awards Banquet on Wednesday, April 25.   This event is held each year to honor the dedicated volunteers of our association and all the work they do to make hockey possible for the youth of our City.   KMHA is very fortunate in that we have a host of very special people that give thousands of hours each and every hockey season to our players. 

Annually KMHA presents awards to the "Coach of the Year" for our Rep program and for our Recreational program, along with an award to the "Most Promising Young Coach" in our system.  The 2011/12 season award winners were an exceptional group.

RECREATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR - Mr. David Notte 
Dave was the Head Coach of the Peewee Leafs who finished the season as the "Showcase of Champions" winners.  Dave and his staff did an exceptional job developing this group of young players this season.  Dave was extremely well organized, very detail oriented, and shared a host of knowlege with his players thru various mediums.  Dave's team stepped off the ice and into the community this season with a special project at Christmas time that made the season very special for a Kelowna family.  Congratulations Dave you have set a standard for your team that KMHA is extremely proud of.

REP COACH OF THE YEAR - Mr. Eric Blais
As Head Coach of the Fripp Warehousing Midget Tier 1 Jr. Rockets Eric and his staff were charged with leading the top players in our association into a Provincial Championship Tournament.  This team had a host of successes this season in league and tournaments.  Being crowed the Midget Tier 1 League and Playoff Champions the Midget Tier 1 Jr. Rockets were a force to be reckoned with.  Eric has made so many personal sacrifices to coach this team.  He has given thousands of hours of his time preparing his players to excel.  He brought a group of boys together and made them a team and a very good one at that.  This team was extremely well coached, extremely well managed and was about as professional as a minor hockey team can be.  Eric helped mould some fantastic young hockey players and also some very mature young men.  These boys visited the Seniors in our community, manned the Salvation Army Red Kettles at Christmas time (with Coach Eric being right out there on a kettle with his players) and were role models for the younger players in our association.  Congratulations Eric your dedication to the game and to the players of our association is unprecedented. 


MOST PROMISING YOUNG COACH - Mr. Shae Naka and Mr. Braeden Pistawka
Shae and Braeden were the dynamic duo behind the KMHA Rep Coach of the Year.  As assistants to Coach Blais, Shae and Braeden were charged with working with a group of 15-17 year old's that were keen to bring their game to the next level.  With Braeden being a full time student at UBCO and Shae in the work force these young men gave countless hours to our players this season.  Their lives were basically a circle of school/work and hockey.  Both Shae and Braeden have Jr. hockey experience, love the game of hockey and were more than willing to pass their passion for the game on to our players.  These young coaches were extremely keen to learn from Coach Blais, were very adept in their analysis of the game and were mature well beyound their years.  Our association is extremely lucky to have these two young men in our program and look forwad to a very bright future for both of them on the ice and personally.  Congratulations guys you have made us proud!!

COACHING APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED:

Kelowna Minor Hockey is now accepting applications for coaching positions for the 2012/13 season.  If you are interested in Coaching at the House (Initiation to Midget), Atom Development or Rep (Peewee - Midget) please complete the coaching application found on the forms page of our website.  In order to plan for next season we would like to get as many coaching positiions filled as quickly as possible so we strongly encourage interested parties to complete the application and submit it to our office before the end of April (please place in the mail slot at the Ellis Street side of our office as we are currently closed for an electrical upgrade to the building).

Head Coach Trevor Erhardt will be holding wrap up meetings for coaches of all levels coming up over the next couple of weeks.  Please watch your email for details on the time/location of these meetings as we would like to have all coaches that worked with our players for the 2011/12 season come to these meetings. 

We appreciate the comittment of our volunteer coaches and look forward to receiving lots of applications in the coming weeks!!!

ADAM BEATTY NAMED TO TEAM BC:
Kelowna Minor Hockey Association Midget Tier 1 player Adam Beatty has been named to Team BC and will travel to the 2012 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Saskatoon.  A three day player selection camp was held March 30 to April 1 at the Shulus Community Arena in Merritt.  Adam, a second year Midget player, was put through skating and puck control drills and three evaluation games and was chosen to play in the Blue and White game featuring the top 40 players in the province.  From a field of 84 skaters, the coaching staff, supported by the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council selected the top 20 players from BC and the Yukon.  The selection committee was very impressed with Adam's face-off skills, his speed and two way game.  Adam, a centre who racked up 47 points playing for the Midget Tier 1 Fripp Warehousing Jr. Rockets this past season, will travel to Saskatchewan from May 6-12 and play against the top players in the country. 

The NAHC provides a forum for elite bantam/midget aged Aboriginal hockey players from across the country.  The event aids in fostering cultural unity and pride and celebrates the athletic abilities of Aboriginal athletes from across the country. 

Best of luck Adam on this the next great hockey experience of your life!!!


 

BANTAM TIER 1 PLAYERS ON TO THE NEXT STAGE OF THE BC HOCKEY U16 HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM:

Congratulations to the following Kelowna Jr. Rockets Bantam Tier 1 players that have made it through to the next stage of the BC Hockey U16 High Performance tryouts:

Kristian Blumenschein
Tanner Campbell
Brayden Eliuk
Jeran Knorr
Jordan Reynolds
Nicholas Robbins

The next round of the tryouts will take place in two weeks at the U16 tournament which will be hosted by Westside MHA.  Congratulations boys on a great tryout, we wish you the best of luck in the next stage!!!!