S E A F A I R M I N O R H O C K E Y A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R

Volume IV Issue II Seafair - Great Hockey, Great People Page 1

The Islander

Tournament Report

8th Annual Seafair MHA Ice Breaker Rep TournamentIt seems so long ago. Last October during the Thanksgiving weekend, we held our 8th Annual Ice Breaker Rep Tournament. 48 teams from all over B.C. and the Pacific Northwest, competed in our Atom, Peewee, Bantam and Midget divisions. There were lots of players, lots of parents, lots of hockey fans, and even lots of junior hockey scouts. Congratulations to our Bantam A1 team and Atom A2 team for winning their respective divisions. And the same goes for the rest of our teams who competed hard – we’re proud of all our teams. Special thanks to Christine Malcolm and her tournament committee for putting on another first rate tournament. We also want to thank our sponsors and volunteers – who without them, we could not have put on such a great tournament.

5th Annual Seafair MHA Ice Breaker C TournamentNot to be outdone by our rep tournament, our 5th Annual Ice Breaker C Tournament was another great success. With teams from the Island, the Okanogan and the Lower Mainland, 32 teams battled hard for the Atom, Peewee, Bantam and Midget titles. In the atom division our very own Atom C5 team, came out on top. As for our other teams, they had their share of “highs and lows” over the weekend, but overall represented

Seafair very well. Can’t say enough about Erica Macklin, and her crew of volunteers and sponsors – a job well done ! In the “50-50 department”, I think everyone was shocked over the size of the pots. Two pots in particular, were over $ 400 and $ 500.00. Now that’s a 50-50 draw !

9th Annual Hockey Odlum Brown RIC Hockey 1-4 TournamentWhat a weekend ! 50 teams, approximately 700 players, 73 games, and some very exhausted tournament volunteers, tired players, and excited parents (and grandparents). We are told that this joint venture hosted by ourselves and the Richmond Minor Hockey Association, is one of the most popular and “hardest to get into” tournament in the province. Special thanks to our tournament committee led by BC Hockey’s and PCAHA’s Coach Coordinator of the year, Shane Hohlweg (is there anything this guy can’t do !). But the real stars of this event, are all the players and coaches. Job well done to everyone !

P C A H A A s s o c i a t i o n o f t h e Y e a r f o r 0 9 / 1 0

G r e a t H o c k e y , G r e a t P e o p l e

Seafair Spring HockeyThe inaugural spring season of the Seafair Ice Breakers is taking shape . Read about the genesis of the program, the philosophy behind it, and the nuts and bolts of the program.Page 2

Atom Teams ReportThe Atom A2 and A3 teams competed in tournaments over the Christmas break. Find out where they played and how they fared. Also, read about what the Atom C6 team did to help out in the community.Page 3

Your Outside EdgeDerek Popke, Seafair’s Director or Player Development, features the importance of the outside edge. Read about the dos and don’ts of learning this one aspect of skating and its importance to becoming a good skater.Page 4

Basic Injury ManagementHave an injury? Margaret King, physiotherapist at Watermania, informs you of PRICE, the injury management process for treating injuries from hockey or other sports activities.Page 5

Behind the MaskPasco Vallana breaks down a goalie’s save selection into inside and outside saves, and provides advice of how to improve these aspects of a goalies skill set.Page 6

Regular Features

Tournament Report! p1

Division Update! p3

Power Skating Tips! p4

Upcoming Events! p8

Player / Referee Profile! p8

Sponsors of the Month! p9

A Monthly Newsletter January 2011

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Seafair Offers Spring Hockey Alternative to Members

By Dave Magowan

Seafair members wishing to extend their hockey season will have another option this year in the form of the Seafair Ice Breakers, a spring hockey program exclusively for Seafair members.

The program will run from April 4th until June 15th 2011, and will enjoy the services of professional instructors Yogi Svejkovsky and Derek Popke.

Seafair vice-president Shane Hohlweg says the Ice Breakers program will change the landscape of spring hockey. Until now, players wanting to play in the spring had two options; join a tournament team, a pricier and more time consuming option, or play 3 on 3, entailing a commute to Cloverdale. The Ice Breakers program gives Seafair players the option of playing at home.

The program is possible due to the rules of association hockey – players are actually considered to have joined the association for the entire year, until the end of August. It’s just that until now no one took advantage of that fact.

Shane says that the primary goal of the new program, aside from affordability (exact prices are still to be announced, but will be considerably less than other options) will be player development, mostly for mid-level players. “We’re not under any illusion that we’ll get the top level players,” Shane says. “The goal here is not to put trophies in the trophy case. The goal is to make our players better, and to provide some continuity” through the end of one season to the beginning of the next. To that end sessions will be divided equally between practices and training sessions provided by Yogi and Derek.

Shane says the Ice Breaker program will be ideal for the kids who want to play other sports like soccer or baseball yet still play hockey, hard to do under the more time-intensive structure of most current spring programs. “We want the player who wants to play

other sports but also wants to continue to hone and practice their hockey skills,” he says. “Before, players had to make a choice. With this program, the hope is that players won’t have to make a choice but will be able to do both.”

The program will be open to the following age groups:

• one 2000 team

• two 2001 teams

• one 2002 team

• one 2003 team

• one 2004 Skill Development/Mini 3 on 3 group (42 players)

The largest group will be the Hockey 2 (2004) division, with room for 42 players divided into 6 teams of 7 players. For this group the ice will be divided up with bumpers, creating a number of 3 on 3 rinks, with parent volunteers being relied upon to coach.

Shane says that Seafair would like to extend this opportunity to more players, but that numbers were governed by the reality of ice time availability. “We want to make sure we don’t over promise and under

deliver,” he says, adding that hopefully if the program is successful it will provide the justification to approach the city for more ice time in subsequent years.

Shane takes care to stress that the goal of the program is foremost fun and development. Parents and players will decide themselves, by consensus, what if any tournaments they want to enter.

“We want the kids to enjoy this, the parents to enjoy it” he says.

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Did You Know???The last unused number in the NHL was 84. Guillaume Latendresse wore 84 in the 2006/07 season, making it official that every number from 1-99 has been worn on the back of at least one NHLer.

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SEAFAIR ISLANDERS ATOM A2 GOES TO PORTLANDDuring the winter break, Seafair’s Atom A2 team journeyed to Portland for a tournament over the New Year’s weekend. For most of the players, it was their first ‘away-from-home, stay-in-a-hotel’ torunament. While the players were very excited, the coaches and parents knew that the team would have a challenging time as they (a Tier 3 team) would be playing against Tier 1 teams.The first game was against South Delta A1. Cheered on by the loudest fans (equipped with plastic bottles filled with popcorn kernels) of any team in the tournament, the boys played extremely well. Despite being down 2-0 early in the game, they never gave up and took the lead 2 times before narrowly losing 5-4. A fantastic, if unexpected, start.The team was less successful on the scoreboard in their other 3 games as they faced teams which were older, bigger, stronger and more aggressive. The last game was particularly rough, but the players persevered and never lost their composure. If the tournament had awarded a Sportsmanship trophy (which they didn’t), Seafair would have won it without question.During the tournament, Daniel Mah led the team in scoring with 3 goals, Joshua Louie netted 2 with Tyler Horstmann and Jordan Si scoring 1 goal each. They were supported by forwards Andrew Loat, Connor Batkin, Dustin McElwain, Ethan Wong, and Mathieu Dudicourt, and by the defence of Alex Nimi, Clark Johnson, Kameron Singh, Keith Naumann, Teagan Docherty and Tyler Barn. Jordan Dobres played all 4 games in goal.In between games, there was plenty of fun off-ice experiences for the boys and their families…tax-free shopping, Cosmic Bowling on New Year’s Eve, tax-free shopping, Portland Winterhawks game, tax-free shopping, a ‘loud’ swimming party, tax-free shopping, and some excellent food at AppleBees, The Olive Garden, and Jake’s Famous Crawfish Restuarant. It was a looooong drive, but worth the trip as the players had an unforgetable experience both on and off the ice.Written by Terryn Naumann

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Atom A3’s Battle North Delta A2 for Tournament TitleImproving their play with each game, the Seafair Atom A3 Islanders was matched against a strong North Delta A2 team for the gold medal final in the NVMHA Atom A Tournament held from Dec. 26 - 28, 2010. The Seafair Islanders seemed to be on their way to gold, scoring first and controlling much of the action in the first period. However, the Sundemons fought back hard and by early third period enjoyed a 3-1 lead. The Islanders increased their intensity and was finally rewarded with a goal with 3 minutes left. With the Islanders on a power play, most of the action in the final two minutesoccurred in front of the Sundemons net with many scrambles and shots on goal, but unfortunately none found its way to the back of the net in a thrilling finish. Congratulations to the Seafair Atom A3 Islanders on their well deserved Silver medal performance!

Hockey team steps up to support food bank

Coaches Paul Knight and Dan Wallace challenged their Seafair Stars Atom hockey team to an off ice challenge: collect for the food bank.The players took the challenge to heart and made a huge contribution to the food bank.

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The Importance of the Outside Edge

It is no secret that every hockey player would like to be a great skater. One of the most important parts of becoming a good skater is learning the outside edge. The outside edge is sometimes referred to as the little toe edge and is one of the most frequent edges used in hockey skating. Mastering the outside edge will allow a player to perform power crossovers, glide turns, and effective tight turns.

Learning the outside edge can be a frustrating development task for players at all levels. It requires players to roll their ankle to the outside while maintaining balance. Learning the outside edge requires basic drills taught at slower speeds. One of the best drills to learn outside edges is called “T Stops”.

While standing still, players make the letter “T” with their skates. Players then push with the back skate to gain speed and come to a stop again using the same back skate. When performing the actual stop, players should make sure the heel of the front skate is touching the back skate. Players must also maintain a deep knee bend.

One common mistake players make when performing the “T Stop” is that while performing the stop, they use their inside edge rather them the outside edge. A good way to tell if the player is actually stopping on the outside edge is to observe snow coming out the window of the skate blade carrier. If the

player is stopping on the outside edge, snow will come out of the window. If they are stopping on the inside edge, snow will not come out of the window.

Learning the outside edge will allow players to perform effective power cross-overs, glide turns, and tight turns. Remember to start with “T Stops” and build up to turns and cross-overs. Learning your outside edge is a process that is achieved through repetition and significant practice time.

Derek Popke is the President and Owner of Vancouver Hockey School Ltd. He has worked on-ice with the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs, ECHL Victoria Salmon Kings. He is currently the Director of Player Development for Seafair Minor Hockey. You can visit Derek’s camps at www.vancouverhockeyschool.com

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You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” - Wayne Gretzky

”A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” - Wayne Gretzky

”The only way you can check Gretzky is to hit him when he is standing still singing the national anthem.” - Harry Sinden

”Some guys play hockey. Gretzky plays 40mph chess.” - Lowell Cohn

“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.” - Wayne Gretzky

Quotes by or about the ‘Great One ’

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Sockeyes Alumni GameMark this date on your calendar – Saturday, January 22. The Richmond Sockeyes will be holding their 9th Annual Alumni game. Of special interest to Seafair fans, are the 6 ex-Seafair players on the current team’s roster, and two past Seafair coaches (Spencer Hamade and Kyle Nishi) suiting up for the Alumni. But the real attraction will take place during the intermission with a game featuring one of our Hockey 3 teamsThe Sockeyes have generously offered tickets to our members at half price (Reg price - $ 10.00 but Our price - $ 5.00). Kids get in free if they are wearing a jersey. The Sockeyes have been great supporters of Seafair Minor Hockey, so it’s our turn to support them. It’s a cheap night out, for some pretty good entertainment, and a lot of good door prizes. For tickets, contact myself, Tina O'Connor (604-271-3702) – or better yet, ask your team manager.

Vancouver Giant’s GameAnother day to mark on your calendar – Sunday, February 27. Come watch as the Vancouver Giants take on the Tri-Cities Americans (our very own Yogi Svejkovsky’s old team). That night has been designated as Seafair Minor Hockey Night, and will feature one of our Hockey 2-4 teams playing between periods. Tickets sell for $16.00 with $ 5.00 of it going back to your team. What a great fundraiser, on what’s sure to be a fun night. Tickets can be purchased now through your manager or Tina O’Connor (604) 271-3702.

Minor Hockey Food Bank WeekOn Sunday, Jan. 9, the Seafair MHA, Richmond MHA and Richmond Girls Ice Hockey, kick off their Minor Hockey Food Bank Week at SilverCity Riverport, with the showing of the classic, “The Tooth Fairy”, starring the “non” academy award winner, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. All net proceeds from this event will go to the Richmond Food Bank. As well, all teams are invited to participate in a food and $$$ drive. All donations will be collected the weekend of Jan 15-16, with all food and cash donations going to the Richmond Food Bank. Please make a point of supporting this most important cause.

Parent HandbookOver the years, we’ve had some concerns from parents regarding “delicate” hockey issues. I’m referring to matters such as team selection, team costs, behavior and conduct, coach expenses, etc. Some parents feel uncomfortable dealing publicly with these issues for fear of being seen as being “difficult” or fear that their child may face the repercussions for voicing their concerns. But often times when this happens, the parent is often not the only one who feel this way, as their concerns may be shared by many other parents. In most cases, communication between the parties and common sense clears up most of the concerns. But for those more difficult situations, we have developed a Parent Handbook Guide. Located on our website, the Parent Handbook Guide identifies basic issues and provides direction and guidance in how to deal with them. Still in its infancy, the Guide does not address every problem you may come across, but it covers the ones that we feel are the most contentious. Keep in mind, that they are only guidelines, and are to

be used as such. There are sometimes special and unique circumstances that arise, that the Parent Handbook Guide did not take into consideration, which will change how the matter should be addressed. But in most cases the Parent Handbook Guide will be a good starting point to resolving the problem. If you get a chance, visit the website and take a look at it. Your feedback would be most welcome

Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL) – The New Home For Our Graduating PlayersIn years past, the roster of the Richmond Sockeyes (members of the PIJHL) was often void of local players. Well the past is gone, and the future is bright. As of today, 6 ex-Seafair players are rostered with the local Jr. B team. They include: Sam Chichak, Kamesh Goundar, Jeremy Hamaguchi, Kyzen Loo, Aaron Oakley and Mitchell Smith. Better yet, on the local rival Delta Icehawk roster, you will find 7 ex-Seafair players. They include: Doug Birks, Ryan Cuthbert, Cody Fidgett, Taylor Kislanko, David Kemp, Aaron Merrick and recent addition Sebastion Delmas. On top of that, Aaron Oakely, Doug Birks and Ryan Cuthbert were selected to play in the PIJHL All-Star Game. We also expect a large contingent of Seafair players to play in the PIJHL Prospects Game. Congratulation to all our graduates – we are all very proud of you guys.

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Did You Know???Kirk McLean is the last goalie to record all of his team’s wins in a season. He had all 18 wins in the lockout shortened 1994/95 season in which the Canucks played only 48 games. Prior to this, Ron Low won all 8 games for the Washington Capitals in the entire 1974/75 season.

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Basic Injury Management

‘Should I use ice on my leg? Or should I put heat on it?’‘Should I be using crutches, or is it okay to limp around?’‘I haven’t been able to walk this whole week, but can I play on the weekend?’

These are just a few of the questions we’re asked by patients on a regular basis. As Physiotherapists, we are often the first member of the ‘healthcare team’ to assess and treat musculoskeletal injuries.

Over the years, we have seen a number of minor hockey players at Watermania Sports Therapy Clinic. While the injuries have ranged from very minor bruises/strains to complete ligament/muscle tears and joint dislocations, the management of these injuries in the early stages is often very similar. As parents and players, many of you are familiar with the acronym, R-I-C-E, which explains the necessary components of initial injury management. This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation; we like to add Protect as well, making it P-R-I-C-E.

Protect refers to any brace/crutch/tensor/sling etc, which protects the injured area from immediate re-injury. For severe shoulder injuries such as a dislocated shoulder, the arm should be placed in a sling. For badly sprained ankle or knee ligaments, one should use crutches to avoid painful weight-bearing, or wear a sturdy, protective brace, which prevents the joint from moving in the direction of the injury.

Rest is probably the most difficult part of the acronym to enforce. While nobody wants to take time from his or her play or practice, rest is an important part of early injury management. Resuming play or activity too early will not only delay the healing process and prolong the inflammation phase; it can also expose the injured player to incur a more severe injury.

Ice is the application of cold using ice packs, cold baths, or ice massage to an injured area. In the early stages of injury, there is bleeding, swelling, warmth and pain. This stage is called the inflammation phase and occurs immediately following injury. It can lasts up to five days and even longer if the injury is improperly managed. The application of ice helps to stop further bleeding into the tissue, decrease the swelling and cool the warm injured area. Ice also helps to stop the pain faster and longer than heat can. Using heat such as warm pack, hot baths or soaks too early in the injury actually worsen the initial injury: increases the bleeding into the area, increases the warmth and swelling in the injured part and prolonging the inflammation phase of the injury. Applying ice frequently in the first 48hrs after an injury is of extreme importance. There are many ways of applying ice. You can put ice cubes in a Ziploc bag with a small amount of water, or use the commercial blue gel ice packs. Use a damp cloth or paper towel to separate your skin from the plastic. If you put plastic directly on your skin, you can get an ice burn or a blister: not

something that you want on top of your injury! Make sure you keep an eye on the time when you are applying ice. Depending on the site of the injury and the coldness of your ice pack, 10 to 20 minutes will be sufficient. Anything longer can cause damage to the tissues. Wait 45 minutes or when skin has returned to normal temperature before re-applying ice. For a severe injury, ice at least every two hours.

Compression is the use of pressure on an injury. Compressing the site of the injury helps to reduce the effect of bleeding and swelling in the area. You can use elastic bandages to provide compression.

Elevation is raising the injured part of the body higher than the heart. Elevation helps to reduce swelling, prevents pooling of blood in the injured area and allows blood to return to the heart.

Using these basic principles of injury management allows you to provide the optimal conditions for an injury to heal. If you don’t feel any improvement in 48hrs or if you are in doubt, make an appointment to see your doctor or a physiotherapist.

Taj Senghera, Registered PhysiotherapistMargaret King, Registered PhysiotherapistWatermania Sports Therapy Clinic14300 Entertainment Boulevard, Richmond, BC604.448.9616www.watermaniaclinic.com

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BEHIND THE MASK By Pasco Valana

Every year we are surprised by the outstanding performances of emerging goaltenders, trading miracle save after miracle save only to struggle the following year literally going from hero to zero in the blink of an eye. The past few years have seen Carey Price, Marc Andre-Fleury, Cam Ward and our own Roberto Luongo find their struggles.

In this issue I will talk about simplicity. Keeping the game simple, having a clear mind and having fun enable goaltenders to play at their peak level more often. When self doubt is enters the goalie’s mind, it can lead to shaky performances, confused save selections and a weak goal. Apart of efficiency is the mind set of INSIDE and OUTSIDE save selections.

INSIDE SAVE OUTSIDE SAVE Body Blocking Stretch Style

The Inside Save is a save selection that minimizes the risk of a goal by using the goaltender’s major pieces of equipment that are often under-utilized by goaltenders. The chest protector and goalie pants can cover a lot of the net, dampen the shot and aid insmothering and controlling the rebound. Goaltenders are often focused on catching the puck with the trapper, deflecting the puck with their blocker or goalie pads and rarely employing the pants and chest protector. The key is to understand when to use these styles of saves and how to perform them with precision all within a split second of the shot.

When a goaltender is standing in the correct position and in the zone the goaltender can decide whether to make a simple block and smother type save when the puck is shot between the glove and

blocker or between the skates.Josh Harding is seen here defending the net in zone 2, if the puck is shot between the skates, or his hands, he falls into a butterfly save and “plugs” the zone perfectly toeliminate the scoring opportunity. The save would look like Carey Price in the next shot. The shot would enter between the gloves and hit the pants or chest protector , smothering the puck and eliminating the rebound opportunity for the open player.

The Outside Save or Stretch Save is most often used when a puck is shot to the outside of the gloves or skates. This is often the case when the goaltender is playing deeper in the net than recommended. This increases the net space behind the goalie and takes the shooters focus away from the centre of the net. The shot is then taken to the outside corners forcing the goalie to stretch and make the outside save.

When making an outside save it is crucial that the goaltender controls the rebound, if not, these outside/stretch saves often place the goaltender out of position for the next shot. In all saves one of the most important elements to keep in mind is the intense focus required to make the appropriate save selections during battle. Learn to push all distractions out of your mind and maintain a strong visual attachment to the puck. It is absolutely crucial for top level netminders to bring closure to all practices and games.

Learn from them , set the agenda for the next practice or game and commit to continued improvement of personal performances. There will always be critics, but no one bigger than yourself. All the best in the final stretch of your season and I look forward to seeing you around the rink!

Pasco ValanaProfessional Goaltending CoachVP of Development ICOACH.COMgoaliecoach@gmail.com

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Rising Stars - meet some of our newest players

Name: Callum TexeiraAge: 4Favourite Hockey Player: Nathan (his friend)Favourite Team: SeafairWhat he wants to be when he gets older: Farmer

Name: Kevin BhangooAge: 5Favourite Hockey Player: Henrik SedinFavourite Team: SeafairWhat he wants to be when gets older: Policeman

Seafair Referees - meet one of our officials

Since some of you parents and coaches feel compelled to yell at and criticize our referees, we thought you should know something about them and hear what they have to say. Name: Trevor Shackles Age: 14 Years as Ref: 3 Years as Player: 10 Why do you Ref: I enjoy it and I like the money What parts of reffing you don't like: cold arena and yelling coaches

Message to coaches and parents who like to yell at you: Just calm down. It's my opinion, and I'm not going to change it because of you.

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Sockeyes Alumni GameCome watch the Richmond Sockeyes, our local junior team, play against former players in this fun but competitive game. The game is Saturday, January 22 and starts at 5:30. Proceeds from ticket sales go to the Sockeyes scholarship fund. As the Sockeyes are our partners and excellent supporters of our H1 program, make an effort to come out and support them. For tickets, contact Tina O'Connor (604-271-3702) – or better yet, ask your team manager.

Vancouver Giant’s GameAnother day to mark on your calendar – Sunday, February 27. Come watch as the Vancouver Giants take on the Tri-Cities Americans (our very own Yogi Svejkovsky’s old team). That night has been designated as Seafair Minor Hockey Night, and will feature one of our Hockey 2-4 teams playing between periods. Tickets sell for $16.00 with $ 5.00 of it going back to your team. What a great fundraiser, on what’s sure to be a fun night. Tickets can be purchased now through your manager or Tina O’Connor (604) 271-3702.

Coaching Day in B.C.Participate in a FREE on and off ice coaching seminar from special guests in the hockey community including Canucks associate coach Rick Bowness!

Date: Saturday, February 26th, 2011Time: 7:00am – 12:30pmRegistration: FREE

For more information on Coaching Day, call the Canucks Centre for BC Hockey at 604-899-7777 or email canucks.centre@canucks.com.

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SEAFAIR SPONSORS OF THE MONTH

GOLD SPONSOR:

Fox Insurance Brokers In business: For over the past 40 years Services provided: House, commercial, auto and Travel Insurance Address: 6580 #3 Rd. Richmond, B.C. V6Y 2C2 Phone: (604) 278-6277 Email Address: alhuculak@foxinsurance.ca Web Address: www.foxinsurance.ca Contact Person: Al Huculak Years as a Sponsor: 20 years

GOLD SPONSOR:

Strokes Fine Painting and Renovations In business since: 1992 Services provided: Painting and home renovations Address: 1151-11871 Horseshoe Way Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H5 Phone: (604) 278-0248 Email Address: Chris@strokesgroup.com Contact Person: Nigel Shackles Years as a Sponsor: 18 years

GOLD SPONSOR:

Richmond Sockeyes Jr. B Hockey Club In operation since: 1975 Is a member of: Pacific International Junior Hockey League Home Arena: Minoru Arena Home Game Time: Thursday nights @ 7:30 pm Web Address: www.richmondsockeyes.com Years as a Sponsor: 2 years

GOLD SPONSOR:

Watermania Sports Therapy Clinic In business since: 1998 Services provided: Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Kinesiology and Fit To Work Address: 14300 Entertainment Blvd. Richmond, BC V6W 1K3 Phone: (604) 448-9616 Fax: (604) 448-9717 Email Address: info@watermania.com Web Address: www.watermaniaclinic.com Years as a Sponsor: 1 year

Did You Know???

During its tour to the hometowns of Stanley Cup winning players, the Cup was lost at the Vancouver airport. Due to weight restrictions, it was taken off the plane before take-off, but no one told Walter Neubrand, the cup handler. He arrived in Fort St. John and hit the panic button when it did not appear on the luggage carousel.

Did You Know???Although Stan Makita and Bobby Hull are often credited as being the inventors of the curved blade, it was New York Ranger Andy Bathgate who first experimented with this idea. He experimented with breaking his stick blades to impart a curve, which made his shots behave erratically. Nowadays, it is rare to see hockey sticks without a curve.