ELK POINT – The achievements of minor hockey stars from the tiny U7 beginners to the U18 players in their final year on an Avalanche team were celebrated with gusto on Friday night at the Elk Point Allied Arts, as coaches and managers outlined the details of a very successful 2022-23 hockey season.
Brian Poitras, who has seen every one of these players in action and kept the ice in shape for every game, served as emcee, and paid tribute to the late Don Woytkiw, A. G. Ross Arena’s first caretaker, who laid down the law about playing hockey in the halls, “and now I get where he was coming from!”
U7 coach Devin Moneta was the first to bring his “really energetic” players on stage, admitting that from time to time, “they tested my patience.” He had a special award for each one, reflecting their strengths as part of the team.
“We had a really good year,” U9 assistant coach Matt Kelly reported, a year that included playing in the Ronald McDonald Winterland Tournament where “they all did good.” After presenting a variety of awards, he praised coach Darrel Malo, fellow assistant coach Daniel Brousseau and manager Courtney Kelly, and said “We couldn’t have done better than having Brian and Doug (Bassett)” to keep everything running smoothly at the AGR. Elk Point Minor Hockey “is more than just an association, it’s a family.”
Manager Brittany Brousseau took the mike on behalf of the U11 team coached by Aaron Aarbo, who was unable to attend the event, praising their gold medal finish in the Ronald McDonald tournament and their other achievements through the year. She presented awards to each team member, starting with her son Hudson “the Bull” who racked up a league leading 200-plus points as the scoring MVP, and called up Aspyn Kelly, Jase Malo and Cohen Brousseau to receive gold medals for being part of their team.
Coach Shane Smith and his provincial host U13 Avalanche team were next to take the stage. That team started out in Tier 3 but was bumped up to Tier 2 and had no less than 14 games that ended in a two-goal margin. “Competitive hockey brought the kids together and we became a force to be reckoned with.” He thanked Brittany Brousseau for making the application to host Provincials and said the tournament was “a great success” thanks to a huge team of volunteers, with special recognition going to Courtney Kelly, “lifesaver” Doug Bassett, for the provincials and all year long, and to Margaret Bayduza, who worked all the games. To his team, he said, “I appreciate you guys, you came a long way; hard work is what pays off.” Special thanks went to Ava Rawlake and Hudson Brousseau, who were called up from the U11 to help the team on several occasions.
Smith had one extra duty: presentation of the Alex Kurash Award, in memory of his own favourite coach and mentor, which this year went to Jackson Rawlake.
Assistant coach Robyn Moroziuk brought the U18s on stage and congratulated the U11 and U13 teams as well as the U15, who are “only our second team to win provincial gold. The future’s bright, let’s keep it rolling.” Moroziuk has coached six
members of the U18 “every year through minor hockey” and said this year’s move to Tier 2 was “tough from the start,” with an overtime win later in the season “a game to remember.”
A memory from Elk Point’s 1995 championship was brought forward by Wesley Quinney, who recalled that John, Ferlin and Carlos Quinney were part of that gold medal team, and the family is proud to have Rylan Quinney, Quinton Dumont-Quinney and Thesson McRorie Quinney as part of this year’s team. “It means a lot to the Quinney family, thanks for making us welcome.”
U15 coach Jeff Morgan said that this team includes members of three communities, Frog Lake, Kehewin and Elk Point, “all with the same goal, that of getting to provincials.” That goal seemed far away at the beginning of the year, when wins were scarce prior to Christmas, followed by three-game weekends in January that yielded only two wins. “We had a lot of questions about continuing, but then we went to a tournament in Tofield at the end of January and proved that we could win.” In 21 games, they had a 9-8-4 record and placed third overall. “The tier was tight, we lost our first playoff game but then won four straight, we won the league and rolled into provincials… out our game faces on and won. The coaches and parents are super proud. In the final game, we were down 3-0 in the first but we stayed positive, bore down and outshot them 44 to 19 to bring the banner home. They did it as a team, not individuals, and they believed in themselves.”
The provincials tournament brought out “more fans than we ever expected. This town bleeds blue.”
Morgan presented one of the Provincials medals to Brian Poitras, “our biggest fan,” before Raif Evans-Anderson, Madden Flamand and Quinton Dumont-Quinney came to the microphone to add their own thanks to everyone from the referees and coaching staff to their parents, grandparents and siblings and to sing “Happy Birthday” to teammate Kaysen Demoissac.
A dedicated referee, Kendall Zarowny, with well over 30 years and “probably 1,500 games” of officiating to his credit, was presented with retirement gifts, Murray Cochrane thanking him “for being a critical part of our hockey program.”
The evening ended with yet another special moment. Rylan Quinney had taken bids from all comers for the honor of cutting off his long braid, with all the proceeds going to cancer victim Felina Demoissac. With over $2,150 raised, top bidder Dwayne Yaremkevich sent grandson Trayden Gadwa onstage with the scissors to do the honors, before Brian Poitras rallied the crowd to join in a rollicking hockey song in honor of the six retiring U18 players: Josef Theriault, Dean Ockerman, Brady Hymanyk, Jager Fontaine and Wyatt Pavoll.
