Minor hockey summit slated

Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO) is excited to announce the first of six minor hockey summits throughout the region will be held Saturday, Dec. 2 in Fort Frances.
The summit is an initiative driven by Hockey Canada to take place nationwide in all 13 participating member branches.
Two Thunder Bay dates also have been set, with the first scheduled for Dec. 16 (for players 12 and under) and the second on Feb. 26 (for those 13 and older).
The other locations include Schreiber (Jan. 13), Kenora (Jan. 20), and Dryden (Feb. 17).
All summit locations will be disclosed on HNO’s website.
The objective of the summit is to determine the state of minor hockey today and areas in need of improvement.
Items to be discussed include the Initiation Program (IP), volunteer recruitment, body contact, recreational trends, and hockey structure.
Branches are seeking participation from all stakeholders in hockey, including administrators, coaches, players, parents, and observers.
Those interested in contributing are asked to pre-register through the HNO office and to complete a pre-task survey prior to the summit.
People who fill out the survey will be entered in a draw for a chance to win an authentic Team Canada jersey.
“We look forward to these summits as a way to connect and communicate with local volunteers of hockey and strengthen those relationships,” said HNO general manager John Pucci.
“We hope that this event can be used over the long-term so that minor hockey can be continually improved with constant feedback to our branch,” he added.
The minor hockey summit is part of a grassroots funding project from Hockey Canada, with additional financial resources going towards the Initiation Program and providing specialty clinics.
The results of the surveys and feedback from each summit will be presented by HNO in a report at Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting next May in Winnipeg.
For more information about summit dates, venues, or completing the pre-task survey, visit www.hockeyhno.com or contact Hockey Northwestern Ontario at 1-807-622-4792.