2015/16 CRESTON VALLEY THUNDER CATS RECRUITING GUIDE

Transcription

1 2015/16 CRESTON VALLEY THUNDER CATS RECRUITING GUIDE

2 OUR PROGRAM SELKIRK COLLEGE The Thunder Cats finished 2013/14 season with 39 victories and won the Eddie Mountain division by 20 points The Creston Valley Thunder Cats organization takes great pride in offering players a first-class junior hockey experience that develops the physical, mental and scholastic skills necessary to move on to higher levels of junior and college hockey. Our coaching staff places a high value on working with high-character, committed student-athletes, and the structure and accountability our team environment provides is aimed to give players a competitive advantage both on and off the ice. The experience of playing and living in the Creston Valley will prepare you for the next steps in your hockey career and in life. The Thunder Cats strive to emulate all the core qualities of a Junior A organization competing at the Junior B level, providing athletic and personal development opportunities that include the following and more: 1. Professional coaching and leadership from a dedicated full-time staff; 2. A minimum of four 90-minute practice times per week, plus morning skates on game days; 3. Additional icetime available for individual and positional skill development; 4. Off-ice strength/conditioning training and season-long access to a gym, pool and fitness centre; 5. Mandatory community volunteer commitments on behalf of the team; 6. Weekly team video analysis sessions as well as ongoing individual video review; 7. Room and board with a welcoming billet family vetted by the team (fees apply); 8. Fully-licensed equipment, helmets, gloves, and pants included in team fee; 9. All hotel accommodations and meals provided while traveling with the team on the road; 10. Educational advising to prepare players who wish to advance to play university/college hockey; 11. Assistance from coaches in identifying/contacting higher level teams to promote player advancement; 12. Nutrition/supplies provided for all games, including snacks, fruit, Gatorade, tape, wax, laces; CRESTON VALLEY THUNDER CATS JUNIOR HOCKEY CLUB

3 THE KIJHL DANE BIRKS 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins 6th Round Draft Pick The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is the premier development league at the Junior B level in Canada. For 45 seasons, KIJHL teams have successfully developed and prepared players to move on to Junior A and Major Junior hockey, as well as college and university programs at all levels in Canada and the United States. The KIJHL consists of 20 organizations spread throughout the interior of British Columbia, with teams split into the Eddie Mountain, Neil Murdoch, Doug Birks and Okanagan divisions. Each team plays a 52-game regular season schedule that runs from September to February, with 16 teams advancing to the KIJHL playoffs and competing for a league championship and a spot in the Cyclone Taylor Cup, B.C. s Junior B provincial championship, in April. Over 45 future National Hockey League players got their start in the KIJHL, including Shea Weber, Barret Jackman, Cody Franson, Chuck Kobasew, Adam Deadmarsh, Ray Ferraro, Steve Tambellini, Brad Lukowich, Travis Green, Dallas Drake, Justin Pogge, Greg Adams and Brian Skrudland. Countless others have earned university scholarships after progressing to leagues like the WHL and BCHL, while many of those who finish their junior hockey careers in the KIJHL are recruited by college teams in B.C., Alberta and the U.S. Many of those players receive assistance with the cost of their post-secondary studies through the KIJHL s successful bursary program. To learn more about the Kootenay International Juniro Hockey League, visit EDDIE MOUNTAIN DIVISION CHAMPIONS

4 PAST & PRESENT Junior hockey arrived in Creston with the Clippers in 1976 and has become the pride of the community OUR HISTORY The Creston Valley has a proud junior hockey tradition that traces back nearly 40 years when the Creston Clippers joined the KIJHL. In the four decades since, fans in Creston have supported KIJHL & Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League teams, with the Clippers ( ) & Thunder ( ) paving the way for the Thunder Cats to bring a community-owned KIJHL team back for the 2000/01 season. It only takes one game at the Johnny Bucyk Arena to see the passion and support the Thunder Cats receive. OUR ALUMNI Development and advancement are at the centre of the experience we provide for players who wear the Creston Valley sweater. Whether it to be higher levels of junior hockey, or college and university, our staff works hard to ensure that every athlete can reach their full potential. Over the past 4 seasons, 19 Thunder Cats have advanced to Junior A/University hockey: Skylar Pacheco (Prince George Spruce Kings, BCHL) Kyle Michalovsky (Amherst Ramblers, MHL) Alex McDougall (Powell River Kings, BCHL) Angus Johnston (Woodstock Slammers, MHL) Brandon Parrone (College of St. Scholastica, NCAA DIII) Logan Styler (Amherst Ramblers, MHL) Scott Swiston (Augustana College, ACAC) Dane Birks (Merritt Centennials, BCHL) Matti Jmaeff (Amherst Ramblers, MHL) Trevor Hanna (Castleton State College, NCAA DIII) Brandon Formosa (University of Central Oklahoma, ACHA DI) Connor Kidd (Becker College, NCAA DIII) Marcel Fuchs (Selkirk College, BCIHL) Kyle Richter (University of Central Oklahoma, ACHA DI) Seth Schmidt (Amherst Ramblers, MHL) TREVOR HANNA ; Committed to Castleton State (NCAA DIII) Trevor Leblanc (University of Central Oklahoma, ACHA DI) Colby Livingstone (Amherst Ramblers, MHL) Tyler Podgorenko (Melville Millionaires, SJHL) Andrew Hodder (University of Central Oklahoma, ACHA DI) CRESTON VALLEY THUNDER CATS JUNIOR HOCKEY CLUB

5 HEAD COACH Dubois coached players from Major Junior, Junior A & Junior B to a pair of championships at Selkirk College JEFF DUBOIS HEAD COACH/GENERAL MANAGER Dubois is entering his second season with the Thunder Cats after joining the team from Selkirk College of the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. At Selkirk, Dubois led the Saints to a pair of BCIHL championships in two seasons behind the bench, totaling a combined regular season and playoff record of During the 2012/13 season, the Saints set BCIHL records for wins and points in a season as well as for the league s longest-ever winning streak at 13 games. In 2013/14, Selkirk successfully defended their league title while setting a new league mark for lowest goals against in a season with 51 in 24 regular season games. Dubois was named the BCIHL s Coach of the Year at the conclusion of both his seasons at Selkirk. Prior to joining the Saints, Dubois spent six seasons as the General Manager at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., guiding a program that captured three BCIHL titles and advanced to the league finals in five consecutive seasons. He also spent two seasons as a student-athlete at SFU, playing hockey while studying Political Science. Dubois has close ties to the KIJHL, having recruited 14 players from the league in his two seasons at Selkirk College. He also spent the 2013/14 season as the B.C. scout for the BCHL s Alberni Valley Bulldogs, and has developed a vast network of Junior A and university coaching contacts across Canada from his time at Selkirk and through three years spent in the BCHL head office as the league s Director of Communications. He looks forward to building a championship team in the Creston Valley EDDIE MOUNTAIN DIVISION CHAMPIONS

6 THE CRESTON VALLEY SELKIRK COLLEGE The Creston Valley Thunder Cats are based in Creston, British Columbia, Canada. Creston is a small, welcoming community of 5,300 residents in the scenic Kootenay region of the province. Driving times to Creston are approximately six hours from Calgary and nine hours from Vancouver, and the town is easily accessible from two nearby airports: the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook and the West Kootenays Regional Airport in Castlegar. Creston is also just 10 kilometres north of the Porthill border crossing for convenient access to Idaho, Washington and Montana. Located in the scenic Creston Valley, Creston is a friendly, hard-working community that thrives on strong agriculture, forestry and tourism industries. It is also a tremendous outdoor adventure destination that features nearby access to hiking, recreational fishing, mountain biking, and various water activities at Kootenay Lake. High school-aged players in Creston attend Prince Charles Secondary School and are aided by educational advisors who work with the team to manage the challenges of balancing full-time schooling with junior hockey. Players who have completed high school can begin work on their post-secondary education at the College of the Rockies, which offers a wide range of web-based university-transfer courses in arts and sciences, as well as academic upgrading classes. Creston Community Complex College of the Rockies Prince Charles Secondary CRESTON VALLEY THUNDER CATS JUNIOR HOCKEY CLUB

7 AMENITIES/FEES JOHNNY BUCYK ARENA Creston fans fill the rink named for the Bruins great and Hall of Famer OUR FACILITY The Creston Valley Thunder Cats operate a Junior A-style program that allows athletes to develop as complete hockey players and reach their full potential. As the main tenant of the Creston & District Community Complex, the Thunder Cats are able to offer a number of amenities to our players, including season-long access to a fitness centre, weight room and swimming pool located just steps away from the team s dressing room. VIDEO TOOLS The Thunder Cats utilize video editing software to break down team and individual game video in order to optimize skill development, systems play and in-game decision-making. Video is also used in weekly scouting sessions of upcoming opponents. TEAM FEES Thunder Cats players are responsible for payment of an annual team fee and monthly billet fees. The team fee covers all hockey-related activities and selected team equipment, while the billet fee covers room and board with a local family carefully selected by the Thunder Cats. To learn about specific fee amounts for the 2013/14 season, speak with head coach Jeff Dubois. Fitness Centre Swimming Pool Weightroom 2014 EDDIE MOUNTAIN DIVISION CHAMPIONS

8 INTERESTED IN BECOMING A THUNDER CATS PLAYER? JEFF DUBOIS HEAD COACH/GENERAL MANAGER CELL: (250) JDUBOIS.BC@GMAIL.COM WEB: CRESTONVALLEYTHUNDERCATS.COM