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Post by sammy on Nov 27, 2003 9:42:35 GMT -5
If anyone is interested in the high flying antics of Sammy Jr.'s hockey team, you can check it out at the www.ncmha.com website. We are Atom tier 3 Woodys Warriors Another good site for info on Alberta hockey is www.hockey-alberta.ca |
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Post by DanCan on Nov 27, 2003 13:14:47 GMT -5
Great Sammy. How many games will the team play in the Atom tier 3, and is there play-offs after that?
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Post by sammy on Nov 30, 2003 6:53:51 GMT -5
I think they play 18 regular season games with a playoff at the end. We've played 5 exhibition games so far with another 9 scheduled, so the kids should have about 32 games this winter. They practice Mondays and Wednesdays for an hour and a half each night and play Saturdays and Sundays. Fridays we have an optional shinney game with no goalies allowed. They have to hit the post or crossbar to score a goal. This game is open to kids from the ages of 9 to 14.
Our arena has 2 ice surfaces and is booked solid from September to May. We also have 5 outdoor rinks for the kids to play shinney on.
Two local guys are playing in the NHL right now, Shane Doan and Darcy Tucker, so its a fairly good area for hockey.
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Post by sammy on Dec 1, 2003 7:32:31 GMT -5
The school system in town here started a new course this year. Its called hockey. Instead of taking the tradition music, art or shop courses, they can go to the arena and hone their hockey skills for 2 hours a week. The kids recieve a credit and marks for it just like any other subject in school. Its only for the grades 6 through 8 at the present time, but may expand to include other grades over time.
Sammy Jr.'s team took a kicking on Saturday losing 8-1. Worst game they played all year, then came back strong on Sunday losing by a score of 3-2. The ref missed a goal with about two minutes left in the game that would have tied it up. In and out too fast.
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Post by DanCan on Dec 1, 2003 9:04:47 GMT -5
This is amazing. It tells a lot about how big hockey is in your community. You know, sometimes I am truly sorry that I don't live in Canada.
Keep us updated on your son and his team's hockey season. btw, what position does he play (can't remember if you ever told us?)
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Post by sammy on Dec 1, 2003 9:15:08 GMT -5
Sammy J. centers the first line and is assistant captain of the team. He's been kind of snake bit so far this season only getting one goal to date. (should had 2 but it wasn't called on Sunday), but leads the team in points with 6 points 1g 5a to date. He also leads the team in shots on goal and placed second in the league last year averaging 3 points a game.
He's been playing well, but just can't seem to find the back of the net.
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Post by DanCan on Dec 1, 2003 9:28:33 GMT -5
Wow, how about that! Your son is a marquee player/'go to guy' in Atom tier 3. Hope he will be able to lift his team. I'm proud that you're among us, Sammy.  |
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Post by sammy on Dec 1, 2003 9:44:58 GMT -5
I'm not really sure I'd call him a marquee player. His skating needs to improve a bit, but unfortunately he is built too much like his father, and just doesn't have long enough legs. His work ethic is very good though and his upper body strength is second to none, so I'm sure he will break out of his scoring slump soon and start lighting it up. 4 foot 6 inches tall (1.44m) 80 pounds (36kg) and 9 years old. He's got a ways to go yet.
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Post by bling on Dec 1, 2003 18:28:36 GMT -5
Sammy, it is not his stature, but his heart that will make him a great hockey player. It seems the most common theme among the many Albertans on our CHL team. A ton of heart and a little bit of talent has led these guys closer to there dreams. The second most important thing, is what Sammy Jr. already has, a proud and supportive family  The very best to him and props to you for doing all the things that encourage and enable him to follow his path. |
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Post by MarmotMike on Dec 1, 2003 22:07:54 GMT -5
Nice to hear about Sammy Jr. Let's hope we see him in the NHL someday!
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Post by sammy on Dec 2, 2003 6:39:16 GMT -5
I'm just hoping that when he is 30 years old, he can go out and play hockey in some beer league and have some fun and be good enough to compete. If he makes it past that, so be it, but the odds are against him.
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Post by sammy on Dec 4, 2003 8:31:44 GMT -5
Well, our first tourney of the year starts bright and early Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. The local boys face off against a team from Red Deer and there is nothing they like better than to beat a city team. The team they are playing against is in 1st place in the city league in Red Deer. We've played the second place team already and beat them 4-2 (outshot them 40-13), so it should be a heck of a game. Our second game goes at 5:30 Saturday afternoon against a team from Daysland, AB. They play out of the Camrose house league in Camrose, AB and should be fairly strong also. The small town teams in Alberta (town pop under 300) are usually fairly strong as they get as much ice time as they like at their local arenas. This is why Canada produces alot of hockey players. For the most part, the kids can go skating any time they like. (10 months of winter, 2 months when skiing ain't so good.  ) It seems that every town of 200 people or more has an arena. |
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Post by DanCan on Dec 4, 2003 9:00:30 GMT -5
Sammy, for some reasons I have never been to Alberta (I always end up in BC), but next summer... Anyway, I have often noticed the location 'Red Deer' when I have studied the careers of NHL players. It seems to be a hockey hotbed, but where is it located (e.g. compared to Calgary or Edmonton), how big is it population wise, and how many hockey teams does it host?
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Post by Wide Asleep on Dec 4, 2003 13:03:06 GMT -5
We were in the museum contained in the flatiron building in Lacombe, which is not far from Red Deer and I saw a picture of their provincial champion hockey team from the early 50's. When I looked closer I saw that my dad was the centre of the first line! He was also in a baseball team from the same period. I certainly did not inherit his athletic prowess...  |
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Post by sammy on Dec 4, 2003 14:50:22 GMT -5
Hey DanCan, you'll have to wander out here some time and I'll arrange for you to do a little saddle bronc riding. Red DFeer is located 1/2 way between Calgary and Edmonton on the number 2 highway. It just passed Lethbridge to become th 3rd largest city in Alberta with a population of about 95,000. As for the number of hockey teams, I have no idea. I know they love having their kids come out here to play us as its only a 45 minute drive to play and we usually alot them a full 2 1/2 hours per game where they only get 1 1/2 in Red Deer. They do have a junior team playing out of there called the Red Deer Rebels, but as for any other teams I'm not sure. They currently have more kids in the Atom division (ages 9 and 10) registered than our town has in all the age groups combined. We have 273 kids registed here this year and they have 315 in Atom alone. |
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