Month: June 2022

Elite Level Hockey recently asked a number of former professional players to reminisce about their favorite youth hockey memories, and to discuss what they would change about today’s youth hockey culture.

Terry Ryan was the Montreal Canadiens first-round pick and the eighth overall selection at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

A native of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Rvan represented Canada at the ISBHF ball hockey tournament and has been a part of teams that captured both world and national championships.

He now spends his time acting and can currently be seen as Ted Hitchcock on the hit comedy, Shoresey.

WHAT ORGANIZATION DID YOU PLAY MINOR HOCKEY FOR AS A KID?

RYAN: The Mount Pearl Blades in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland.

DID YOU ALWAYS PLAY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HOCKEY FOR YOUR AGE?

RYAN: After I was 11, my dad coached a Junior B team. I was on the ice a lot because of that and we all hung out quite a bit in Mount Pearl. We played all the sports, but there was never a lack of ice time and from 10 on, I improved quite a bit, but before that I wasn’t even much interested, to be honest. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUTH HOCKEY?

RYAN: The Quebec Peewee Tournament. We went there in 1991 and 1992. If you follow my Instagram, you will see that the team from 1989-‘90 was inducted into the Mount Pearl Sports Hall of Fame.

Outside of being successful at that tournament — the most successful from Newfoundland — it was just fun. There was a perfect combination of competition and fun. It was great that we won, but had we not scored a goal we would have had a blast. It was a perfect minor hockey trip. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PRACTISE DRILL AS A KID?

RYAN: No doubt 3-on-3. Pushing yourselves, coach would blow it down if you’re making a mistake. I like the freedom to do what I want to do. It’s good work and friendly competition. I like 3-on-3 amongst players, amongst friends, competitive friends, and teammates.

DID YOU PLAY MINOR HOCKEY AGAINST ANY NOTABLE PLAYERS?

RYAN: Growing up,  Daniel Cleary and Harold Druken — who both played in the NHL — and only because we had tournaments on the mainland. Growing up in Newfoundland, we didn’t get much competition — which is why I left at 14 to play Junior — but I did play a little bit of Midget out in Quesnel, B.C. and came across some great players that would soon be in the WHL and then the NHL — Jason Weimer and Adam Deadmarsh. 

Terry Ryan (second from the left) stars in SHORESY —  streaming exclusively on Crave in Canada and Hulu in the U.S. — a spin-off of its smash-hit predecessor, LETTERKENNY.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FAVOURITE STICK?

RYAN: My favourite stick was a white and red classic Gretzky Titan. It wasn’t the best stick, it was my favourite because Wayne Gretzky used it. When I switched, I quickly realized that the Sherwood Feather Light at the time was the lightest wood stick, at least the lightest one that I got my hands on. Eventually, of course, that changed to aluminum and everything else, but for five or six years growing up, it was definitely the classic Gretzky Titan. 

HOW MUCH OF A ROLE DID YOUR PARENTS PLAY IN YOUR HOCKEY GROWING UP?

RYAN: My mom managed the teams. My father played professional hockey himself for the Minnesota Fighting Saints, amongst others. He didn’t put a lot of pressure on me. His role, I guess, was to make sure that I wasn’t feeling too pressured. He only came to games when I asked him to and he gave me advice from afar. He never coached my teams, just let me grow up on my own and navigate my own way around my hockey journey, which I appreciate. 

HOW MUCH OTHER HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT DID YOU DO OUTSIDE OF YOUR REGULAR TEAM?

RYAN: Not a whole lot. We played street hockey every single day and if we could get the ice we’d get it. It was a lot of practice, but it was just a lot of time put in amongst friends — it didn’t feel like practice. As far as specialized camps, my dad ran one for a week or two in the summer with a guy named Paul Boutilier, who played for the New York Islanders and had a couple of Stanley Cups. That was interesting, but it was more to get together with the boys. 

DID YOU PLAY HOCKEY ALL YEAR LONG OR DID YOUR PLAY OTHER SPORTS IN THE SUMMER?

As soon as hockey was over, I looked forward to getting out on the baseball diamond and the soccer field. 

I played ball hockey, that’s a little bit different, but I felt that was enough. I knew how to skate. Ball hockey was keeping me on my toes when it came to the mental side of the game, and it’s actually harder to play defense. I feel that playing ball hockey my whole life, I became a decent defensive player when I wanted to be because it’s easier to skate than it is to run, and the ball hockey offensive zone is much bigger, so it really helped me. 

For the most part, it was baseball and soccer in the summer. If it was any other hockey camp, it would be right before I started up again in September. 

I might have been in pro hockey before I put on my skates in July. Even then, it was few and far between. 

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT MINOR HOCKEY RIGHT NOW?

RYAN: It would be parents living through their kids and expectations. 

I have hockey schools here and there, and when I do, parents often ask me “what does little Johnny have to do to make the NHL?” and to start, I would say let’s hope he/she has fun. 

Outside of that there are a lot of success stories — and success is in the eyes of the beholder.

Players can travel all over the world and never play a game in the NHL. They can get a degree through hockey. They can live on their own and learn to grow up from boys to men. I think parents need to realize that the goal isn’t always the NHL.

It’s a very small percentage of people that get to play in the NHL, but tens of thousands get to experience hockey after the minor hockey level and I’m sure a lot of them consider their careers a success, including myself.

Whether it’s Pro or Junior or Midget, the longer you stay on board, I feel you’re using those attributes you’re learning in the dressing room off the ice, which can only be a good thing. I do feel that the attributes it takes to be successful in and around a dressing room are the same ones it takes to be successful in real life. I think hockey imitates real life in many, many ways. 

So, what would I change? The parent’s expectations.

As a player, Sam Gagner finds himself at a crossroads in his NHL career. His contract with the Detroit Red WIngs is up. He doesn’t know yet if he’ll be offered a new one.

”I still feel even though I’m a veteran that I have some years left and I can help this group continue to grow,” said Gagner, 32. “I’d like to be back but obviously there’s a lot at play.”

If it turns out that this is the end of the line for Gagner’s pro playing career, he’s already got his post-hockey life all lined up.

Last year, Gagner and John Tavares, the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, went in together and purchased the Toronto Marlboros franchise in the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

Much of what he’s learned about the business of hockey Gagner is now implementing on a smaller scale as he helps to run the Marlboros.

“Yeah, I think you learn things all the time about being a player and then it helps you on the other side as well,” Gagner said. “I think that the main focus of youth hockey is player development.

“I’ve learned a lot over my years of what it takes to be a successful player in this league and seeing other players, seeing decisions that managers make, coaches make, all those different types of things. You try and take those lessons with you in every facet of life. Hopefully it can help with that for sure.”

Gagner spent the majority of his youth hockey career playing for the Marlboros. He went right from their U16 AAA team into junior hockey in 2005.

A first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Gagner holds a share of the Oilers’ single-game points record of eight with Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Gagner has been playing in the NHL since 2007 but he’s never forgotten his hockey roots.

“I really enjoyed my time as a Marlboro when I was a kid,” Gagner said. “For the career I’ve had, I owe a lot to the Marlboros for it.”

Now he’s viewing ownership of the Marlboros as a way of repaying both the organization and the game for all that it’s given to him.

“I felt like it was a great opportunity to help continue with the great tradition that they have and try and move it forward,” Gagner said. “So that was kind of the main focus behind that.”

Interestingly, Gagner played in the OHL for the London Knights, the team owned by former NHLers Dale and Mark Hunter.

The success story they’ve fashioned with the Knights launched a trend of other ex-NHLers buying their old junior franchise.

Gagner doesn’t know whether he and Tavares will prove to be trendsetters in terms of NHLers purchasing their former youth hockey club. In fact, he really doesn’t care whether they are creating a buzz in that regard.

“I don’t know,” Gagner said. “I didn’t get into it for that.”

For the time being, he’s mostly taking a hands-off approach in terms of the day-to-day operations of the Marlboros organization while still an active NHL player.

“My main focus right now is being the best player I can be,” Gagner said. “I try to lend help and advice wherever I can there. We have really good people involved who keep me updated. I’m just trying to help in any way I can.”

One day, though, he and Tavares know that like every other youth hockey operator, they’ll find themselves dealing with complaints from parents about their kid’s ice time.

“Not yet but I’m sure it will come at some point,” Gagner said with a laugh.

As a player, Sam Gagner finds himself at a crossroads in his NHL career. His contract with the Detroit Red WIngs is up. He doesn’t know yet if he’ll be offered a new one.

”I still feel even though I’m a veteran that I have some years left and I can help this group continue to grow,” said Gagner, 32. “I’d like to be back but obviously there’s a lot at play.”

If it turns out that this is the end of the line for Gagner’s pro playing career, he’s already got his post-hockey life all lined up.

Last year, Gagner and John Tavares, the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, went in together and purchased the Toronto Marlboros franchise in the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

Much of what he’s learned about the business of hockey Gagner is now implementing on a smaller scale as he helps to run the Marlboros.

“Yeah, I think you learn things all the time about being a player and then it helps you on the other side as well,” Gagner said. “I think that the main focus of youth hockey is player development.

“I’ve learned a lot over my years of what it takes to be a successful player in this league and seeing other players, seeing decisions that managers make, coaches make, all those different types of things. You try and take those lessons with you in every facet of life. Hopefully it can help with that for sure.”

Gagner spent the majority of his youth hockey career playing for the Marlboros. He went right from their U16 AAA team into junior hockey in 2005.

A first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Gagner holds a share of the Oilers’ single-game points record of eight with Hockey Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Gagner has been playing in the NHL since 2007 but he’s never forgotten his hockey roots.

“I really enjoyed my time as a Marlboro when I was a kid,” Gagner said. “For the career I’ve had, I owe a lot to the Marlboros for it.”

Now he’s viewing ownership of the Marlboros as a way of repaying both the organization and the game for all that it’s given to him.

“I felt like it was a great opportunity to help continue with the great tradition that they have and try and move it forward,” Gagner said. “So that was kind of the main focus behind that.”

Interestingly, Gagner played in the OHL for the London Knights, the team owned by former NHLers Dale and Mark Hunter.

The success story they’ve fashioned with the Knights launched a trend of other ex-NHLers buying their old junior franchise.

Gagner doesn’t know whether he and Tavares will prove to be trendsetters in terms of NHLers purchasing their former youth hockey club. In fact, he really doesn’t care whether they are creating a buzz in that regard.

“I don’t know,” Gagner said. “I didn’t get into it for that.”

For the time being, he’s mostly taking a hands-off approach in terms of the day-to-day operations of the Marlboros organization while still an active NHL player.

“My main focus right now is being the best player I can be,” Gagner said. “I try to lend help and advice wherever I can there. We have really good people involved who keep me updated. I’m just trying to help in any way I can.”

One day, though, he and Tavares know that like every other youth hockey operator, they’ll find themselves dealing with complaints from parents about their kid’s ice time.

“Not yet but I’m sure it will come at some point,” Gagner said with a laugh.

Sure, the players on the RINK Kelowna teams know that their head coach is a Hall of Famer and that he scored 625 goals and collected over 1300 points in 20 NHL campaigns.

Between the ages of 13 and 14, they’re too young to have witnessed any of it in person, but these kids are YouTube savvy. They know how to Google Jarome Iginla’s name.

Actually, it’s about the only way they’re going to find out about their coach’s historic accomplishments during his playing days, which include an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup appearance.

Iginla isn’t bothering to talk about it himself. He knows that these kids aren’t there to hear about his career. They’re working on building a career of their own.

It’s in that respect where Iginla’s vast experience can be of value to them.

“I really enjoy that part of it, where you’re trying to help them get to the next level, help them learn what is the next step and prepare them to try to follow their dreams,” Iginla told the Calgary Sun.

The 2022-23 season was Iginla’s first with the RINK Kelowna Academy. Instead of boasting of his own hockey accomplishments, he seeks instead to utilize those he called teammates during his NHL days, guys who are still plying their trade in the league and thus familiar to his players, as examples to follow for inspiration.

“You try to get across to them when you watch (Sidney) Crosby and (Nathan) MacKinnon and you watch (Patrice) Bergeron . . . I’ve seen all these guys up close and the guys who are successful, they worked daily on their game.

“The practices, they didn’t waste them. Even in the NHL, not everybody goes out with the same focus and the same determination to get better. Brad Marchand, I played with him when he was younger and he was good, and he’s gotten better and better every year because he works so hard at it.

“So you try to relay that to the kids. ‘At the end of the year, you’ll improve if you don’t waste your time, if you’re not out there fooling around.’ “

Academies like RINK Kelowna are proving to be pipelines to a chance at the next level, either through the junior ranks or via a college scholarship.

Two of the top three players and seven of the first 12 selected in the 2021 Western Hockey League bantam draft were from Western Canada hockey academies. Iginla’s son Tij, who was playing for the RINK Kelowna under-18 squad, was selected ninth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds. His RINK teammate Ryder Ritchie went to the Prince Albert Raiders with the 14th overall pick and Jaxsin Vaughan was tabbed with the 21st selection by the Regina Pats.

Iginla emphasizes to his players that their chances of getting to the next level of the game will be in large part driven by how much they are willing to push themselves to improve.

“You try to get across that it’s not when the coach is watching,” Iginla explained. “You have to be self-driven if you really want to get to the next level. If I turn my head, it can’t be, ‘OK, now I can relax.’ No, it’s self-driven, and I think we have a lot of those.

“There’s a lot of hockey at these academies. It’s funny, we have two hours of ice every day and I thought, ‘Man, that’s a long time.’ I’d be cutting practice short at an hour and a half. I’d be like, ‘Ok, that’s enough. We’ve done lots today.’ And the kids are like, ‘No, we still have another half hour!’ They want it, and that’s pretty neat. I like that.

“They are really, really into it and have opportunities to do some good things in hockey and follow their dreams or paths. So it’s really cool. And it’s fun when you see them get better. It’s really neat to see them get better from the beginning of the year and to see them enjoy it. It’s very rewarding.

“Overall, it’s been great.”