Members identified for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Hockey Advisory Committee

trevor.kenney — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 16:19:27 +0000

The members of the committee that will look into the possible reinstatement of men’s and women’s hockey at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge have been chosen.

The Hockey Advisory Committee, which was established shortly after the U of L discontinued its men’s and women’s hockey programs in April, will be led by Chair Dan Laplante (BMgt ’88) and consist of 13 sitting members as well as three resource personnel. Its membership represents various viewpoints related to the hockey programs, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the community at large.

“I think it was important for us to establish a committee that has broad representation and takes into account the many stakeholders connected to the hockey programs,” says U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. “Given Dan’s reputation as a long-time supporter of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Pronghorn Athletics, his appointment as Chair was very well received and elicited a lot of interest in the committee.”

Other committee members include U of L Board of Governors Finance representative Dean Gallimore (BMgt ’84); Board of Governors Advancement representative Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) and Pronghorn Athletic Director Neil Langevin (BA/BEd ’91, MEd ’10). Community members include Perry Neufeld (BSc ’01), Toby Boulet (BEd ’89, MEd ’04), Jerry LeGrandeur, Dino Caputo (BFA ’99, BEd ’01) and Kathy Hopkins. Sam Schneyder (BSc ’07) and Lesley Burton (BSc ’02) are members representing the women’s hockey alumni group and PJ Lynch (BMgt ’05) and Reese St. Goddard (BMgt ’11) will represent the men’s hockey alumni.

“From the committee list you can see we have alumni, former players, community representatives and original founders of the programs,” says Mahon. “It is an excellent group and I look forward to hearing their recommendations as they work through their process.”

The committee’s purpose is to explore the re-establishment of both men's and women's hockey programs at the U of L supported by a solid and sustainable community-based funding model. The committee will consider other successful post-secondary community-based funding models. Its role is strictly advisory and will not revisit the decision to withdraw the hockey programs or conduct a review of the varsity athletic programs at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The Hockey Advisory Committee will sit over the next 18 months before making its findings known. By withdrawing its teams from Canada West play, the U of L cannot be reinstated in the conference for two years, meaning the earliest possible date for the Pronghorns to return to play would be the 2022-23 season. Canada West requires applications for a new sport to be submitted in the summer prior to the new sport participation year, with the application process completed by the following March.

The committee will make recommendations to the President's Executive Council, and the President and Vice-Chancellor will decide and approve if any or which recommendations will be presented to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Board of Governors. The Board of Governors is the final decision body.

The Hockey Advisory Committee full terms of reference are available here.

Champions' Legacy

david.kirby — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 23:34:18 +0000

While the banner that hangs in the rafters of Nicholas Sheran Arena pays tribute to the accomplishments of the 1994 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team, the true legacy of that group of young men is still being realized today.

With as many as 15 players and coaches from the U of L’s first national championship team contributing to hockey from the Timbit level all the way to the National Hockey League, the tangible impact of that special season cannot be captured by a dusty piece of cloth.

Pronghorns Alumni Brad Dersch, Perry Neufeld, Peter Rajcic, Dino Caputo and Ryan Christie during practice.

“I think of all the things I learned from Mike that year and the importance of never forgetting where you came from and what it means to be a part of a community was right near the top,” says former Pronghorn David LeGrandeur (BA/BEd '00, MEd '10) on his then head coach, Mike Babcock, now the bench boss of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

“You look at all the guys from our team, and then from many of the teams that followed, who are involved with hockey at the grassroots level and it’s remarkable.”

Perry Neufeld (BSc '01) was in his fourth year when the Horns embarked on their championship run, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. He’d been on teams that finished last in the conference and had never advanced to playoffs, but he said those struggles steeled him and his teammates and prepared them for success. Now, coaching with a group that includes four other Horns alumni, he looks to pass those lessons on.

“For me, coaching is about having a good perspective, being grounded and making sure the kids are having fun and learning to love the game of hockey,” says Neufeld, a senior development manager for an Alberta-based real estate developer and coach for both his son and daughter. “It’s not so much about the skills of being a better hockey player, it’s also the lifelong values that they are going to carry forward in terms of hard work, dedication, perseverance, commitment and working as a team. Hockey is the medium to pass along some of these values to children.”

Babcock is now a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning coach for Team Canada and Stanley Cup champion, and the highest profile name from that 1994 group. However, his method for success and ability to see the bigger picture has not wavered.

“Mike Babcock has not changed one bit from 1994 to 2014. He spoke about his family the same way in 1994 as he does today,” says alumnus Peter Rajcic (BA/BEd '96), a middle school teacher who currently coaches with a group of four Horns alumni at both the novice and atom levels.

“He found a way for us to commit to his program and to believe in ourselves and I know it’s been a part of all of us in regards to following through and making the most of what we were intended to do in our lives, both in hockey and outside of hockey.”

LeGrandeur has been coaching for five years and currently is involved in both novice and atom programs. A school principal, LeGrandeur sees himself as a teacher as much as he is a coach. Ironically, it is the same way that Babcock has always described himself.

“When I read his book, one of the things he talks about is that he and his wife are raising difference makers and he brings that to everything he does,” says LeGrandeur. “I had never really thought about it until I read it but that’s what I’m trying to do too.”

Success, says LeGrandeur, can be determined in many different ways, but he recognizes something special came out of that 1994 team – something far greater than the trophy that was won and the banner that was raised.

“I think everyone on that team has become successful in whatever they are doing beyond hockey, and finding a way to make an impact on their community – that says something.”

And our communities are better for it.

UNews - Perry Neufeld

Members identified for ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Hockey Advisory Committee

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Champions' Legacy

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Members identified for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Hockey Advisory Committee