Burnaby Winter Club

There were plenty of kids wearing Mathew Barzal jerseys at the New York Islanders practice in Vancouver on Sunday. 

They were youth hockey players from Burnaby Winter Club, Barzal's minor hockey alma mater in the first suburb east of Vancouver. Barzal's an idol for those kids, living proof that maybe one of them can one day play in the NHL. 

But before there was Barzal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the guy to come out of BWC and was an influence on a young Barzal. 

"He was one my guys that I looked up to growing up," Barzal said on Thursday. "Playing in the same organization, watching his minor hockey games back in bantam and pee-wee. I remember him dominating back then and just wanting to be like him. He went first overall in the [WHL] bantam draft and I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps." 

It's clear how Nugent-Hopkins made an impression on Barzal growing up. According to Elite Prospects, Nugent-Hopkins scored 214 points (119G, 95A) in 66 games in his second bantam year at BWC. (Barzal had 153 points in 51 games in his equivalent season.) Nugent-Hopkins wound up being drafted by Red Deer first overall in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft and eventually went on to be selected first by the Oilers in 2011. 

While Nugent-Hopkins was ascending to the NHL, he caught wind of a kid who was skating through the competition, getting word through coaches who had them both. Since then he's been following Barzal's blossoming career. 

"I noticed him pretty much as soon as he started," Nugent-Hopkins said. "He slipped under some people's radar because maybe he got hurt in his draft year so he didn't go as high as he probably would have. For the guys that have known him for a while and seen him play for a long time now it's not too unexpected."

The four-year age difference kept Barzal and Nugent-Hopkins from playing together growing up, though Barzal remembers Nugent-Hopkins dropping in for a pair of ice times with his bantam team. They have skated together over the past two summers at 8-Rinks in Burnaby and have developed a relationship.

"We're at the rink competing against each other, chirping each other, having fun. He's a great guy," Barzal said. 

Barzal leads the Islanders with 51 assists and 69 points this season, which has impressed Nugent-Hopkins, who has 33 points in 48 games this season. 

"I'm not surprised that he's playing well and already established himself as a high-end player in the league," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I am a little surprised at how many points he has only because it's his first year in the league and you don't see that often."

They'll likely be facing off at least a couple of times on Thursday night, which could wind up leaving an impression on the next kids coming up at BWC. 

"I know that he's a really good player and he's having a lot of success right now," Nugent-Hopkins said. "So it's good to see a Burnaby kid doing so well."

https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/barzal-and-nugent-hopkins-bonded-by-youth-hockey/c-296749548

Enjoy the Journey

There are 3 times when we can help our child’s performance and create great memories:

Before the game

During the game

After the game

Before the first game of the season 

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Why do I want my child to play hockey?
2. What goals do I have for him/her?
3. If there are roles, what role do I want them to play?
4. How will I decide if it’s a successful season?

Then ask you child the same questions.

1. Why are you playing hockey?
2. What goals do you have?
3. What do you think your role will be on the team?
4. What is a successful season?

If your child’s answers are the same as yours, then great! If they’re not, then drop yours and accept theirs.  They are the ones playing hockey.

The reality is that 75% of kids are out of organized sports by age 13.  Why? The majority cites parental expectations and behaviour as the number one cause.

So “release them to the game.”  Let this activity be theirs.  Let them control it.  Let this be the risk that they take to learn their life lessons: how to succeed on your own, how to deal with mistakes, how to talk to their boss etc.  Empower them to become the very people we all know and hope they can be.

How do you know if you’re not “releasing” them?

You continue to share the credit when things go well. “We won.” No, they won.

You find yourself trying to solve all the problems that come up during the season. Let children learn how to deal with this on their own.

You catch yourself yelling at an official during the game.

You try to continue to coach them when they know more about the sport than you do. 

They try to avoid you after the game, or they’re embarrassed by your involvement.

During the game

Be there. Or miss some, let them bring back to you what they thought was important.

Model appropriate behaviour.  If 90% of parents think spectator behaviour is a problem, but 99% say it’s not me, then who is it?

One instructional voice. This is the voice of the coach.  Kids find it very confusing when they hear multiple voices.  Encouraging is OK.

Focus on the team.  Watch both teams play; don’t just focus on your child.

Choose one role. There are 4 roles, player, coach, referee, and spectator.  Everyone gets to be one of these. One.

After the game

When kids are asked about their worst memories from athletics, the most consistent answer is the car ride home.

Here’s how to make that car ride home a positive:

Save your analysis. Don’t analyze their play, the referees, their teammates, the coaching, etc.

Give your athlete time and space. Kids need time and space to recover. Some may need an hour, others need a week.

Be a confidence builder.  What can you say to do that? 5 simple words after every game: “I love watching you play.”

Hours of Operation

Fall/Winter Hours

3:00pm - 7:00pm

Monday through Friday

9:00am - 4:00pm

Saturday

12:00-4:00pm

Sunday

Management 
 
Rob Blankstein- MHA Chair 

Terry Shein - General Manager 

Maco Balkovec - Hockey Director 
 
Initiation Hockey
 
Divisional Manager Roxanne Reid
 
Hockey 2 

Joe Saloustros- Head Coach C1 

- Head Coach C2

Hockey 3 
Joe Saloustros- Head Coach C1

-Head Coach C2

 
Hockey 4 
- Head Coach C1
Brad Reynolds  - Head Coach C2
- Head Coach C3
 
Atom

Divisional Manager: Megumi Mizuno
Darcy Pinch - Head Coach A1
Robert Ginnetti- Head Coach A2
- Head Coach A3
- Head Coach A4
- Head Coach A5

Pee-Wee  
Divisional Manager: Derek Usher
Bill Hunt - Head Coach A1 
- Head Coach A2
 Head Coach A3
- Head Coach A4

Ryan Robinson - Head Coach A5

Bantam  
Divisional Manager: Sheldon Evers and Scott Ashton

- Head Coach A1 
Head Coach A2