Trevor Nagle (South East Female Hockey Association) chosen as Hockey New Brunswick Coach of the Month for March

Hockey New Brunswick is happy to announce that Trevor Nagle of the South East Female Hockey Association’s Atom Shooting Stars has been selected as the Hockey New Brunswick Coach of the Month.

“I would like to nominate my Goaltending Coach Trevor for the Hockey New Brunswick Coach of the Month. I want him to know how much I appreciate him and how he is making a difference in my life” said one of his Goalies. “He wants us to get better and says that it takes lots of hard work. He likes to laugh and joke around and that makes learning fun. He has taught me that I can get a lot out of hockey if I am willing to put in the work and listen to the coaches when they are teaching. Trevor is the best coach and goalie coach that I have ever had. Please pick Trevor for the HNB Coach of the Month so he knows what a difference he has made in his players lives, especially mine” said the same Goalie from the Atom Shooting Stars.

“Trevor cares about how his players are doing and creates a positive learning environment for them as well. He coaches, but also teaches the players to be respectful both on and off the ice. Trevor pays attention to detail and knows that repetition of drills will lead to consistency on the ice” said a parent from the Shooting Stars.

(with files from www.hockeycanada.ca) – written by Wendy Graves Tanya Noble has volunteered innumerable – and invaluable – hours to the Tri-County Minor Hockey Association for one simple reason: to give all kids a chance to enjoy the sport It’s been years since Tanya Noble laced up a pair of skates. Every Thursday night, a group of moms would meet at the Tri-County Complex for a game of pick-up. As her son, Mayson, got older – and into hockey himself – Tanya decided to redirect her attention. While you won’t find Tanya on the ice anymore, you also won’t find a person more passionate about creating the best possible hockey experience for hundreds of kids in Fredericton Junction, N.B. “I love seeing the kids play and enjoy themselves and being able to be involved in a sport that they all love,” says Noble. “I didn’t have that when I was a kid; we didn’t really have anything other than softball. To see all these kids have fun and enjoy getting together – as well as learn skills and life lessons from their coaches – that’s what does it for me. It’s about the kids, and to give all kids a chance to enjoy the sport.” “She’s a quiet person but she does so much,” says Lisa McLaughlin, president of the Tri-County Minor Hockey Association (TMHA). “She does so much that people don’t even realize how much she’s doing. Her mind is always thinking ‘How can we do things better, how can we be more organized, what can we do to improve this?’ She is just so valuable. “I always describe her that she’s my left arm,” says McLaughlin, laughing, “and I say that because I’m left-handed. I really don’t know how we would’ve gotten through the last few years without her supporting us and laying a lot of the background work that seldom gets recognized.” Noble has been the secretary/registrar for the TMHA for more than six years. A friend knew she had done some secretarial work and asked her to come to a meeting to take notes. That eventually led to an invitation to take on the volunteer position full time. Her fellow board members have crowned her the queen of spreadsheets and organization. She rosters more than 150 players and more than 50 coaches each season. She touches base weekly with those needing courses, criminal checks and certifications. She takes detailed notes at every meeting. (She’s become such a vault of knowledge that board members know to just “Ask Tanya” if they need to find something.) She ensures all coaches have their necessary credentials and the MHA is compliant in everything it does. A visual learner, Noble took it upon herself to create step-by-step instructions to walk new hockey parents through the Respect in Sport process. “They’re new to the sport, and it can be overwhelming for them,” she says. “[I wanted to] give them something that’s going to make their lives easier.” At Noble’s suggestion, the TMHA created a new policy – parents would get their Respect in Sport documents at registration and need to complete the course before their kids could hit the ice instead of by the standard Dec. 15 deadline. “It’s streamlined the process immensely for our association,” says McLaughlin. “The document she created was sent out to the other associations in our district as a good way to deal with the Respect in Sport hurdle that comes up for associations.” As methodical as Noble is, she’s equally creative. Take last season’s end-of-year banquet. When Noble arrived to decorate, she brought with her 10 homemade poster boards – one for each team in the TMHA. Each poster board included a cut-out jersey for every team member, complete with the player’s name and number on the back. “Things like that are so time consuming but they mean so much,” says McLaughlin. “You could see all the kids looking at the poster boards and looking for their names.” “All the little touches – it makes people happy,” says Noble. “It makes me happy to see people happy. I enjoy doing it. I love to tinker around, and it’s just the added touch to see the smile on their faces. Kids know that they’re respected and we want them there.” She devotes these countless hours to volunteering while working a full-time job with the government of New Brunswick. Noble has been deemed an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like everyone, her days are now different, but she’s happy to be in a position to help others. Her job involves ensuring people have the tools and resources they need to feel more secure about their future. While the hockey season has been cut unexpectedly short, Noble’s line remains open. She continues to assist parents and anyone else who reaches out with questions, as well as handle her regular responsibilities with the TMHA. She’s proud to be a member of what she considers a great team. “I’m just one person within the Tri-County Minor Hockey Association,” she says. “The board members are a great group who all have the same goal – to provide a memorable hockey experience for as many families as possible in our area.”

Hockey New Brunswick would like to recognize one of our devoted volunteers on the female hockey development side, Jason Lyons.

Jason is currently a member of the Hockey New Brunswick Female Commission, and he serves as the Commission representative on the HNB Elite Hockey Commission and Minor Council. In addition to his responsibilities with the Female Commission, he was Chair of the Female Elite Hockey Task team during the 2019-2020 season, serves as the Female Bantam AAA Coordinator, and has been a branch representative for HNB at a number of Regional Championships. Prior to his tenure as a volunteer with HNB, Jason served as the President of the Greater Miramichi Female Association; he’s also coached at the AAA and grassroots level of female hockey for a number of years.

Jason, along with Darren Gallen have organized an Under 13 Skills Camp for female hockey players which serves as an introduction to the HNB High Performance Program. The Skills Camp has been held the last two seasons over Christmas and has been a great opportunity for female hockey players to get together from all areas of the province.

“Jason has been outstanding volunteer for female hockey in New Brunswick. He’s an extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and detailed oriented volunteer, who always goes above and beyond what’s asked of him. We are very fortunate to have Jason involved in a variety of different roles with Hockey New Brunswick, as he’s played an integral part in growing female hockey across the province”, said Anita Scott, HNB Female Commission Chair.

For all of your contributions in growing female hockey in the province, we cannot say thank you enough.

Your time, commitment and wealth of knowledge help to create lasting memories for female hockey players throughout the province.

Hockey New Brunswick would like to highlight volunteers Nancy Haslett and Norbert Laforge, our Directors of Operations for the Hockey New Brunswick High Performance Program.

Nancy Haslett serves the volunteer role of the Director of Operations for our Female High Performance Program since 2011 for the Under 16 and Under 18 Female teams. She has also served in this capacity during the 2015 and 2019 Canada Winter Games. Nancy always goes above and beyond to make sure the girls have everything they need to have success on and off the ice. She is the glue that holds everyone together, and the reason why teams can come together so quickly and have a lot of success during camps, tournaments and competitions.

“Nancy is a tremendous volunteer and asset to our High Performance Program. We are very fortunate to have her work with our female teams ensuring that all the little details are looked after for all our players, coaches, and staff. Not only does she look after these little details so our players can play and coaches can coach, but she also brings a contagious positive attitude to the rink every day. Her positive attitude and fun demeanor at the rink and around the teams really sheds light on why we are involved in this great game. I know I can speak for anyone who has worked with her since she became a Director of Operations in 2011 when I say that we are so fortunate to work with her but also to call her a friend”, said HNB Technical Director Mike Gillingham.

Norbert, our Director of Operations for the Male Under 14, Under 15 and Under 16 teams, has 25 plus years of experience with Hockey New Brunswick serving many roles along the way. Norbert has represented Hockey New Brunswick at the Canada Games 7 times, and serves as the main point of contact for parents of players during major competitions ensuring that all needs are met.

“As a coach, we want to focus on what happens on the ice without concern for organizational details. With Norbert as the Director for Canada Winter Games Teams, Regional Teams, and Provincial Camps, we have been allowed to focus on this knowing that all the details from busses to food to rooming lists and everything in between is all looked after. Volunteering year after year to look after parents, players, and coaches says it all about Norbert. His quiet, organized demeanour supports, guides, and leads so many. No one is more deserving of this recognition than Norbert Laforge. The hours he has selflessly donated are impossible to count” said Kevin Pottle, a colleague with the HNB High Performance Program. 

Hockey New Brunswick’s High Performance Program would not be the same without the effort of these two outstanding individuals. The Players, Coaches, Staff and Parents are always thankful for the experiences that they share together.  

For all of your contributions to the game of hockey, our High Performance Program and going above and beyond, Hockey New Brunswick celebrates Nancy Haslett and Norbert Laforge during National Volunteer Week.

Hockey New Brunswick would like to highlight volunteer Bob Keays and his outstanding work with Officials in the province of New Brunswick. Bob was named the 2017 Hockey New Brunswick Volunteer of the year and was instrumental in bringing the Don Koharski Official Development Camp to the Saint John area. Bob also introduced an Officiating Committee in Region 4, which was very proactive in providing support and development for officials. “Bob joined us this year and has done an amazing job with our referees. He has worked tirelessly booking refs for games and tournaments; mentored the younger referees and provided clinics all while bring the Referee in Chief for the Saint John Youth Association. One association is a lot to handle, but Bob did this for two associations and has been a pleasure to have on our board”, said Lancaster Minor Hockey President Kelly DeLucry. “Bob also organized a “Hockey Blood Drive” in Southern NB through the Canadian Blood Services which was a huge success during the holiday season.” For all of your contributions to the game of hockey, refereeing and going above and beyond, Hockey New Brunswick celebrates Bob Keays during National Volunteer Week.