Canadian hockey legend Darryl Sutter will be a guest speaker at a Barrhead hockey conditioning camp in August.
It is hoped he will meet children and parents, as well as attend an off-ice skills centre.
“We are very excited that Darryl Sutter will be coming,” said camp organizer Christine Driessen last Wednesday.
“It will be great if children can come away saying they have met such a famous hockey player and coach.”
Sutter, who is one of six brothers who made the National Hockey League, is head coach of the Stanley Cup winning Los Angeles Kings after spending his entire NHL playing career with the Chicago Blackhawks.
It will be his first appearance at the Pro North Hockey Conditioning Camp, which is held every summer at the Agrena. This year’s dates are August 12-16 and August 19-23.
Any child from initiation level to midget – aged five to 17 – is eligible to take part.
It will involve shooting skills and drills, off-ice conditioning and nutrition, hockey plans, power skating, checking, off-ice cross training, a forward and defence training camp, skills centre, adult camp, classroom discussion, barbeque, guest speaker, games night and parents’ session.
Driessen, who has coached figure skating for 30 years and powerskating for 18 years, will be one of eight coaches.
Another is Glen Starman, who coached minor hockey for more than 10 years and achieved a level 4 in hockey officiating. In 2011, he guided the Barrhead Flyers to the Zone 3 championship and later helped coach the Barr-West Pirates Bantam ‘AA’ hockey team.
The other instructors are Nic Bourgeios, Mike Ivy, Eric Bell, Lukas Millions, Ashley Shrode and Brian Luciuk. Heath Kline is the coach for the Elite Goalie Program.
Driessen said there would also be six team captains.
“We usually get between 120 and 140 kids from all over the province taking part,” she said. “In the past we have had kids from Calgary, Edmonton, Slave Lake and Grande Prairie coming to Barrhead. The majority are from the surrounding area.”
This year there will even be a player from New York. Apparently he knew somebody working at the camp.
Driessen said she helped found the five-day camps 11 years ago.
“There was a need in our community which continued to grow. We would like to thank the community, families and business that have supported the camp.”
“We offer an intense week, five days of strict conditioning, with the kids split into different levels – Initiation, Novice, Peewee, Atom, Batman and Midget,” she added. “The idea is to get them ready for the preseason tryouts.”
Registration is well under way, although there are still some places available. For more details contact Christine Driessen at 780-674-5007 or 780-674-6595. The camp’s website address is pronorthhockey.com
LEVEL 1 Initiation/Novice: 3 hours on-ice per day; 2 hours off-ice per day; 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily; $350
LEVEL 2 Atom/Pee Wee: 3 hours on-ice per day; 1 hour skills centre; 2 hours off-ice per day; motivational speaker; 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily; $400
LEVEL 3: Bantam/Midgets: 4 hours on-ice per day; 2 hours off-ice per day; motivational speaker; 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily; $450
Elite Goalie Program: 4 hours on-ice time; eye of the puck; in the crease; 1 hour goalies only; 3 hours goalies on-ice (with 4 on 1 coaching time); $500
