By the end of the Westlock and District Minor Hockey Association’s annual general meeting on April 24, the association will have a new president.
After three years in the top job, Dean Fagnan is stepping down.
“It is time for somebody else to jump in and take over the reins,” he said. “It’s been three really good years.”
With his oldest children now in high school, Fagnan said he would like to spend more time coaching high school teams, as well as getting behind the bench at the minor hockey level. He said there was no time to do that while leading the association.
Even though he is stepping down, he won’t disappear completely from the association. As a former president, he will take over the Past President position from Barry Brost, and continue to provide insight and knowledge to help the new president.
Over three years as president, Fagnan said the biggest change was joining the 1660 Hockey League after years in the Sturgeon Pembina Hockey League.
It was a change that came shortly after he was elected, he explained.
Fagnan was elected on a Wednesday, and the very next day he learned the 1660 League was revamping itself. Two days later, on Saturday, he was at a 1660 League meeting to successfully argue why Westlock should join the league.
Getting into the 1660 League has been a boon for the association, he said, explaining it’s cut down on the amount of travel the Westlock teams have to endure to get to road games.
Another triumph for the association was the move from Jubilee Arena to the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre.
“Overall it’s been a great facility, and it’s going to be a great facility to continue in the future,” Fagnan said.
Having a new facility creates a certain buzz when visiting teams come to Westlock, he added.
“Every out-of-town team that’s been there has been ecstatic,” he said.
While Fagnan is looking forward to stepping down, there are things he is going to miss.
Being the president means the decisions he made had an impact on all the players, coaches and parents.
Handing the presidency to another person means Fagnan won’t have as much of an effect on the kids on the ice.
“I’ve had great boards to work with and great people to work with that have been very helpful,” he said.
“We’ve made tough decisions when we had to, and overall, every kid who has wanted to play has had a chance to play.”
