AUS to allow member-driven competition this winter semester if public health directives allow

(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport has announced that it will not proceed with conference-sanctioned regular seasons or postseasons for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and will not host any conference championships.

However, AUS will allow member-driven competition for the upcoming winter semester.

The decision means schools will be permitted to engage in competition at a level they are comfortable with, and would likely see the teams involved face opponents they are in closer proximity to geographically.

Each of the AUS’s 11 individual member universities will determine its own level of participation in accordance with the most up-to-date public health directives.

“We had hoped to be able to get to a place where we could see some semblance of a regular season and postseason take place for our winter sport student-athletes,” said AUS executive director Phil Currie. “Unfortunately given the current realities in many of our regions, and evolving public health directives, this won’t be possible.”

“What we are encouraged by is the decision of our board of directors to continue to allow member-driven competition in the new year if public health guidelines allow. The safety of our student-athletes, campuses and surrounding communities is the top priority. But we are also in the business of delivering sport opportunities to young people. And our member universities intend to provide those opportunities so long as the experts deem it safe to do so at that time.”

Last month, AUS announced the formation of a new committee dedicated to exploring possible return-to-play options for January 2021 and beyond.

The Return-to-Play Committee was comprised of an athletic director from each of the four Atlantic provinces, along with two representatives from the AUS conference office. Its mandate was to develop a framework which would allow for a safe and viable return to conference-sanctioned competition this season.

“With guidance and input from public health and building on a lot of the groundwork already laid regarding safe practices on our respective campuses, we were able to create a very thorough plan in a short window of time,” said UNB director of athletics and AUS president John Richard, who served as chair of the AUS Return-to-Play Committee.

The committee developed a comprehensive framework which includes guidelines for participants and facilities, travel considerations, risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans and possible approaches to sport programming.

The framework was first submitted to public health in the four Atlantic provinces for feedback, and was then deliberated on by the AUS board of directors, which is comprised of the presidents of each of its member universities.

“As a group that is extremely passionate about sport, we are disappointed for our student-athletes and stakeholders that regular seasons and championships won’t be possible this winter. But we acknowledge and respect the current realities and the steps being taken by those in leadership positions to keep everyone safe,” said Richard.

“We’re still hopeful there will be a pathway for meaningful competition for many of our student-athletes this winter and we’re grateful the board has afforded us that opportunity.”

“The Board was extremely impressed with the detailed framework developed by the Return-to-Play Committee,” said Dr. Peter Ricketts, chair of the AUS board of directors and president of Acadia University. “But, given the state of the pandemic in our region and having the health and safety of our student-athletes first and foremost in our minds, we could not see our way to endorsing a return to conference competition play at this time or in the near future.”

AUS member schools intend to utilize the content developed in the return-to-play document as they determine their respective paths forward next semester.

Fundamental to the framework is the principle that the most current public health directives will always determine the approach and that any and all planned competition may be altered or cancelled in the event of a new or worsening outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in any relevant region.

Conditioning Camp – Sept 27-30

Once again, the Acadia Axemen Hockey Program will team up with Acadia Minor to put on a pre tryout to get local kids on the ice before tryouts. This will take place again at the Acadia Arena from September 27-30 and registration information is available on the Acadia Minor Hockey Association website. The sessions will be instructed by the Acadia Axemen coaches & players (including goalies). The conditioning camp will consist of four 1 hour ice sessions which will focus on skating, puck skills, station work, flow drills & games (depending on COVID guidelines & protocols at this time).

“We are very excited to put this camp on,” commented Axemen Associate coach and hockey camp coordinator Kris MacDonald.

“It’s a great relationship we have, and we thought this camp is an excellent way of creating revenue for the association as well. We feel it is very important to give back and it’s important to promote local and we have always had a long-standing bond with community and this association. We want to create a comfortable environment for the kids while learning the game and it is great that the kids spend time with our varsity players at the camp and see them in the rink all year long. It’s no secret confidence and relationships are crucial for our youth and we want this facility to be their home, the fact that the families and association benefit is an added bonus to this camp.”

 

To secure your spot, please register for this specific camp through the Acadia Minor Hockey Association at:

https://amha.goalline.ca/register.php?reg_form_id=37053

COST: $90
** Space is limited!!  First come, first serve basis. **

After registering, payments can be e-transferred to amhapayments@gmail.com with “Conditioning Camp” and the player name(s) in the message.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE E-MAIL: website@acadiaminorhockey.com

Acadia adds 6^th new recruit for upcoming season

The Acadia Axemen hockey program is proud to announce the commitment of Toronto, Ontario’s Hudson Wilson. Hudson, a 6’3” 195lbs defenseman, has spent the past five years playing junior hockey in the OHL primarily with the Ottawa 67’s before finishing up with the Peterborough Petes.

Over 5 years in the OHL, Hudson played in 266 regular season games, scoring 6 goals and adding 53 assists. He was a plus 61 rating, along with adding 168 penalty minutes. He added 8 points in 28 playoff games, with a +7 rating.

Axemen head coach Darren Burns sees the addition of Wilson as a big piece of the roster puzzle for the upcoming season saying, “We are very excited to be able to have Hudson at Acadia. It is no secret we needed another big stay at home defencemen who can take care of things in his own end, kill penalties and log good minutes. He oozes character and we really believe he has all the attributes to be a player who will keep getting better day by day in our league. His toughness, hard work and leadership is going to be a huge addition for us.”

With the addition of Wilson, the Axemen have now added 6 new recruits for the upcoming season. The new Axemen include Tyler Hinam, Cole Rafuse, Peyton Hoyt, Nick Deakin-Poot, Reilly Webb, and Hudson Wilson.

USports and the AUS have postponed the official start of the season until after the first semester as a safety precaution during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regina-born goalie Logan Flodell is anxious to rejoin the Acadia Axemen after a memorable season in 2019-20 was cut short by COVID-19.

Story courtesy of Regina Leader-Post

If there was a theme song for the longest off-season of Logan Flodell’s hockey career, it would probably be “stuck in the middle with you.”

After spending time on the east and west coasts in recent years, Flodell is temporarily confined to the Saskatchewan prairie as he awaits a go-ahead to rejoin the Acadia University Axemen in Wolfville, N.S.

The Regina native has been in limbo since March 12 when all sanctioned hockey activities across Canada were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It already seems a lifetime ago.

“It does; I’m not used to being home (for this long),” said the 23-year-old goaltender, who has been back in Regina for over four months. “I’m probably driving my parents crazy (laughs). It feels like we haven’t played hockey in so long.”

Flodell doesn’t know when the upcoming U sports hockey season will proceed — assuming it does at all.

The first-half schedule has already been cancelled but there is a sliver of hope that at least a portion of the regular season can be salvaged in the new year.

“It’s a unique situation but we’re definitely optimistic,” Flodell said. “Every team including ours wants to get back to sports. It’s what we’re looking forward to and hoping we get the opportunity. You feel bad for all the soccer and rugby and football players (whose seasons were completely cancelled). Hopefully we can start and get (some) games under our belt.”Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, Flodell plans on returning to school in mid-August. He’s crossing his fingers that the Axemen will be cleared to play some exhibition games this fall.“That’s the hopeful goal at least,” said Flodell, who’s encouraged by the relatively low COVID-19 numbers in Nova Scotia.

“I think it’s one of the lowest (along) with Saskatchewan. It’s reassuring at least that the province is doing what it should and it keeps everyone else safe too.”

Given the circumstances, Flodell is feeling even better about the decision to attend school at the other end of the country. He fell in love with the coast lifestyle early in his junior career with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds before moving on to the Saskatoon Blades, Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes, eventually graduating from the league in 2018.

The former WHL all-star could have attended university anywhere in Canada, but he liked what he saw from a recruiting trip to Acadia — including the locale.

“I love being by the ocean; it’s something you don’t experience in Saskatchewan,” he said. “I feel like I’ve travelled all over. You’re lucky when you get an opportunity to go across Canada and play in different places.”

The move to Acadia has paid off for Flodell, who followed up a strong rookie season with a brilliant sophomore campaign in 2019-20 (2.79 GAA, .918 save percentage). He was named the MVP of the Atlantic University Sport conference before adding playoff MVP honours, backstopping Acadia to the league final.After losing that series to the New Brunswick Reds, Acadia was preparing to play host to the University Cup national championship when the tournament came to an abrupt halt one day before the Axemen’s opening game.“That was the first time Acadia has ever hosted,” noted Flodell, a second-team All-Canadian. “It was kind of a bummer (to get shut down) but it happened to everyone across the world, I guess. We were pretty heartbroken that we didn’t get to play a game at least.”

Flodell’s consolation prize was being named Acadia’s male athlete of the year.

Overall, it was a memorable season that ended just a few days too soon.

“It would have been nice to prove myself in a national championship against the best in Canada but unfortunately it got cut short,” added Flodell, who’s training for the upcoming season at Next Level Hockey Consulting in Regina.

“We just started skating two weeks ago (with a group of local players). It doesn’t even feel the same because you’re supposed to be preparing to start in August and now you don’t even know when you’re going to have your first team practice.

“It’s so up in the air.”

gharder@postmedia.com

Axemen Hockey Summer Camps

The Acadia Axemen hockey camps have been running for well over 30 years in Wolfville each summer. Throughout those years the focus of the camps has always been on skill development, work ethic, team & sportsmanship, and of course fun. Many Axemen campers have gone on to play elite levels of hockey, including three female players who began as campers, moved on to be instructors at the Axemen camps, and now play NCAA Division 1 hockey. We caught up Brette Pettet, Maggy Burbidge, and Kate Spooner to discuss their experience at Axemen hockey camps first as campers, then as instructors, and what the camps and hockey in the valley meant to them.

Brette Pettet – University of Wisconsin Badgers

Growing up in Kentville my parents entered me in Acadia Hockey camps from a young age. Although I was able to improve as a young player and learns many hockey fundamentals, I was also able to further my love for the game of hockey during these camps. I feel lucky to have had such a positive environment and encouraging coaching staff during these camps, which lead to such a fun experience for me at a such young age.

Having the opportunity to coach younger players at Acadia Hockey camps has most definitely been a valuable and beneficial experience for me. Not only have I have the opportunity to gain a different perspective as a coach and use that to help my own game but I’ve also had the chance to build relationships with players and watch them improve over the years, which is incredibly rewarding.

I think growing up in the Valley has enabled me to appreciate the opportunities I have been given over the years pertaining to hockey. One of the things I value most are the people and the relationships I have built throughout my childhood in the Valley. Although I left at a young age to attend Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep School, I am incredibly thankful for coaches like Darren Burns who engraved work ethic and character into my brain as a young girl, as those have been the foundation to any success I have received as a hockey player.

Maggy Burbidge – Robert Morris University Colonials

I attended Axemen camps first as a camper when I was younger for many summers before I became an instructor. As a kid it was one of my favorite times to look forward to with hanging with my friends and going on the  ice everyday. I grew up playing boys hockey in both West Hants and Acadia until I left for prep school in bantam. I thought of the Acadia camps as an extended season with my teammates and closest friends . The camps allowed me to look up to older players that were instructors, and I saw them as mentors and I wanted to be like them and work as hard as they did. They really set a culture at the Acadia camps, it was a very hard working and learning environment that allowed everyone to get better and push each other. Learning to work hard from a young age really allowed me to excel in both hockey and school today.

My experience as an instructor at the Acadia hockey camps allowed me to focus and improve my leadership skills and this has allowed me to take those personal experiences in hockey and share them with  kids who wanted to learn and get better. This experience allowed me to grow and exceed as a hockey player and as a person when it came to setting and achieving my goals. It taught me how humbling it is to be able to give back to younger kids who were in the same position as me years earlier. Being a hockey player and seeing how hard the kids worked on and off the ice made me want to be better and work harder in everything I did. One of the experiences I gained as an Acadia hockey camp instructor is seeing the growth of the players from the beginning of the camp and celebrating their success as they learned and continued to develop to the end. There is no greater feeling then being able to help someone get better at a sport they love and see the happiness it brings to them which led me to the academic path that I am currently pursuing. I am currently playing NCAA hockey and studying middle level education at Robert Morris University. This became obvious to me and without the opportunities I got at the Acadia hockey camps, I may have choose a different path in school, but being able to help and learn with these young athletes had really changed my perspective.

Growing up and playing hockey in the valley instilled the hard work philosophy and something that myself and other teammates and friends pride ourselves on. One motto that always makes me think about the previous teams and programs from the valley is: “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. I will always value the friendships and teammates that made hockey so much fun and rewarding. I am forever grateful for the opportunities AMHA, the coaches and teammates, have given me and it truly is an amazing opportunity…if you can see it, you can achieve it.

Kate Spooner – Union College

Some of my fondest memories of summers during my childhood were spent at Axemen hockey camps. I was eager to prepare for upcoming hockey seasons, often participating in various Acadia camps (female, age-specific, and goalie camps), sometimes during the same week as coaches are always looking for goalies. Not only did this time improve my on-ice habits and allow me to compete with a range of kids from different skill levels, the camps also encouraged me to explore off-ice training from a young age. These habits improved my work ethic in the net and set a high standard of expectation beyond the ice in the classroom. My strong work ethic and coachability were in part what opened the door to playing at the Division I college level in the USA.

I began my role as an instructor at Acadia camps at a young age and found myself to be learning as much from my campers as I taught them. As a goaltender, I gained valuable experience seeing the game from new perspectives. As I worked through drills with goalies and players alike, it was enlightening to hear their thoughts and see their growth as students of the game. Furthermore, being an instructor at camp taught me many life skills including structure and planning, giving positive feedback, and motivation.

My experience growing up as a hockey player in the Valley was extremely uplifting and enjoyable. Having been apart of mainly co-ed teams, I always found the rinks in the Valley to be welcoming to a diverse group of players. We are very fortunate to have such a strong hockey community in this part of Nova Scotia, especially with the Acadia Axemen and Axewomen as role models to young players in the area. The accessibility of hockey development resources is only improving, and the Axemen camps, along with others, allowed me to thrive as a goaltender and make dreams of collegiate play a reality.

Axemen head coach Darren Burns, who has been a camp instructor from his days as a player in the early 1990’s at Acadia, through his tenure as head coach at Acadia, said this about the three Annapolis Valley athletes, “It has been an absolute pleasure to watch these athletes over the years. It was extremely important for us to have their leadership at our camps. They have always worked so hard to be role models for so many. Watching them play in the Acadia Minor Hockey system, and seeing them be impact players on their respective teams has been a rewarding experience for us all at Acadia. It was an easy decision to want to have them work at our camps. They now compete in NCAA Division 1 hockey, it is just great to see their hard work continuing to help them achieve their goals. I think they have been tremendous role models for the youth in the Annapolis Valley, and they deserve every good thing that comes their way! We appreciate their dedication and efforts over the years.”

Acadia adds former Saginaw defenceman

The Acadia Axemen hockey program are proud to announce the commitment of former Saginaw Spirit defenceman Reilly Webb. The 6’4” 200lbs defenceman from Stoney Creek, Ontario fills a big hole on the Axemen blueline left by the graduation of Liam Maaskant and Alexander Lepkowski. In the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Reilly was drafted 164th overall in round 6 by Detroit Red Wings.

Webb is described by his former Spirit head coach Chris Lazary as a quiet leader and a guy everyone wants on their roster, his gritty shut down style was a point of strength on the Saginaw blue line.

Reilly began his Junior career being drafted #33 overall in the 2015 OHL priority selection by the Hamilton Bulldogs. After playing parts of 3 seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs, in which he dealt with some injury issues, Webb was traded from Hamilton to the Saginaw Spirit.

Flourishing in his new home, he spent the next two seasons patrolling the Spirit blueline, shutting down opponents’ top lines. In the 2019-20 shortened season, he also added a career high 21 points in 50 games and was named the team’s best defenseman.

Acadia Axemen head coach Darren Burns shared his thoughts on the team’s newest addition saying, “Reilly is a very important addition for our program. He is a committed stay at home defencemen who can log a lot of minutes and is extremely hard to play against. He is an excellent penalty killer, who keeps the game simple. He brings with him an outstanding attitude and is a very well-liked player in the dressing room. This, coupled with a relentless work ethic in the gym, will help him adjust quickly to the AUS game.”

Webb becomes the 5^th recruiting addition to the Acadia hockey program, joining Tyler Hinam, Cole Rafuse, Peyton Hoyt, and Nick Deakin-Poot. Welcome to the Axemen hockey family Reilly, we look forward to seeing you in an Acadia jersey this fall!

Axemen add 4th recuit to lineup

The Acadia Axemen are proud to announce the commitment of forward Nick Deakin-Poot to the program.

The 6’4”, 225lbs Georgetown, Ontario native is known for having good foot speed, a physical style of play, blocking shots and laying big hits, while also scoring timely goals too.

Deakin-Poot started his junior career with the Guelph Storm of the OHL, playing 2 seasons with the Storm, before making the jump to the QMJHL and joining the Saint John Sea Dogs.

In 2 ½ years in QMJHL, he a scored 69 points in 127 games, including 33 goals and 142 penalty minutes. In this past shortened 2019-2020 season, Nick was named an assistant captain with the team and had a career best 33 points in 51 games.

Coach Darren Burns is excited to add Deakin-Poot to the Axemen lineup in the fall, “We believe Nick’s play is tailor made for the AUS. He is in tremendous shape, fast, big and plays a 200-foot game. He is an excellent penalty killer who thrives in the face off circle. He is also a lot to handle in front of the opponent’s net. There’s no question he has a desire to always get better.”

Deakin-Poot joins the three previously announced Axemen recruits in Tyler Hinam, Cole Rafuse, and Peyton Hoyt.  The Acadia hockey program is proud to welcome our four new recruits and we look forward to seeing you in an Axemen uniform this fall.

Axemen add 3^rd recruit to lineup

The Acadia Axemen are proud to announce the commitment of Lincoln, New Brunswick’s Peyton Hoyt to the Axemen for the upcoming season. The 5’10” 195lbs forward is a rugged winger with good speed with the ability to find the back of the net.

Hoyt is looking forward to joining the Axemen and making the jump to USports hockey, saying, “I’m happy to have joined a hockey organization with a great history. The fans can expect a very high energized player that will never give up and bring my all every night.”

Peyton was originally drafted into QMJHL #6 overall by the Cape Breton Eagles in 2015. He played his 1^st three seasons in the Quebec league with Cape Breton from 2015-2018, which included 18 goals in 2017-18 campaign for the Eagles.

Prior to the 2018-19 season, he joined the Blainville-Broisbriand Armada, scoring 16 points in 31 games before being traded to Val-d’Or Foreurs where he added 18 points in 29 games. Combined between the two teams, Hoyt had his best offensive junior season with 24 goals and 34 points in 60 games.

In 2019-2020, Hoyt returned to Val-d’Or for his 5th QMJHL season and was named an assistant captain with the team and scored 28 points in just 40 games, including 14 goals.

Acadia Head Coach Darren Burns feels Hoyt will be a great fit for Acadia saying, “We are very excited to have added Peyton to our team. He is a high energy player who plays his hardest every shift. His speed, tenacity, and team first attitude will make him a strong addition to our program. We know he will be a fan favourite on the ice, in the community, and in the classroom.”

Hoyt joins Tyler Hinam and Cole Rafuse as new additions to the Axemen hockey squad. Acadia had four players graduate from the program last year, including forwards Stephen Harper & Mark McNulty, and defencemen Liam Maaskant & Alexander Lepkowski.

We are excited to welcome Peyton Hoyt to the Acadia Axemen hockey family.

Kings County native to suit up for Acadia

The Acadia Axemen are pleased to announce the commitment of Harmony, Nova Scotia’s Cole Rafuse to join the Acadia hockey program this fall for the upcoming 2020-21 season.

Cole who suited up for the Valley Wildcats Major Midget team in 2014-15 scoring 31 points in 34 regular season games, went on to be drafted in 2015 into the QMJHL as the first pick in the second round (20^th overall) by the Val-d’Or Foreurs.

After 29 games with the Foreurs, Rafuse joined the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for the next 3 ½ years, winning the 2018 QMJHL Championship & then the 2018 Memorial Cup as the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) champions.

Acadia head coach Darren Burns was happy to officially add Rafuse to the Axemen hockey program saying, “We are very excited that Cole has chosen to attend Acadia. He is a player we have always had a lot of respect for, as he has a team first attitude, thinks the game well and has won a Memorial Cup. We believe he is going to be a player who will get better every year. He exudes leadership and character and is well aware of the responsibilities that come with playing hockey at Acadia. There is no question he is the type of player that teams need to be successful in the AUS conference. I know everyone in the Valley will be so excited to have one of their own in an Axemen uniform. It’s exciting for everyone here, it’s just a perfect fit for us all.”

The 6’1, 210 lbs forward had personal bests in 2018-19 with the Titan scoring 16 goals and 31 points in 66 games. He also was named an assistant captain of the team that season.Read more »