Category: Team Stories

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Inside Acadia athletics: Athletic director Kevin Dickie

original post at http://thechronicleherald.ca/community/annapolis-valley/1226553-inside-acadia-athletics-athletic-director-kevin-dickie

Athletics - AAcadia University athletics have rich history and a longstanding winning tradition in each respective program. High quality facilities as well as tremendous local fan support help make an Acadia afternoon on the turf, or evening in the rink unbeatable. The man at the helm of Acadia’s athletic prowess is athletic director, Kevin Dickie.

Dickie started as athletic director at the University of New Brunswick in 2005, before returning to Acadia in 2011. Dickie had prior coached a very successful Axemen hockey team for three years beginning in 1997. He led the team to three consecutive AUS (Atlantic University Sport) hockey conference final appearances and to the CIS championship game in 1998. “Acadia’s National reputation drew me to Acadia originally, and the chance to coach one of the best hockey programs in Canada,” Kevin says. “What drew us back to Wolfville was the community and the leadership on Acadia’s campus.”

With big upgrades coming to the athletics complex this summer, Dickie said, “The upgrade in our facilities, thanks to the McCain Family, will do three things; help us be a national program as facilities are that important. It will also help us attract future partnerships to improve other areas of our facility, as well as enhance campus life for both our students and community.”Read more »

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Poliziani-From final round pick to blueline fixture

Storm Stories is a Guelph Storm original weekly feature for the 2012-13 season spotlighting current Storm Players and giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at the player’s lives on and off the ice.

DanielPoliziani7At the core of what defines Daniel Poliziani as an athlete and as a person is an unwavering love for the game of hockey; it’s easy to find and obvious to anyone that knows the Burlington, Ontario native. It’s in his blood.

Daniel’s grandfather Danny played his junior hockey for the Barrie Flyers and Quebec Aces, coached along the way by legendary “Hap” Emms and “Punch” Imlach. As a professional, he was a member of the Boston Bruins organization, and later suited up for Hershey and Providence in the American league.

“When I was growing up, my grandfather would tell me countless stories about his hockey career,” Poliziani says. “I’d sit there for hours; I loved them. I could never get enough.”

His father, Dan Poliziani, spent his playing days at the college level for Yale University and then as a professional for New Haven in the American Hockey League. After a tragic on-ice eye injury cut Dan’s playing career short, he went back to Yale where he spent the next twelve years coaching varsity hockey.

He also coached his son Daniel during his early hockey years.

“As soon as Daniel was old enough to recognize the sights and sounds of the hockey rink, he wanted to put skates on,” Dan says. “Not so much to skate, but to be carried around the ice and feel the cold breeze on his face.”

Thinking back to those days, Daniel says “Hockey players always remember the 6:00am practices. But I loved getting up early, and I remember my dad always helped me get half dressed at home so I could get out on the ice that much sooner.”

“And for whatever reason I always loved the smell of freshly zamboni’d ice.”

Daniel credits his father with the development of his work ethic and character.Read more »

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Axemen in partnership with the Atlantic Hockey Group set date for Aug 8-10 at Acadia Arena

The Acadia Axemen in partnership with the Atlantic Hockey Group have announced a specialized hockey camp for the Under 14, 2002 birthdates from August 8-10th at Acadia Arena in Wolfville, POE Prep Hockey Camp.

article_largeCoach Darren Burns had this to say about the announcement,

“We are very excited to be able to host a camp like this for the 02 age group. We feel that this is just the beginning for providing a destination for kids in Atlantic Canada to come in the summer. I believe that this is something which could expand very rapidly and provide a very cost effective way of creating a tremendous experience for kids.  We are very fortunate to have the expertise of having a world class kinesiology department as well as the strength and conditioning leadership of Elliott Richardson’s program here at Acadia. The specialization at the goaltending position with  our own Michael Chiasson will also be a staple of this weekend.  Creating this partnership with the Atlantic Hockey Group allows us to utilize their professionalism , experienced and well respected coaches along with our university players to bring in the top aspiring players in Atlantic Canada at this age Level.Read more »

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Fioretti Named CHL Humanitarian of the Year

Warriors-FiorettiAward-May26
Sam Fioretti after winning the 2014 CHL Humanitarian of the Year award on Saturday in London, Ontario. (Photo: Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

Written by Marc Smith of http://www.discovermoosejaw.com on Saturday, 24 May 2014

Sam Fioretti’s hard work in the community has now earned him national recognition.

The former Moose Jaw Warriors captain was named the 2014 CHL Humanitarian of the Year on Saturday at the annual CHL Awards in London, Ontario.

“It’s a huge honour to win an award like this for the entire CHL,” said Fioretti over the phone from London on Sunday. “It’s not only for me, but it’s an award for my teammates, who also put a lot of time into the community and were always eager to give back.

The award caps off Fioretti’s four-year WHL career with all four seasons spent in Moose Jaw where he became a well known face in the community for more than his hard work and skill on the ice.

Last season, Fioretti worked hard to continued many of the community programs that had been started in previous years, but also worked to create and spearhead two new initiatives. He worked with the Moose Jaw Police Service to go into schools to speak with students about bullying and then started the Warrior Workouts program aimed at teaching kids the correct ways to get active.

“I’ve got to say a big thank you to the community of Moose Jaw,” said Fioretti. “They embraced these two programs and made it very enjoyable to be apart of them.

“We’re role models as WHL players and it’s nice to give back to the community which gives so much to us.”Read more »

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Junior A hockey: Ancaster’s Giftopoulos has added good feet to great hands

Soft hands and great feet

Soft hands and great feet

IceLevel.com

This year — with the Windsor Spitfires where he was traded last season — Ancaster’s Remy Giftopoulos, pictured, is a point-a-game guy.
By Scott Radley

Compliment someone on how good their hands are and those within earshot will almost certainly cock their eyebrow and wonder what the heck you’re talking about. Unless, of course, you’re speaking to someone who’s a massage therapist, a doctor delivering babies or someone working in the bomb-disposal business, in which it makes perfect sense.

Or a hockey player.

Good hands have certainly been a bonus for Remy Giftopoulos. His talented mitts have always allowed him to score. Even as a small boy playing minor hockey, he had the gift.

His ability to make some magic with a stick and a puck landed the Ancaster native in the Ontario Hockey League as a 16-year-old with big dreams and lofty expectations. Which is when reality hit hard. At that level, hands are secondary. Speed is king.

“I’ve been told one of my weaker points was my skating,” the 20-year-old says. “I definitely realized it when I came to the next level.”

In order to perform magic with the puck, you have to be able to get the puck. Which comes from wheels. As a guy who never took powerskating lessons growing up and who’d developed some bad habits on his blades, it was a splash of cold water in the face.Read more »

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Large recruiting class for hockey Axemen

Athletics - AJohn Decoste – Register/Advertiser Published on June 27, 2014

Hockey season may be several months away, but with a number of holes to fill in his lineup, hockey Axemen head coach Darren Burns is already hard at work.

The Axemen lost seven players from their 2013-2014 roster to graduation – goalie Evan Mosher, defencemen Cullen Morin, Chris Owens and Leo Jenner, and forwards Joe Gaynor, Dustin Ekelman and K.C. Brown. Burns found himself with another hole to fill when defenceman Colin Archer learned he had been accepted into medical school in Alberta.

After what he described as a deeper off-season for recruits than a year ago, Burns said eight players have committed to attend Acadia and join the Axemen roster this fall.

With a fairly young roster, “the next two years, we aren’t as likely to lose as many players,” Burns said. “This was a crucial recruiting year,” which coincided with a larger number of recruits being available.

In identifying potential recruits, “we first look to add character and skill.” If the players have size and speed, too, that’s a bonus.

“We needed to address creating more offence up front,” he said, as well as the loss of a player like Owens, an offensive catalyst on the blueline.

Burns believes that in the eight recruits – four forwards, three defencemen and a goalie – he has both replaced his departing players and improved his team.
Read more »

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Archer accepted to Medicine program in Edmonton

Axemen assistant captain in 2013-14 Colin Archer, has been accepted into Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Axemen assistant captain in 2013-14 Colin Archer, has been accepted into Medicine at the University of Alberta.

The Acadia Axemen will be bidding farewell to one of their leaders, defenceman and assistant captain, Colin Archer. Archer has been accepted into the Medicine program at U of A in Edmonton, Alberta.

Archer came to Acadia midway through the 2011-12 season after deciding to leave Montreal’s McGill University. Due to this, he was forced to red shirt, and only practice for the Axemen for the remainder of the season.

The 2012-13 season saw Archer suit up for 26 regular season games, recording 2 points and 38 PIM’s, making a reputation for himself as a tough competitor who took care of his defensive zone first. 2013-14,  he played in all 28 regular season games, recording 5 points and 46 PIM’s. Archer captured the AUS championship with the Axemen in the 13-14 playoffs, recording 3 points in 8 games. He also saw action in the CIS national tournament before being injured in the opening game for Acadia.

The loss of Colin Archer, adds to hole on the backend left by graduating defensemen Chris Owens, Leo Jenner, and Cullen Morin. The Acadia coaching staff is expected to rely heavily on the recruiting process to fill these holes on the blueline for the 2014-15 season. Geoff Schemitsch, Travis Gibbons, and Chris Buonomo are the returnees for the Axemen on defense.Read more »

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Great on the Ice, Great off the Ice – Paul Coffey

A great night, great support, and great featured guests. The seventeenth annual Acadia Axemen Celebrity Hockey dinner took place on Thursday, June 19th with headline guest and four time Stanley Cup winner Paul Coffey.

The night opened up with the master of ceremony, TSN correspondent and studio anchor, Paul Hollingsworth welcoming a crowd of nearly 500 Acadia Axemen supporters, including many Axemen alumni, as well as coaches and players from other Acadia varsity teams.

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The silent auctions continued throughout the night with many great items including autographed jerseys from NHL greats and Cole Harbour natives Nathan MacKinnon & Sidney Crosby, along with jerseys & autographed photos from the featured guest himself, Paul Coffey.

14Burns

 

Coach Darren Burns took to the stage and thanked the community for the tremendous support throughout the year, and let the crowd know how much he appreciates being a part of the valley community.Read more »

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Featuring 2004 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee Paul Coffey

Click here to Download Registration Form to Purchase a Table or Single Tickets

Paul Coffey averaged better than a point per game during his three seasons in junior, including a personal-high 72 assists for the 1978-79 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Paul Coffey averaged better than a point per game during his three seasons in junior, including a personal-high 72 assists for the 1978-79 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Smooth-skating Paul Coffey embodied everything an offensive defenseman could be – lightning fast, skilled playmaker, booming shot, savvy — yet still able to defend his team’s zone employing blinding speed.

Born June 1, 1961 in Weston, Ontario, after two seasons of junior, Paul Coffey was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers using their first pick in the 1980 Entry Draft. It was perfect timing for both sides – the Oilers were a highly skilled, offensively explosive club and Coffey’s skill set fit in perfectly as the quarterback of the dynamic young team.

In his second season, 1981-82, Paul led all NHL defensemen with 89 points and was chosen for the Second All-Star Team. In 1982-83, he collected 96 points, but it was his 126 points in 1983-84 that put him second only to teammate Wayne Gretzky in the NHL scoring race that year. That season, the Edmonton Oilers won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

On his way to helping lead the Oilers to their second straight Stanley Cup, Paul Coffey won the Norris Trophy as the National Hockey League’s best defenseman and was selected to the First All-Star Team in 1984-85, a feat he replicated in 1985-86 in a season that can only be considered extraordinary. Coffey finished third in scoring with 138 points, including 48 goals.

Prior to the 1986-87 season, Coffey was traded to Pittsburgh, where he was able to further his exploits. In both 1988-89 and ’89-90, Paul cracked the

Paul Coffey had a solid rookie season in the NHL, recording 32 points in the regular season and leading all Oiler defensemen with seven points in the playoffs.
Paul Coffey had a solid rookie season in the NHL, recording 32 points in the regular season and leading all Oiler defensemen with seven points in the playoffs.

100-point plateau for the fourth time. Coffey helped the Penguins win their first Stanley Cup in 1990-91.

In February 1992, Coffey was moved to the Los Angeles Kings, the third of what would eventually be nine teams on his NHL resume. In January 1993, it was off to Detroit, but an injured knee hampered his play that season. By the following season, he had rebounded and not only led the Red Wings in scoring but was once again awarded the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.Read more »