For the RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna U-18 Prep team having the ability to safely play the game we all know and love during the world pandemic has been a great outlet for othe boys. It gives them an hour or two to forget everything going on and focus on what they love, the game of hockey. Although changes have had to been made to ensure safety in the operation of the season, which means no travel, the team has been able  to see the bright side as they still have the ability to skate and play! 

Within the teams cohort they have had a series of games against OHA, Okanagan Rockets and Thompson. Although their first game resulted in a loss, the team fought back the second game from a 6-2 deficit to win the game 8-2, Lex Grey tied to game late in the third and Kyler Lewis scored the game winner! 

This past weekend the team had a 3-game showcase in Penticton, BC.  The team came out with the W over Thompson, with a 7-3 victory and a notable hat trick from, RHA Kelowna’s own, Kyler Lewis.  Other notable players are Tai Ushio who tallied 5 points, and Noah Cameron with 4.  The team then came back from behind against OHA scoring 2 goals in the final minutes.  Tai Ushio scored the tying goal and Jake Watson scored the winner, with 30 seconds remaining, which all made for a very exciting game!

Across all of RINK Hockey Academy the teams have been sporting green stick tape for the month of October to support, Buddy Check for Jesse. What are the purposes of Buddy Check for Jesse?

  1. 1. To honor the memory of Jesse Short-Gershman who died by suicide on October 29, 2014; 
  2. 2. To educate and empower Youth Leaders (e.g. Coaches) to pass on important mental health messages to their players and recognize the important role that Youth Leaders play in the lives of our youth; 
  3. 3. To destigmatize mental illness diagnoses, normalize the language surrounding mental health and mental illness and expose the myths around mental health challenges.
  4. To find out more information on Buddy Check for Jesse please visit: https://buddycheckforjesse.com/about/

Aside from our game play, the team has been lucky enough to have time to practice and focus on skill development. The boys were fortunate to have Jon Cara from the RINK Training Centre in Winnipeg, MB come out and do skills with our group this month.

The team is looking forward to their upcoming games this weekend and continuing to grow together as a team this season! Stay tuned for next month.