2026 FRED HESLOP AWARD - CHAD BRAITHWAITE

For Chad Braithwaite, his role with Campbell River Minor Hockey Association (CRMHA) is all about the growth of girls’ hockey – not just on the ice, but off the ice as well.

“I'm a father of a girl, but I do have a boy who plays hockey as well,” said Braithwaite, the director of female hockey for CRMHA. “Coming up through the system, I saw that the girls didn’t always have the same opportunities, so it made me want to work towards more of the girls' side of hockey and kind of got me into coaching as well.

“My passion is creating a girls’ program that's a little bit different than the cookie-cutter kind of programs…I'm always looking for a way to do something different for the girls’ program.”

So, Braithwaite has created more of an awareness to the girls’ game.

“We've gone through a lot of ups and downs since this program first started, so I kind of have to look outside the box and try and look for ways to keep it entertaining, especially at the young level,” he explained.

Making it fun is at the core of his directorship, especially at the younger age groups.

“I want to make sure we’re not overloading them with systems and drills, you kind of wait for that later on in hockey,” said Braithwaite, who is one of a handful of winners of BC Hockey’s 2026 Fred Heslop Awards, which honours members who have given outstanding service and who have devoted a volunteer effort and service to a minor hockey program in British Columbia and Yukon.

“I make sure our teams are big in the community, so we give back to the community,” he said.

Braithwaite makes sure they become involved in such events as the local poppy campaign, where all the kids have to donate an hour of their time. They are also involved with the Christmas kettle bells program, and Canada Day parade.

Braithwaite has also been able to secure 15 to 20 sponsors for the program, which helps with travel costs and additional ice time.

“We're really just trying to increase our presence in the community,” added Braithwaite. “We give back to our sponsors. I write letters to them every month, and if they want or need our assistance, we're 100 per cent there.

“We also help them with their Christmas campaigns; we've gone out to car washes … we want to help them in any way possible because we want to keep them happy.”

Braithwaite can’t stress enough of his belief in community.

“Hockey is more than just being on the ice,” he said. “All programs should try to give back to their communities in some way. I think you should teach on and off the ice. There are obviously things that they can take off the ice and it's going to help them in the real world as they age up.”