BC HOCKEY AWARDS: CHAIR OF THE BOARD AWARD - PEACE RIVER DISTRICT HOCKEY COMMUNITY
By MARIO ANNICCHIARICO
Hockey at the minor levels is so much more than goals, assists or wins and losses; it’s also about community and support.
That was very much in evidence earlier this year after a mass shooting, where nine lives were lost and another 27 were injured in Tumbler Ridge, a community of just 2,400 in the northeastern portion of B.C., occurred.
Photo Credit: Tumbler RidgeLines
For its actions, the Peace River District Hockey Community has been recognized with BC Hockey’s Chair of the Board Award. This award is given to an individual, team, league or association that has brought honour to the amateur hockey fraternity through an outstanding humanitarian endeavor.
Following the tragedy, hockey communities across the Peace River District rallied around the town with an incredible show of support. Associations and volunteers from communities including Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Mackenzie, Taylor, and Fort Nelson organized fundraisers, community events, donation drives, tribute initiatives and public messages of encouragement to help support the families and individuals affected. The response demonstrated the strength and compassion of the northern hockey community.
“These types of shootings or tragedies do not happen much in Canada so, obviously, it was devastating to the whole region,” said Kyle Chaffee, President of Peace River District, who accepted the award on behalf of all the communities that form the region.
“Tumbler Ridge being such a small town; events like that don't usually happen. Obviously, it was just terrible news and all the local associations reached out with their thoughts and prayers and, within their own associations, reached out saying you're not alone and if you need help or support, associations are here to help,” he added.
Photo Credit: Tumbler RidgeLines
The Peace River District incorporates a large region, and support came instantly from communities such as Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Mackenzie and Fort Nelson.
“We cover quite a vast geographical area,” said Chaffee, whose district includes 1,354 playing members. “I know there was a ton of fundraisers and support created from the different minor hockey associations, as well as the towns. It was just amazing to the see the support. A tragedy like this brings everybody together.”
Numerous fundraisers were held across the province and as far as the East Coast of Canada.
Photo Credit: Tumbler RidgeLines
Dawson Creek Minor Hockey Association played host to a U9 tournament, and a table was set up to collect donations for the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council, which instantly stepped up to assist those affected by the tragedy.
Tumbler Ridge Strong helmet stickers were established for the 200-plus players competing, and in between games on the Saturday tournament, officials invited all participants, families and community members to join in on a moment to honour the Tumbler Ridge victims, survivors, families, students, faculty, and first responders.
Many associations adorned heart stickers on their helmets with the No. 14 blazoned within the heart in honour of Tumbler Ridge student Maya Gebala, a 12-year-old hockey player who was seriously injured during the mass shooting. Maya’s teammates proudly displayed the stickers on their helmets.
Photo Credit: Tumbler RidgeLines
Ezekial Schofield, 13, a forward for the U-15 Tumbler Ridge Raptors, was one of the students killed in the shooting. He was described by David Campbell, the president of the Tumbler Ridge Minor Hockey Association, as “an amazing child.” He, too, was honoured by teammates.
“It is great to see how they all came together. Tumbler Ridge was doing society fundraisers for Tumbler Strong hoodies and GoFundMes were established,” said Chaffee.
RCMP officers held charity tournaments throughout the province.
Photo Credit: Bailey Fowler
“Stories were coming up from all across Canada, showing support, which stressed how a tragedy that happened in this little town in the north affected everyone,” said Chaffee. “Whole hockey communities just kind of gathered around it.”
Monty Hendrickson, the head coach of the Tumbler Ridge U18 team and an assistant with the U15 team (who also had three of his own children - Keegan, Nevaeh and Chloe – playing in Tumbler Ridge), felt the support from the hockey community.
“It was nice to see the support coming in from other communities,” said Hendrickson. “Kind of funny, on the ice your competitors are sometimes fierce, but at the end of the day, we’re people that share the same passion. We thank everyone for the respect, love, and support that our team and the Tumbler Ridge community received during this time. It wasn’t unnoticed and will be remembered.”
Initially, on-ice activities were halted in parts of the Northeast Recreational Hockey League, but not for long. Returning to the ice meant kids could find a way to escape the dark side of the tragedy. Henrickson thought it would be of assistance to get the kids back on the ice, or at least, together as a team.
“I thought it would be a good idea the next day or two after it happened to get these kids on the ice because there was no school. Their whole world just got flipped upside down, and I had a practice time. I kept that practice time and I said, ‘Hey, coach is going to be there. Come if you want,’” recalled Hendrickson.
“Out of 15 kids, I'd say 13 of them showed up. They hung out in the dressing room for about a half an hour and we chatted, and from that I think six of them actually came out on the ice. I didn't even bother going on the ice. I just dumped the pucks on the ice and said, ‘have at it guys.’”
In the coming days, other hockey teams made their returns. Bringing their kids back on the ice became a tremendous tool to help get these kids through the tragedy.
“Just being able to get them out on the ice doing something they enjoy, to get their mind off it, was I think, one of the better tools out there for dealing with it,” said Hendrickson. “Their routines, all the regular stuff, was thrown out the window. A lot of the stuff that they liked doing got taken away or got cancelled and you know what, for me being the hockey coach and seeing this, I was like, ‘OK, I didn't want to take hockey from them.’ Because I figured that was going be their one thing that was normal, at least.”
Chaffee said the returns were left to the discrepancy of the programs.
“We cancelled all the games for Tumbler Ridge for the first week it happened and we got phone calls asking about the kids wanting to go back. They wanted to find a kind of sense of normal again,” said Chaffee. “They obviously wanted to be with their friends and kind of get away from the whole thing to ty to reconnect with them, with their friends while everything else was going on.”
The Tumbler Ridge tragedy was far-reaching, as moments of silence were held at hockey games across the province and country, be it at the minor-league levels or the National Hockey League.
“Obviously our district was the most affected by everything, but I think everybody across the board - all across Canada - stepped up. I was taken back by it,” said Chaffee, who wanted to make sure the entire community was being recognized with the Chair of the Board Award.
“Everywhere you looked, you saw it, the respect. It wasn’t just one association because they were all doing it,” Chaffee said proudly of his groups. “Stickers on helmets. Jerseys hanging from players’ benches. Teams were taping their hockey sticks in Tumbler Ridge colours. It was the little things.
Photo Credit: Monty Hedrickson
“I think it might have been Prince George, actually - they had a silent auction they’re not even in our district.”
Which proves hockey really plays a big part of communities.
“It does for sure,” said Chaffee. “You play hockey your whole life growing up and then even when you're out of it, it stays with you. This was one of those tragedies where you just feel for everybody involved and especially when there's a member of your extended family.
“Associations really stepped up. I think it was High Prairie that helped fill the skate, donate to the hockey families in need. Then the U13 High Level North Stars and the High Prairie Hawks had their sticks taped in Tumbler Ridge Raptor colours,” said Chaffee.
“Then orange ribbons were worn. There were lots of little things that associations did - not that they were little things, but it was an acknowledgement to what was going on, and that was High Prairie, which is in Alberta. That's not even in our district, but some of our district teams play in those leagues, so it really hit all of them.”
Kristal MacTavish, the treasurer with Chetwynd Minor Hockey and manager for the U11 and U13 teams said a parent versus kids fundraiser was quickly established at the encouragement of coach Chris Barrett.
“Our U11 team rallied together for the week and all of the parents - there were dads, grandpas, uncles - we all came together and I believe we raised just over $5,000 that Friday night for Tumbler. It was amazing,” said MacTavish.
“We had lots of community support, just donating cash. Our local theatre donated I think it was 100 bags of popcorn that we in turn sold to raise further donations. We had a 50-50 running and the guy that won it generously donated it back. I think it was either $1,300 or $1,400.”
Photo Credit: Barriere Recreation and Information
It was those types of efforts that brought the Tumbler Ridge community back together again and the reaction did not go unnoticed.
“The hockey community has historically been great at supporting one another, but this one was a little different given the circumstances,” Stephanie White, the Chair of the Board of the BC Hockey Board of Directors said of the tragedy. “We are so proud of the northern hockey community and how they stepped up. This award is very well deserved.”
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PEACE RIVER DISTRICT HOCKEY COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE VIDEO