Last week, Hockey Canada, western members of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, along with the Western Hockey League, announced a new partnership.
In a release from the AJHL, they share that Hockey Canada has announced that its board of directors has approved a Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM) pilot project for the 2024-25 season, following an extensive proposal submitted in collaboration from its four Western Members, their respective Junior A hockey leagues and the Western Hockey League (WHL).
There are a number of changes especially when it comes to younger players, along with rule changes in Junior A hockey to match the WHL rule book, as well as allowing those 18 and over to again wear half shields. Drumheller Dragons Head Coach and General Manager, Kevin Hasselberg, shares the changes will help with player development but is unsure until we see how it goes. “I think that remains to be seen. I think it is a first step in a lot of moving parts that is going to see a relationship grow that puts more emphasis on the development of the player, the development of the programs, in sanctioned hockey. I think that unsanctioned hockey has picked up a lot of momentum with the emerging of the new BCHL and when the five Alberta teams chose to join that league, it tipped the first domino of a lot of dominos that are going to get flipped over to generate ideas to promote that growth in the players through Western Canada.”
With these changes, Hasselberg hopes that will make some of the decisions easier for parents of these aspiring hockey players. “For the players and the families that have to make difficult decisions, maybe some of those decisions that they shouldn’t be making are taken out of the equation and now they can really focus on climbing that ladder, and putting their development on one rung at a time. These are steps that are going to have to be put in place but I think that is the foundation of the decisions that are being made.is how can we make the development process for the players a little bit smoother, and how do we create an environment where the big branches of the development of the game, whether its the Western Hockey League or Junior A, that they all have the opportunity to grow. Maybe at the end of the day, you’re not seeing a player having to move three provinces or across country to find those development opportunities, they are going to have them close to home.”
With the partnership between the western leagues under Hockey Canada, there is a distinct possibility of having more scouts watching the Junior A game admits Hasselberg. “You’re going to see different people walking into the rinks, whether it is Western Hockey Leagues scouts and NCAA teams as well. You can’t really comment on it until you go through it and you see the process unfold. I think the first step is obviously building the relationships and making sure that the right people are working together for the common cause. At the end of the day, we aren’t coaching NHL players here, we’re coaching developmental players that are seeking to have an experience. Sometimes that experience isn’t about making it all the way to the NHL, that experience encompasses more about the development of life skills, the development, through opportunity, to face adversity and to achieve success with a little bit of resistance.”
The pilot project will be reviewed on an ongoing basis during the 2024-25 season, and it is anticipated that its scope will expand in future seasons.
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