Île-des-Chênes Minor Hockey’s youngest players are on the Initiation teams, learning the basics of hockey, sportsmanship, and playing as a team. There are two teams this year—Initiation White and Initiation Black.
After each game, a deserving player is given a game certificate not based on goals but based on effort and progress made.
“It’s used to celebrate their achievements and personal growth,” says Richmond Beaudoin, head coach of Initiation Black.
Beaudoin recalls a highlight from a game in December. One of the players, Gabbie Reyes, was the only player yet to score her first goal. “I kept telling her that it was going to happen during the game we were currently playing,” Beaudoin says. “I kept telling her to drive to the net and wait for a pass. I kept telling the rest of her line mates to pass her the puck.”
With one shift left in the game, Beaudoin pulled her line together for a huddle. “I told them all that Gabbie would be driving hard to the net and they had to work hard in the corner to come up with the puck and pass it to her for the tap in. With 1:47 left on the clock, her teammates worked hard to come out with the puck from the corner, passed it to the front of the net, and with a quick one-timer Gabbie buried it deep in the net. When they all came to the bench for a flying high-five, her smile was from ear to ear.”
After the game, when Gabbie was handed her first-goal puck, the kids and parents all erupted in cheers.
Both Initiation teams hosted a tournament in Île-des-Chênes on January 14.
“Everyone had fun playing hockey, eating our free hot dogs, and trying to win the chuck-a-puck,” says Beaudoin. There were also silent auction prizes and an opportunity to guess how many candies were in the candy jar.
The Initiation White team recently had the opportunity to attend a Manitoba Moose game and play during the intermission.
