Last September, four Comox Valley Midget hockey players packed their bags and headed down to Victoria for a year to attend the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (PCHA). Both the boys and their families were taking a chance that this was the right move for them. It has proven to be one of the best decisions they ever made.
Matt Henwood, Dayton Keith, Matteo Giomo and Noah Gauthier-Gregory embarked on what has become a journey in the development of themselves; athletically, academically and personally, and they are thriving in their new environment.
The boys attend school in the mornings, are on the ice and in dryland training every day of the week. Academics are a big part of this program and they must keep their marks up to be able to continue to play.
They are competing with other U16 elite teams in western North America, AA and AAA Midget teams and have played in Idaho, Colorado, B.C. and Alberta. They have come in first place in hard-fought games and tournaments against good teams that are made up primarily of older players.
On March 21-23 the PCHA was in Banff, Alberta where they played with 12 Midget AA teams from Alberta and Saskatchewan. The long trip from Victoria was worth it. The team, that is made up of all Vancouver Island and Powell River 15 year olds, fought hard against the following teams; Wheatland Chiefs 4-5, Sturgeon Mustangs 10-2, NWCAA Stamps 4-1, CNHA Blazers 7-4 and Beardy’s Blackhawks in the final 6-2 win that clinched the gold for the PCHA.
What coach Kelly Shields and assistant coach Kevin DeJong have been able to achieve with this team speaks not only to the players themselves but also to the way the boys are coached. Their behaviour both on and off the ice is exemplary. They are disciplined and hard-working and the scoreboard continues to show that skill and control can win against opponents older and bigger than they are.
It proves that hockey is indeed a game of skill, and success can be had with pure effort, grit and guts. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is exactly the right thing to do. For Gauthier- Gregory, Giomo, Keith and Henwood this has allowed them to develop in a sport that they love and put them on a path that will undoubtedly serve them well wherever this takes them.