IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
- GTHL Roadmap for Change
- Shark Lucas MacDonald Raises Thousands for Ukraine
- Jr House League Season Wrap-up
- MHL Select Championships
- GTHL Pro Hockey Life Cup & Scotiabank Championsxhips
- 2022-23 Select & GTHL Coaches & Tryouts
- House League Registration Update
- Annual General Meeting Update
Hello Humber Valley families,
I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing long weekend surrounded by family and friends. March and April were very busy months at Humber Valley and we have many updates and exciting successes to share.
The GTHL Shares Roadmap for Change
On March 29th, the Greater Toronto Hockey League released the Roadmap for Change: The Independent Committee’s review of racism and discrimination in the GTHL.
To view the complete Roadmap for Change: The Independent Committee’s Review of Racism and Discrimination in the Greater Toronto Hockey League report, click here.
The Committee found that racism and discrimination do exist in the GTHL and that there is a need to put greater efforts into promoting a culture of acceptance and inclusivity. Simultaneously, participants did perceive that the GTHL is fulfilling its mission of promoting and governing organized minor hockey for youth, and recognized the League’s role in governing hockey rules and regulations, community engagement, training, education, promoting a culture of EDI, and investing and growing the game in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Committee determined that the GTHL is well-positioned to address the issues identified and provided 44 recommendations to support the League in making direct change as it relates to racism and discrimination. Humber Valley will make every effort to support the GTHL on this journey.
In addition, Humber Valley will continue to champion initiatives geared toward increasing DE&I within our community. As announced in 2021, Humber Valley established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee chaired by former HVHA manager Michael Harris, to deliver an inclusive hockey environment and ensure that every member of our organization feels a sense of belonging. This committee is responsible for looking at our organization honestly, and critically. All individuals on this committee are committed to forging a path forward, that ensures a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment at Humber Valley. We are excited about what it means for the future of our club and we will continue to provide updates on our progress.
HOCKEY GAME IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE
U11 Sharks goaltender, Lucas MacDonald, wanted to help the people of Ukraine during this tragic time of war. The 10-year-old decided to organize a friendly hockey game to fundraise, incredibly raising over $20,000 to support the people of Ukraine. Lucas and his friends invited the community to the game held on March 10th at Centennial Arena and encouraged attendees to donate to the cause with all proceeds going to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Lucas began with a goal of $500, quickly surpassing it by the thousands. The world needs more people like Lucas! Check out local news coverage of the event at the links below.
- CTV News highlighted MacDonald’s efforts – click here to watch the feature.
- City News’ Lindsay Dunn also spent time discussing MacDonald’s initiative with him – click here to watch the interview.
JR HOUSE LEAGUE SEASON WRAP UP
That’s a wrap of the Jr house league season! Our U5 to U9 teams celebrated with a two day festival with players showing off everything they’ve learned this season. The fun continued off-ice with families enjoying goodies from the food truck, a 50/50 draw in support of Ukraine & lots of prizes. Big thank you’s go out to our incredible sponsors – Duke’s Source for Sports, Bruno’s Fine Foods, Dr. Glen Chiasson & Carlsberg – who helped make this weekend the experience it was!
MHL SELECT CHAMPIONSHIPS
What an incredible MHL Select Championship Weekend for our U12, U13 & U18 Sharks teams! Congratulations goes out to our U13 & U18 Sharks who emerged league champions. The U13 Sharks defeated George Bell to take home the gold while our U18 Sharks battled right to the last second against Port Credit to claim the championship! Our U12 Sharks battled hard against rivals George Bell and came home with the Silver medal. Way to go Sharks!
2021 GTHL PRO HOCKEY LIFE CUP WINNERS
Congratulations to the Humber Valley GTHL teams who won the Pro Hockey Life Cup for placing first overall during their regular season.
- U15 AA – with a record of 23-2-3, coach Anthony Gucciardi
- U18 AA – with a record of 19-5-2, coach Matt Foy
- U18 A – with a record of 22-2-2, coach Chris McConvey
GTHL CHAMPIONS
Our U18 AA Sharks went on to the finals and won to become this year’s GTHL Scotiabank Champions. They now go on to play in the OHF Championship next weekend in Markham where they will compete against the top teams in the province. GO SHARKS!
2022-23 GTHL & SELECT COACHES ANNOUNCEDSharks Select & GTHL coaches information for the 2022-23 season is now available on our website. If you have questions please reach out directly to the staff members listed.
2022-23 TRYOUTS
AA, A & Select Sharks U13 and older division tryouts will begin May 2nd. The schedule is now available on our website.
Please note that tryouts for our U10 to U12 divisions will be held in the fall. The schedule will be posted to our website in the late summer. Tryout timing for these age groups is consistent for all minor hockey associations.
2022-23 HOUSE LEAGUE REGISTRATION UPDATE
House League and CDP registration for the 2022-23 hockey season will open in a few weeks. We are in the process of finalizing program updates and fees for next season and will provide all members with a notification once the date is set. Please note the credits for any missed sessions this season will be applied directly to your player(s) account and will be deducted from next season’s fees. We will soon provide information on how to request a refund if you are not returning.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING UPDATE
Due to the currently high COVID case counts and timing of this year’s Annual General Meeting, which occurs following this long weekend where many large gatherings are taking place, our Board of Directors has decided that the prudent course of action is to switch the AGM from in-person to virtual.
The meeting will take place virtually this Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00pm. All Humber Valley members are invited to register to attend. A meeting link and required materials will be emailed to all registered attendees on the afternoon of April 20th. You must register by 12:00 noon on April 20th to attend.
Thank you and wishing all teams in and entering playoffs the very best of luck!
Steve Allmen
President, Humber Valley Hockey Association
sallmen@humbervalleyhockey.com