Former NHL head coach Mike Keenan and renowned hockey trainer and Olympian Ron Davidson provide free world-class instruction to players aged 8-11 years old, parents and coaches
Registration is open now at www.CBCSports.ca/HockeyNation
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA and Hyundai Auto Canada have teamed up to support grassroots hockey across Canada for a third consecutive year with the ultimate cross-country hockey clinic experience, Hyundai Hockey Nation. Minor hockey players, their parents, and their coaches are invited to register for clinics and coaching symposia that will take place over nine weekends between February and April, 2013, in Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Registration is open at CBCSports.ca/HockeyNation.
“For two years, the Hyundai Hockey Nation tour has brought Canadian kids and their coaches the unique opportunity to elevate their game with help from the best in the sport. It has been such a great success that we had to bring the program back for 2013,” said John Vernile, Vice President of Marketing at Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. “With NHL players returning to the ice, the fans’ excitement for hockey couldn’t be higher. The Hyundai Hockey Nation tour capitalizes on that excitement and gives the next generation of players the chance to learn skills and drills from hockey’s elite.”
A traveling series of free, fun, and informative hockey clinics and coaching symposia, Hyundai Hockey Nation is open to players (8-11 years of age) and coaches of all skill levels. The clinics are run by one of Canada’s foremost hockey trainers, Ron Davidson, in association with local minor hockey associations. A member of Canada’s 1980 Winter Olympic hockey team, Davidson is also the author of Play Better Hockey, a book focused on hockey skill development.
Davidson will be joined at every stop on the Hyundai Hockey Nation tour by former NHL head coach Mike Keenan. A Stanley Cup-winning coach with the 1994 New York Rangers, Keenan has also been behind the benches of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. In addition to his coaching background, Keenan has served as General Manager of the St. Louis Blues and the Florida Panthers. During his coaching career, Keenan recorded 672 regular season wins, good for fifth on the all-time list. Their passion for the sport of hockey and desire to develop well rounded players make Davidson and Keenan ideal teachers and ambassadors for the Hyundai Hockey Nation program.
Hyundai Hockey Nation begins with a sold-out session in Halifax, NS from February 1-3. Each stop on the Hyundai Hockey Nation tour consists of a coaching symposium on a Friday night that provides valuable coaching insight ranging from practice planning and management to in-game strategy and execution. The kids take to the rink on Saturdays and Sundays for interactive on- and off-ice clinics offering hands-on coaching and conditioning instruction and drills. Clinics are open to players of all skill levels born between 2001 and 2004.
For more information about Hyundai Hockey Nation including videos, player and coach tips, tour details and to register, visit CBCSports.ca/HockeyNation. Connect with Hyundai Hockey Nation on Twitter by following @cbchockeynation.
Hyundai Hockey Nation event schedule:
Dates City Coach Symposium Location Clinic Location
Feb. 1-3—Halifax, NS—Halifax Harbourview Hotel (Dartmouth)—Cole Harbour Place (sold out)
Feb. 8-10—Montreal, QC—Holiday Inn & Suites (Pointe-Claire)—Sportplex 4 Glaces
Feb. 15-17—Quebec City, QC—Château Bonne Entente—Complexe Sportif 3 Glaces
Feb. 22-24—Ottawa, ON—Chimo Hotel—Ray Friel Complex (sold out)
Mar. 1-3—Toronto, ON—Courtyard Toronto Brampton—Powerade Centre (sold out)
Mar. 15-17—Winnipeg, MB—Holiday Inn Winnipeg South—Southdale Community Centre
Mar. 22-24—Calgary, AB—Sandman South Calgary—Acadia Recreation Complex
Mar. 29-31—Edmonton, AB—Fantasyland Hotel—West Edmonton Mall
Apr. 5-7—Vancouver, BC—Executive Hotels & Resorts (Burnaby)—Canlan Burnaby 8 Rinks
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus five languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.
About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 205 dealerships nationwide.
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