c/o Okanagan College

With a promising career on the horizon, 18-year-old Myle Mattila is laying the groundwork for a bright future - combining his passion for competitive hockey with a solid business education at Okanagan College.

The right-winger joined the Kelowna Chiefs this season after making his mark with the Okanagan Rockets and Cariboo Cougars. He is just one (1) of approximately 2,380 new students who began classes at one (1) of Okanagan College's four (4) campuses last week.

"My goal definitely is to play hockey at the highest level possible," says Mattila. "I can excel in hockey, but why not with a degree in hand? You never know if an injury or other circumstances could sideline me."

Finding a program that would not make him choose between hockey or education was key.

"With team practice mid-day I needed something that afforded me the scheduling flexibility to still play competitively," explains the former Quesnel resident, who recently returned to Kelowna. "That's why I chose Okanagan Collge; I was able to build my timetable with morning and evening classes."

Mattila is confident that the community focus at Okanagan College will also enable him to pursue his other passion: championing mental health awareness. He's already received wide-spread recognition for his efforts. In June he was bestowed the BC Hockey President's Award for his dedication to the cause as the founder of MindRight.info, a website designed to educate the Cariboo Cougars hockey about mental health. He even received a Twitter nod from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his efforts.

As for long-term goals, even is a professional hockey career pans out: "I'd love to become a lawyer one day, but one thing at a time," he says. "For now, I'l just enjoy my first weeks as a college student."

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Mattila recently returned from Ireland where he represented Canada at the International Conference on Youth Mental Health which brings together leaders from around the world who are dedicated to creating positive change in youth mental health.

The Kelowna Chiefs Junior Hockey Club and Peacock Sheridan Group (a local financial planning firm) joined efforts with Mattila to support his mental health initiatives. The team will host three (3) home games in support of mental health awareness with a different focus/message each game.

The first game, Saturday, October 21, 2017 at Rutland Arena, will be in memory of Ryan Donaldson, a former player in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). Money raised during the game will go to the Canadian Mental Health Association to help develop local youth mental wellness programs.

Sarah Potomak has already accomplished more at 19 than most hockey players hope to achieve in their lifetime. She's currently a member of Canada's centralization roster for the 2018 Olympics, along with sister, Amy. Together they could be the first sisters to play together for Canada at the Olympics.

Potomak works like a checking line player, but has the speed and finish of an elite scorer. At 5-foot-5, she is never the biggest player on the ice, but she is always one of the smartest. Potomak's ability to create turnovers with her intuition and quickness makes her a lethal forechecker. She also has a knack for scoring big goals.

In her first World Junior Championship, the Abbotsford native led the tournament in scoring with five (5) goals and four (4) assists in nine (9) games. Her scoring touch in the tournament helped earn Canada its most recent gold medal at the World Juniors. The followin year she wore a letter for her home country and put up nine (9) more points in nine (9) games. The IIHF named Potomak the tournament's best forward.

After shining on the international stage, Potomak took her talents to the University of Minnesota. Needless to say, she quickly became one of college hockey's brightest stars.

As a freshman, Potomak shared the team lead for assists with senior Hannah Brandt. Se also led all NCAA Division I freshman in assists and points, outscoring Boston College's Makenna Newkirk by five (5) points. Potomak's amazing freshman campaign reached a different level in the NCAA Tournament. She scored the overtime game-winner in a 3-2 Frozen Four semifinal win over Wisconsin. And in the national championship game, she picked up an assist on the game winning goal against Boston College.

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c/o Osoyoos Today

c/o Surrey Now-Leader 

The last weekend of October 2016 will always be firmly implanted in Amanda Hopkin's memory. It was all such a whirlwind for her and her seemingly healthy eight (8) year-old son, Owen.

Owen was in the midst of his fourth year of playing hockey with the Cloverdale H4 Wildcats. During that month of October, Amanda noticed Owen wasn't quite himself. He was leaving the dinner table halfway through his meals, and odd sign for the young athlete. Owen's coach, Tyler Erickson, also noticed something wasn't right. Owen was curiously fatigued at practice, often lying on the ice for a while before getting up. He would site at the bench with his head down in his skates.

After Erickson approached Amanda, she took her son into the hospital for testing. When the results came back, she learned that Owen ha an extremely aggressive cancer called Burkitt's Lymphoma.

"You never think that's going to happen to your child," said Amanda. "Within 48 hours I went from having a healthy kid to one that had cancer."

Owen was in the fight for his life. After being rushed to the hospital, Owen endured one of the toughest weeks of his young life. He had an IV line poked straight into his  chest shortly after his diagnosis. Later that week, they drilled into his spine to take samples of his bone marrow. By7 the following Sunday, he was undergoing chemotherapy.

Burkitt's Lymphoma is one of the most aggressive cancers known to man. When Owen's tumour was first discovered it was the size of a golf ball. Within 24 hours of being assessed, the tumour had doubled in size. "At its largest point it was the size of a large watermelon," said Amanda.

The Cloverdale H4 Wildcats banded together and helped raise money for their teammate. Shortly after Owen's diagnosis, the team put up a GoFundMe page to help pay for expenses. "Without his hockey team, we wouldn't have made it," Amanda said. 

The team would go visit him in the hospital as a team, making the trek out from Surrey to put a smile on his face. During the season, they would also tape their sticks purple in honour of Owen. What the team didn't realize at the time is that they were all in for memorable experiences, thanks to another noteworthy sports organization in the city.

Owen was selected as one of the Canucks junior trainers during the Canucks first preseason game in 2016. He was living the dream of young Canucks fans everywhere, as he sat on the bench watching the Canucks skate onto the ice. It was the first time Owen attended an NHL game. After his diagnosis, the Canucks rallied around him. Chris Tanev and Ben Hutton in particular spent a lot of time with Owen and BC Children's Hospital.

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Early in 2017, Owen and the entire Wildcats team enjoyed a spectacular night. The Canucks offered the entire team and their parents tickets to the a game against the Florida Panthers, the night where Henrik Sedin scored his 1,000th point.

Owen had surgery to remove part of his tumour just seven (7) days before. During the procedure, they also removed parts of both his small and large intestine.

Amanda looks fondly upon Owen as he hits the ice again with his team at Cloverdale Arena, just 10 months after his diagnosis. "It's amazing to see him back on the ice," said Amanda. "I never thought he would play hockey again."

"I feel good," Owen said after practicing for the fourth time since his return.

Owen's story is one of perseverance and survival, but it doesn't come without fear of the future.

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The Vancouver Girls Atom C2 team has been selected as a finalist (only 1 of 2 from across the country) for the Scotiabank Heroes of Hockey contest! An incredible achievement right there!

The Angles are up against the Orillia Terriers (Ontario), where the two (2) teams compete in a series of three (3) challenges. From completing a army crawl and running flights to pushing pucks and solving puzzles, the challenges focus on sportsmanship and teamwork.

Short clips will be shown online and during Hockey Night in Canada over the couple months. The videos feature the two (2) teams participating in the team challenges in a bid to win a trip to Hockey Day in Canada held in Kenora, Ontario on February 18, 2018.

Three (3) challenges. Two (2) inspirational teams. One (1) amazing opportunity. GO ANGLES GO!

This is a must have for every minor hockey player who wants to achieve massive success. You'll find critical steps to help increase your confidence, and overall performance on and off the ice. Includes 24 weeks of goal setting worksheets and progress charts while keeping track of your on and off ice work, school work, house chores and setting time for friends and family. I guarantee you'll have the best season ever using this FREE step-by-step guide.

- Mike Pickles Hockey

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