Only 20 years old, Micah Zandee-Hart has spent the last five years making tough decisions that have made her a better player, a better person and a well-rounded leader.

c/o Hockey Canada

Growing up, Micah Zandee-Hart was called Granny from her siblings. That may have worked if she was the oldest in her family. However, Zandee-Hart credits being the youngest in helping her get to the point where she is now - competing for a spot with Canada's National Women's Team for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

"Growing up in a big family and being the youngest, it forced me to grow up a little faster before I got to this level of hockey and leadership," said Zandee-Hart. "My family has been huge for me. My mom was my primary caregiver growing up. I am the youngest of four (4) and she was always driving me around to all my things while also doing the same for my three (3) older siblings (brothers Benn and Nate, and sister Magda). My dad supported me in whatever decisions I was going to make along the way."

Some of those decisions included moving away from home as a teenager to play hockey at a high level and, most recently, taking a year off from Cornell University to centralize in advance of the PyeongChang games.

"I was 15 when I moved away, but I don't look at it like it was a sacrifice, because it was something I always knew I would have to do," she said. "It was a choice I made ... event the difficult decisions I had to make were worth it."

Zandee-Hart chose to make the move from her hometown of Saanichton, BC to Penticton to attend the Okanagan Hockey Academy (OHA), which she said launched her hockey career.

"It was the best time of my life. I had great coaches and everyone at the academy were great people, over everything else," she said. "The academics were strong and everything I wanted out of an academy."

Her time at OHA also helped Zandee-Hart gain leadership experience which came in handy when she got the invite to try out for Canada's National Women's U18 team, She played 16 games with the U18 program, winning gold at worlds in 2014 and captaining Team Canada to silver a year later, kick starting her career.

CLICK HERE to continue reading.

c/o The Province

With two (2) daughters trying out for Canada's Olympic women's hockey team, Steve and Jane Potomak are prepared for joy, tears or perhaps both. Sarah, 19, and Amy, 18, would be the first sisters to play hockey for Canada at an Olympic Games should they earn a spot on the 23-player roster for Pyeongchang, South Korea. The siblings from Aldergrove, BC are the two (2) youngest among 28 battling for jobs in Calgary over the next several weeks until the team is named in December or January.

The best-case scenario for the Potomak clan is Amy and Sarah both wear the maple leaf in South Korea. Neither making the team equal double disappointment. There's also the scenario in which one (1) sister will be an Olympian in 2018 and the other won't.

With four (4) older brothers who played hockey, sometimes on the same night, the Potomak parents are accustomed to addressing both success and failure when their children walk through the door. "If three (3) or four (4) played one night, we never had a night where all four (4) played great, we never had a night where all four (4) played bad," Steve said. "With six (6) kids, you have your ups and downs. You're getting great news and then four (4) minutes later you get news that's not as great. We're kind of used to it."

Sarah and Amy navigated that tricky territory earlier this year when Sarah was named to Canada's world championship roster for the first time in her career and Amy was denied. "I got the call first, getting the 'yes,' and I thought for sure Amy would get the 'yes,' and she got 'no,'" Sarah said. "I was really happy because I was going to worlds, but I was sad because she was crushed."

'She told me 'this is your dream, so it's my dream too. I'm going to support you and my time will come.' When we got the centralization call, it was the biggest relief that we were going to be here together. If she makes it, I will be absolutely ecstatic (even) if I get cut, and it will be vice versa."

Said Amy: "We've always been really good at celebrating each other's successes. Even though I didn't go to worlds, I still got to cheer her on. She did go and she was still really encouraging and uplifting to me and we got to support each other that way."

The sisters are living together in a basement suite of family friends in Calgary while they shuttle back and forth to WinSport's Markin MacPhail Centre.

CONTINUE READING

c/o viasport

With four (4) gold medals achieved by the Canadian women's national ice hockey team at the last four (4) Winter Olympic Games, it's no wonder that female ice hockey is on the rise in British Columbia. The sport's ever-growing popularity can also be accredited to the prominence of strong female role models such as Hayley Wickenheiser and the increased televised female hockey games. With more opportunities for females to play, coach and referee hockey, support equality towards Canada's official winter sport is more apparent than before.

Associations such as the Vancouver Female Ice Hockey Association (VFIHA) believe that it is encouraging and providing opportunities for girls to participate in sports such as ice hockey is imperative. By playing a team sport, girls gain opportunities to form lasting friendships, learn valuable life skills and be active through childhood, adolescence and beyond. After all, only 9% of Canadian children participate in 60 minutes of heart-thumping activity needed each day.

VFIHA, the 2017 Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) Association of the Year, strives to increase the number of girls involved in ice hockey in Vancouver through a number of initiatives, with the most successful their 'Come Try Hockey' events. After deciding to reboot these free sessions in 2014, Vancouver Female saw a vast increase in registration numbers. These events have fueled the growth of the Association, with registration having increased by 45% over the past three (3) seasons alone.

The 'Come Try Hockey' events are hosted several times throughout the year. Girls ages four (4) and older are suited up in hockey gear provided by VFIHA and led in fun and engaging on-ice activities. Many of the on and off-ice helpers are current Association players and coaches, giving prospective families a chance to get connected with the Vancouver Female community. Girls can either register with the Association or join their waitlist at the 'Come Try Hockey' events. An average of 35-40% of each event's participants have registered after their try-it session.

Besides introducing girls to the sport through these events, Vancouver Female is also working to advance female hockey by providing their players with a range of experiences and development opportunities. This includes access to coaching from the leading hockey development company Leslie Global Sports, unique tournament experiences, a spring 4-on-4 league and exhibition series with out of town teams. The Association also works to increase their number of female coaches and referees through mentorship and training opportunities.

Vancouver Female also recognizes that extraordinary costs can act as a barrier to sport. With support from organizations such as viasport, VFIHA is able to offset some of these expensive playing costs by offering families a free means for girls to try hockey, as well as loaning or granting complete sets of equipment to new players when they sign up with Vancouver Female for the first time.

c/o Canucks.com

The Vancouver Canucks, BC Hockey and the entire coaching staff of the Pee Wee Team C4 Vipers are proud to make this year's winner of the Pavel Bure Award their team captain Keira Wong. Keira has shown exceptional character, sportsmanship and leadership throughout the season.

With close to 1,000 members in the Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Association (MHA), Keira stood out from the crowd demonstrating the values of sportsmanship and leadership on and off the ice. On the ice she displayed leadership by demonstrating a hard work ethic every shift no matter the score. Her dedication to teamwork is evident by leading the team in cheers and thanks to referees shows integrity and respect for the game. Equally impressive is her off-ice community service achievements as a Girl Guide and self-starter fundraising for BC Children's Hospital. Over the last few seasons, the Semiahmoo minor hockey community has had the opportunity to watch Keira develop into a great player and great person. She is a caring player/person who personifies leadership by example.

With her "never give up attitude" and passion, she was the only female in the Atom division to be playing on an all boys team. Keira is a great kid and never gives less than 100%. Keira, being a multi-sport athlete, also plays softball where she is a great role model for other players and a pleasure to coach. In January, she was injured by a skate blade near her achilles tendon. This injury was very serious and required 13 stitches inside and out. In order to return for the playoffs, Keira felt her team needed their "Captain" so she did extra rehabilitation exercises. Five (5) weeks later she returned to play against the same opponent. Her demonstration of heart, perseverance and courage to overcome this injury exemplifies great character at a young age.

BC Hockey is proud to offer the membership an easy way to shop for our favorite gear. The BC Hockey Locker Room  offers a wide variety of apparel and other small hockey items for men, women and children.

HOODIES	JACKETS	SHIRTS	MISC