WOLFPACK HOCKEY RELEASES SCHEDULE/SEASON TICKET DRIVE August 24, 2010
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David Robinson takes TWU player along boards(A. Snucins photo)
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s hockey team is gearing up for a second season in the BC InterCollegiate Hockey League. The WolfPack, with a new head coach in Lorne Cumming, have finalized their schedule and a season ticket drive.
The WolfPack will open their 2010-11 regular season Saturday September 25 th when they entertain their closest geographical rival: the Okanagan College Coyotes. The WolfPack will move from playing their home games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons to Friday and Saturday nights. Puck drop will be Friday nights at 8:30 pm and Saturday nights at 8 pm.
Mick Ludvig (A. Snucins Photo)
“ With the support and assistance of the City of Kamloops, we are pleased to have Memorial Arena as our home again this season,” says Kamloops Collegiate Hockey Society President Mitch Zulinick. “The off season has been very busy and our group is prepare for our sophomore campaign, building on the buzz generated in the old barn last year with the rebirth of collegiate hockey in Kamloops.”
Thomas Gobeil (A. Snucins photo)
The WolfPack became the cornerstone franchise of the BCIHL in the areas of marketing and attendance in their inaugural season. Most Saturday night home games had over a thousand people in attendance.
The WolfPack will begin their training camp Tuesday September 7 th at 6:15 pm at the Brock Arena. TRU will have an intra squad game on Friday September 10 th (630 pm) at Memorial Arena. In addition, they will play three pre-season games. Two of them are against the team which beat TRU in last year’s BCIHL final: Simon Fraser University. The teams square off at the Bill Copeland Arena on Friday September 17 th before playing at Memorial Arena one night later (Sept 18). That game will have a 7 pm start time. The other exhibition game TRU will play is September 19 th at noon against Okanagan College. That game is also at Memorial Arena.
Korey Gannon (A. Snucins)
“I’m excited about training camp,” said head coach Cumming, who will be joined by new assistant coach and former NHL player Steve Gainey. Andre Larouche returns for his second year as goaltending coach and Troy Clifford will be back as Athletic Trainer. “We are anticipating a competitive training camp and invite all our fans to check out the intrasquad and exhibition games.” All home games, including the intra squad affair will be admission by donation.
In the meantime, the WolfPack have launched their season’s ticket drive. “ The TRU hockey club, which runs as a society similar to baseball and men’s golf has a major fundraising and ticket drive underway,” states Zulinick. “ We are looking for key support from the community to ensure the team’s operation. “
Cody Lockwood (A. Snucins)
TRU is also hoping to enlist the help of hockey alumni in playing a key role in the hockey club’s future success.
Seasons tickets can be obtained by contacting either Troy Clifford at troyclifford@shaw.ca or Andre Larouche at alarouche@tru.ca.
For the WolfPack’s full schedule please go to: http://www.tru.ca./athletics/teams/mhockey/schedule.html
DATE SET FOR 2ND ANNUAL BOB WINTERS MEMORIAL August 17, 2010
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Plans are being finalized for the 2nd annual Bob Winters Memorial 100 Hole Invitiational Golf tournament. The event is a major fundraiser for three of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack club teams—men’s golf, men’s hockey and men’s baseball.
“We are hoping for a bigger and better event this year,” says event committee member Jeff Vanjoff. The event sees teams of two playing 100 holes beginning September 16 th at the Dunes in Kamloops.
Teams are made up of people representing a local business or interest. Everyone is to dress the part to promote their sponsor. All players will get breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Each squad will fundraise with prizes being awarded to the top teams. The format of the event is alternate shot. Score doesn’t count.
“Bob Winters was an outstanding contributor to sport in Kamloops,” stated event committee member Ron Maguire. “ Its an honor to be associated with an event of this magnitude in his honor.”
Winters passed away July 27, 2009. His passion was baseball which was evident by his contributions to Kamloops Minor Baseball and the Sun Devils Junior Program. He was also a founding member of the TRU WolfPack baseball program. He was named Kamloops Sports Person of the Year in 1991 and was named to the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fam in 2005.
If you are interested in sponsoring one of the teams, you can long onto www.tru.ca/forms/golf100/pledge.html.
WOLFPACK HOCKEY TRAINING CAMP SET FOR EARLY SEPTEMBER August 13, 2010
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Korey Gannon (A. Snucins)
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Hockey team are gearing up for their second season in the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League. The WolfPack have set their training camp to open September 7 th at the Brock Arena and run through September 9th. Training camp will culminate with an intra-squad game on Friday September 10th at Memorial Arena.
(A. Snucins photo)
“It’ll be the first opportunity for players to show their commitment to excellence and to the values of WolfPack hockey,” says new head coach Lorne Cumming.
The WolfPack are expecting a number of returnees from the club which finished second in both the BCIHL regular season and playoff tournament in 2009-10.
“A commitment to excellence as people-in the classroom and on the ice—will lead each of us to our goals as individuals and as a team,” adds Cumming who replaces Chris Hans behind the bench.
Players interested in trying out are asked to go to http://www.tru.ca/athletics/teams/mhockey.html for further information and to download a registration form.
The WolfPack have signed a number of top recruits for the coming season including Tyler Halliday of the WHL Prince George Cougars, Anthony Collins of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League Winkler Flyers, and Zac Rasmussen of the BCHL Prince George Spruce Kings.
The 2010-2011 season schedule and ticket drive will be released in the coming weeks.
WOLFPACK HOCKEY MAKES MAJOR SIGNING June 14, 2010
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Tyler Halliday (courtesy PG Cougars)
For the second year in a row, when the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack hockey team hits the ice, they will do it with a player having experience in the Western Hockey League.
Tyler Halliday, a four year veteran of the WHL has agreed to join the WolfPack hockey program starting in 2010-11. Halliday played with three teams during his Western Hockey League Career beginning with the Red Deer Rebels before moving to the Prince George Cougars, the Kelowna Rockets and then finishing up the Cougars this past season (2009-10). He had nine goals and 12 assists with 163 penalty minutes in 66 games with the Rockets and Cougars last season.
“I am very excited to join TRU and the WolfPack,” says Halliday, “ The school has grown in the past 5 years into one of the best and I am very excited to be a part of it. hockey wise I am anxious to start the season with the team and help them win the BCIHL title.”
Halliday, a grad of South Kamloops Secondary is very familiar with the WolfPack. He played minor hockey with four members of TRU’s 2009-10 squad (Cody Lockwood, David Gore, Mick Ludwig, and Jose Reyes). They were teammates in Midget hockey with the North Kamloops Lions.
He had a number of offers to join CIS Programs. “At first I was just playing out my options and seeing what was available,” he stated. “ I had a few universities call and to see if I was interested and I just kept everything open until I was ready to make my decision. The schools that contacted me were U of Alberta, U of Lethbridge, UBC, Lakehead, and U of Waterloo. But I decided that TRU would be the best fit for me.”
That and he’d be closer to his parents. “I chose TRU because it will be nice to play at home. My parents, Chris and Robin, also agreed to allow me to come back home and live there as well. I also choose TRU because Kamloops is such a hot spot for hockey and other sports and I have heard great things about the school and their sports programs. Living in Kamloops most of my life I know that TRU has an exceptional campus and sporting facilities which really helped with my decision.”
WolfPack coach Lorne Cumming couldn’t be happier with Halliday’s decision to play with the squad. “”Having Tyler Halliday join our WolfPack hockey club is a special day for our organization. Tyler is a player that competes in every game he plays and he has shown he can be a leader at a very high level. We are looking forward to Halli bringing that presence into our culture as we continue to build WolfPack hockey into one of the most attractive university programs available to competitive student players. We feel Tyler will be a guy that sets the tone physically in tough games and can also score a critical goal when we really need one. Clearly ,he won the respect of his team-mates with his example on and off the ice while playing in Kelowna, and Prince George in the Western League and I know that will continue within our WolfPack hockey culture.”
Halliday needs to take some University Prep courses in Math and English for the first semester with an eye to entering the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program hoping to be an accountant.
COLLINS SIGNS WITH WOLFPACK HOCKEY June 3, 2010
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Anthony Collins
Anthony Collins is no stranger to Kamloops. Collins played two seasons with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Kamloops Storm. Now, the 21 year old has decided to begin his university studies and hockey career with the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack.
“ I always loved Kamloops,” says Collins, who spent last season playing Junior “A” hockey in Manitoba for the Winkler Flyers. “ When I heard they had a hockey team and how well they did last year, I couldn’t think of a better place to come. After talking to Chris (Hans, Kamloops Collegiate Hockey Society member and former WolfPack coach) and Lorne (Cumming, current TRU coach), next year sounds very promising with the returning vets and players they are recruiting.”
Collins had 12 goals and 16 assists for the Flyers last season. He appeared in 35 games and had 135 penalty minutes. His Flyers lost to the Dauphin Kings in the MJHL Final. He played a season with the BCHL Prince George Spruce Kings before being traded east. He had had 28 goals and 24 assists in 48 games in 2007-08 with Prince George.
The right winger plans to take general courses with an eye to becoming a firefighter in the future.
Collins is looking forward to being a part of a growing university hockey culture which is developing in Kamloops. “ It is exciting,” he said. “Especially when I heard that we get over a thousand fans. It didn’t really surprise me. I remember the great fans when I played for the Storm. Its going to be exciting coming to the rink to practice when you know there will be so many people watching you on a Saturday night.”
As a 17 year old, Collins had 28 goals and 23 assists in 48 games (2006-07).
The WolfPack plan to increase their presence in the community during the 2010-11 BC Intercollegiate Hockey League season. Collins can’t wait to become a part of that as well. “ I think it is great to get your face out in the community and doing great things,” he says. “ It brings more fans into your games but you also make a lot of great connections. I think people respect you more when you are out helping.”
Collins is being reunited with former Storm teammates Joel Leonard ( 4th year, forward, Kamloops, BC) and Jassi Sangha (2nd year,forward, Kamloops, BC) who were both his linemates. “ They had only positive things to say about their experience with TRU Hockey. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
WolfPack coach Lorne Cumming says: “”Bringing in Anthony Collins will add a physical element to our game that we
feel will be very difficult for opposition players to deal with. Anthony excels in physical games as well as wide open contests and brings size, strength and skill to our depth chart that we think will be critical for us to achieve our goals this season. I look forward to having Anthony Collins pull on a Wolfpack jersey.”