Third time’s a charm
By Trevor Robb
EDMONTON — In a twisted hockey version of musical chairs, Jason Nicholetts has represented three different teams at the Brick Invitational Super Novice Hockey Tournament in the past three years.
Nicholetts works in part with an international hockey organization called ‘Selects Hockey’. As branch manager, it was through them that he got his first taste of coaching at the summer hockey tournament as an assistant coach with the Chicago Junior Blackhawks, and from there, an assistant coaching spot on Team Brick Alberta last season.
But this year is far more unique. This season the Brick tournament has expanded its group of teams from 12 to 14, and Nicholetts is now an assistant coach with one of the newest expansion teams, the Atlantic Canada Junior Selects (the Boston Junior Bruins being the second team absolved).
- Atlantic Canada Junior Selects assistant coach Jason Nicholetts surveys the ice during a game at the 2011 Brick Invitational Super Novice Tournament at West Edmonton Mall on Thursday, July 7, 2011. This is the first year Atlantic Canada has been represented at the 22nd annual summer hockey tournament. Photograph by Trevor Robb.
Coaching a team from Atlantic Canada has its share of hurdles to overcome. In the majority of rinks in the Atlantic Canada region, the ice is taken out on May long weekend, so the majority of the players have not skated in six weeks, said Nicholetts.
The team itself is made up of the best novice players from three different provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The team was also picked by a committee, so the players themselves had never once played together or even met each other prior to the weekend before the tournament started.
The team played two exhibition games and held two practices that weekend. They lost both exhibition games but chemistry was starting to form said Nicholetts.
“Our expectations coming in without any experience weren’t very high but we just wanted to be competitive,” said Nicholetts.
Despite being considered underdogs, Atlantic Canada won their opening game against the Minnesota Blades, 6-5, and followed it up with a second straight win over the Winnipeg Junior Jets, 5-2. Simply competing was not what the boys from Atlantic Canada had in mind, they wanted to win.
After dropping their last two games, a 4-1 loss to Toronto Pro Hockey and a 9-2 loss to the Connecticut Yankees, the Atlantic Selects sit tied in third place in Division 1 with two games left. They finish out the round robin tournament with games against the Detroit Red Wings and the team Nicholetts started his Brick Hockey Tournament journey with, the first-placed Chicago Junior Blackhawks.
Coaching philosophy
Coaching children is about balance, said Nicholetts. Balancing the learning and development parts of the game with the funner aspects of team camaraderie and the game itself. Hockey is meant to be fun, but at this age some parents forget that key factor.
- Atlantic Canada Junior Selects forward Matthew Spence, #8, chases a loose puck during day four of the 2011 Brick Invitational Super Novice Tournament at West Edmonton Mall on Thursday, July 7, 2011. The Connecticut Yankees beat out Team Atlantic by a score of 9-2. Photograph by Trevor Robb.
“It’s an experience like no other, they’re treated like little professionals,” said Nicholetts. “That being said, there’s a lot of pressure from parents and everything else based on the tradition and based on other players who have had success moving on to other levels. But you have to keep in perspective that they’re only nine, they’re just little boys.”
“I’m a pretty strong personality so I make the stipulations very clear early that we don’t want coaching from the stands,” said Nicholetts. “Our philosophy is our philosophy, we don’t want parents in the dressing room. It’s a little harsh but sometimes you got to be harsh to have the parents buy in, because sometimes it’s too focused just on their kid as opposed to being a whole team focus. You really need the parents to buy in.”
Organized sports has its ways of teaching kids about certain aspects in life, particularly success and failure. On any given night a team can win or lose. Nicholetts sees his a role as an important one in his players’ developing lives.
“The game is about mistakes, the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is usually going to win,” said Nicholetts. “But mistakes are part of the game and that’s why we’re there, to support them and help them through that. You want the experience to be positive for each kid in his own way.”
