Contents

• Commissioner's Comments 

• Non-Contact Coordinator Report

• Atom Coordinator Report

• Novice Coordinator Report  

• Peewee Coordinator Report

• Fundraising Chairperson Report

• Bingo Coordinator Report

• Hockey Draft Coordinator Report

• Provincial Zone G Representatives

• Executive Positions up for Renewal

• Team Thank You

Commissioner's Comments (back)

"Tryouts are finally over!" it seems that we were just saying those words. Wow! Where did the time go?

The Annual General Meeting is coming up soon. There are a few positions open on the Executive and we need them filled. If you are interested in helping, STEP up to the plate and let your name stand. Involvement in the Zone G Redwing Hockey Association is an excellent way to help make some of the important decisions that will have to be made for the future. As a previous Commissioner said, "DON'T SNIVEL...DELIVER!"

The upcoming season promises to be exciting with the possible restructuring of the PEEWEE program. Next year, SMHA is proposing a city-wide tryout for AA tier 1 Peewee. The intent is to implement a three year program with Peewee next year, Bantam the year after, and Midget the third year. The plan is to have an open tryout with an evaluation company from Alberta selecting players for the AA program. There will be 6 teams in the city in each age group. The rationale behind the proposal is to create parity in the league. Consequently, with players playing at the level they belong. Tier 11 and tier 111 will be a lot more competitive. As an Executive, we have voted in favour of this proposal as the alternative to this would likely be splitting the Redwings into two zones. The problem I see with this, is we are not sure where the boundaries would be or who would remain Redwings and who would not. Information on the proposals will be much clearer when the i's are dotted and t's are crossed.

The World Class Redwing tournaments are complete and let me say, they were a fantastic success once again. An extreme heartfelt thank you to the volunteers that make these tournaments the success that they are. Because of the popularity of the Redwings' tournaments, we are seeing many return visitors year after year. Next year will be our 14th annual and, as expected, there will be a waiting list to enter again.

We are fortunate to have dedicated coaches, assistant coaches, managers, and trainers teaching our children the skills to be better players and people. A zone our size could not operate without the volunteer involvement. SMHA has implemented a rule for next year that ALL coaches and assistant coaches will be required to submit to a criminal background check before they get approval to coach. The zone will pay the fee for this check which will be renewable every 3 years.

My first year as Commissioner has been really exciting with a lot more ups than downs. I look forward to working with everyone next year. Once again, thanks to all of you and a special thanks to the Executive members that I have had the pleasure of working with this past year. Have a great summer!

Sincerely, Kevin Wilhelm (222-5666), Commissioner

Non-Contact Coordinator Report (back)

Best wishes to all teams for a successful playoff season!

Sincerely, Iris Rugg, Coordinator

Atom Coordinator Report (back)

This season has seemed to go quickly. It is already mid-February and our Atom teams have come a long way from the beginning of the season. The players have developed skills, knowledge, friendships and memories that will last for many years. I want to congratulate all the teams - coaches and players - for the efforts they put forth to overcome the many challenges that were facing us in the beginning of the season.

Throughout the season, I've had an opportunity to observe all of our Atom teams while practicing as well as playing in a game. I am extremely pleased with the positive environment that our coaching staffs have provided for our young hockey players. Shortly, the coaches' evaluation forms will be provided. Please take the time to complete and return them to your team managers. These forms are a valuable tool for future coaching selections.

In closing, a special thank you to all of our Redwing parents and fans. Your positive support and cheering at the rink has been much appreciated!

Best Regards, Dan Wingerak, Atom Coordinator

Peewee Coordinator Report (back)

The regular hockey season is quickly winding down and thoughts are moving towards provincial and city finals. I would like to thank all the coaches, managers, and other team officials for all their hard work thus far.

The PeeWee program had 142 registered players this year. They were divided into 8 teams: one tier I, four tier II, and three tier III teams. All teams were competitive. Congratulations and good luck to the tier I team and Redwing Hawks from tier III for being our city's representatives at provincials. The Redwing Bullets from tier II made it to the final four, but came up against a tough Bobcats team in the playoffs.

Our zone has just finished hosting a successful PeeWee tournament. Thanks to all the parent volunteers for making this tournament a success. Our zone was well represented with the tier I team and the Redwing Wild tier II teams winning their respective divisions. The Redwing Phantoms from tier II lost in overtime in the semi-finals of the A side, while the Redwing Hawks made it to the final in the B side in tier III.

Duane Walker, PeeWee Coordinator

Fundraising Chairperson Report (back)

Redwing hockey is well underway and I hope everyone is enjoying their season and looking forward to playing again next fall; then we know it has been a successful year. Thank you to all the families who took the time to hook up to talk mail; out of the 600+ families in our zone, I have only 37 not hooked up. It is an easy process and it would be fantastic if we could encourage those families to take the few minutes and hook up at no cost. Talk mail is not without glitches, as many of you know. When we thought we had deleted you, the messages kept coming. I think when I am programming in such an extensive batch of numbers, the computer gets confused and some additions and deletions are missed so I thank you for calling me directly to correct this.

Bingo's, the hockey draft, and tournaments are in full swing. If your team is looking for fundraising ideas, I have access to many different contacts. This information is also handed out at the coaches' and managers' meeting each fall.

There was no Ice Breaker dance this fall due to a substantial loss last year; however, some thought has been given to a spring year end dance. I will pursue it if enough definite commitment to ticket sales is shown. This can be done through your manager. Give them a heads up as to how many actual tickets you could sell (cost would be approximately $30 a couple) and have them call me with your team commitment. This is an adult function; although it is not really a fundraiser, we need to break even.

Thank you to all Redwing hockey managers. You are often unspoken of heroes working diligently behind the scenes keeping the coaches on track, the parents informed, and the bank account balanced. It is a volunteer position that while rewarding, is often more stressful than bargained for. Parents and players, please take the time to pay your portion of volunteer time at our tournaments and say thank you to your respective managers for the endless hours they have spent trying to make your child's season a successful experience.

Remember to submit your final team financial statement by April 15, 2004. This determines how many bingo's the Gaming Authority deems necessary by our zone. If I only receive statements for 30 out of 45 teams, that leaves a lot of dollars unaccounted for and a lot of parents left out of working bingo's to pay for their fees in the 2004-2005 season. Please mail to 418 McKercher Drive S7H 3W5 or email to pems@mail.com

Elaine Senga, Fundraising Coordinator

Bingo Coordinator Report (back)

Registration bingo's have begun. As bingo's become available, they will be announced on the talk mail system through the zone. We will attempt to provide two bingo's per child, upon availability. Call Pat Sears @ 933-4879 when the bingo dates are announced on talk mail.

Pat Sears, Bingo Coordinator

Hockey Draft Coordinator Report (back)

With just over 2,400 entries, this year's Zone G Hockey Draft is now in full swing and approaching the final tabulation once the NHL'S entertainment season comes to an end. Be sure to check the Zone G Hockey Association website at www.saskatoonredwings.com for weekly updates to see how your team is doing.

Here are the top entries as of February 8, 2004:

1604	Riley J Pikor	Saskatoon	1450 Points
2131	Murray Fowler	Prince Albert	1428 Points
583	Tim Johnstone	Meadow Lake	1428 Points
1914	Tim Braid	Saskatoon	1427 Points
2129	Murray Fowler	Prince Albert	1427 Points
1643	Jessie Pikor	Saskatoon	1426 Points
1976	Doug Terry	Saskatoon	1425 Points
1075	Bryan Coben	Rosetown	1423 Points
873	Ryan Karakochuk	Saskatoon	1421 Points
1206	Hugh Macgowan	Saskatoon	1420 Points

Jim Rugg, Hockey Draft Coordinator

Provincial Zone G Representatives (back)

Congratulations and good luck to the following teams in their respective pursuits of a provincial title:

    Jeff Schenn's PeeWee tier I
    Rob Herrick's PeeWee tier III
    Travis Bruce's Midget tier II

Executive Positions up for Renewal (back)

A number of positions need to be filled for the 2004 - 2005 season. All interested persons are encouraged to contact Randy Magnus, Past Commissioner, @ 652-8432. Positions are as follows:

    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Fundraising Coordinator
    Registrar
    PeeWee Coordinator
    Midget Coordinator
    Hockey Draft Coordinator
    Initiation Coordinator
    Technical Director

The assignment of these positions and other agenda items will be discussed at the AGM which will be held on Tuesday, April 20, @ 7:00 p.m. at John G Egnatoff School - small gym.

Team Thank You (back)

 Wally Parker's Redwing Midget II team would like to publicly thank Dan Hansen for his generous donation of a Toronto Maple Leaf jersey, signed by Darcy Tucker, complete with authentic certification. The team was able to raise a total of $700.00 due to Mr. Hansen's generosity. The winner of the jersey was Dawn Turner.

Redwing Novice Report (back)

It's hard to believe this message finds us through the midway point of February. The final portion of the schedule has been received by all, as teams start discussing wind-up gifts and season-ending celebrations. Another great season, of old acquaintances and new friendships, is quickly coming to a close.

The season has progressed virtually without incident. This Zone's terrific coaches and other team officials have made my job as Novice Coordinator very easy. This season's successes must not go without mentioning the strong commitment made by the parents and that of our fine young players themselves. Our Zone's 3 Senior, 4 Intermediate and 3 Junior Novice teams have all had their share of successes. Redwing spirit and support held true in January when Senior Novice Redwing Rocket team member, Maxim Powiada, underwent surgery to remove a tumor in his right leg, at the Children's Hospital in Vancouver, BC. We are happy to report that Max is back at home, with a very promising prognosis of a complete recovery.

Preparations are underway for developing improvements to next year's Novice program. For those of you with insights on how we could make any improvements, please feel free to contact me.

In closing, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to my fellow Redwing Executive, team volunteers, parents and players, all who have made my first year as Novice Coordinator a positive experience.

Yours in hockey,
Darren Doepker