P.A. Minor Hockey Association honours coaches and volunteers; unveils new name and logo

The Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association announced that it is changing its name and adopting a new logo at its annual Coaches Appreciation Night at Midtown Hall on Friday night.

“We are not any longer ‘Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association,’ we are ‘PA Hockey,’” technical director and Coaches Appreciation Night emcee James Mays said.

“We have a new logo that has some pop that we think kids will wear on their sweaters, on their T-shirts on their hats, toques and we just want to be a little more aggressive promoting our association.”

The annual awards supper is an opportunity for the association to give thanks to the coaches and volunteers and sponsors who make everything possible.

“You know what? We lose money on this event but it’s important to show them that we care,” Mays said.

“Thank you very much for basically babysitting all these kids all winter long and for not just the coaching, but they have to go to clinics and they have to go to seminars and go online and take stuff. And for the most part, they do, no questions asked. So it’s important for us to say thanks.”

This year’s Coach of the Year awards went to IP II Raiders Green coach Michael Johnson, Novice III Source for Sports Bruins coach Brent Spademan, Atom II Beachcomber Foxes coach Marc Malenfant, Peewee III Gene’s Sports Rangers coach Derek Mitchell and Midget Flyers coaches Brian Bieber and Trevor Kwiatkowski.

The inaugural Manager/Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Lisa Dryka.

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