Dear Dryden,
So concludes another season of GM Ice Dog Hockey; and with it the junior hockey careers of the highest character group of 20 year olds we could have hoped to have seen.
It is easy for us to focus on the heartbreak of not “bringing bill home” this year as so many of us thought we would, but I would like to start by focusing on the incredible ride to the finals and all the people that helped bring us there. There are several people I’d like to thank for this season, but above all I want to thank Dryden. You gave us belief. You rallied together in a way you haven’t in some time. You stood up and said “this is our team and we are proud of them”! And, we heard you. We had nearly 2000 people walk through the gates for our last 2 games this year, and believe me, we heard you. Dryden, this IS your team, and let me tell you; we are proud of YOU. We are so proud to be Dryden’s team. There is no title or no championship we would rather have than being Dryden’s champions and I mean that sincerely. I’ve wanted nothing more than to see the community support this team again, and in that you have made us feel so successful. For that, I have some promises to make to you; but first, I want to thank some of your citizens
Our coaching staff. Head Coach Kurt Walsten, Assistant Coaches Mark Crespeigne, Jesse Linner, trainers Jim Wright and Andy Rathwell, Medical staff Dr Bruce Cook, and Jacky Lam, Video Coach Trevor Gauthier and Equipment Manager Darren Oliphant. This is the best bench crew in the league. We are so lucky to have them all. Kurt is the most dedicated, driven Head Coach we could have hoped for and I can tell you that not only from working so closely with him the last two years, but also from seeing the look in his eyes after game 6 ended. I can say the same for Jesse and Wiz. You can rest assured that what we left on the table this year, will not be left next year. These guys wanted to win as badly as anyone here. Trevor Gauthier was an incredible addition to our team this year forming what will hopefully be a long term relationship with the Dogs The medical staff had their hands full with these guys this year, and did an amazing job keeping them on the ice. Add to them our dedicated Yoga teacher Natasha, and our team is well taken care of. And Ollie, may very well be the most dedicated volunteer in the SIJHL. Its guys like him that are the pulse of the Ice Dogs. Weve got the winning team assembled here dont you think? In Kurt’s 2 years with the team, we have grown in leaps and bounds. We enjoyed a 17 point bump in his first year and improved again this year and we have no problems at all off the ice. I’m going to do my best to keep this team intact for the near future, and I can tell you that at this point, I’ve got a handshake agreement which in the way we do business here is as good as gold, for Coach Kurt to return for the 2016=2017 hockey season.
Our executive staff. I’ve been so fortunate to work the last 2 years alongside Brian Bates. He’s the best hockey guy in Dryden, and while I came here well versed in how to run a business, it was through watching, and listening to Brian that I gained the knowledge to run this business. Tom Clarke has made my life easy as treasurer. He has helped me hold the executive accountable to the budget constraints that we laid out last fall and has managed this years books in a fashion that will make it easy to produce a budget for next year. Tammy has produced clear minutes for every business meeting we’ve had, and has kept an email chain running all year that helped me to have an organized meeting structure. Malcolm has been an excellent VP. I can summarize his value to the organization like this. While he handled effectively every task I asked him to this year, he also, if he he hadn’t heard from me in a couple of days. would frequently call and ask “what can I do for you”? Not only that, but he along with Shawna Fadden are among the key reasons this team now owns it own bus.
Our Billet Co-ordinators, the Shawnas, are the best in Junior Hockey in Canada, of that I’m sure. And on account of them we have amazing billet homes, many of whom have become integral parts of the fabric of this team. Successful teams begin with happy players, and the girls have ensured that starts at home, While faced with difficult decisions they have managed them with class. On account of them, it is my pleasure to say to the wonderful billet homes of the Ice Dogs, on behalf on myself and the management of the team, thank you so much.
Adam Moir has become a big part of what we are doing here. His primary role with the team is DMHA liason, but what hes done with the Bursary Fund has moved the team forward as much as anything we’ve done this year, and we are lucky to have Adam in the fold.
Behind the scenes our production team consists of of Al Markham overseeing live scoring, Trevor and Dave on fasthockey and video, Mike Ebbeling on play by play and Darren Johnson on PA, Vanessa Norman singing the anthem, with Colleen filling in for any job we needed. We battle alot of elements behind the scenes and in my opinion the production element of an Ice Dogs game by seasons end was the best in the league. They got better and better as the season went on and by Game 6 the production was seamless and the atmosphere was absolutely electric.
Our Game Day Staff is lead by Sharel and Maria. This division of the team includes so many people and jobs that I cant name everyone here. You’ll often hear me say that a certain area of the team is one I “dont worry about”. This is important to me, as the more areas of the team that I need to worry about, the harder it is for me to do my job, and believe me this is one area I worry very little about. From merchandise sales to goal judges, to andy and colleen at the scorers booth; from security to people working the gate, to ticket sales , these two have it covered and deserve alot of recognition for what they’ve done for the dogs over the years.
Speaking of ticket sales, I’d like to take a moment to recognize Holly Hanson. Holly and Wayne are the billet parents of Woody and Kent, and when I talk about billets who have become “an integral part of the fabric of the team” they fit the bill perfectly. Holly’s business in Dryden has become the day to day merchandise and ticket sales centre of the team. The time and dedication to the team that is required for her to do this is immeasurable and we are so lucky to have her become more a part of the big picture of the team.
More on ticket sales, Id like to thank Gayle Jackson and Anita Hackman for their hard work in the preseason selling season tickets. I’ll elaborate more at the AGM next week about the actual goal figures they delivered, but to get to the point I’d just like to extend a sincere thank you to both of them. Our season ticket numbers are trending upward and I’m grateful for you two for that.
Anita. Anita’s position with the Ice Dogs is VP of Fundraising and Sponsorship, but to me she’s more than a title. Anita has been everything for the Ice Dogs this year. Again, I’ll elaborate on the dollars and cents at the AGM as this isn’t the time or place for accounting, but I’ll tell you we blew our preseason projections out of the water, and this woman is a huge reason why. We have had our disagreements over the year, but when people are as passionate as Anita, its not always easy to accept a direction you don’t agree with. I know we haven’t always agreed because from time to time I hear from her “you’re the boss” but then whether she agrees with my direction or not, shes first in line to help make it happen. We mostly agree however. I know its been hard at times for you to put your faith in me when iv’e proposed a new direction at the helm of this team Anita; and I know that that’s on account of you wanting as much as anyone in the room for this team to succeed. So today I just want to thank you for being the beating heart of this teams fundraising program. For being first to arrive and last to leave at most team functions, for going above and beyond in every capacity be it cooking pregame meals for the boys or arranging school visits and mostly for putting your faith in me and my vision. This simply isn’t possible without you.
On a personal note I’d like to thank Shawna again. Not as billet co-ordinator, but as my wife. I want to thank my wife and my son, Dylan for loaning me to the Ice Dogs for another year. There has been many a night when I know you’d rather have me at home, or not on the phone, or you would rather have us doing whatever we did in our old life, before the team. But you’ve never once complained. This team has become our life. We’ve laughed, cried, thought and fought about it behind the scenes after the day was over on many, many nights. Shawna, you are my sounding board, and my moral compass. 4 years ago, you sent a facebook message to Mike Ebbelling about billeting, and our lives changed. When we have been on the brink of quitting you are the one I lean on to keep pushing forward. We’ve done this as a couple and that’s what I always fall back on. What this has meant to our son cannot be measured and the only regret I have for both of you is that you have to say good bye to Matt and Kyle. But I assure you its see you later, as opposed to good bye. We are doing this the right way in the board room and in our home and these relationships that we are forming with our billets and our team mates in the ice dogs offices are life long.
I told you in at the beginning of this letter that I wanted to make some promises to you, Dryden. I hope that I have earned your trust and that you’ll allow me some more time to see these promises through, but we’ll have to wait until the AGM to see about that. What I can promise you is simple. I will not allow this team to slip into financial dire straits. We are moving firmly in the right direction, but we are not out of the woods yet. I will ensure that during my time here, you will have this team to glue the community together in the way it did this year, and hopefully every year moving forward. We will put character ahead of talent every time. You may be able to score 40 goals here, but if you cannot give back to the community we will give you back to your old team. Its part of the Ice Dog Way.
This team will continue to reflect the values of its leadership; (I cant have it any other way) and it will continue to give back. I hope that that continues for long after I am gone from this position.
Promises from a hockey perspective? I will tell you this. I will not forget. I will not forget what it has felt like to watch another team celebrate a championship in our rink 2 years in a row and with that memory in tow, I will not be outworked by my counterparts in the SIJHL. I will deliver on my commitment to this team. To the returning players, the volunteers and to Dryden, rest assured that when it comes to the Ice Dogs I have got your back and will do everything I can to put us in a position that we are the ones celebrating that victory next April.
And to the retiring players. Whenever that championship comes, it’s yours as well. Not being able to win with this group this year is something that will take me a long time to get over but when we do win, your fingerprints will be all over that title. You have set the bar high, and I am so grateful to have been a part of this with you. What you have brought to this team will not be forgotten, and will be part of the fuel that we need to finally Bring Bill Home so that you can know the true essence of:
“Once a Dog, Always A Dog”
Thank you for trusting me with your team
Mike Sveinson
President
Dryden GM Ice Dogs