By Carl Chimenti /
A young hockey player from Toronto, who passed away after having contracted the H1N1 Virus, recently played in the London Jr. Knights tournament at the Western Pyramid Sports Centre—the event included some teams from the Alliance Association. After receiving the news, Alliance president Tony Foresi wasted no time in taking precautionary measures that hopefully will help the Alliance Association members from contracting the dreaded Swine Flu.
“It truly is an unfortunate situation and once we caught wind that he had played in a tournament held by one of our member associations in London, we reacted quickly,” Foresi said. “We contacted the Board of Health to get some sort of direction. Upon that, we immediately contacted all teams who partook in that tournament and informed them that if they had any symptoms to get checked out immediately.”
The Alliance went over and above in contacting game officials, the hockey arena, the volunteers and the hotels and restaurants and that will now be a policy that the Alliance will follow to help everyone involved. Foresi was not aware that anyone in the association had contracted the Virus after participating in the tournament.
“We are recommending very, very strongly that if they feel sick and they think they are coming down, stay home,” said Foresi. “Stay away from the hockey arena and don’t come in contact with anybody until you feel better.”
NEW GUIDELINES IN PLACE
The Alliance also put out a memo to both officials and players regarding pre-game protocol in order to further prevent the transmission of the H1N1 Virus.
Game officials and coaches shall eliminate the fair play handshake at the start of each game.
Officials will approach the team benches so that coaches and officials may wish each other a good game. The captains from each team prior to the game will go to centre ice with gloves on and tap gloves in a show of sportsmanship representative of the entire team. The other participants from both teams should wait at their respective benches for the start of the game.
Captains, after greeting each other, are to return to their respective benches; there is to be no contact with opposition coaches.
TOYOTA CHALLENGE REPORT
The Toyota Hockey Challenge continues and with half the round robin completed Cambridge sits in the driver’s seat with a perfect 2-0 record. Kitchener sits in second spot and Waterloo, who has lost all three games to date, is last.
The top two teams will meet in a one-game championship on Dec. 6 for the right to win an all expenses paid trip to Hokkaido, Japan in March of 2010, for a cultural exchange with the Tomakomai Allstars.
“Toyota feels strongly that kids from Japan and the Tri City area should have an opportunity to experience one another’s culture,” said Tony Martindale, executive vice president of Alliance Hockey. “Every other year, we send a team from the region to Japan and, in the off year when Japan comes over here, the association that won the previous year, their Minor Bantam team would play Japan when they visit here.” Cambridge upset the first place Kitchener Jr. Rangers in the 2007 final and it looks like the same two teams might meet again in December.
March 2010 will mark the sixth time a local team from the Waterloo Region has traveled to Japan for the exchange. A return visit by a Japanese team will take place in March 2011.
MORE ALLIANCE ACTION AND NEWS
Upcoming tournaments include The Oakridge Aeros Bob Stark Tournament, which runs from Nov. 13 to 15, in London, Ont. for the Pre-Novice and Novice in the A and Minor Development Divisions.
The Cambridge Festival of Friendship Tournament will take place November 20 to 29 throughout the Cambridge, Ont. area.
“This is one of the longest standing tournaments in Alliance Hockey,” says Martindale. “The Tournament is rich in tradition and is well attended from all over the Ontario area.
Meanwhile, the Alliance showcases that were just completed during the month of October were a big success.
The Minor Midget showcase in London, Ont. drew 80 scouts from the Ontario Hockey League.
The Alliance had 55 players drafted in the 2009 OHL priority draft.
In 2007, Hockey Canada implemented new goalie equipment rules that went into effect at the beginning of the 2009/10 hockey season, which Martindale says has gone smoothly.
“There was enough notice given throughout Minor Hockey,” stated Martindale. “All the manufacturers are now on board and the transition throughout the Alliance Hockey Association has gone without any problems. The house leagues in our association was exempt because we felt the cost would have been too expensive.” |