February Newsletter
WELCOME!
These NGHA News and Updates messages include important information the board wishes to share with our membership. Any questions or feedback can be sent to NGHACommunications@gmail.
HOUSE LEAGUE
- Championship weekend: Championship Weekend is taking place from February 28th to March 2nd at the Bell Sensplex in Kanata. Schedules have been released, with more details to come shortly. We are looking forward to celebrating the 2024-2025 Season with all of you!
- House League coach applications: We are now accepting house league coach applications for the 2025-2026 season! Interested candidates can apply here. The deadline to submit applications is May 31, 2025.
COMPETITIVE LEAGUE
- 2025/26 Coaches: Interviews are almost complete and final selections will be shared shortly.
- Tryouts: Just a reminder that tryouts for our 2025/2026 U11-U18 competitive teams will begin on Tuesday, April 22nd and conclude by Saturday, May 17th. More information and registration details coming soon.
WILDCATS DAY COMMITTEE
Our inaugural Wildcats Day was a huge success and we’re already planning the next one. We’re going to be making some improvements, but we can’t do it without you. We’re looking for volunteers from the house and competitive sides to help pull off our next Wildcats Day, tentatively scheduled for late October. If you’re interested, email NGHACommunications@gmail.com!
POLICY UPDATES
The following two policies will soon be finalized and updated on the NGHA website:
- Use of Social Media - Updates include providing guidance to teams wishing to set up social media accounts in response to many questions received on this topic
- Suspensions - Updates include reflecting the electronic game sheet process and clarifying who needs to be informed when a suspension occurs.
Existing policies continue to be reviewed and updated.
DIFD TOURNAMENTS
Our 43rd Annual Paint It Purple Tournament has come to a close, wrapping up two incredible weekends of hockey. This tournament could not have been possible without Katie B. stepping in to fill some big boots and running it! Thank you, Katie!
This year’s competitive tournament featured 132 female minor hockey teams from across Ontario, Quebec, and the USA, while our house league weekend welcomed 78 teams, including teams from as far away as Timmins, Ontario.
A final roundup of the number of purple banners we brought home are:
House League:
- Gold: U13H6
- Silver: U13H4
Competitive:
- Gold: U13AA, U13A, U13C and U15BB Cosgrove
- Silver: U18BB Hall, U15BB Moon and U15B
Wildcat families, you have every reason to be extremely proud. Not only did we showcase our skills on the ice, but we also raised nearly $10,000 for the DIFD Foundation.
It was a special treat to see Luke Richardson stop by to show his support, and we were thrilled to have Wade Redden bring his daughter’s team all the way from Kelowna, BC to experience what an incredible tournament this is!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Our pilot Mentorship Program has been a huge success and wouldn’t be possible with our senior players stepping in and helping out. Read more about Marra Klassen, #95 on the Junior Wildcats U22 team!
PUCKS FOR PURPOSE
On March 19th, four Nepean Wildcats alumni will take the ice at St. Francis Xavier University for the Pucks for Purpose Classic, a student-run charity hockey game supporting the Canadian Cancer Society and Special Olympics.
In its inaugural year last year, Pucks for Purpose raised over $55,000 and welcomed over 1,500 attendees at the game. This year, the event has expanded to include new initiatives—including the first-ever women’s rivalry charity hockey game in Canada.
On March 19th, Wildcats alumni Lindsay Gorman (2021), Kate Parker (2022), and Macy McDonell (2023) will compete for Team Business, while Ava St. Pierre (2022) represent Team Arts/Science.
Each player has an individual fundraising page where donations go directly to the supported charities.
For more information and to find the links to support our Wildcats alumni, visit https://www.gowildcats.ca/
VOLUNTEER NEEDED
The NGHA is in need of a Jersey Coordinator to help collect, sort and track jerseys for our house league program. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail are required. To learn more, visit our Volunteer Opportunities page.
2024-25 DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS WRAPPING UP
As we approach the end of February, the NGHA’s extra development sessions for Competitive and House League players are coming to a close. This season, we were excited to partner with Amped, Ashley Holmes, and Apex Hockey to provide specialized training for both goalies and players.
Held on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, these sessions saw strong attendance and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. This was the first time in several years that the NGHA has offered additional development opportunities, and we appreciate everyone who took part.
Thank you to our partners and all participants for making this initiative a success! The NGHA will evaluate the program and explore future opportunities for player development.
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