For the third time in eight years, Seafair Minor Hockey has been recognized with a major award from the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association.
Seafair president and 13-year volunteer Nigel Shackles received the Don Ackert Award as Amateur Hockey Executive of the Year. The presentation was made during the recent PCAHA AGM.
"Nigel works so hard, and cares so much -you couldn't find a more deserving recipient," said longtime Seafair executive Ken Hamaguchi. "Over the years, Seafair has developed a reputation for having one of the finest Hockey 1-4 programs around. Much of the success can be traced back to the time and energy put in by Nigel in building the program."
Shackles wasn't the only Seafair executive to be honoured.
Dennis Sato was presented the Meritorious Service Award for those who have made significant contributions to minor hockey for at least the past five years.
The association also announced a three-year agreement with Derek Popke and the Vancouver Hockey School as Seafair's skills development provider - commencing with the 2015-16 season.
Popke who will once again be working with the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs at their training camp, is pleased with his new deal.
"I would like to thank the executive, coaches, and membership of SMHA for this opportunity," said Popke. "SMHA has gained the reputation for outstanding player and coach development and I look forward to building on these successes."
Popke has already had a hand in Seafair's player development over the past few seasons.
"I am very happy to see that we are continuing our relationship with Derek," said Shackles. "On and off the ice he has been a contributor to our success and I'm very glad to see that the relationship we have with Derek and Vancouver Hockey School will continue into the future."
Another interesting item from the PCAHA AGM, is the decline in minor hockey registration.
Whereas many PCAHA member associations continue to experience a drop in numbers, Seafair's numbers keep growing.
It was the only association in the PCAHA to have increases in enrolment for the past seven years. Shackles attributes this growth to the association's efforts in keeping registration and team costs down while at the same time offering quality programming for all ages.
