BY JOHN DECOSTE
Kings County Register
The Acadia Minor Hockey Association celebrated its third year - according to vice-president Mike Dauphinee, “the best year we've had to date” - by handing out its 2006/ 2007 season awards prior to its annual meeting June 20 in Wolfville.
“It was a marvellous season,” AMHA president Dave Duncan said of a year when the association finally achieved permanent status with the official dissolution of the former East Kings and Kentville & Area minor hockey associations.
Duncan said both East Kings and Kentville had surplus funds, some of which were passed on to AMHA and some of which were (or will be) used for a number of projects.
These included a $1,500 donation to the Hannah Hiller Memorial Tournament, a tournament for younger players founded in 2006 in memory of Hannah Miller, a novice player from Port Williams killed in an auto collision near her home.
Other uses for the surplus will include purchasing Acadia jerseys for all the AMHA house league teams and refurbishing trophy cases at the Kentville and Canning arenas.
Duncan noted this year's financial success, and the association's current firm financial footing, was due to a combination of aggressive fundraising efforts, hosting the Atlantic Peewee AAA tournament and sound financial management.
Duncan also reported, at the Hockey Nova Scotia awards reception held earlier this month, AMHA received a number of major awards, including the Nova Scotia Minor Hockey Development Award.
He noted particular recognition stemmed from the success of the QuickStart program which, to date, has provided a first-time hockey experience for more than 350 youngsters, many of whom might not otherwise have been able to afford it.
Duncan also recognized Kirk Rafuse of Kentville, a former KAMHA and AMHA player, as being “the first AMHA graduate to be chosen in the QMJHL draft” when he was picked earlier this month by the Lewiston Maineacs.
Goaltender Rafuse, 17, jumped from first-year midget with the Valley Wildcats directly to Junior A, and also represented Nova Scotia at the Canada Winter Games earlier this year. He played this past season with the Truro Junior A Bearcats and enjoyed some success.
In addition to the player awards, plaques of volunteer appreciation were presented to Les Falconer of Tim Horton's, Jim Midgley and Darren Burns of the varsity Axemen, Alan Warner and Rene Murphy, Will and Nancy Brown, Arron Ward, Paul Murphy, Cam Pongoski, Doug Eaton (who could not be present for the ceremony) and Dave Duncan.
BY JOHN DECOSTE
Kings County Register
The Acadia Minor Hockey Association celebrated its third year - according to vice-president Mike Dauphinee, “the best year we've had to date” - by handing out its 2006/ 2007 season awards prior to its annual meeting June 20 in Wolfville.
“It was a marvellous season,” AMHA president Dave Duncan said of a year when the association finally achieved permanent status with the official dissolution of the former East Kings and Kentville & Area minor hockey associations.
Duncan said both East Kings and Kentville had surplus funds, some of which were passed on to AMHA and some of which were (or will be) used for a number of projects.
These included a $1,500 donation to the Hannah Hiller Memorial Tournament, a tournament for younger players founded in 2006 in memory of Hannah Miller, a novice player from Port Williams killed in an auto collision near her home.
Other uses for the surplus will include purchasing Acadia jerseys for all the AMHA house league teams and refurbishing trophy cases at the Kentville and Canning arenas.
Duncan noted this year's financial success, and the association's current firm financial footing, was due to a combination of aggressive fundraising efforts, hosting the Atlantic Peewee AAA tournament and sound financial management.
Duncan also reported, at the Hockey Nova Scotia awards reception held earlier this month, AMHA received a number of major awards, including the Nova Scotia Minor Hockey Development Award.
He noted particular recognition stemmed from the success of the QuickStart program which, to date, has provided a first-time hockey experience for more than 350 youngsters, many of whom might not otherwise have been able to afford it.
Duncan also recognized Kirk Rafuse of Kentville, a former KAMHA and AMHA player, as being “the first AMHA graduate to be chosen in the QMJHL draft” when he was picked earlier this month by the Lewiston Maineacs.
Goaltender Rafuse, 17, jumped from first-year midget with the Valley Wildcats directly to Junior A, and also represented Nova Scotia at the Canada Winter Games earlier this year. He played this past season with the Truro Junior A Bearcats and enjoyed some success.
In addition to the player awards, plaques of volunteer appreciation were presented to Les Falconer of Tim Horton's, Jim Midgley and Darren Burns of the varsity Axemen, Alan Warner and Rene Murphy, Will and Nancy Brown, Arron Ward, Paul Murphy, Cam Pongoski, Doug Eaton (who could not be present for the ceremony) and Dave Duncan.
