By Kristi Patton /
The SAIT Trojans women’s hockey team will be under new management when they return to defend their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference gold medal for a third time.
Thomas Graham is taking the reigns of the Lady Trojans from Scott Rivett who helped turn the women’s hockey team into back-to-back league champions.
“We are proud to have Graham as part of our coaching team. He brings a strong connection to elite hockey in Calgary. This connection, coupled with Graham’s creative hockey strategies should allow our women’s team to continue to be a leader in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC),” said Trojans athletic director Ken Babey.
Thomas brings plenty of experience to the Lady Trojans in coaching, training, scouting and evaluating local elite male and female hockey players.
The newly appointed leaders have been a coach and instructor at the National Sport Academy and with Calgary Hockey Development since 2000. Thomas is currently a National Strength and Conditioning Specialist and last season coached with the Midget AAA Royals, Alberta Cup Program of Excellence and the Bantam AAA female Herricanes.
AWARDS GIVEN OUT
The Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Induction and Hockey Alberta Awards Ceremony, held in June, featured a number of female hockey contributors.
Suzanne Triance-Wright was one of the inductees. She established female hockey in the Provincial Championships, the Canada Winter Games, and the Alberta Winter Games.
Triance-Wright was a pioneer volunteer with Hockey Alberta starting out as a referee assignor in Androssan and ending up the chairperson of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association Female Council. Over her years, she has made significant contributions as a builder and promoter of Female Hockey in Alberta.
Triance-Wright’s passion for hockey and her dedication to establishing female hockey in Alberta made her contribution a significant piece of Alberta hockey history.
The Hockey Alberta Award winners included Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League president Byron Stephen winning the Meritorious Award.
Over the years, Stephen has been a positive contributor for Hockey in Alberta as not only the Hockey Alberta Female Council Chairperson, but also as a chairperson for the Hockey Canada Female Council.
The inclusion of the Female Division of the Mac’s Midget Tournament is a result of Stephen’s hard work and dedication.
In 2002, Stephen was recognized by Hockey Canada for his dedication and efforts in Female Hockey and he won the Female Breakthrough of the Year Award. The Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the game of Hockey in Alberta through regional, national, or international accomplishments. They are also recognized for their contributions to the growth and development of the game in Alberta.
The Hall is designed to research, preserve and celebrate Alberta’s Hockey History. It honours former presidents, inductees and members. Items that are on display date back to the beginning, to those first days of Hockey. The Hall displays old jerseys, autographed photographs and shows the highlights of professional and Junior hockey in Alberta. The Hall of Fame maintains legacies for people to enjoy forever.
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