WELCOME BACK!
My name is Chris McArthur and I am the President of your newly created Eastend Storm Minor Hockey Association. I would like to take a minute of your time to share some key information as our Level Directors are beginning to send out information on upcoming sort outs.
- To provide for even better communication within our hockey community, we have moved to TeamSnap for our website AND for our main method of communication between the Board of Directors and our members, from Level Directors to parents during sort outs and, eventually, from Coaches/Managers to their teams. We suggest downloading the free app now so you can familiarize yourself with all the features in advance of the season and stay up-to-date with all association information. TeamSnap works extremely well on both Apple and Android platforms.
- There is a significant lack of ice available from the city this year as some arenas are undergoing maintenance, both planned and unplanned. This is affecting the availability AND location of our sort out and practice ice:
- Lois Kemp Arena (Blackburn) will not open until the end of September at the earliest.
- Navan Arena is closed until mid to late November.
- Our traditional ice times on the Potvin Pad at Richcraft are required by Cumberland until November.
As a result, Eastend has ice times at GrandmaƮtre Arena in Vanier. Although Gloucester Centre has used GrandmaƮtre in the past, it may be new for some Orleans families. We are aware that, online, it is listed as closed and that the arena has been used in other capacities for the past couple of years. The city has renovated the facility and is reopening it to meet increased demand for ice. Some families have expressed concern about its readiness or location; attendance is a personal decision, but we cannot change our allotted ice. Our Ice Scheduler is working hard to secure the best possible times and locations for every level.
- Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Level Director if you would like to volunteer during sort outs or as part of the coaching staff during the year. We are always looking for volunteers from our hockey community. If you are asked for assistance, please give a hand if you can to help make the sort outs go smoothly.
I hope everyone is excited to get back to the arena and for those of you who are still trying out at Rangers or Blues, I wish you all the best and hope everyone has a great hockey season! If you have any questions in regard to TeamSnap, our facilities, volunteering or any other questions or concerns at all, please feel free to contact me directly (president@eastendstorm.ca). I look forward to seeing everyone and to meeting those I donā€™t already know.
One last thingā€¦ Though there is always a lot of work behind the scenes getting ready for an upcoming season, this past spring and summer has been much busier than normal with the merger of Gloucester Centre and Orleans MHAs. If you have the opportunity, please take the time to say thanks to your new Board of Directors who have been working wonders!
Yours in Hockey,
Chris McArthur
President, Eastend Storm Minor Hockey Association