2026 AGM Reports
Director Reports are provided to members in advance of the Annual General Meeting to summarise activities, accomplishments, and priorities from the 2025–26 season.
President's Report
Chris McArthur
President
Our inaugural season. The beginning of a new association.
The creation of Eastend Storm Minor Hockey Association.
Before we reflect on our first successful hockey season, I would like to recognize the work behind the scenes which tool place prior to the first puck drop last fall.
Part 1. Pre season
Over three years ago the two presidents of our founding associations Orleans and Gloucester Center Minor Hockey, Jocelyn Murray and Michel Breau got together and started the conversation about a potential merger, eventually creating a merger committee including board members from both associations. This committee got together and tried to take the best that the two association had to offer, Community Outreach program, Coach Mentoring, Power skating, Volunteer driven Hockey Development AND our association run tournaments at U11 and U15.
Eventually the new Association took shape on paper, revamped Policies and Procedures, Rules and Regulation, a new Blues Partnership Agreement. a new constitution and the incorporation of the new association.
After the paperwork came the fun part. Making theory a reality…. Creating Eastend Storm. Choosing the name (I still think Green’s Creek Gremlins was good….), choosing the colors, the logo, the jerseys, the website.
Then after the easy part…lol…the board rolled up their sleeves and did the dirty work, merged our storage areas, our equipment, our offices, cleaned house and got ready for our first year…
Part 2. Season
The arrival and organizing of our new 1600 jerseys in August was step one…
Then we had our first joint Community Outreach Gear Swap with over 250 members getting access to used gear from our lock up, prizes from Lacroix Sports and burgers and hot dogs brought to you by our local Montana’s on Ogilvie Rd.
Then as our first season began, we faced some early challenges. Lois Kemp was temporarily closed due to ice issues, which caused unusual ice allocation and delayed ice schedules, however, we had our first puck drop and through teamwork and flexibility we were able to work through the early season.
We had our first “Storm Day” in October, with multiple teams representing our new Association to the GHA and our two city Councillors, Tim Tierney and Laura Dudas on the ice for the ceremonial puck drop.
We had our first U11 Community Cup Hockey Tournament in December under the new Association.
We renamed and held our inaugural U15 Michel Breau Community Cup in January.
The playoffs began in March and ending with the Championship Weekend,
- a round robin and then,
- 4 teams make at least quarter finals,
- 7 teams make at least semi finals,
- 7 teams make the finals and we came home with 3 Championship banners.
Great success on the ice for our first season.
I also believe that through the ups and downs of a hockey season, our coaches, volunteers and parents are helping to make our players BETTER people (regardless of age) and I truly believe that our players have received MORE than just hockey development, in learning about leadership, relationships, friendships and sometimes along the way having FUN…
I think that this first year has proved that our executive board, the coaches, the team staff, our parents AND our players have taken the best of what was with the Cougars and the Rush and have made something better, the more than the sum of it’s parts. To all of the volunteers in the association, I thank you for your part in the development of our players in becoming who they will be…
As you know, I am stepping down from my role as President as my term is over. This was not an easy decision, but I feel like with the help of the existing executive board we were able to give the Eastend Storm the beginning it needed to be successful. I will continue to be involved as Past President and will continue to help the new President do what I can to maintain a vibrant, successful hockey community in the Eastend….
Before I finish, I wanted to thank my wife Stephanie who allowed me to volunteer my time for so many years (14) and to my kids Niam and Keenan who ALWAYS gave what they could to help me when I asked behind the scenes and on ice.
To Joce and Michel, it will work, I have faith in our community… Eastend WILL SUCCEED. Merci Les Boys.
Sebastien Laplante
U7 Director
I would like to thank our 44 volunteers, including coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, and team staff, for their dedication and commitment throughout the season. Their efforts helped provide a positive and enjoyable hockey experience for all our players and families.
This season, the U7 program welcomed 103 registered players across multiple teams and skill groups. Players participated in a full season of development, games, fun days, and jamborees, including the Ottawa 67's experience, Kanata Jamboree, and the Tim Hortons Jamboree at the Canadian Tire Centre.
As we look ahead to next season, we anticipate approximately 110 players in the program. We will see 50 players graduate to U9, while also welcoming a new group of first-year players. We will also be recruiting to replace the 13 volunteers moving on to U9.
I am excited to continue in my role as U7 Director next season. In addition to continuing to support our coaches and players, we will be looking to expand our volunteer team on the management side of the program by recruiting three U7 Liaison Officers to assist with on-site operations and parent support, as well as a Program Scheduler to help optimize the delivery of our weekly ice schedule and improve overall program organization.
Thank you to our players, families, volunteers, and Board members for another successful season. I look forward to building on this year's success and continuing to make the East End Storm U7 program a fun, welcoming, and rewarding experience for all participants.
Sincerely,
Sebastien Laplante
U7 Director
Eastend Storm Minor Hockey Association
Maryse Harris
U9 Director
This year we were incredibly fortunate to have an incredible group of volunteers. Our 5 amazing head coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, managers, board builders, and treasurers.
It was extremely heartwarming to see the connections made within our association at the younger levels. Each parent who stepped up to make the team experience that much more fulfilling for the players, a massive thank you is well earned.
U9 Program Overview
- 5 teams
- 80 registered players
- Each team had a minimum of 4 certified assistant coaches
Each team participated in several tournaments, some half ice and some full ice. The development sessions were well attended and many goalies geared up to try the position.
Looking Ahead
Next year I anticipate 6 teams with the same number of players or a few more.
I look forward to seeing all the happy faces at the rink in Fall 2026.
Yours in hockey,
Maryse Harris
Calen Falk
U13 Division Director
I want to extend a huge thanks to the incredible community that makes our U13 division possible. To our head coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, and team managers: thank you for volunteering countless hours on the ice, behind the bench, and in the rinks. Your dedication to developing both hockey skills and character in our players is truly inspiring.
I also want to thank our parents who stepped up to fill all the roles this season. Your unwavering support, positive energy, and commitment ensured our players had a safe, fun, and memorable season. A season like this only happens when a community comes together, and you all made it a resounding success.
The U13 division this season included:
- Total Registered Players: 54 (including 6 goaltenders)
- Team Breakdown: We had 3 teams this season (A1, B1, C1)
- Season Highlight: I did not have to attend any disciplinary hearings at U13 this year! Way to go players and coaches!
Based on this year's numbers of 2015 and 2014 players we will have a similar number of players at U13 next season. This will mean either 3 or 4 teams for 2026/27.
Thank you once again to everyone who contributed to the success of this past year. It has been an absolute privilege to serve as your U13 Division Director. I am incredibly proud of what our players achieved both on and off the ice, and I am already looking forward to seeing everyone back at the rink for another exceptional season of hockey in the fall.
Calen Falk
U13 Division Director
Eastend Minor Hockey Association
KimAnn Hearty
U15 Director
Again this season we evaluated our goalies using Dave Stathos and his fantastic group of instructors/evaluators. I spent many hours working on the evaluation process for U13/U15 and U18 for our goalies to ensure that we were running the best evaluation for them. The process was excellent and went so smoothly and I hope that the association continues to evaluate the goalies using this method.
Our U15 players were sorted into 1 A and 3 B teams this season.
Team Highlights
U15A
Our U15A battled for top spot and ended up in overtime for the league championship and lost a hard fought battle. Thank you to coach Mark Wilson for a wonderful season!
U15B1
Coached by Eric Albert, U15B1 had a solid season and was in the top part of Division 1 most of the season. Thank you Eric to you and your team for a great season!
U15B2
Won the Division/Tier 2 championship! Congratulations to all of the players and coaches on the huge win! We are very proud of you all!
U15B3
Coached by rookie coach Amanda Lauzon, U15B3 finished as the least penalized team in all of the GHA which is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Well done and thank you Amanda and your bench staff for being wonderful mentors to your players!
As we wrap up the season and I say goodbye to my 5 years of being a Director and Executive, I would like to take a quick moment to say thank you.
Thank you to the parents who enrolled your players in our association and who trusted us. You put up with my large amounts of emails during sort outs and you were patient when I am sure you just wanted it to be over.
Thank you to the Executive, past and present who helped me with sort outs, advice and shared their expertise with me. We accomplished SO MUCH and I am so proud that we did it united, no fighting and a hell of a lot of laughter! I can’t wait to see what the new Executive accomplishes!
To the coaches and volunteers, without you I could not have run sort outs or 5 successful seasons. THANK YOU for the long hours, the copious amounts of emails and texts and thank you for your support! You guys are truly the best!
To the players, thank you for showing up with your smiles and your friendly hellos every session! You guys made those long hours worth it!
To the new executive and the new Director of U15 (whoever you may be) please remember why we do this! We all have a reason that we volunteer and for me it was to ensure that all kids were treated fairly, that everyone was evaluated fairly and equally and that players were being placed where their skill level was and not because of who their friends or parents were.
I am proud of the changes I made, including hiring Dave Stathos to do goalie evaluations, bringing in additional GHA members to help with close and tough evaluations, and fighting so hard when I knew we didn’t have enough kids to form a C team one season that I brought in GHA members to evaluate the potential C team and ultimately, for the first time in years, there were no kids placed in C and those kids flourished in B.
Kids are only kids for so long so let them play the game they love and leave the politics out of it!
I wish the new executive success!
Have a wonderful summer and I will see you all at the rink next season, looking relaxed and stress free and as a happy hockey mom.
KimAnn Hearty
U18/U21 Level Director
U18
U18 consisted of 111 registrants (102 players and 9 goalies). We had 2 A teams which contained 2 goalies per team, and 5 B teams with one goalie each.
Sort outs started September 18th with Rust Offs. We ran 3 further scrimmage evaluations and 7 hours of balancing games for a total of 22 sort out hours. We also used Dave Stathos Goalie Performance Center to assist us with our goalie evaluations. The season started on October 15th with our first game.
U18 B was rejigged in January and resplit into a new B1 and B2 based on standings from December 8th. To place teams, the win% column was used (total points/games played times 2). We therefore started the new year with 4 teams in B1 and 1 team in B2.
It appeared to me that all teams had a fun season (with much thanks to our Coaches, bench staff and Managers) with many tournaments attended including Shawville, Brockville, Cobden, North Bay and Hawkesbury.
Our A2 team won our first ever U18 EEMH championship.
New Eastend Storm U18 sort out jerseys have been ordered and will be ready for next season.
There are 11 A teams and 24 B teams within the GHA.
U21
U21 was successful in hosting 2 teams this year. We had 33 players and 4 goalies.
We started with a scrimmage on September 13th to get everyone back on the ice again, and our first balancing game the next day. We ran 2 more hours of scrimmaging and one further balancing game on the 25th and finalized the teams after that.
The season started October 16th for both teams in a faceoff against each other at Earl Armstrong. I might add B2 won that game, however it was B1 that won in the same faceoff for the final championship.
Many thanks to both Coaches and all support staff for a great season.
There is a total of 9 U21 teams in the GHA.
With such success this year, the large teams and increased interest, we are contemplating a 3rd team for next season. This is to allow anyone aged U21 the opportunity to play further seasons of minor hockey in their community.
Further decisions will be made closer to the start of next season based on registration numbers.
Director of Communications
Updated June 1, 2026
Congratulations to the Board and the entire association for creating a successful first year for the Eastend Storm. The task to help celebrate what we have all done this season has been made so much easier by the incredible milestones we reached.
The process for sending messages to the association members went quite well. All messages are sent primarily through our TeamSnap email platform, with many messages added to our website in the "Latest News" section (depending on the message). Then messages are boosted using our social media platforms, as appropriate. A webmaster posted all the email and website actions.
Social Media Growth
Our main channel is Facebook which saw growth up 83 subscribers to 665 followers.
- Facebook: 665 followers
- Instagram: 616 followers
- X (Twitter): 486 followers
Some additional reach occurs on our Threads and BlueSky accounts, although minimal.
During March 2026, during our playoff run, over 100,000 views from our followers helped us celebrate an excellent playoff run. Clearly, our subscribers shared our posts to reach even more people. This could be an excellent opportunity for sponsors to participate in our playoff success.
Partnerships and Promotion
Our social media platforms have also been an excellent way to work with our partners to help boost and get boosted on important messages.
This past season, we helped sponsors like:
- Lacroix Source for Sports
- Montana's Gloucester
- Richcraft Sensplex
- Sumpreme Sports Care
- Tim Tierney
- Laura Dudas
We have also partnered with:
- HEO Hockey
- First Shift Hockey
- Competitive Edge Hockey with Carl Menard
- Goalie Army Academy
- Brian Gillam
- Brianne Jenner Hockey Academy
New Family Outreach Initiative
New for our first year, a gap was recognized in communicating with families interested but have not registered for the first time.
To bridge this, an initiative was created to reach new families and provide information to them. Posters and a retractable banner were created that can be used each year to sign up for our New Families newsletter.
Access and the first newsletter have been automated. Currently nineteen families have signed up. This is significant in comparison to the total of new registrations.
The interest in the activities of Eastend Storm has been overwhelming. The association is very grateful to all our members, sponsors, and partners.
With an active hockey community, we have so much to share and be proud of.
Download the Communications Report
Mike Webb
Ice Scheduler
Highlights / Challenges
The City via GHA still requires us to confirm our ice request for the entire season.
Navan closure till November meant that we had to use Grandmaitre so that Cumberland could use Potvin till re-open date.
While unsuitable for some levels of play, Grandmaitre had been renovated and proved to be suitable versus losing ice allotment outright.
The unplanned closure of Blackburn and many delays to re-open put some stress on our supply, as we tried to assist our GHA cousins.
The Blackburn closure and the GHA decision to re-set the U15 & U18 levels post Holiday Break created delays in publishing their schedules.
As a result of the schedule delays, game switches were rampant. EastEnd Storm MHA alone was involved in over 150 game switches.
We fielded 2 U21 teams and 7 U18 teams, which affected the dynamics of ice allocations a bit, as they use full ice for practices.
We donated 2 hours of ice to the Canadian Miners Association for a hockey event in return for a $1,000 donation to our outreach program.
Subsequently, the City refunded us for the ice and charged the association directly, so we netted the full $1,000.
We offered all teams the opportunity to purchase the first hour of extra ice below our cost ($175/hr).
Ice scheduling meeting is tomorrow (June 4th).
Metcalfe Arena will be closed all year, so we can expect a return to Grandmaitre or other alternative facilities in 2026-27.
Coach Mentorship Program Highlights
2025-2026 Season
Off-Ice Sessions
October 7, 2025
- Coach Meet and Greet Session
- Meet the Mentors
- Learn more about the EMHA Coach Mentorship Program
- Q&A
October 28, 2025
- The Coaching Solution to Developing Skilled Players
- Brian Gillam Hockey
May 7, 2026
- Season Wrap-Up Session
- Summary of season learnings
- Linear vs. Non-Linear coaching approaches
- Q&A
On-Ice Sessions
December 6, 2025
- On-Ice Coaching Methods for Developing Skilled Players Part 1
- Representative Learning Design (RLD)
Topics included:
- Making drills representative
- Increasing variability
- Focus of attention
- Instructions within RLD environments
January 13, 2026
- On-Ice Coaching Methods for Developing Skilled Players Part 2
January 23, 2026
- Developing Effective Checkers
Topics included:
- Playing without the puck
- Defensive principles
- Effective checking habits
March 6, 2026
- Goalie Coaching 101 & Beyond
- Goal Scoring Session
Topics included:
- Creating scoring chances
- Offensive principles
- Skill and habit development
Participation
Over the course of the season:
- 36 different coaches attended
- Including 4 Blues coaches
Additional Resources Provided
- Body-Checking Clinic for Blues
- House League evaluators at sort outs
- Mentorship Coaching Guide
- Hockey Canada Skills by Level resources
- Dedicated Mentor for each level
- Coach Mentorship Twitter Account (@coachmentorship)
Thank You
Thank you to all our coaches and volunteers this season for everything that they do for the EMHA.
If anyone has any questions and/or feedback on the program, please reach out via:
2025-2026 Coach Mentorship Team
- Leo Bisson – U18 Coach Mentor
- Patrick Brookes – U13 Coach Mentor
- Pierre Leblanc – U9 Coach Mentor
- Greg Mouland – U11 Coach Mentor
- Jocelyn Murray – U15 Co-Coach Mentor
- Joel Neuheimer – U15 Co-Coach Mentor
- Maryse Smith – U7 Coach Mentor
- Leah White – Team Manager Mentor
- Bob Sawchuk – Communications Director
May 29, 2026
Patrick Brookes
Director of Player Development
Program Overview
Spring 4-on-4 Hockey Program
- Registration fees from the Spring 2025 4-on-4 program largely helped pay for our EMHA Development Program this season, including ice costs, equipment, and service fees for technical skills development (goalies and power skating).
- Registration for the Spring 2026 4-on-4 program was strong and puts us in a good position to offer similar programming for the 2026-27 season.
Player / Goalie Development Program
Program Dates
- October 21, 2025 through December 16, 2025
- January 13, 2026 through February 24, 2026
Program Summary
- Total of 56 hours of ice
- 11 player sessions for each U9-U13 team
- Combination of player development sessions provided by the EMHA Development Team and technical skating sessions with contracted instructor Carl Menard
- 6 goalie sessions for all U9-U18 goalies
- Technical goalie instruction provided by Rick Besharah (Goalie Army)
First Shift Program
NHL/NHLPA First Shift Trial Program (Phase One)
- Sold out 6-week curriculum
- November 16 to December 21
- Delivered by qualified volunteer instructors from our Development Team along with volunteer on-ice assistants
Second Shift Transition Program (Phase Two)
- January 18 to February 21
- Offered to returning participants
- Additional 6-week curriculum
Program Summary
- Total of 12 hours of ice
- Registration fees from the Transition Program helped offset the overall cost of both phases
Program Highlights & Acknowledgements
Highlights
- Overall programming was cost-neutral
- Season surplus of $349.27
- Trial of goalie sessions expanded to U15 and U18
- No deduction of regular ice allotment for U9, U11, and U13 teams
- Teams still received 10 full-ice hours
- Introduction of the Transition Program for First Shift participants
Thank You
A huge thank you to the members of our Development Team — all the past and present coaches who volunteer as qualified on-ice instructors, helping deliver fun and effective sessions for our members and First Shift participants.
Thank you to all the current Storm coaches that would come out on the ice to support your team and would often be recruited to help run stations. Your help was essential in running a successful program.
Thank you to Adrian Movileanu for his role as First Shift Administrator.
Many thanks to Michael Sullivan for all his help with the website and organizing our First Shift programs on TeamSnap.
Thank you to all our on-ice player volunteers that helped with our Player Development Sessions and First Shift programs throughout the season.
Maryse Harris
Outreach Program
This year, our Outreach program started off with a bang at our equipment swap.
An incredible thank you goes out to Calen Falk for organizing an incredible event. A massive thank you goes out to Montana’s Restaurant for sponsoring with burgers and hot dogs.
It was extremely heartwarming to see the community attend and make use of the equipment.
Program Highlights
During the year multiple fundraising efforts helped, including the jersey sales by Eric Magnan.
A big thank you goes to the Canadian Mineral Processors Society for their generous donation.
As an association, we helped:
- 6 players pay for registration
- 3 players pay for team fees
We also have our donation net set up at the Richcraft Sensplex to replenish our locker.
A big thank you to Chris McArthur, Foundation & Up Home Inspections, for sponsoring our equipment locker.
Looking Ahead
We will continue our efforts to make hockey accessible for families, looking forward to our next big equipment swap.
Yours in hockey,
Maryse Harris
Chris Proulx
Director Competitive (Blues)
It was a very successful season for the Blues, both on and off the ice.
For the 2025-26 season, the Blues iced eight teams from U10 to U18. This was the second season post-COVID that we iced a U18 team.
Registration and Team Overview
- 5% increase in tryout numbers over last season
- 37% increase over the last three seasons
- 138 rostered players
- 72 from EMHA
- 60 from BMHA
- 6 imports
Areas of Focus and New Initiatives
- Increased communication (email, website, Facebook)
- Transparency in tryouts
- Increased presence of directors at games and practices
- Increased amount of practice ice
- Increased goalie development
- Blues Coach Mentor program
- Host development sessions
- Improved coach selection process
- Increased emphasis on attendance
- Pre-season body contact sessions
- Discipline education sessions
- Volunteer scheduling improvements
Competitive Results
The Blues teams represented very well in league play and tournaments.
- Four teams finished in the top half of league standings
- U11, U16 and U18 reached league semi-finals
- 32 tournaments attended
- 5 Gold Medals
- 9 Silver Medals
- 9 additional semi-final appearances
Development
Development continued to be a major focus.
Providers included:
- Apex Hockey
- Genesis Hockey
- Goalie Army Academy
- Capital Goalie School
The Blues invested up to $1,500 per team toward:
- Development sessions
- Additional ice
- Coach certifications
Teams also independently invested between $2,000 and $7,500 into player development initiatives.
Affiliate Player Program
Across all eight Blues teams:
- 43 affiliates
- 257 development session attendances
- 231 game appearances
Community Involvement
Teams participated in food drive initiatives and collected approximately 500 items for local food banks.
The U13 Blues team also participated in a friendly game with the Ottawa Bandits Hockey Club.
Looking Ahead to 2026/27
- Transition to the CrossBar website platform
- Expanded use of independent evaluators during tryouts
- Electronic game sheets for B League
- Trainer Mentor initiative
- Blues branded tournament medals
In closing, thank you to all players, coaches, volunteers, executive members, mentors, and support staff who contributed to another successful season.
I hope everyone has a great summer and I look forward to seeing everyone next season.
Chris Proulx
Director Competitive
Maryse Harris
Spring 4-on-4 Program
Our Spring 4-on-4 began Sunday April 19th with 9 sessions bringing us to Sunday June 14th, 2026.
We were fortunate to book the same pad for all sessions, avoiding confusion week to week.
Program Overview
From 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM, players from U7 to U18 were able to enjoy some 4-on-4 fun.
With an incredible jump in U9 registration, we adjusted to have 2 hours for them. With the help of wonderful Convenors, each hour has been able to run successfully.
Thank you to those who stepped into this year’s sessions to help allow our players to enjoy themselves.
Looking Ahead
Next year, we may create a half-ice U9 option.
I anticipate our sessions for 2027 will be announced at the end of January 2027.
Yours in hockey,
Maryse Harris