The Notre Dame Experience Edition #3

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3
ELEVEN Inspiring and
transformational
stories from Notre
Dame Hounds who are
living their Hockey
Dream, Compiled
and edited by Janet
Matthews, co-author
of Canadian Chicken
Soup for the Soul
The Notre Dame Man
—Athol Murray
The world today is looking for men and women,
Who are not for sale
Who are honest, sound from centre to circumference, true to the heart’s core
CONTENTS
With consciences as steady as the needle to the pole
Vincent Lecavalier
Jaden Schwartz
Brandon Gormley
Bobbi-Jo Slusar
Wendel Clark
James Patrick Barry Trotz
Sarah Hodges
Tyler Myers
Rob Palmarin
Mandi Schwartz
Jordan Eberle
2
10
18
28
36
44
54
66
72
79
80
90
Who will stand for the right if the heavens totter and the earth reels
Who can tell the truth and look the world right in the eye
Who neither brag nor run
Who neither flag or flinch
Who can have courage without shouting it
In whom the courage of everlasting life runs still, deep and strong
Who know their message and tell it
Who know their place and fill it
Who know their business and attend to it
Who will not lie, shirk or dodge
VOLUME 3 THE NOTRE DAME EXPERIENCE,
copyright 2012. Published by The Athol Murray College of
Who are not too lazy to work, nor too proud to be poor
Notre Dame. No part of this publication may be used or
reproduced in any manner without written permission except
in the case of brief quotations. No Other High School in the
WorldTM is a Trademark of SuperSam Publishing Inc..
For further information contact: The Athol Murray College of
Notre Dame, P.O. Box 100, Wilcox Saskatchewan, S0G 5E0.
Tel: 306-732-2080 Fax: 306-732-4409
www.notredame.sk.ca
e-mail: info@notredame.ca
Executive Producer: Tim Johnson ‘80
Compiling and Editorial: Janet Matthews
Graphic Design: Mieka West
Printing: Rhino Print Solutions Calgary
Who are willing to eat what they have earned
and wear what they have paid for
Who are not ashamed to say "no" with emphasis
God is looking for them. He wants those who can unite together around
a common faith - who can join hands in a common task - and who have
come to the kingdom for such a time as this. God give us such as them.
Not only will they be better prepared to fulfill their duties as a
citizen, they should make a better friend, a better husband, a
better father, a better wife, because free people do. They will,
in short, be better prepared to live, and when their hour comes,
they will know better how to die because free people do.
NO OTHER
HIGH SCHOOL
IN THE WORLD!
No other high school in the world has developed more elite Junior, Collegiate, CIS, NCAA, National,
Olympic and NHL hockey stars than the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame!
Notre Dame offers an unprecedented opportunity to earn a first class education while competing in some of
the most respected leagues and tournaments for Bantam, Midget and Junior hockey in North America. At Notre
Dame, our “scholar athletes” are expected to carry a full academic workload, maintain a high grade point average, perform dorm, kitchen and rink duties and be accountable for their actions both on and off the ice.
Notre Dame promotes a classic education centered on developing the mind, body and spirit of our young
adults. Our school motto, “Luctor et Emergo” or Struggle and Emerge, is a daily call to action for our students,
athletes, coaches and alumni. “Hounds”, as we fondly call our student body, are quickly recognized as mature,
balanced individuals who think well, speak well and write well. Our campus boasts a full size Olympic ice surface,
fully appointed gym and weight room with certified strength and conditioning trainers, physiotherapists and elite
coaches with provincial and national successes. Hounds are superbly conditioned athletes with a renowned reputation for relentless attacks, tenacious defense and a “Never lose heart” attitude.
In this publication we have compiled eleven stories of some of our best and brightest Hounds. In their own
words they will share with you, why they chose Notre Dame, what life changing transformation they experienced while at Notre Dame and who they are today. When you have finished reading we invite you to come for a
“Campus Day Visit”. During your Campus Day Visit you will tour our facilities and have an opportunity to interact
with our teachers, coaches and students. You will experience a day in the life of a Hound by attending classes,
skating with one of our teams and enjoying a meal in Varsity, our dining hall. Once you are finished your Campus
Day Visit, we will ask you a simple question, “Do you think you have what it takes to be a Notre Dame Hound?”
Del Pedrick, B.PE., B.Ed. Director of Hockey Janice Rumpel, B.PE., B Ed.
Director of Hockey Development
1
“NOTRE DAME IS A
GREAT SCHOOL OF LIFE!”
“Look Vincent!” said my fourteen-year-old brother Philippe, pointing at the
photo. “That’s me playing with the Notre Dame Hounds. Look at that cool
jersey! In this one you can see all the other kids in the stands cheering, and
there’s our coach. Just think, in a few more years you can do this too!” I was
nine years old, and from that moment on I knew that when I was older I’d be
going to Notre Dame to play hockey, and be a Hound.
I grew up in Ile Bizard in Montreal, Quebec, with my brother Philippe and
my sister Genevieve. I started skating when I was two-and-a-half, and my
mom says that at eighteen months I was stick-handling with mini sticks in
front of the TV. It was really then that I started falling in love with hockey
and dreaming of playing. By age four I was playing hockey in a league. My
dad had played junior hockey until he was nineteen so as I went through the
levels of minor hockey he was my coach.
When it came to school, our parents wanted us to be bilingual so I went to
immersion schools where I learned to speak and write well in English. I was a
good student and, like every other boy, I dreamed of playing in the NHL, but
for me it was really just a dream.
Once or twice a year my dad would take us to a hockey game at the Forum
to watch the Montreal Canadiéns. I was a huge Steve Yzerman fan so I loved
it when Detroit was in town and I could watch him play. I was probably the
only person in the stands wearing a Detroit Redwings jersey! As Captain he
led the Wings to three Stanley Cup Championships, and he was really the
one who inspired me when I was younger.
At some point my dad met a guy in Quebec City who was recruiting for
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame. He learned all about the school, and
Philippe decided to go there. While my dad may have dreamed of us making
Vincent Lecavalier is Captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Born April 21, 1980 in
Montreal, he attended Athol Murray College of Notre Dame for two years where he
became best friends with Brad Richards. He then played Junior Hockey for two years
for the Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), winning several individual trophies and rising to the top of the NHL prospect lists. At age
eighteen Lecavalier was drafted first overall by Tampa Bay Lightning, and in the 2003–04
season he played a key role in the team’s Stanley Cup victory. He was named MVP of the
Canadian National Team in the 2004 World Cup which Canada won, and in 2006 he went
to the Olympics as a member of Team Canada. In 2007, with 52 goals, Lecavalier earned
the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer for that season. He
has also earned the Mark Messier Leadership Award, The NHL Foundation Award, The
King Clancy Award, has made numerous appearances as an NHL All-Star and garnered a
host of franchise scoring records. But in addition to all this, through The Vinnie Lecavalier
Foundation he pledged $3 million to an all children’s hospital facility in St. Petersburg,
Florida. It opened in 2010 and was named the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and
Blood Disorders Center in his honor. Lecavalier lives in Tampa Bay with his wife Caroline
and their two children.
2
Vincent
Lecavalier
Vincent
Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Captain
of
the
Tampa
Bay
Lightning,
NHL
Captain
of
the
Tampa
Bay
Lightning,
NHL
Captain
of
the
Tampa
Bay
Lightning,
NHL
Captain of
of the
the Tampa
Tampa Bay
Bay Lightning,
Lightning, NHL
NHL
Captain
3
it into the NHL, his real goal was for us to get an
excellent education and he thought Notre Dame
was the right way to do that. He also learned that
a lot of American College scouts come to the
Notre Dame games, another good reason for my
brother to go. When Philippe graduated as a four
year Hound he had earned a full hockey scholarship to Clarkson University.
Whenever Philippe came home I would hear all
about Notre Dame, and he would show me the
pictures. So because I knew from the time I was
nine that I wanted to go there, I was really prepared. Then, just like my brother, I left home at
fourteen for grade nine. This was tough for my
parents - a real sacrifice because we are a very,
very close family. I know they were sad, but they
wanted what was best for us and they felt strongly
that was Notre Dame.
Although Philippe had prepared me well I was
still a bit nervous. When I arrived the very first
person I met was Brad Richards who had the bunk
right next to me. We’re exactly the same age, and
we became best friends. We were hanging out
every day, and we were very, very close right from
the get-go. I also quickly met the senior students
who were dorm leaders, and they all knew my
brother! Two brothers in grade twelve, Jeff and
Jason Ulmer, both knew Philippe and lucky for me
they really liked him. They’re great guys and they
made me feel very comfortable.
Like any kid I loved to play hockey more than I
loved studying, but I’d always been a good student with marks usually in the low eighties, and
it was the same at Notre Dame. My goal was to
make it to college like my brother, so school was a
priority.
I also learned right away about Father Murray
and the history of the school. He was amazing,
and I think his passion and the legacy he left is
what makes the school what it is today. The way
the school is run with everyone having responsibility for something, you grow up very quickly.
4
There’s a very structured routine with a good balance of work and play; you quickly adjust to it and
soon you enjoy it. Every night you have chores just
like at home, and there are consequences when
you don’t meet your responsibilities. You learn a
lot about hard work and self discipline. You make
lots of very good friends, and it is just a great
school run by very good people and excellent
teachers. The school community is so special, and
very important. Wilcox is a small town, and the
students are always involved in community service
projects there.
I was very moved by the school motto Struggle
and Emerge because, really, that’s what life is. You
learn that you will go through some tough times,
and you struggle and find your way. As far as the
spiritual part, I was raised Catholic and went to
Church every Sunday, so I really appreciated that
aspect of the school, and I think it brought a great
deal to me.
When it came to hockey there were kids from
all over Canada who were really good players. During that first month I was a bit afraid of
not making the Bantam AAA team, which was
coached by Terry O’Malley. But Brad Richards and
I ended up being the only two first-year players
to make it that year. Terry is such a great guy and
just an amazing coach. He knows so much about
hockey - little things you never learned before, and
how to really play defensive hockey. He was tough
but fair; a great, great person. Now it was me travelling around Saskatchewan playing hockey as a
Notre Dame Hound, and it was special because
I’d known for so long I’d be doing it. I’d seen the
pictures of Philippe wearing the jersey, and now I
was wearing it, and I really felt I was on the right
path.
In grade ten my coach was Denny Ulmer, and
he was also really great. His sons, Jeff and Jason,
also both made it to the NHL. I played Bantam
AAA until about February when I moved up to
Midget AAA. One thing that made a real
5
difference was the off-rink training available in the gym. To learn how to train
properly at age fourteen was a real advantage. You’re in a school where
almost everyone is an athlete, everyone wants to be better, and everyone is
always pushing each other. This environment really sets everyone up to keep
getting better and do their best. It’s very competitive, and this experience
makes it easier when you get to the next level.
That year we won at the Bantam AAA level in the Edmonton/St. Albert tournament. There were a lot of big strong guys, and we were playing the best
teams and it was definitely the highlight of my time at Notre Dame. I really
grew up in those two amazing years, and when I finished grade ten I was
more confident and more disciplined, and my attitude was better. However,
I still didn’t know if I would go to college like my brother, or decide to play
Junior Hockey. I did not yet have a clear vision of the NHL in my future. One
option was to finish high school at Notre Dame and play on their Junior
A Team. This would have left me the option of playing college hockey in
a couple of years. The other choice was to try the route of playing Junior
Hockey right away, as perhaps a faster way to the NHL. But after you play
even one game of Junior you can never play college hockey, and I’d always
wanted to go to college so this was a very tough decision. After numerous
discussions with my parents, in the end we decided to take a chance on my
going up to Junior in Rimouski and finishing high school there, and it turned
out to be the best thing for me. So I left Notre Dame after grade ten while
Brad Richards opted to stay.
I chose Rimouski Oceanic for Junior because of their great educational
program. I billeted with a family for two years and went to a private school
called Claire-L’Heureux Dube for grades eleven and twelve. The school was
right next to the arena so I could go to practice in the morning, and then go
to class right after. They were really good, and the teachers really helped
when I had to miss classes.
Playing Junior Hockey is a very demanding life; you play seventy-two
games - all by bus. You’re on the road all the time, you miss a lot of school
and it’s very hard to keep your grades up. It’s more travelling than we do in
the NHL, and much harder. It was a tough year at age sixteen, but when the
scaling lists came out in December I was startled to discover I was on top!
It was then I started to realize I actually had potential. My goals changed, my
dream was born, and my focus became truly to make it to the NHL.
At the beginning of my second year in Rimouski Brad Richards joined me
and it was great having him back as my teammate. Then, in 1998 when I was
only eighteen, I got drafted first overall by Tampa Bay. Back then only one or
two guys were making the teams at eighteen so I had no idea if I could make
it. Being rated number one I definitely felt that pressure, so that summer
6
7
I really worked hard, and in September I made the Tampa Bay Lightning!
Realizing I had made it to the NHL was just the best feeling in the world.
My first game with the Lightning was at the beginning of October against
the Florida Panthers. At eighteen, an age when most kids are just starting
college, I was basically alone and playing professional hockey with guys
much older. But my time at Notre Dame had matured and prepared me for
being away from home. Because of Notre Dame I was ready to live on my
own. Then, two years later in 2000, Brad Richards also made it to Tampa Bay
so once again, and for the third time, we are teammates and best friends
and sharing the experience.
I’ve been with Tampa Bay now for fourteen years and over those years I’ve
played with and against a number of Hounds like Rod Brind’Amour, Curtis
Joseph and James Patrick. Wendel Clark was a team mate for a time. There
are some young Hounds coming onto the NHL scene now like Jordan Eberle
and Jaden Schwartz. And Keith Aulie who is with Tampa right now also went
to Notre Dame. Then, in an interesting turn of events, in May 2010 my childhood inspiration, Steve Yserman, became our general manager. Over the
years I’ve been proud to play with Team Canada and in 2004 Brad Richards
and I played in the World Cup in Toronto and we won, just an incredible
experience. In 2006 I went to the Olympics in Torino, again with Brad, which
was really a great experience, even though we came home without a medal.
But in 2004 Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup, and I can honestly say that
nothing beats winning a Stanley Cup. It’s not just a two-week tournament,
it’s a whole year and it starts at training camp. You build a team, then you’ve
got your ups and downs during the season, and that’s almost the easy part,
because after that you’ve got the play-offs, which is really a roller coaster ride. You’re winning a game, losing a game; losing game 5 you’re down
3-2, but then you come back and win game 6 and tie it up. When you win a
Stanley Cup there are so many emotions you’re just exhausted. When they
started the countdown of ten seconds left I was on the bench and I just
wanted to jump onto the ice. There was so much emotion. Watching the
clock I couldn’t wait until it went to zero, because you just never know what
will happen. For me, winning the Stanley Cup was the ultimate realization
of a lifetime dream. That night Brad Richards and I had a big Notre Dame
“Struggle and Emerge” right above our lockers. It’s something we’ve taken
with us wherever we go; when you’ve been to Notre Dame, it’s something
that’s just always in you.
Today I’m living in Tampa Bay with my wife Caroline and our two small children, Victoria and Gabriel. Family is very important to me, and I’m still very
close with my mom and dad and my brother and sister. So for me naturally,
with my kids, family is everything, and nothing tops that - not even a Stanley
Cup.
8
At this point in my life I’m inspired by people who
give back to their community, another Notre Dame
value, and it makes me want to do that. I do a golf
tournament in Rimouski every year, and after living
in Tampa for fourteen years I like to give back to this
community. A lot of hockey players work with kids
who have cancer, and when I see those kids who
go through so much I really want to help. So I started the Vinnie Lecavalier Foundation to support a
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in St.
Petersburg. I’m also inspired and motivated by my
own kids. When I wake up in the morning they put a
smile on my face, and they really motivate me to be
a better person because as a dad I have to lead by
example and do things the right way.
I’m also still motivated to keep getting better in hockey. I’m thirty-two now
but I still feel young and strong. I’m motivated to work hard in the summer
and be ready for training camp, perhaps even more than when I was eighteen because I want to play as long as I can and finish strong.
If you’re thinking about going to Notre Dame, it’s a very special place.
I really have a hard time describing it - you just have to go for a Campus
Day Visit and see it for yourself. I think parents sometimes only think about
whether it’s a great hockey school. Well, it is a great hockey school and a
great place to start your hockey career. It’s also a great education, but it’s
so much more. It’s really a great school of life. When you go to Notre Dame,
you leave with so much more than you can ever imagine.
In 1989 we decided to send our oldest son Philippe to Notre Dame at age fourteen. It was one of
the best, but also painful decisions we’ve ever made. We knew if it worked out our youngest son
Vincent would follow in a few years, and of course he did. As Notre Dame Hounds both our sons
were constantly challenged to succeed academically, athletically, and in their relationships with
teachers, coaches and peers. They learned discipline, developed their work ethic and learned to
manage their time and their stress levels, all of which led to developing a greater sense of responsibility.
Living in the Notre Dame family helped develop our sons’ sense of community, and further developed the cherished values we’d always taught them like honesty, compassion, fidelity to friends,
generosity and modesty. There were always many gifted athletes at Notre Dame, but we soon realized that every student was treated fairly and equally regardless of their background or level of skill.
They were rewarded just as much for their work ethic and dedication to the team as for their talent.
An NHL hockey career is not always as glamorous as it may be perceived. There are many ups
and downs and stressful situations which require a high level of maturity for the professional athlete to face and survive, and Notre Dame prepared Vincent well for that. If not for Notre Dame, we
often wonder what path he would have taken, and most importantly what type of man he would
have become. Notre Dame helped us lead our son’s future in the right direction. We are forever
thankful for Notre Dame’s grand role in assisting us as parents guide both our sons in the successful lives they have today. Thank you Notre Dame!
Christiane and Yvon Lecavalier
Montreal Quebec
Proud Parents of Hounds Vincent and Philippe Lecavalier
9
NOTRE DAME - A ONCE IN A
LIFE TIME OPPORTUNITY
NEVER LOSE HEART!
One day when I was in grade five my mom and dad gathered us together
and said, “We have to make a change. You’re all doing great playing hockey,
and we know you love it and we don’t want to change that, but we’re
stretched to the max driving you all over the place. We’ve decided to have a
look at Notre Dame and see if moving there might work for us as a family.”
So we drove to Wilcox for a Campus Day Visit. My older sister Mandi was
particularly excited because she already knew they had an amazing hockey
program for girls. My parents were impressed with the school, the teachers, the coaches and all the sports programs so they decided that moving
the entire family to Wilcox would give all three of us the best opportunities to
succeed, and seriously simplify their lives.
Like so many other boys I began dreaming of playing in the NHL when I
was very small. I started skating when I was two, and by age four I was playing hockey. In winter my dad would build a backyard rink and it was just so
much fun and always full of kids. Skating on outdoor rinks was so special,
and a big highlight of my childhood. I just loved everything hockey and it
became my dream to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup.
As we got older, all three of us started doing more and more sports in a
really serious way. We lived in White City just east of Regina, and my parents
were so busy driving us all over the place it was getting really hard on them.
But once we moved to Wilcox it was much easier for everyone. That year
my sister Mandi was in grade ten, my brother Rylan was in grade eight, and
Jaden Schwartz plays Left Wing for the St. Louis Blues in the NHL. Born June 25, 1992
in Melfort Saskatchewan, he entered grade eight at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
where he spent five years playing minor Hockey. While playing Midget AAA as a Notre
Dame Hound he scored 39 goals and 72 assists in 44 games, breaking team scoring
records previously held by Hounds Vince Lecavalier and Brad Richards. Schwartz then
went to Nebraska to play with the Tri-City Storm in the American Tier I Jr. A USHL and
earned that league’s scoring title with 83 points in 60 games. Schwartz then attended
Colorado College on a full scholarship and played NCAA Division I college hockey in
the WCHA. In March of 2012, he signed with the St. Louis Blues to make his NHL debut
on March 17 against Tampa Bay, where he scored his first NHL goal, a game winner. He
has also represented Canada internationally at the World Junior A Challenge in 2008, in
the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2009, at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
where they won gold, at the 2011 World Junior Championships, and as Captain at the
2012 World Junior Championships where he was named Canada’s player of the game. In
the fall of 2012 he began his Rookie season with the St. Louis Blues.
10
I was going into
grade six. This
meant that while
they started at
Notre Dame right
away, I went
to the Wilcox
Elementary
School for two
years.
When you grow
up in Wilcox you
really look forward to going
to Notre Dame
and I was no
exception; I
couldn’t wait
to be a Hound.
Whenever Mandi
or Rylan was
playing I just
loved going with
my parents or
friends to the
arena to watch.
Every so often
they have red
and white nights
where everyone
gets all decked
out in the school
colours, including face paint if
you want, and
it’s kind of crazy.
Those are really
fun times you
just never forget.
At that point
Notre Dame
still had a grade
Jaden Schwartz
Schwartz
Jaden
NHL Left
Left Winger
Winger with
with the
the St.
St. Louis
Louis Blues
Blues
NHL
Left
Winger
with
the
St.
Louis
Blues
NHL
NHL Left
Left Winger
Winger with
with the
the St.
St. Louis
Louis Blues
Blues
NHL
11
eight so I started when I was
thirteen in the fall of 2005. This
made me one of the youngest
there, so while I was excited, I
was also kind of nervous. But
playing Bantam hockey as a
Notre Dame Hound was just
such a thrill. Coached by Bill
Humphreys, we went to three
tournaments that year and won
the last, and then we won the
league as well so it was a really
great year.
The Notre Dame Coaches
were totally different than anything I’d encountered before, or
since. Both the teachers and the
coaches really pride themselves
on doing whatever it takes to
help the kids succeed. They
sacrifice a lot of time and put a
lot of effort into being there to
help. There were no excuses for
not doing well because there
was always someone you could
ask for help. Being there for five
years I built real friendships with
my teachers and coaches, many
of whom I still keep in touch
with. I truly doubt that would
have happened anywhere else.
Everywhere you go you have so
many friends it just feels like a
big family.
Grade eight was just the best
year. Rylan was in grade ten
and Mandi was in grade twelve,
and with all three of us there it
was so cool. Having an older
sister there playing hockey at
that level was really inspiring.
She was so focused on what
12
she wanted to do, and so dedicated and she worked so
hard both in school and in hockey, that we both looked
up to her and learned so much from her. She was a
perfect role model and mentor for both of us, with her
extraordinary vision, her ideals and her work ethic. Notre
Dame was so special for her, and we could see how
much she really loved it. When she graduated and went
off to Yale University in Connecticut on a full hockey
scholarship, we were so proud of her.
In grade nine, my second year of Bantam, Brandon
Gormley was on my team, and Scotty Owens was our
coach. Scotty was such a great guy, and I learned so
much from him. Once again it was a great team and
we didn’t lose a game all year. We won the league, the
playoffs and all three tournaments. My second favourite
sport is football, and that year I really enjoyed playing
football as well.
My first year playing Midget was in grade ten with
Coach Dale Derkatch who’s just an excellent hockey
player himself. He’d played for the Regina Pats and was
probably the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s smart and
knows how to get a lot out of his players. We won the
league that year and made it to Regionals where we
ended up losing in double-overtime. That was a pivotal
year for me - my game really improved, my confidence
improved, and I started to believe that if I really worked I
might actually make it to the NHL. Once again, Brandon
Gormley was on my team, and it was a year of great
hockey with a great group of guys. In football, my team
won the Bantam Football Championship - another great
group of guys, and academically my average was always
in the low-eighties so I was usually on the Honour Roll.
The culture of the school is to do your best and do
well, so every student pushes him or herself and there
is always competition to see who does better, which
really motivates you. This is a huge benefit because
between your peers and your teachers you’re just set
up to succeed. The school is known for founder Father
Athol Murray’s three sided approach to education, the
academic, the athletic and the spiritual. And that spiritual part is pretty big. The school is open to people of
all faiths; they teach about God, and everyone goes to
13
church. My family is Lutheran, but we were
certainly made welcome, and they accommodate just about everybody. Father Murray’s
philosophy was, “I don’t care what your religion is but you’re going to have a relationship with God.” The Catholic Church is right
there on the campus, so we went there.
In grade eleven I played Junior A Hockey
with coach Mike Vandenburg. That year Rylan
was also playing Junior, and we both got
to play for Team Canada West at the World
Junior A Challenge where we won a silver
medal - just a tremendous experience. I also
made the U-17 Team, which is Team West, so I
went to that tournament as well. Then, early in
December 2008, we learned that Mandi had
been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia,
and had to come home from Yale.
Notre Dame has always been a big part of
our family, especially when everyone learned
Mandi was sick. That amazing community of people helped us so much, we simply
can’t thank them enough. The school motto
of Struggle and Emerge, and Mandi’s own
favourite quote Never Lose Heart were two
pieces of wisdom that as a family we took to
heart, and really learned from. And we still do.
My grade ten year was probably the year I had
the most fun because it was the last year we
had when Mandi wasn’t sick.
In grade twelve I went to Nebraska and
played Junior in the United States Hockey
League. Because of some technical reason
I couldn’t attend high school there, so I took
online courses. When I got back to Notre
Dame in April I had three months to catch up.
With the help of those great teachers and my peers I did, so thankfully I was
able to graduate from Notre Dame with a full four year hockey scholarship to
Colorado College.
Going to Notre Dame leaves you with some amazing pivotal experiences,
and inspiring wisdom for life. Those two phrases, Never Lose Heart and
Struggle and Emerge are both so important and always come back to me
14
no matter where I go or what I’m doing. The
entire time you’re at Notre Dame you’re learning and growing and changing in so many different ways. When Mandi got sick our lives
were changed in one second, and I suddenly
had a totally different perspective about what’s
really important in life. I became more thankful
in many areas, and found out just how important friends and family are. When Mandi died
in April 2011 the support we got from everyone at Notre Dame was unbelievable. They’ve
always been there for me, and without them I
don’t know how I would have gotten through
the experience. The feeling of being part of
a big family is something you take with you
wherever you go. That whole family and community thing was so critically important for us
all during the time Mandi was ill, and it continues even now.
Over the five years I was at Notre Dame
I really grew and matured. And of course,
losing Mandi changed me very fast. I learned
to appreciate things more and to really care
about other people. That is the culture of the
school and the community, but after I left I
think it grew within me even more. Leaving
made me realize just how many good friends
and relationships I had. Every day I flash to
different memories from those years, and
I keep in touch with countless people. It’s
pretty cool when I get to see other Hounds,
because once you’re a Hound, you’re a Hound
for life. Going there is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity, and it’s really hard to find another
place that builds such close bonds and relationships across the entire community. My intention now is to always try to
build relationships like I did at Notre Dame, be part of a community and just
care about other people. It’s really important for me, and that for sure came
from my years at Notre Dame. The value of working in your community and
for your community and always giving back is constantly modeled all around
you, and as I get older I want it to become a big part of my life.
15
A week after I graduated it was pretty exciting when I got drafted by the
St. Louis Blues. Then in the fall I headed off to Colorado College and played
NCAA Division One hockey with my brother in the Western Collegiate
Hockey Association. Rylan had already been there for a year, also on a
full hockey scholarship earned at Notre Dame. Then in the spring of 2012,
as soon as my second season ended, I signed with St. Louis, so I left
Colorado. Right away I played my first game with the Blues against Tampa
Bay and scored the winning goal, so it couldn’t have gotten any better. This
is my rookie year, and so far it’s been pretty exciting and my dream come
true! Playing in your first NHL game is something you work for and dream of
your whole life and you only get to do it once. It’s absolutely the highlight of
my career so far.
In both 2011 and 2012 I got to play with Team Canada at the World Juniors,
another dream come true and such an opportunity. That tournament is
something you watch growing up and you also dream of being part of, so
that was a big moment too. During my grade eleven summer I got to play on
the U-18 Team Canada team, and at the Ivan Helinka tournament in Europe
we won the gold!
Playing at the Olympics or World Championships would be a huge honour
and something I definitely want to do. There’s a history of Team Canada and
16
Olympic Hockey at Notre Dame, and
you always want to represent your country; it’s just an amazing experience every
time you play for Canada.
Today as I move into my professional
career, Mandi remains my biggest inspiration. Remembering how much effort
she put into everything she did inspires
and motivates me every day. Every thing
I do is for her, and also for my parents
who sacrificed a lot so we could play
hockey. Mandi’s illness and passing was
especially difficult for them, so I’m motivated to do the best I can at everything to make them happy and proud as
much as I can. It’s the same for my brother. Notre Dame, my friends and how
hard they pushed me, I still have all that with me and it motivates me to continue working hard at everything I do.
Being at Notre Dame for so long really shaped me as a human being.
Without that experience I’ve no idea who I’d be or where I’d be. I feel so
lucky and very grateful to have been able to go there, especially for that
many years. I think anyone who gets the opportunity should take everything
they can from the experience. If you’re there for hockey you learn quickly
there’s more to life than hockey, and you have to find a balance. It’s one of
the best places to succeed and mature as an athlete and as a person, and
it prepares you for university at every level. If I have kids they’ll be going to
Notre Dame for sure. It’s a once once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I recommend it to absolutely everybody. If you’re thinking about it, do what my
family did. Go to Notre Dame for a Campus Day Visit. Take your skates and
visit the arena. Attend a game. Eat at Varsity. Walk around the Campus, feel
the community, and then go and become part of it. It will change your life.
As parents of three Notre Dame Hounds - Jaden, Mandi and Rylan, we feel very blessed
that they received their high school education at the Athol Murray College of Notre
Dame. Our Notre Dame reflections are of great experiences, great memories and ever
lasting friendships. Watching our children mature in an environment that takes pride
in balancing athletic excellence, academic excellence and spiritual maturity was a
source of great pride for us as parents. Our son Jaden developed as a well rounded
elite hockey player because of the guidance and encouragement of the great teachers and coaches at Notre Dame. Fellow Hounds and peers inspired him to work harder
and compete through tough times, while being inspired by graduate hounds experiencing tremendous success at the most elite levels - in the NHL, the Olympics and
the Canadian World Junior Programs. He has reached the goals he set at Notre Dame
because he took to heart their traditions and mottos of Struggle and Emerge and Never
Lose Heart. Thank you Notre Dame - your graduates have made and continue to make
the world a better place.
Rick and Carol Schwartz
Wilcox, Saskatchewan
Proud Parents of Hounds Jaden, Mandi and Rylan Schwartz
17
“Never lose heart, keep
pushing as hard as you
can, and have no regrets.”
When I was fourteen I sat down with my parents to talk about the future. I
was doing well in hockey, and my dad said, “Do you want to make a living at
this? Do you want to play in the NHL someday? Is this your actual dream?”
When I said, “Yeah, that’s what I want to do,” we started to look at Notre
Dame.
Murray River is a small community of just under five hundred at the southeastern end of P.E.I. A real hockey-driven town, I learned to skate when I
was very young on the backyard rink my dad always built. I loved competitive team sports and at school I was always involved in everything. When I
was four I started playing hockey with the Northumberland Bruins and continued there until I made the King’s County Novice AAA team, which was
made up of players from several towns in the area. My dad was the coach,
and it was really a great group of guys. I continued there through all the AAA
levels until Bantam. An above average player, I was always captain, a role
I enjoyed. Although I always had a dream of one day playing for the NHL,
when you’re twelve it’s hard to believe you really have a legitimate shot at it.
Apart from the players I’d come in contact with so far I had no idea how I
might compare to the other guys out there.
Part of my dream was inspired by Brad Richards who lived less than five
minutes from us. His sister used to babysit me and my sister when we were
Brandon Gormley is from Murray River PEI. He attended Athol Murray College of Notre
Dame for two years and played defense on the AAA Midget team. In 2008 he was drafted
first overall to the Moncton Wildcats in QMJHL, and in 2010 he played in the Memorial
Cup. Gormley earned the Mike Bossy Trophy in 2012 as the Quebec League’s top professional prospect, and was named to the QMJHL Second All Star Team two years in a
row. He was then selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL draft. After
his season in Moncton finished he was assigned to the Coyotes AHL affiliate, the San
Antonio Rampage, where he played in four games. He then returned to Moncton for his
final year of Junior. Gormley has also competed in two World U-17 Hockey Challenges,
one Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and one IIHF World U20 Championship. In 2007,
during his first year at Notre Dame, Gormley competed with Team PEI in the Canada
Winter Games in Whitehorse, and in both 2008 and 2009 he represented Atlantic Canada
at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. In 2009, now with the National U-18 team, he scored
three goals to help Canada win the gold medal. In 2012 after playing for Team Canada at
the World Juniors, Gormley was named top defenseman. He was then immediately traded
to the Shawinigan Cataractes who were hosting the CHL Memorial Cup Championship,
which they then won.
18
Brandon
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Defenseman, Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL
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QMJHL
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19
little, and everyone knew when he
left for Notre Dame. Later, when he
was playing Junior with Rimouski, my
parents would take us to watch his
games in Moncton, just a few hours
away. He was definitely an inspiration and a role model. Sometimes,
on mornings before summer hockey
school practice, we’d find him skating with his NHL buddies at our rink,
which was really inspiring. As I got
older I got to skate with Brad more
than once, and I’d look at him and
think, ‘Wow! That’s Brad Richards! He
came from here, and he made it to the
NHL, so maybe I can, too!’
My dad and Brad’s dad played recreational hockey together and so often
talked. Knowing Brad had gone to
Notre Dame I also spent some time
talking with his family about his experience there, and they were always so
positive. So I decided Notre Dame
would be the best place for me too.
It was hard to leave my family at age
fourteen, but my dad said, “Brandon,
if this is really your dream, and you’re
realistic about getting there, I think
this is your next step. That’s the sacrifice it takes to be an NHL player.”
When I arrived at Notre Dame to
start grade nine there were so many
things that were good and fun and
exciting and different. When I first saw
the Wall of Fame in the arena, and the
people who have come through that
program who’ve had real success, I
thought to be on that Wall would really
be amazing. It was tough being away
from home at that age and I know
it was tough on my parents, especially my mom, but they were willing
20
to make that sacrifice for me, and I’ve
always been grateful.
I used to be a bit shy, but coming
from a small town I was already familiar with the environment where everyone knows everyone, and people are
very friendly. Following Brad’s advice I
got involved in as much as I could right
away so I quickly made lots of friends.
At home I’d always been a good student, so when I got to Notre Dame it
was great because everyone there is
so focused on both school and sports.
At Notre Dame it is cool to do well.
It is cool to study and do your homework, and it’s cool to work out. It was
easy to surround myself with people
with whom I had common goals, which
made staying focused on success a
whole lot easier.
For that first year of Bantam my coach
was Scotty Owen. Scotty was also
a teacher and worked in the dorms
and he was absolutely great. At Notre
Dame your teachers become friends,
and that relationship carries over and
is reflected in your marks. If you need
extra help you can just run over to their
house and ask. The relationships I made were amazing, and it was just crazy
how great the people out there were for me.
Back home in P.E.I. I was an above-average player, and always the captain, so when I arrived at Notre Dame and found the level of play to be a
lot higher, my confidence was a bit low. Then, after a few weeks when I
was voted captain of the Bantam team, it really boosted my confidence.
We played in a lot of tournaments and I was lucky enough to receive Best
Defenseman and MVP awards. So with that, combined with playing against
guys all across Canada, I began to think, ‘if I work hard enough I could actually have a shot at this!’
In grade ten I played Midget AAA and Dale Derkatch was my coach. A very
talented player himself, Dale had had a great career playing with the Regina
Pats. As a coach he was very offensive-minded and taught me a lot about
engaging in the play of the defensemen, jumping into the rush and creating
21
some offense from the back
end. Jason McLean was the
other coach. He and Dale
worked well together and I
learned so much about the
game. If I’d not had these
two people in my life, I truly
wonder where I’d be today.
Notre Dame is unique for
the way they work the academic, the spiritual and
the athletic together, and
keep the athletic component so strong. The spiritual
aspect of the school was
also second nature to me because I was raised that way. This three sided
approach is really amazing and very rare, and I’ve never seen another program like it.
Then there is Father Murray’s legacy and philosophy of life which the
school is founded on. You live by his quotes and his wisdom, and the school
motto, Struggle and Emerge, is a big one for most Hounds. Never lose
heart is actually the big one for me. I became close friends with teammate, Jaden Schwartz, and his family who live in Wilcox. I wear a bracelet in
memory of his sister Mandi, who was a Hound and died from leukemia and
it carries those words, Never lose heart with her number beside it. I never
take it off because it reminds me of where I came from, and of Mandi and
her phenomenal work ethic and the passion she had for the game. She is so
missed, but her life inspires a lot of people and I am one of them, for sure.
My time at Notre Dame really opened me up. After two years my confidence had really grown and I had changed a lot. At age fourteen I was living
in a dorm like a college student. It’s a whole way of life and you just grow up
so much. You go there as a kid but you end up leaving as a man.
One of the biggest things I’ve taken from Notre Dame is that idea of Never
lose heart, and for me it always comes back to that. One of my things is
I don’t want to have any regrets later in life, and say, “If I’d only done this,
I’d still be playing,” or whatever. So as long as I never lose heart and keep
pushing as hard as I can, then I know I will have no regrets at the end of the
day.
Going to Notre Dame really molded me into the person I am today, and it
all comes back to the habits and philosophies I learned there. Père’s Notre
Dame man poem guides a lot of it, and if I hadn’t gone to Notre Dame, I
honestly don’t think I’d be where I am today.
22
After my midget year,
in 2008 I was drafted by the Moncton
Wildcats of the
Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League, so
I had to leave Notre
Dame. I did my last two
years of high school
at a regular school in
Moncton living with
a billet family who
became like a second
family. It was easy to
adjust because I’d
already been through
the living away from
home thing, and it felt
like I was leaps and
bounds ahead of many
of the other guys. No
longer shy, Notre Dame
had really prepared me
for the whole experience - and for life in
general.
In 2010 I was drafted
by Phoenix, which was
the first step toward
my NHL dream coming
true, and I got to see
how difficult it is to
actually make it. So
I’m signed with them,
and next year I go
to training camp and
hopefully I’ll make the
team. If not I’ll be in
Portland, Maine which
is their affiliate team in
the American Hockey
League, the next step
23
down from the NHL. In the meantime, this year I played for Team Canada
at the World Junior Hockey Championship and was named top defenseman, which was another dream come true. Then, immediately following that
tournament, I was traded from the Moncton Wildcats to the Shawinigan
Cataractes who were hosting the CHL Memorial Cup Championship.
Against all odds we ended up winning the Memorial Cup, another huge
highlight for me in my hockey career.
Today as I move forward, I continue to be inspired by Mandi Schwartz. I
was at Notre Dame with her brother Jaden while she was sick, and I know
how hard she battled. One time she said to me and Jaden, “Every chance
you get to step on the ice is a chance to improve yourself and get better”.
We both really took her words to heart. There are many days when maybe
I don’t feel like going to the gym or getting on the ice, but then I remem-
24
ber Mandi and I just get out there. It’s something I keep close to me. She
inspired me then, and she still inspires me.
Going to Notre Dame was one of the best decisions of my life. Everything
that happened there helped me grow, even the tough experiences. I met
such amazing people, and I keep in touch with many of them. The entire
school philosophy all comes together to create the successful atmosphere
that it’s so unique to be part of. In spring of 2012, I went back for a visit
and had a real moment when I saw my name and my picture on The Wall of
Fame! Even if you’re not into sports and decide to go for the academics, you
will totally get drawn into the entire Notre Dame experience. The three things
they really focus on are the three big keys you need to live a successful life.
The amazing people at Notre Dame formed me into the man I am today, and
I have to thank them all for that.
25
So if you are thinking
about it, I say go for a
Campus Day Visit, see
the school yourself, and
then just do it for sure!
It will really change your
life, and you will never
regret it.
While we knew our son Brandon was an
above average hockey player, we didn’t
know how he’d fit in with other players
across Canada. He’d had great success
in minor hockey, and to keep developing
we felt he needed to be challenged at the
highest possible level. As difficult as it was
for us to let him go at age fourteen, we
would do it again in a heart beat. As his
mom, I struggled with the decision until his
father said, “What will you tell him in a few
years when he says, ‘Mom, you wouldn’t
even let me try?” His dad was right; it had
to be Brandon’s choice. With Notre Dame’s
tremendous reputation for hockey along
with their strong academics and the recommendation of Brad Richards’ family, it was
an easy choice.
We were surprised when Brandon adjusted quickly and got involved in activities
right away. Those fabulous teachers were
always accessible and became friends,
helping kids with school work at the craziest times, like just hanging out at the rink
or the dorm. We watched our son go from
being somewhat shy to confident, self sufficient, and well able to address any concerns himself whether to do with hockey,
school or dorm life. It was such a good
feeling to know he was going to be okay.
It impresses us that Notre Dame shows
such a strong sense of pride and family.
Lifelong friendships were made there not
only for Brandon but for our whole family.
Notre Dame instilled in him a strong work
ethic, and he continues to live by the motto
‘Never Lose Heart’. He not only grew as a
hockey player but more importantly as a
person. His decision to attend Notre Dame
was absolutely the best choice for him.
Sharon and Darren Gormley
Murray River, Prince Edward Island
Proud Parents of Hound Brandon Gormley
26
27
I started skating when I was three, and that’s when I found my passion. My
parents always took my brother and sister and I to the outdoor rinks, and I
just fell in love with the feeling of skating. Then, one day when I was seven,
my dad looked up from his paper said, “Do you want to play hockey? And
before he ended the sentence, I was already answering, “Yes!”
I grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, in an amazing family that always
supported me in whatever I did. My parents got up for those early morning
hockey practices and there was always someone there for me in the stands.
In school I struggled a bit with academics, but again, my parents, brother
and sister were helpful. They taught me how to set goals and how to really
study, especially with math which I simply hated.
Always a bit of a “tom-boy,” I was usually outside playing something. Like
my dad I loved to play hockey, and I loved the challenge of competition. I
was one of the few girls in our community who played hockey with the boys,
which I think probably helped with my career. By the time I was fourteen
I was playing Bantam at a very high level and I definitely wanted to keep
going. But when I was offered the opportunity to play AAA Midget I thought,
maybe it’s time to make a change. By now the boys were pretty big and I
was only 5’4”. Some of my friends had gone to Notre Dame and had spoken
very highly of it. My goals included playing hockey for Team Canada and
going to the Olympics, and I thought going to Notre Dame would challenge
me and help move me in that direction. Maybe I could even earn a hockey
scholarship! I’d never played a season with a girls’ team before, and it was
clearly time.
“PERSEVERE, CREATE A
LIFE OF BALANCE, AND
FIND YOUR PASSION”!
Bobbi-Jo Slusar was born June 6, 1985 in Swift Current Saskatchewan to Ed and Cindy
Slusar. The oldest of three, she has a brother Coe and a sister Levi. She attended Athol
Murray College of Notre Dame for grades 11 and 12. In the 2002-3 season the senior
women’s team won the Western Shield, and she was team Captain and MVP. Slusar then
played NCAA hockey with the University of Wisconsin Badgers from 2003-2007. She
won two NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, defensive payer of the year both years,
and in 2007 she was team Captain. Slusar was a member of U-22 Team Canada and
played in the Air Canada Cup every year from 2003-2007. A member of Team Canada,
she has played in the Four Nations Cup 5 times, and in April 2011 played in her first World
Championship to win silver. Slusar played for the Brampton Thunder in the CWHL, and
competed at the 2010 Clarkson Cup. Slusar recently received her teaching degree at the
University of Calgary, and today she is an RBC Olympian and enjoys sharing her experiences with audiences and in schools across Canada. She was also instrumental in beginning Wheel Chair Hockey in her home town of Swift Current, a community volunteer program. Slusar is engaged to be married in July of 2013.
28
Bobbi-Jo Slusar
Slusar
Bobbi-Jo
2011 World
World Championship
Championship Team
Team Member;
Member; RBC
RBC Olympian
Olympian
2011
World
Championship
Team
Member;
RBC
Olympian
2011
B.A.,B.Ed.
B.Ed.
B.A.,
B.Ed.
B.A.,
B.Ed.
B.A.,
B.A.,
B.Ed.
B.A.,
B.Ed.
B.A.,
B.Ed.
B.A.,
B.Ed.
2011 World
World Championship
Championship Team
Team Member;
Member; RBC
RBC Olympian
Olympian
2011
photo courtesy Hockey Media
29
I also knew that at Notre Dame I’d have a chance
to focus on my academics, so after considering all
these things I made the decision to go for grade
eleven, which surprised everyone because I love
to be at home with my family. And while it must
have been hard for my parents they supported me
and let me go, and I’ve always been grateful.
That first day was a little overwhelming, but I’m
a social butterfly so I was also excited because
I knew I’d be meeting lots of new people. I’d
heard the school was like a big family, and family
is important to me so that helped. Right away I
met my room mates, and there were girls all over
the place. I was sixteen and quickly made lots of
friends and, just as I had been told, very soon they
all felt just like family.
Obviously I was excited about hockey, but I also
wanted to do well academically. School was still
hard for me so I worked really hard and put in
extra time. It had a lot to do with perseverance.
My math teacher, Darren Beaulac, helped me step
out of my comfort zone and showed me how to
not be afraid of math. He made it fun. I started to
enjoy math, and then amazingly, I started to love
it! What a difference a good teacher can make. In
grade twelve Ramona Vigneron was just as incredible. I just have to give so many props to those
great teachers. Because of them, kids who go to
Notre Dame get such an advantage. You develop
a one on one relationship with your teacher that
allows them to personalize learning just for you,
and I really started to do much better.
Notre Dame has always had a real focus on what
Father Murray called “The Spiritual.” Although my
family was not outwardly religious, at Notre Dame
I did enjoy going to church. It’s a time where you
can be with yourself and just reflect on your experience. Père left a huge legacy, and I loved learning about how he created this school out of nothing and tied it together with the three aspects of
education - the athletic, the academic, and the
spiritual. I loved his inspirational wisdom that sur30
rounds you all the time, like Hounds Have Heart, Never Loose Heart, and
of course, Struggle and Emerge.
Playing hockey at Notre Dame was a huge change. I’d been playing with
big guys in a fast, full contact hockey game. Now, playing on a women’s
team, I really stood out at first with my more aggressive style. But those
girls were great hockey players and our team was very strong. I loved being
on the ice every day and being able to work out in a gym, and I totally fell
in love with training. My background of playing a more aggressive style
probably gave me a bit of an
advantage, and I excelled. In
big tournaments I was noticed
by visiting American College
scouts which set me up for
earning that scholarship. And
the coaching was so different.
I was used to a coach that was
intense with us, but our coach,
Eric Lockwood, (we called him
Rocco), motivated much differently, and we all worked hard
to please him.
As the senior girls’ hockey
team we had our own dressing
room, and when Rocco gave
us permission to make it our
own, we painted the walls red
and re-arranged it all to suit
us. It was a lot of fun and really
brought us together. It became
like our club room, a place
where we could share our wins
and losses and support each
other as we struggled and
emerged. That first year we
ended up winning everything
including the final Western Shield. I also played Rugby and soccer, and that
year we won everything in Rugby, everything in soccer, and everything in
hockey. I was so proud to be a Notre Dame Hound, and I could hardly wait
to get back for grade twelve. When I did, I captained our team.
During that summer something happened I’ll never forget. The female
scout for Hockey Canada at the time, Wally Kozak, was visiting Notre
Dame, and I was sitting talking with him and my coaches. Wally had found
31
this Canadian Olympic Hockey Coin and had it in his
hand. He knew I had an Olympic dream and, in a quiet
moment, he looked up and just flipped it over to me. It
was really a pivotal moment, and it felt like he set me
up for that possible reality one day. In times when I
struggled I allowed that moment to refocus my attention on my goal, and my dream.
When I left Notre Dame, after only two years I was
so changed I felt like a new person. Before, I’d always
been afraid of doing poorly or even failing at school.
But at Notre Dame I learned to not be afraid, see it as
a challenge, and just give it my best shot. I felt very
confident in the things I was good at, and I took all
that with me. Academically I actually excelled, and
when I graduated I made the President’s List which
even today makes me choke up remembering how
hard I worked.
And just as I’d imagined, I earned a full ride scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, where I played
Division I NCAA Women’s Hockey with the Wisconsin
Badgers. Again, Notre Dame had really set me up for
success. I was already used to the discipline and routine of daily team practice, and my ability to set goals
and go for them gave me a real advantage. Because of
Notre Dame I was immediately looked to as a leader
with a strong role on the team, and I was able to easily
transition to University life and living on my own.
My first two years in Wisconsin were great, but the
last two years we were back to back NCAA Division I
National Champions! In my last year I was team captain, and during both those years I received defensive
player of the year awards. In my third year we won
everything, and my jersey proudly hangs in the Hockey
Hall of Fame still today. My time at Wisconsin was
incredible, and I attribute a lot of that to how Notre
Dame prepared me.
After graduating from Notre Dame I also made Team
Canada at the U-22 level, a step towards my Olympic
Dream. I had just turned eighteen and ended up playing the full four years on that team. Then, in 2006 I
tweaked my knee in an evaluation camp for the Senior
Olympic Team - my life-long goal. When the head
32
coach said, “Bobbi,
with your injured knee,
I don’t think it’s worth
it for you to jump to
the senior level,” it was
such a heartbreak.
Even so, I was invited
to the Four Nations
Cup for the first time
with players like Hayley
Wickenheiser, Jayna
Hefford, Vicky Sunohara
and Danielle Goyette,
a truly unforgettable
experience!
After Wisconsin, in
2007 I moved to Ontario
and played with the
Brampton Thunder in
the CWHL. For three
seasons I really focused
on training and hockey.
My goal was the 2010
Vancouver Olympics,
but again I was struggling with injuries. For
me it was all about persistence and perseverance, but my body was
tired and beat up and
had had enough. Both
shoulders were in terrible shape. I was in the
group that had a shot
at going to Vancouver
with Team Canada, and
my Olympic dream was
within sight. I had a
double shoulder brace
made, but I couldn’t
sleep and I was in pain
all the time. And when
33
the time for Vancouver came, they told me I had done everything I was
asked, but I was released. That was one of the hardest moments I’ve had.
I missed the opportunity to possibly represent Canada at the Vancouver
Olympics, and it still hurts to think about it. It turns out I had simply over
trained. I needed surgery, and the doctor said she had never seen such
badly mangled shoulders. By pushing myself so hard I had really damaged
myself - that’s how badly I wanted it. But what came from it was a truly transformational moment.
To recover I went home to Swift Current to be with my family, and one
day my physiotherapist said, “Bobbi-Jo, we can’t get any range of motion
back; I think we may have to re-do the surgery.” I was devastated. Now just
recently there had been a bad car accident in town involving some teenage
girls. No one died, but one girl was left paralyzed from the neck down. She
was maybe fifteen. As I drove past her house I realized this girl had just been
dealt a card where she had no choice, and she’d have to deal with the result
for the rest of her life. I knew I would recover, but there I was feeling really
sorry for myself.
It was like a slap in the face that suddenly changed my perspective. I had
always been so fortunate, and I knew I would heal from this. Embarrassed
with myself I sort of broke down to my parents who helped me realize that
having a negative mentality will not solve things. “Bobbi,” said my mom,
“why don’t you do wheel chair hockey?” Back in Wisconsin they had this
program where hockey players would actually push wheel chair users
around on the ice so they could participate, and I knew from experience
it could really change your perspective. So I called my former coach and
mentor, Larry Johnson, (who’d let me play with boys), and presented the
idea. He jumped on board and we started this wheel chair hockey league. It
gets people in the community involved and can really change you. It came
out of a tough time in my life, but I gained something truly substantial.
Once my shoulders had recovered I tried out for the Four Nations Cup
and made it. Then, in the last game before our final, I badly injured my knee
and had to miss the final where we won the gold. Although I was devastated, I recovered in time to make it to my first World Championship with
Team Canada in April of 2011, where we won the silver. Today I am a bionic
woman with surgically repaired knees and shoulders, and my goal is the
2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia.
I am also furthering my education as a teacher, and interning as a strength
and conditioning coach. As well, I share my experiences with others in
RBC’s Olympian Program. I continue to learn more about balance, and it
always goes back to Notre Dame’s three sided approach to life, the athletic,
the academic and the spiritual. I love my family dearly, and my brother Coe
and sister Levi, along with my parents, are my backbone. I’m getting married
34
in July of 2013 to a great guy Bryce, a new adventure
I’m truly looking forward to.
Today I’m most inspired by people who are driven
and passionate about what they do, like my parents
who have always been my greatest heroes, and Larry
Johnson who just won volunteer of the year. They’re
always willing to go above and beyond to help others,
so that’s what I try to do. And I’m inspired by the passion in the athletes around me. As ever, I’m motivated
by a challenge - especially when it’s something I struggle with - like math. When I did my teaching practicum
- what did I end up teaching? Grade nine math! It was,
without question, the scariest moment of my life! But I
can honestly say my time at Notre Dame is the reason I was able to embrace
that experience; it’s where it all really started for me.
If you are considering Notre Dame in your future, I say just go for it - take
that jump, because it’s going to change your life. It will help you step out of
your comfort zone discover who you are and what you really love. If I hadn’t
gone to Notre Dame, I can’t see how I’d ever have made it to Wisconsin,
and everything that has followed. If you’re a parent it might be hard to let
your kids go, but my message is … let them go. Let them learn how to be
accountable and responsible and grow up, and to be who they are around
other kids doing the same thing. Give them the enormous benefit of being
guided by the most amazing teachers and coaches anywhere. It really is just
like a big family, and everyone looks after everyone else. You learn how to
work, and discover the importance of finding balance in your life. Without
Notre Dame, I don’t think I would ever have found it. So go for a Campus
Day Visit, see what an amazing place it is, and then take a leap and just do
it! You’ll have the time of your life, and you’ll never regret it.
Allowing our daughter Bobbi-Jo to leave home for Notre Dame was one of the hardest things we ever had to do as parents. But playing
hockey with the boys had become so rough it was giving her mom anxiety and panic attacks, so it was definitely time she started to play
with girls. From the first day she arrived it was a learning experience for all of us. As we looked on our daughter learned how to live with
others in a dorm, how to manage her time and handle responsibilities. With so much ice time her game really improved, and she also
played rugby and soccer. The sports kept her busy and the academics were certainly demanding. But she persevered, struggled, and
finally emerged, which is one of the great sayings at the school. The smaller classes helped build her confidence, and she was surrounded by extra help from excellent teachers. Bobbi-Jo was very successful at Notre Dame. She made a lot of good friends and frequently
runs into them in her travels. The coaching, teaching and friendships seemed second to none, and she learned more about the importance of family, school and life in general. Playing hockey as a Notre Dame Hound also opened doors for Colleges and Universities to
see her play. We have our beliefs, but it felt like Notre Dame offered the whole package with the sports, academics and the spiritual side
of things. It just seemed right. Our best memories of Bobbi-Jo’s time at Notre Dame include the great people we met, and the winning
titles they received. But by far our proudest moment was watching our daughter graduate on the President’s List, with a full-ride scholarship to Wisconsin Division I College Hockey.
Ed and Cindy Slusar,
Swift Current Saskatchewan
Proud Parents of Hound Bobbi-Jo Slusar
35
“BE YOURSELF, AND HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN WHAT YOU DO.”
It was the summer of 1982, and I was pretty pumped. I had just made the
Saskatoon Blades, and the opportunity to play Junior Hockey was just so
compelling. I could hardly wait! I’d dreamed of playing hockey in the NHL
from the time I could stand on skates, and this was the next step. I’d made
it! So when my dad said, “No, you’re not going to play Junior Hockey in
Saskatoon this year, you’re going back to Notre Dame,” to say I was upset
would be an understatement.
But my dad was smart, he was adamant, and he was right. He knew that
if I’d left to play Junior Hockey at that point I’d be the youngest guy on the
team. At sixteen I’d be trying to compete with guys who were twenty, living
in the city somewhere on my own and going to school. The Blades were a
pretty good team, so while I was good enough to make that team, I’d likely
not have gotten a lot of play time. My dad could see all that. He could also
see that if I went back to Notre Dame I’d continue to benefit from all the
great things it offers and be on a really good Midget team where I’d get to
play all the time. So, come September, I went back to Wilcox. Although at
the time I was pretty upset about it, in hindsight it turned out to be one of
the best decisions ever made in my hockey career, and I’m very grateful to
my dad for that.
I grew up just outside Kelvington, a small town of 1000 people in
Northwest Saskatchewan. After farm chores were done my two brothers
and I played every sport you can imagine. I mostly played hockey and fastball, but it was always about hockey for me. By age two-and-a-half I was on
skates, and by the time I was five I was playing hockey. My dad had played
minor professional hockey, so he was the main connection for hockey in
Wendel Clark grew up in Kelvington Saskatchewan, as the middle boy of three. He attended
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame for grades nine and ten beginning in 1981. When he made
the Saskatoon Blades Junior team he moved to Saskatoon and finished high school there.
After making the World Junior team, in 1985 he traveled to World Juniors in Finland and won a
gold medal. Then in 1985 he was first draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs, which began his
fifteen year career with the NHL. After his rookie season, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie
Team and finished third in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy. After nine years with the
Leafs he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques, and then played for the New York Islanders,
back to Toronto where he was named Captain during the 1991-92 season, then the Tampa Bay
Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks and then back to Toronto. Since retiring
from the NHL in 2000 Clark has worked as an ambassador for the Toronto Maple Leafs along
with Daryl Sittler, doing P.R. work with charity and corporate functions across Canada. In
1996 Wendel got married, and he and his wife Denise live in King City Ontario with their three
children. He owns two restaurants, Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill and Sports Lounge, in both
Oakville, Ontario and Vaughan, Ontario. Today Clark enjoys coaching his son’s hockey team,
and is actively involved with community and charity work, which for him is just a way of life.
36
Wendel
Clark
Wendel
Clark
Wendel Clark
NHLRetired,
Retired,Team
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Canada,
North
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North
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TorontoMaple
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CommunityAmbassador
Ambassador
Toronto
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Toronto
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Community
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Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs Community Ambassador
37
my life. He also started the hockey program in our community, and then
coached all the levels. So we were a farming and hockey family right from
the get go. I farmed, I went to school, and I played hockey.
In the winter, after school, we went straight to the rink because hockey
started at 4:00. Like most small towns, in winter hockey is all that goes on.
With only a couple of TV stations we were never in the house. The rest was
outside or at the rink; in winter, that’s where all the people were.
I first heard about Notre Dame in 1978 when my older brother went there.
It was well known all over Saskatchewan for both academics and hockey,
and Dad knew if he sent us there he’d be guaranteed that we’d actually be in
school, as opposed to just about any other school environment where he’d
have no control at all. He also knew we’d be playing a much higher level of
hockey that the C level available in town at that time.
I arrived at Notre Dame for grade nine in September of 1981 a few weeks
before my fifteenth birthday. At first it was a little strange as I got to know
my roommates and what the school was all about. But once I realized there
38
were all kinds of sports going on all the time, I decided it was a pretty great
place. I adjusted quickly and starting making lots of friends. At Notre Dame
there’s a sort of hierarchy from the new students to the older students to
the teachers, and everybody kind of looks after everybody. There’s a kind of
parenting and mentoring that goes on there that’s just a great learning experience for everyone. Without mom and dad there to solve problems, I quickly
had to grow up and become more responsible. In this amazing school where
you are totally supervised, kids have to learn how to get along with all kinds
of other people and solve problems in a constructive way.
It was fall, so we started off playing soccer and football. In the cities
hockey had already started, but at Notre Dame hockey started when football
ended because a lot of kids played football and soccer as well as hockey.
Academically I did well. Right away you know it’s different because you get
to know all your teachers on a first name basis and build pretty great relationships. Most of the teachers also coached a sports team, so they all supported the school focus on athletics. And while we were all really busy with
our sports, you had to keep your marks up to a certain level or they’d be
taking your sports away, so we were pretty motivated. Whether you’re an A
or a B student, those teachers know when you’re working to your potential,
and when you’re not. They were always pushing us in all aspects to achieve
to the level of our capability.
Notre Dame is based on Father Athol Murray’s three cornered philosophy of educating the whole person through the academic, the athletic and
the spiritual. This approach really helps keep everybody well grounded,
and while it is a Catholic school, I wasn’t Catholic. Everyone takes religion
because the school is trying to turn out people who are well balanced in
mind, body and spirit. Everyone knows their chances of ever making it as a
professional athlete are usually pretty slim, so Notre Dame’s real goal is to
create well rounded, multi-dimensional people. But because of the high level
of sports available as a key component of school life, a certain percentage
of those students do go on to become successful professional athletes.
Being able to play hockey at school was just so much fun. Seven days a
week I was on the ice to practice, to play home games and travel on the bus
to away games. That first year I played Midget Hockey, and my coach was
Barry MacKenzie. Barry, who everyone called “Bear”, was actually Principal
of the school and also my algebra teacher. In the sixties he’d played for “The
Nats” Canada’s National Hockey Team, and was a two time Olympian. What
an experience! As a coach, he was a real no-nonsense kind of guy, and he
taught us to play the game simply and do the basics well. He wanted everyone to play to the best of their abilities, and he really demanded a high level
of personal commitment, and commitment to the team.
39
Most guys who play hockey arrive
at Notre Dame as kind of one dimensional, perhaps as a star player fresh
from their small town. Suddenly you’re
a Notre Dame Hound playing on a
great team where everybody is good.
Bear really turned us into team players. He covered all aspects by coaching individual skills as well as the team
game. On the bus to away games
he’d be coaching us on attitude and
life skills. I just don’t think there were
better coaches around at that time.
So it was fun, a great challenge, and
a huge learning experience. It was the
first time I’d played on a team with a
group of guys all playing at this same
high level with such an intense commitment to play. That year we won the
Midget Provincial Championships, and
then finished well at Canadians. So it
was a great year, and I learned about
what it means to be committed and
give 100% at all times no matter what.
That summer I tried out for the
Saskatoon Blades, and made that
Junior Team. I was really keen to go,
but thank goodness my dad stepped in and said no - there were so many
reasons that it was just the best decision. When I went back to Notre Dame
for grade ten I got to play under another fantastic coach in Terry O’Malley.
Like Barry, Terry had played with The Nats in the sixties. He’d just returned
to Notre Dame from playing at the 1980 Olympics and we were all pretty
impressed. So instead of struggling at the bottom of a Junior Team in
Saskatoon, I got to work with a great coach and play with some of the best
players, and have the puck, and play under all kinds of different situations on
a really good Midget Hockey Team.
Long time friends and team mates, Terry and Barry are both such amazing
men, athletes, teachers and coaches. Wherever they went they were well
known and well respected, and always gentlemen. We were learning at all
times just watching how they carried themselves. In those two years I got to
experience the best two coaches I’ve ever had at an age level, anywhere.
40
Their qualifications, their knowledge and experience of playing hockey all
over the world - they shared all of it with us.
Just like at home, chores were part of daily life at Notre Dame, and I was
part of the group that shoveled President Martin Kenney’s sidewalk! Martin
loved this school and treated everyone like they were his own kids. In the
tradition begun by Père Murray, Martin considered us to be “his boys”, and
it didn’t change when we left. It was the way Père created relationships with
his kids; he looked after them and everybody related to him as the father
figure. Even today, its just part of what the President of this school does.
Our close daily associations were more with Barry and Terry, and they
really were father figures in every sense of the word. Then there were the
young teachers who lived in the dorms with us. You still had to respect them
because they could lay down the law, but they were more like that brother
who’s ten years older. It’s all about leadership and mentoring, two things
Notre Dame as always been known for.
Dorm life is such a great learning experience. You’re living with a bunch of
guys, and you have to learn to get along and respect others. Mum and Dad
aren’t there solving problems for you, so you have to really grow up and
learn to be accountable and deal with them yourself. This experience taught
me to deal with all kinds of things that came along once I left school and got
out into life.
Probably the biggest thing for me at Notre Dame was the whole community and togetherness thing - the hockey team of course, but also the school
itself and the town of Wilcox. You’re a part of something truly quite extraordinary. At any other school you’re just going to high school. But when you go
to Notre Dame you’re part of a very special community, and you’re part of
it for the rest of your life. It’s a small community, but once that rink is going
in the middle of the winter, if you dropped down into this little town from the
sky you’d never guess there could be so much life going on in one little spot
on one night. It’s really something!
Although I went to Notre Dame to play hockey, I came away with so much
more. A lot of sports minded schools are very one-dimensional, and sports
are the be-all and end-all. But despite their focus on sports, at Notre Dame
they are equally focused on the academic and the spiritual because when
most kids leave they’ve finished the bulk of their sports in general. Life then
moves on in different directions, and other skills and tools are needed to
deal with what comes up.
After my second year, Dad relented and let me move on to playing Junior
Hockey with the Saskatoon Blades, so I did grades eleven and twelve in
Saskatoon at a regular school. As a kid playing hockey you never know if
you’re going to get any farther, but now I was travelling through Western
Canada playing Junior Hockey, which in Western Canada is just like NHL
41
hockey. Rinks are full and you’re the main event in town. And while I still
didn’t know if I’d ever get any higher, I was pretty proud to be there.
When I left Notre Dame I came away with a lot of self worth, so no matter
what I tackle, I know I have the ability to compete and succeed. Notre Dame
taught me how to get the most of out life whatever I’m doing. You learn you
can just be yourself and have confidence in what you do. No matter what
happened to me later, whether hockey or injuries, or business or family,
Notre Dame had given me the skills to deal with it. And of course I can attribute some of my success to Terry and Barry - two of the best hockey coaches you could ever want. The biggest developments an athlete makes likely
occur between ages fourteen and eighteen, and to have those two amazing
coaches for two of those years really set the cornerstone for much of it.
The year I left Notre Dame was absolutely a whirlwind. It was the fall of
1983, and everything happened at once. I started playing Junior with the
Saskatoon Blades, I turned 18 in October, then in December I made the
Canadian World Junior Team and we went to Finland and won the gold
medal at the World Junior Championships. Then in June 1985 I got drafted
as overall first pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs and began playing in the
NHL. That was the year three Notre Dame Hounds, Russ Courtnall, Gary
Leman and I played in what came to be known as The Hound Line. It was
“NOTRE DAME MAKES YOU
WANT TO COMPETE AT LIFE AND
TEACHES YOU THAT YOU CAN!”
42
a young team, and it was really just so much fun. Russ and I had actually
played together at Notre Dame, and Gary was just ahead of us, but all three
of us had the same connection back to Barry and Terry, and Notre Dame.
Russ had already been with the Leafs for a year, so here I am in my Rookie
year playing with a friend that I knew and trusted. It was just great, and a
real feature and fun aspect for us and the team, and the media enjoyed it
too. There’s a lot of history now of guys coming into the NHL through Notre
Dame, guys like James Patrick, Vince Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Curtis
Joseph and Jordan Eberle, and having the same kind of experience.
Currently I’m in discussion with my own kids about going to Notre Dame,
and for my son it’s a very real possibility, but we’ll see what the future holds.
Today I’m inspired by my kids, and being around my son as he plays
hockey with other young guys. I do a lot of coaching and working with his
team and around my community. I love doing things with my community and
for my community, being part of a group and supporting it. I grew up that
way, but my time at Notre Dame really reinforced it and now it’s simply my
way of life. Going to Notre Dame or playing on a sports team, you learn that
sense of group and team. Everybody has something different to bring, and
whether it’s a superstar or the 4th liner, you need all the parts.
If you’re considering Notre Dame in your future, it’s a great growing experience where the kids are well supervised, they grow up and learn to solve
problems, be accountable and take care of themselves. There’s no better
place to have your son or daughter grow and thrive in mind body and spirit,
and when they leave Notre Dame, they are ready for life. Notre Dame makes
you want to compete at life, and teaches you that you can.
In 1978, after playing in a hockey tournament at Notre Dame, I convinced my parents to send me there for grade
ten. I met Barry Trotz right away, and in grade eleven James Patrick arrived and we became very good friends and
teammates. It was a special year because we pretty much won everything, and the experience of wining a National
Championship and developing lifelong relationships with great friends was just tremendous. You’re on your own at
age fifteen and making your own decisions, and you really mature quickly. You come away with skill in all sports and
a great education, but more importantly you learn about character and commitment, and how to be a solid citizen in
your community.
Notre Dame didn’t yet have a Junior Team, so in grade twelve, eight of us played Junior in Weyburn and drove back
and forth to Wilcox every day. Once you’re a Hound you’re always a Hound, and it was really important for me to
graduate from Notre Dame. That led to my earning a scholarship to North Dakota, a prestigious NCAA School, where
I roomed with James Patrick, which led to an opportunity to play with the Canadian National Junior Team. I got to play
with the Olympic Team in 1984, and again in 1988 in Calgary. In 1984 I signed with the Edmonton Oilers and began a
sixteen year career as a professional hockey player that ended in 2000 after playing in Europe for twelve years.
Everything I’ve done in life reflects back to Notre Dame. Around 1997 I began preparing to become an investment advisor, and the transition was actually easy because at Notre Dame I’d learned how to set a goal and plan for
it. Today I still do a lot of fund raising work for Notre Dame so I can keep making a difference. Père Murray’s Notre
Dame Man poem hangs on my wall, and continues to inspire and guide my life.
My Notre Dame experience helped shape all the choices and decisions I’ve made every day for over thirty years.
I went there as a hockey player, but I came away as a better person, and a leader in the community. It continues to
deliver a tremendous education to young people, and more importantly helps shape the character they need to succeed in an ever changing world.
Gord Sherven ‘81
Retired NHL Player, Member of the 1984 Stanley Cup Edmonton Oilers,
Hockey Canada Alumni Chairman, Hockey Canada, Member, Board of Governors
43
“Take the initiative and
achieve with character”
—Father Athol Murray
One day when I was about six I was watching a hockey game with my dad
when he said, “You see number four out there? That’s Bobby Orr, and he’s
just the greatest player.” From that moment on Bobby Orr was my idol, and I
started dreaming of playing in the NHL. I never told anyone about my dream;
it was a secret I kept to myself.
I grew up in Winnipeg in a family with seven kids, where the winters are
long and the ice rinks stay frozen for months. Dad didn’t play hockey, he
actually couldn’t even skate. But he’d played football in the CFL, and he
really encouraged us to play all sports. I started playing hockey when I was
six and grew up playing on outdoor neighbourhood rinks as I went through
the team levels.
As a kid I was probably right in the middle of the pack as a player. But
by the time I was ten I’d become one of the better players on my neighbourhood team. When I was fourteen I played Bantam with the St. James
Canadians, and by then I was one of the better players in Winnipeg. We
won the city championships, then Provincials. Then we went to the Western
Canadian Championship and were thrilled to win that too.
James Patrick grew up in Winnipeg Manitoba. In 1979 he attended Athol Murray College
of Notre Dame for grade eleven and played defense for the Notre Dame Hounds Midget
Team. He did his grade twelve while playing Tier Two Junior Hockey with the Prince Albert
Raiders and played in two World Junior Championships in ’82 and 83. While there he was
drafted by the New York Rangers. He then spent two years playing for the University of
North Dakota, after which he made the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team and competed
in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo with fellow Hounds Russ Courtnall and Gord
Sherven. Upon returning he made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers. After ten
seasons he was traded to the Hartford Whalers, then to the Calgary Flames. In 1998
Patrick signed with the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent. During the course of his HNL
career, Patrick also played in the Canada Cup in 1984 and 1987, and he also played in five
World Championships as a member of Team Canada.
Patrick announced his retirement from the NHL in 2005 at age 42, and was immediately
named to the Sabres’ staff as a skill development coach. On September 12, 2006, Patrick
was re-signed as an assistant coach with Buffalo. He now lives near Buffalo with his wife
and two daughters.
44
James Patrick
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James
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The next year I played Minor Midget, still with St. James, and again we
won the city championship. Then I got called up to play five games with the
sixteen-year-old Midget Team and, after winning provincials, in April 1979
we went to the Air Canada Cup in Winnipeg, and that’s where I first encountered the Notre Dame Hounds.
That Notre Dame Midget team was a big deal. Barry Trotz was captain
and they were coached by Terry O’Malley. Terry had played for Canada’s
National Olympic team and both he and the school got a lot of publicity. My
dad was really impressed so he spoke to President Martin Kenney and pointed me out to him.
Shortly after that tournament Martin started calling me. He described the
school, the coaches and the hockey program, and he wanted me to come.
As a young kid it was certainly exciting to get a call like that, so I listened
politely. But I was sixteen, I had a serious girlfriend and I had no intention
of going. Then my dad started talking about Terry O’Malley and his great
coaching, and how Notre Dame would be the best place for me to do my
grade eleven and play Midget. Between them, by mid August they had worn
me down, and I agreed to go.
After my parents dropped me off I really had no idea where I was, or what
was coming. I really took a while to adjust. But life at Notre Dame has a
rhythm that once you get into it, everything starts to get easier. You get
up you make your bed and do your chores. Then you go for breakfast and
assembly. Then you have classes, and after school you have practice, you
have your meal, then homework, and then later you have a game or you go
and watch the other teams play. And you go to every hockey game played
at the school. I remember watching Russ Courtnall in grade nine play on the
Bantam team, and knowing he was good. The stands were always packed,
and then the chant “Never Lose Heart Hounds!” would shake the arena.
This is just daily life at Notre Dame, and soon you can’t imagine it any other
way.
I’d always been an 80% student so I did well academically, and those great
teachers always challenged us to work to our potential. Hockey-wise, even
though I’d left Winnipeg as one of the top players, I was a bit intimidated by
the guys on my Notre Dame team so I became determined to work as hard
as I possibly could to keep up.
Then there was the coaching. Back in the summer, all I’d heard about was
Terry O’Malley from both Martin Kenney and my dad. But by the time hockey
started Terry had left to play once more with the Canadian Olympic Hockey
team. School Principal Barry MacKenzie became our coach, and at first that
seemed like a let down.
But as it turned out, I can honestly say out of all the coaches I’ve ever
had - Barry had absolutely the biggest influence on my playing and on my
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career. He was gruff and tough, but he was fair, and he treated us like men.
The work he did with us on both our agility and on our puck movement was
incredible. Before that, like everybody else, whenever I got the puck I rushed
it. But Barry made it clear, that’s not the way you’re going to play on this
team. Instead, you got the puck and you moved it. And then the next guy
moved it. It was all about teamwork.
He expected a lot, but at the same time he really cared for his players.
Everybody called him Bear, and we would have gone to the wall for him.
He taught me how to play defense, that’s the bottom line. By the end of the
year, it was clear that Barry MacKenzie was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
Barry also impacted me personally. He taught us to respect and treat
others the way you want to be treated. That’s how he carried himself, and
that’s how he expected us to carry ourselves. He was the ultimate role
model, and such a strong connection to Père Murray’s values and everything Notre Dame stood for.
Père Murray’s presence and legacy was everywhere around the campus.
He promoted toughness and team unity, and that approach continued after
he died. So even though I never met him I was able to learn and live and feel
that legacy that is so strong there even today. The school motto of Struggle
and Emerge really impacted me, and it is still there today when I need it.
Notre Dame is big on teaching kids personal responsibility by giving them
chores just like at home. Back then one of the rotating jobs was “rink rat.”
The rink had an Olympic sized ice surface, and to clear it they had these
six-foot-wide metal shovels that four guys would race around the rink with.
There would be two games a night for a week, and if you were on rink rat
duty you had to shovel the rink before, in between periods, and after the
game. Then you did the next game. Then the guy who ran the rink would
push a barrel of water around and flood the rink. It was tough, but looking
back there’s no other place in the world where you could have this experience.
Part of my Notre Dame Experience was my initial reluctance to go there. I
was so unhappy for the first few months I could hardly wait to go home for
Christmas. I simply didn’t appreciate where I was and what I had. But when
I got back after Christmas, it hit me. We’d just lost a major Tournament in
the final at New Years, and then we had a great team meeting. After that we
really started playing better, and something happened inside me. Suddenly I
began to really appreciate what I had, and the second half of the year went
by far too fast. My bonds with my classmates and teammates grew really
strong, and it was a real eye opener. Your teachers were also your coaches;
you’d see them at meals and on weekends with their families, and you really
got close to them as well. You’re living twenty-four hours a day with these
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people, and I’d never experienced anything like it. Under Barry our team
just kept getting better, and we ended up winning the Canadian Midget
Championship. It was just a fantastic year!
At the end it was so hard to leave. I knew I’d never have that lifestyle, that
community and that incredible experience again. That AA Midget Team was
the crown jewel of the school, and my closest friends were my teammates,
guys like my defense partner Gord Kluzak, Tod Strueby, and Gord Sherven,
and my housemates John Sexsmith and Mike Gow who helped keep us
humble. It was such a family atmosphere, because you didn’t have your own
family. Regretfully I was only there for one year, but it was such a pivotal
year, and while I really wanted to come back for grade twelve, it just didn’t
seem possible.
Two things really stand out from that year. It was an Olympic year, and
because Terry O’Malley was away in Lake Placid playing for Canada, it permeated the school. Barry talked about it all the time because he and Terry
had both played on the National and Olympic Teams in 1964 and 1968.
So we were all watching and supporting Terry. This was a big part of my
experience, and it planted the seed in me that I wanted to go to the 1984
Olympics and play for Canada.
But I also wanted to go to university. To do that I had to play tier two
Junior somewhere, but at that time Notre Dame did not have a Junior Team.
I ended up choosing Prince Albert, which was a good experience, but it
meant my Notre Dame Experience came to an end. I really wished I could
have gone back for my senior year but I knew that to advance in my career
I had to go and play Junior somewhere. And it paid off because during that
year I was drafted by the New York Rangers. Then in 1982 I got to play at the
World Juniors along with fellow Hounds Gord Sherven and Todd Strueby,
and we won the gold!
I think the biggest thing I came away from Notre Dame with was a quiet
confidence in myself as a player. As a Hound I’d played against the best
players my age, and we were the best team. And while I was never known as
a tough hockey player, I knew within myself that I could compete and I could
play tough because hockey is a tough game. That’s what Barry demanded
and expected of us, and he brought that out in me.
I also came away with a more developed work ethic. At Notre Dame you
learn to respect yourself and others. You have to stand up for yourself, take
the initiative and do things, because no one else is going to do them for you.
I really grew up a lot that year.
In August of 1983 I was pretty excited when, along with fellow Hounds
Russ Courtnall and Gord Sherven, I made the Olympic team. That year was
all about playing for Canada. We went to the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo and
lost in the bronze medal game to finish fourth, but two weeks after
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returning home I joined the
New York Rangers and began
my Rookie year. Over the
next twenty-one years while
playing in the NHL it was also
a huge highlight to play in
two Canada Cups, and then
in five World Championships
as a member of Team
Canada. And, in 2002 Team
Canada was coached by
fellow Hound Barry Trotz.
My last NHL team was the
Buffalo Sabres, and in 2005
I retired as a player and
accepted the job of Assistant
Coach with the Sabres.
As a coach, I often think of
Barry MacKenzie and still use
many of his drills. When you
coach you take from every
coach you’ve ever had, but I
sure take as much from that
one year with Bear at Notre Dame as anyone, and I’m happy to say we’ve reconnected in the last ten years.
One fun connection back to Notre Dame happened a few years ago.
Today, NHL players always complain about the ice. Some teams had started bringing out guys with shovels to clean up along the boards in between
stoppages. One day here in Buffalo we were brainstorming with our
President Larry Quinn, how can we make the ice better? So I said, “Well
Larry, when I went to Notre Dame we had these big wide heavy metal shovels, and four of us could shovel that rink in two-and-a-half minutes!” Liking
the idea, Larry got ten five-foot-wide shovels, and while they’re not metal
they do the job. So now between every commercial break, four times a
period, ten guys come out and shovel the ice! You see it frequently now
around the league, but Buffalo was the first. For me it’s just a wonderful connection back to Notre Dame, and how Père Murray was so innovative out
there on the Prairies. Larry definitely deserves all the credit, but whenever he
talks about it he mentions how I told him the story about cleaning the ice at
Notre Dame.
Notre Dame played a big part in shaping my character, my values and my
work ethic, and I firmly believe that if I’d not gone there I would not have
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made it to the NHL. And I certainly would never have gone to the Olympics.
My Olympic dream was born at Notre Dame, and without it I never would
have even dreamed it, let alone achieved it.
If you are considering Notre Dame in your future I can’t recommend it
enough. For me it was a life changing experience, way beyond what any
other school I know of offers. My biggest regret is I was only there for one
year. It’s such an incredible learning environment. You’re surrounded by
phenomenal people and you have access to great sports facilities, with
amazing teachers and coaches. That one year gave me the confidence to
dream about things I wanted to do, and the skills to go out and do them.
I truly believe it literally gave me my NHL career. But the biggest thing you
take away is the relationships you create - the community that becomes like
family creates memories and friendships that last the rest of your life.
call us at
306-732-1203 and make
arrangements for
your personal
Campus Day Visit.
It’s your future!
“Notre Dame has a really tremendous women’s hockey program. During my twenty-five years with Notre Dame I
watched with enthusiasm and pride as it grew from a single team to three varsity teams at the Junior, Midget and
Bantam levels. In keeping with Notre Dame’s hockey tradition, these teams have experienced championships and
outstanding individual achievements, both in Canada, and in the women’s hockey world. Our female graduates go
on to play and star at the Junior, CIS, NCAA and all National levels. Notre Dame’s coaches have won championships at all levels, working in facilities that are second to none in North America. Notre Dame offers a full compliment of exceptional community and academic programmes, and most importantly, graduates leave with an excellent
first class education. My retirement finds me as both an Immigration Judge and an assistant coach to the Women’s
CIS hockey program at the University of Regina. Ironically, their head coach, Sarah Hodges is a Notre Dame Hound.
She has become a good friend and is a wonderful mentor for young women.
So if you are looking for a place for your daughter to share common academic and hockey goals with other motivated young people, at the highest level in Canada, give Notre Dame a call - and then go for a Campus Day Visit.”
Terry O’Malley
Memorial Cup Champion, St. Michael’s College, 1961
Member, Canadian Olympic Hockey Team, 1966, 1970 & 1980
Member, International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame since 1998
Coach and Teacher, Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, 1978 - 2003
President of Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, 2003-2006
Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Judge, 2009 – Present
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“Do the right thing, not
the popular thing. And
if you’re doing the right
thing, then don’t stand
at the back of the line,
go to the firing line.”
When I was about eight I told my dad I wanted to play hockey, so he got
me into a league. When I started I was probably the worst player for my age
in the whole town of Dauphin Manitoba. That really bothered me so I said,
“I’m going to get better at this!” I started going to the outdoor rink every
day after school, then I’d go back after supper and play until my dad came
and got me. I just LOVED the game, and I played and played and played.
Watching Hockey Night in Canada I thought Bobby Orr was the best that
ever played, and he really was my inspiration.
My parents were working people and didn’t play sports. There was never a
lot of money, but when I was about eight my dad bought me a pair of used
skates and took me to the local outdoor rink. He never skated so he was out
there in boots. That first time was obviously not great, but still I said, “I’d like
to play hockey,” and it started there.
By playing that much I got better and better. By fourteen I was one of
the better Bantam players playing Midget Hockey in rural Manitoba, and
Barry Trotz grew up in Dauphin Manitoba. After attending Athol Murray College of Notre Dame he played with
the Regina Pats from 1979-1982, winning the WHL Junior Championship in 1980. He played his final year of Junior
Hockey in his home town of Dauphin Manitoba, where the Kings won the MJHL title. In 1984 Trotz began at the
University of Manitoba as an assistant coach. The following season he was GM and head coach back in Dauphin,
and then in 1987 he returned to the University of Manitoba as head coach, while serving as a part time scout for
the Washington Capitals. In 1992 he became head coach for the Capitals’ minor league affiliate, the Baltimore
Skipjacks, going with them when the franchise moved to Portland Main to become the Portland Pirates. Trotz led the
Pirates to two Calder Cup Finals, winning it first in 1994, their first season.
On August 6th 1997 Trotz was named head coach of the Nashville Predators, and in their first season of 1998-99 he
led them to 28 wins. After fifteen seasons Trotz holds the record for the most games coached by the first coach of
an NHL franchise. In 2006-07 Trotz was named NHL’s Coach of the Year by the Sporting News, based on the votes
of his peers. From 2003-2008 Trotz led the Predators to four consecutive playoff appearances, and again in the
2009-10 season. On March 30 th 2012, Trotz won his 500 th game with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Trotz was an assistant coach with Team Canada at the World Championships three times, and part of the Gold
Medal winning 2003 team. Trotz lives in Brentwood, Tennessee with his wife Kim and their four children, Shalan,
Tyson, Tiana, and Nolan. Trotz is an active board member at his local United Way, and Petersen for Parkinsons. He is
also very involved with Best Buddies of Tennessee, an organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Barry
Trotz
Barry
Trotz
Barry
Trotz
NHL Head
Head Coach
Coach of
of the
the Nashville
Nashville Predators
Predators
NHL
NHL Head
Head Coach
Coach of
of the
the Nashville
Nashville Predators
Predators
NHL
Head
Coach
of
the
Nashville
Predators
NHL
55
Junior teams started showing some interest. My parents always made sure I had good skates and equipment, but they had a modest income so I got two part
time jobs. At fourteen I went to the Ron Low and Butch
Goring Hockey School, then at fifteen I made the
Dauphin Kings Junior A team! Playing Midget I’d been
a top player, but now I was on a Junior Team with much
older guys and really not playing much. Then I got to
chatting with a former teammate who was home for the
weekend. When he started talking about Notre Dame
I was intrigued, so he said, “When I get back I’ll talk
to the President. Maybe you’d like to come to Notre
Dame?”
“I’d love to,” I said, “but I really can’t afford it.” Two
days later I got a call from the President, Martin Kenney,
who said, “I hear you’re looking for a place to play.” He
had that voice, and he painted a great picture. “You’d
play on an Olympic-size rink with the Notre Dame
Hounds on one of the top Midget leagues in Canada,”
he said. “It’s a great tradition!” When I hesitated, he
said, “I’ll tell you what. You come down and check us
out. If you don’t like it I’ll pay for your parents’ gas and
they can drive you right back so they’re not out-of-pocket. I just want you to see the place.”
My parents agreed, so I called him back and said we
were coming. “Make sure you pack,” he said, “so if
you stay we’ll get you right into school and you won’t
miss anything.” When we arrived in Wilcox it was raining
like crazy, and then I see this man out front of a house
under construction. I got out and said, “Excuse me sir,
I’m looking for Notre Dame.” So he turns around, and
says in that voice, “Ah, you’re here! You must be Mr.
Trotz.”
Martin gave us a tour of the school and had a couple
of seniors show me the dorm where I’d be staying. It
was 1977 - only a couple of years after Père Murray had
died, the school was still in rough shape and nothing
looked very good. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
my mother asked, clearly anxious. For whatever reason
my gut was saying I was supposed be there, and I’d
sort of made up my mind to give it a try.
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The first month was tough. I had great roommates,
but the luxuries and comforts of home were just not
there. Life boiled down to really fundamental things
that I think have been lost in society today. But after
the first month I loved it. At Notre Dame you learn
loyalty and respect and responsibility. You learn
trust, and you get a sense of order and self-worth,
and these things grow over time just by living there
and sharing everything with people.
That first year of hockey was eye-opening. At
home I’d been a really good player, but now suddenly I was playing with a lot of guys who were just
as good and many who were better. When I worried
that maybe I wasn’t as good as I’d thought, it just
made me better. That first year, Greg Schmaltz and
Dennis Ulmer were my coaches, and they were just
terrific.
The next year Barry MacKenzie arrived as the new
principal, and Terry O’Malley came to teach and
coach. It was now 1978, and in one year I saw an
enormous transformation in the school. That first
year we were just getting by, but Barry and Terry
made so many changes you could really see the
school starting to move forward. They were both
terrific, and Terry was the most amazing coach. I
learned so much from him, especially how to really
move my feet. I was small, but working with Terry
I developed great speed. I was captain that year,
and we ended up winning Saskatchewan, and were
the first Notre Dame team to go to the Air Canada
Cup where we won the bronze. While there, Martin
Kenney pointed out a young guy named James
Patrick and asked me to go talk to him. So while
Martin talked to James’s dad, I sat down with James
and told him all about the school, and the next year
he arrived at Notre Dame.
With Barry and Terry at Notre Dame, the next year,
I think, seventeen out of twenty guys from the team
got drafted. Guys like James Patrick, Brian Curran,
Dale Derkatch, Gary Leeman and Lyndon Byers.
Things were really looking up.
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I was a really good athlete, I loved to compete, and I LOVED being a
Hound! I played everything - football, rugby, baseball. In track I held the two
hundred meter record for Saskatchewan for a long time without even knowing it. It was just part of the Notre Dame thing to run. Academically I was
probably a B student. We had fabulous teachers and they were available
pretty much 24/7 for help. And you knew that while the teachers weren’t
your parents, they were your mentors.
Then there was the spiritual component of the school. My parents were
fairly religious so I was raised with those values. I enjoyed going to church; it
gave me peace, confidence and trust in myself. I also learned about humility
and about giving. I saw clearly that there is a right thing and a wrong thing to
do and one of the right things is to give back. I get a lot of joy out of helping
people and that’s absolutely a value that was instilled at Notre Dame.
The school motto of Struggle and Emerge is always part of being a Hound,
and Father Murray’s favourite St. Augustine quote, “To him who does what
within him lies, God will not deny His grace” really spoke to me. I haven’t
been afraid to put that in my dressing rooms from time to time because I
believe there’s a higher power that can help you along, and it’s much harder
to do it by yourself.
Terry O’Malley wanted me to go the college route and be the first player
to go from Notre Dame in Wilcox to Notre Dame University in Gary, Indiana.
But Notre Dame Wilcox did not yet have a Junior team so I got permission
to stay at the school for grade eleven and drive to Moose Jaw every day to
play for the Moose Jaw Canucks. Then, on a long weekend my buddy Max
Bell and I hitched a ride into Regina and signed up for the Regina Pats tryouts - just so we could skate for a couple of days.
I ended up making the Regina Pats. Then when we learned Notre Dame
University had pulled their hockey program for two years I had a real crossroads: should I play for Moose Jaw and stay at Notre Dame for two more
years and hope the Indiana program comes back? Or do I leave Notre
Dame and play for the Pats?
My dad said, “You can go whichever way you want, we just want to make
sure you go to school.” I really loved Notre Dame, but playing Junior with
the Pats was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, so at age seventeen I decided to move to Regina and go to school there.
I was only five-foot-six and these guys were older and much bigger. But
I had that speed and mobility I’d learned at Notre Dame. And I took Notre
Dame with me. In the dressing room I wasn’t afraid of saying things about
hard work and vision and focus, because I knew they were the right things.
I’m sure some of those guys wondered what I was on, but I wasn’t going to
be a sheep in the corner. At Notre Dame I’d learned that if you’re doing the
right thing you don’t stand at the back of the line, you go to the firing line.
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Then, during that first year, I got cross-checked into the boards and fractured a bunch of vertebrae in my back and neck. It put me out for six weeks,
and really came back later to haunt me.
Halfway through grade twelve it just didn’t feel right to not be graduating from Notre Dame as a Hound. So I convinced Barry MacKenzie and
Martin Kenney to let me come back, and then drive back and forth between
Notre Dame and Regina for practice. When they said okay I was so grateful, and I’m proud to say I graduated as a Hound. A lot of players like Vincent
Lecavalier and Wendel Clark and James Patrick had to make tough decisions and didn’t get that opportunity, and I really feel fortunate that I could,
because to not graduate from Notre Dame would have been a real void
in my life. Perhaps the best wisdom I took from Notre Dame was to stand
up for what I believe in, do the right thing, not the popular thing, and if you
believe in something then don’t waiver from it.
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Although I always wanted to be an NHL player, I knew, really, that I wasn’t
big enough or good enough. But I’ve got hockey in my blood and Notre
Dame inspired me and fired my competitive spirit. After three seasons with
the Regina Pats, in 1982 I was invited to the Washington Capitals training
camp. Jack Button was the Director of Player Personnel, and David Poile
was the new GM. I was now a 5’8” one hundred-ninety-five-pound defenseman. When I saw Jack Button sitting in the stands with David Poile I went
up and introduced myself and thanked him for the opportunity. Looking
me in the face he said, “Listen, son, the only reason you’re here is that you
might be a good minor league player or a coach some day.” And despite
me giving it my best effort they didn’t take me. So, I decided to go back to
school.
My plan was to go to the University of Regina and play over age with the
Pats, but I got traded and ended up back in Dauphin, Manitoba as Captain
of the Dauphin Kings. Then Wayne Fleming recruited me to play with the
University of Manitoba, so the next year I headed there.
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From about then on I started to really struggle from my earlier back injury.
After the first season I could barely walk and I was in bed for days at a time.
When I went to Wayne’s office in August and said, “I don’t think I can play
this year,” he asked me if I’d consider being his Assistant Coach and I said
sure. Later, when my back wasn’t getting any better, Wayne said, “Maybe
you should consider coaching,” In retrospect, I think my injury was just
another way of the good Lord saying, “Okay, this is your direction”.
Then I got a call from my hometown of Dauphin. “Would you come and be
coach and GM?” They were in trouble and not offering much money, but my
long-time girlfriend and future wife, Kim, said, “Why don’t you give it a try?
We’re not married yet, we don’t have kids, so it’s a good time to find out if
you’re any good at it.”
So I took the job and lived with my parents to save money. After two years
they were out of debt with money in the bank, the team and the organization
were sound, and we made the playoffs both years. So I had some success.
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Then I got a call from Wayne Fleming back at the University of Manitoba.
He was taking a sabbatical and wanted me to apply for his job as coach. I
jumped at the chance. I had so much to learn, and during my first year I got
to go against some of the great hockey minds like George Kingston, Clare
Drake, Dave King and Willie Desjardin. I picked people’s brains to really
understand the game better, and not just the Xs and Os. Coaching is really
about people, and putting them in the right place, and giving them a vision
and understanding, and listening more than telling. And I learned ALL of that
at Notre Dame from working with those great, great guys Terry O’Malley
and Barry MacKenzie, and Greg Schmaltz and Dennis Ulmer.
From there I did some scouting for the Washington Capitols, and Kim and
I ended up in Vancouver where our daughter Shalan was born. Jack Button
was really happy with my work and became my mentor. Then he brought
me to Baltimore as assistant coach for the Skipjacks to work under a great
coach, Robbie Laird, and I finally knew where my life was headed.
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Tom Ebright was the owner of the
Baltimore Skipjacks, and in 1992 he convinced David Poile to take a chance on
me as Head Coach and David agreed.
It went well, and the next year the team
moved to Portland, Maine and became
the Portland Pirates. Success followed
success. My relationship with David
Poile was solid, and continued as he was
made the new General Manager for the
Nashville Predators.
When Tom Ebright died in July 1997 I
met David Poile at his funeral. Afterward
I drove back with him, and it rained all
the way. Just as we pulled into his place
he offered me the job of Head Coach in
Nashville. At the moment he shook my
hand a lightning bolt struck a tree, which
then crashed onto his tennis court. It felt
a bit magical, and I always thought that
was Tom Ebright saying, “That’s right. I
knew you were going to coach.”
We’ve been in Nashville ever since.
Being in one place that long has allowed
me to really build a culture with the team
that starts at the top with David Poile.
Having a smaller budget than some of
the bigger teams has made it a bit of a
struggle, but it goes right back to Notre
Dame’s Struggle and Emerge. We’re
emerging now to be consistently one of
the top teams, so it’s that Notre Dame
thing about staying true to your beliefs
and continuing to work hard, knowing
you will emerge. Our team is a real example of a great Notre Dame story. As a
coach I work with all those Notre Dame
values because that’s where I found the
roots of what I wanted to do. I go back
to that quote from St. Augustine, “To
him who does what within him lies,
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God will not deny His grace”, because I always want to stay in the game;
be part of the game.
I’ve also been fortunate to work with Team Canada three times. There’s a
Notre Dame connection with Team Canada that goes back to Father David
Bauer and Terry O’Malley and Barry MacKenzie. In 2002 I coached fellow
Hound James Patrick as part of that team, and in 2003 we won gold at the
Worlds. I have two goals left in my hockey career; I want to win a Stanley
Cup, and I really want to be involved in the Olympics. I couldn’t win the
Stanley Cup as a player, but maybe I can as a coach.
There are so many Hounds now in the NHL, and anyone who went to Notre
Dame - the Vinnie Lecavailers and the Wendel Clarks and so on, always
comes up to them. Last year I saw Hound Jaden Schwartz playing one of
his first games with St. Louis, and I made sure I went out and said hi. Then
there are the Gary Leemans, the Lyndon Byers and the James Patricks; the
Hounds I know from way back; there are so many and there is always that
unique bond. When you say you’re a Hound, everybody gets it.
Kim and I have been married now for twenty-three years and we have four
kids. Our youngest son, Nolan, who is eleven, has Downs Syndrome. He’s
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been an absolute blessing, and has brought our family very close together.
We’re very involved with Best Buddies of Tennessee, which we helped bring
here. When you have a special needs child it really puts into perspective
the things in life that are important - which are family and love. I can have a
crummy day at work, but when I get home and Nolan comes running up to
me with that big smile, it all goes away. He’s given clarity to me as a dad and
as a person, and it always comes back to those Notre Dame values, which
includes giving back. I get so much out of helping people. I think it’s the
responsibility of athletes as people with high visibility and the ability to help
people, to give back. From that standpoint, away from the rink Nolan is the
absolute light that drives a lot of things for me.
I’ve always been inspired by the struggle of the human spirit, and I’m
enthralled by people who have done exceptional things because they find
joy in doing it. And I’m inspired and motivated by my kids, and my family. We
do a lot of things together, and my wife Kim is my rock and my inspiration.
She says, “You love what you do so do it well. Don’t do it half-assed.”
If you are a parent looking at Notre Dame for your child, just send them. It
is life-changing. You’ll see a total transformation of your son or daughter. At
Notre Dame you will find the values that put everything back into the right
perspective of what should be important in life that gets so clouded over in
today’s society; family, friendship, trust, loyalty and honesty, all those things
that are great about the human spirit. You simply can’t replicate what Notre
Dame has. No one gets it until you’re there, so you should go for a Campus
Day Visit and see for yourself.
And if you are thinking of going to Notre Dame - maybe you play hockey
and have an NHL dream - well, just look at the Notre Dame alumnae list, it
speaks for itself. Everybody wants to be a better hockey player when you go
to a private school. Well, if you go to Notre Dame, I can guarantee that you’ll
leave a better hockey player, but more importantly I can guarantee you will
leave a better person.
One of the toughest decisions a parent can make is to let go of their children, to let them
leave the nest and be far away from the watchful eyes of those who love them most. The
day we arrived at Notre Dame with our son Barry, we had those feelings. We had so many
questions; is this the right place for our son? Who will take care of him? Will all his needs
be met? Is this the right decision? We didn’t know that those thoughts were natural, and
that day would change our lives as a family. But more importantly, we had no idea how it
would forever change the life of our son. Barry was totally embraced by the Notre Dame
community. He loved the school, he loved the sports, and he loved playing Hockey as a
Notre Dame Hound. While he was there, he grew as an athlete but, more importantly, he
also grew as a person both spiritually and emotionally. When he left Notre Dame he had a
full understanding of who he was and who he wanted to be. As parents we are so thankful
to Athol Murray College of Notre Dame for providing our son with so much more than we
ever expected. .
Orest and Iris Trotz
Proud Parents of Hound Barry Trotz
65
Playing
with her Whole Heart!
When I was a kid growing up in Kincardine,
Ontario, we were all big Toronto Maple Leaf Fans.
I think the first time I heard about Notre Dame was
watching Russ Courtnall, Wendel Clark and Gary
Leeman playing with the Leafs in the mid 1980s.
They were known then as “The Hound Line”
because they had all gone to Notre Dame, and
when my brother and I learned that the school definitely had some allure for us.
I loved playing hockey but, like most small towns
in Canada at the time, girls’ hockey wasn’t available so I came through the minor hockey system
playing with the boys. While this worked well
enough through the lower levels, I knew at a certain point I’d need to find a team where I could
play with girls.
Because of The Hound Line, my brother Caleb
decided he wanted to go to Notre Dame and,
when I was in grade six, my family went out to
visit him. From the moment I arrived I just loved
Sarah Hodges grew up in Kincardine, Ontario. She attended Athol Murray College of
Notre Dame for two years and played Women’s hockey as a Notre Dame Hound. From
there she attended Dartmouth University and played NCAA hockey from 1992-96 while
earning her B.A. With 75 goals and 71 assists during her four seasons she ranks eighth
on the school’s all-time list in points scored, and served as Captain in her last season.
Hodges then completed her B.Ed at the University of Regina, and then in 1998, while completing her M.Ed, she began coaching their new Women’s Varsity Hockey Team. Under
her tutelage the team has won one Canada West title (2001) and qualified for three CIS
Championships (2001, 2002, and 2003). Over the program’s first 12 seasons Hodges
guided the team to a 125-77-9-11 conference record and top-two regular-season finishes
in nine of those years. As a member of the Hockey Canada Coaching pool, in 2010-11
Hodges lead the National U-18 team to a silver medal at the World Championships in
Stockholm, Sweden. In July of 2008, she was named as the head coach of the National
Women’s U-22 team. Sarah is married to Chris Hodges, and they live in Regina SK with
their daughter Annie.
66
the place. So when I was fourteen, and it was time for me to stop playing
hockey with the boys, I wrote a letter to Notre Dame myself asking if I could
come. They called and said, “Yes! Come! We’re starting a hockey team for
girls; we’d love to have you!”
I arrived at Notre Dame in the fall of 1990. I was fifteen, and starting grade
eleven. In addition to playing hockey I played soccer, did track and field, and
I also played rugby. It was great being a Hound and I was really proud to
wear the Notre Dame jersey. I just loved playing on teams with like-minded
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people who loved sports the way I did, all of us trying to achieve the highest level of play. That environment allowed our great coaches to really work
with us and do things not possible in other situations where players are perhaps less committed. They were always prepared, and they definitely cared
about us and wanted us to get to where we wanted to go. The first year my
coaches were Greg Schmalz and Paul Loewen. It was Paul who had originally called in response to my letter. He was such a great guy and became a
really strong mentor for me. I learned a lot about discipline, and my skating
really improved from playing on that big Olympic sized ice surface.
In addition to the girls’ hockey team I also played in the Father David Bauer
League, the school house league. Any boys not already on a team played,
along with most of the girls, and some of the staff. At that time three-time
Olympian Terry O’Malley was teaching at the school and coaching hockey and he was on my team so I actually got to play hockey with him. Two-time
Olympian Barry MacKenzie was President at that point, and he also coached
the Junior team. Both of these amazing men were very present around
campus, and always available to every student.
But it turned out that Notre Dame was about more than just hockey; it also
brought me a whole lot of valuable wisdom about life. That school motto
of Struggle and Emerge is so important, and you realize there are situations
every day where it has to be applied. I also learned the wisdom of “work
hard and learn to make do with what you’ve got.” I’d always worked hard
because I loved to play hockey, but at Notre Dame I learned to work even
harder and manage my time a bit better, a work ethic I learned to apply to all
areas of my life.
One of the most important things I learned at Notre Dame was how to get
along with people. Living in a dorm and sharing space with others means
there’s going to be conflict from time to time, so you really have to learn
how to get along, communicate well and solve problems. This school also
teaches you how to become a leader. I was captain of a hockey team and a
soccer team, and in the dorm I was room leader. One of the most fundamental things I learned was the importance of maintaining a balance between
sports and academics, something I make sure my players understand now
that I’m a hockey coach myself.
At Notre Dame they taught us how to set our goals and go for them. My
goals involved getting a teaching degree and playing hockey for as long as
I could, so when I was in grade twelve my hockey coach, Bill Humphreys,
helped me identify the universities to which I might be able to go and play
hockey, and get my applications organized. I was always pretty strong academically, and Notre Dame had prepared me really well for the SAT tests.
Once I’d made contact with the universities that were interested in me as a
68
player, they left it up to me to make my own decisions about
where I wanted to go.
When I graduated from grade twelve in 1992 I was definitely sad to leave, but I was also kind of excited. My hard work
had paid off and I was heading to Dartmouth College, an Ivy
League school in New Hampshire, to play collegiate hockey,
so I was pretty pumped. I played hockey and did track and
field while doing my B.A. in English.
After graduating from Dartmouth in 1996 I did a two year degree in
Education at the University of Regina and earned my B.Ed. Then, in 1998,
just as I was finishing, the university presented me with an unexpected
opportunity. When I arrived they’d had a women’s club hockey team. Then
the Athletic Department decided to start a Varsity Hockey team and play in
the CIAU, and I applied for the position of coach. When they offered me the
job on an honorarium basis while I completed my Masters in Education, I
didn’t know where it would lead but I knew I wanted to do it, so I accepted.
That began three years of not earning much money, so I really had to apply
the Notre Dame motto of Struggle and Emerge! But I loved the job, so after
the third season when the university made it a full time salaried position, I
stayed. That position is now well established and will continue after I leave.
Coaching is full-time for me; I don’t teach academics, and I’m very proud of
my role in establishing this entire program.
I’ve been head coach of the University of Regina Cougar Women’s Hockey
team now for fourteen years, and I’m also a member of Hockey Canada’s
team coaching pool. In 2011 I was head coach of the Canadian National
U-18 Women’s Hockey team and we competed at the World Championships
in Sweden. This was my first experience at a World Championship, and
after an exciting tournament we advanced to the final game against the
Americans and brought home the silver medal! I was so proud of those girls
and their achievement. I’ve also coached the Women’s U-22 National Team,
both as assistant coach and as head coach.
A few years back, Terry O’Malley joined the Cougars as my assistant
coach - a really fun connection back to Notre Dame. Initially he worked with
us five days a week, but because of his busy schedule these days it’s about
once a week, and the girls just love him.
During our first meeting of the year I introduce him and
explain who he is and what’s he’s done, but at that point I
don’t think the girls are really listening, and Terry’s so humble,
he doesn’t spend a lot of time telling people about his accomplishments.
Then, in 2010 he came with us to UBC for the first games
in their new Olympic Arena. He been asked to drop the
69
Photo courtesy of HHOF IIHF Images
puck, and as they were introducing him they really went on about
all his accomplishments, including playing hockey for Canada in
three Olympics over sixteen years
and being President of Notre Dame.
Afterward most of our players were
in shock because they really had
no idea of what he’s actually done!
And here he is now helping coach
Women’s Varsity hockey - he’s just
such a great man.
My two years at Notre Dame were
definitely life changing, and I learned
so much. I learned to appreciate
the balance between sports, athletics and a spiritual life, something I
teach now. As a coach you have to
remain conscious of the fact that
you’re dealing with student athletes
- I think that’s probably one of the
really important things in my job.
Those young women cannot just play hockey, and if they do, we don’t have
them for very long. I take pride in being able to see what their demands are,
and being able to manage them and help them find some balance in their
lives. So that’s important to me, along with the work ethic and being part of
a team, something larger than you. Struggle and Emerge is something I still
use every day. No matter what you are doing life presents a lot of bumps
along the way and you need to learn to push through them.
At Notre Dame I learned to set my goals and go for them. I wanted to play
hockey at the highest level I could for as long as I could, and while I wasn’t
quite good enough to play on a national team, I’ve fulfilled that ambition as
an elite-level coach. I couldn’t have guessed I’d be involved as a national
coach, but I’m very happy and I love it. I also wanted to be a teacher and
work with kids, but it turns out that what I really love is coaching - and I don’t
have to teach! I’ve been able to build a career I really love out of my passion
for hockey, and many of the skills I rely on every day came from those two
years at Notre Dame.
In June of 2010 I got married, and I’m now the mother of an active little girl,
which brings my life additional balance and great happiness. So I’m a working mom. I’m very satisfied with my life and I take immense pride in what I
do. I enjoy working with people, and I enjoy teaching. I really love watching
70
the girls grow and develop over five years, and
knowing I’m part of that
is just a great feeling.
I’m also very proud of
developing the women’s
hockey program here at
the University of Regina
into an excellent one, a
place where I’d send my
own kids.
Today I’m inspired by
kids who still play sports
with their friends, road
hockey or whatever - just because they love to play, and not because of
where they think it can get them. I think we all need to do things we love that
bring us happiness, and I’m lucky to be doing that on a daily basis. I don’t
know how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t gone to Notre Dame. I
think I’d still be a successful person, but I likely wouldn’t have been able to
play university hockey, because at that time there weren’t a lot of opportunities for women to play university hockey. Without the opportunity to play
hockey at Dartmouth, I can’t see how I’d being doing what I’m doing today
as a coach, both at the University of Regina, and with Hockey Canada.
Notre Dame gave me the opportunity to do things I love, wholeheartedly,
and that’s still what I do in my life today. When I do something, I go all out!
At Notre Dame they really encourage that; you’re given the opportunity to
play with your whole heart!
In late August, 1990, we got a phone call from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame saying that our
daughter Sarah had been accepted as a student. We didn’t know she had applied and we really didn’t
want her leaving home at age fifteen. However, Sarah and the school were both persistent, so we
decided to let her spread her wings and go. We knew it was a good school as Sarah’s older brother
Caleb had graduated from Notre Dame eight years earlier. It turned out to be the right decision. Sarah
had the drive and determination, and the school allowed her to follow her dreams and develop her
potential. The coaching and competition allowed her to develop her hockey, soccer and track and
field skills. Academically it was the same story. In her final year, the Ivy League schools came calling
because of her sports ability and her academic record. Without the Notre Dame experience, Sarah
would not have had the opportunity to get an Ivy League education at Dartmouth College and to continue playing hockey at a high level. As the University of Regina hockey coach, Sarah is still living her
dream because of the Notre Dame experience. Wilcox is smaller than Kincardine, but Notre Dame’s
facilities and staff provided an experience she couldn’t begin to get in her hometown.
Dana and Eric Howald
Kincardine, Ontario
Proud Parents of Hounds Sarah Hodges and Caleb Howald
71
“Going to Notre Dame
was just a huge step in
my development, both
as a hockey player,
and as a person.”
When I was six my dad took me to my first-ever
hockey game to watch the Houston Aeros. Going in I
didn’t know what to expect, but I fell in love immediately. I didn’t leave my seat or speak a word throughout the entire game. As soon as it was over I told
my dad I wanted to play hockey, and the next morning we went out and bought my first set of hockey
equipment at the local rink’s pro shop.
I was born in Texas, but at Christmas we’d visit my
paternal grandparents in Pennsylvania. I started skating when I was three because my grandpa would
flood the backyard to make a rink for me. When I
was six I actually started playing hockey at what was
called the Squirt level.
When I was ten my dad took a job in Calgary and I moved there with him
and my stepmother. I was excited to come to Canada, but I was also a
bit nervous because I knew it was a hockey country. It was quite a culture
shock coming from Houston, a city of three million, where there were only
Tyler Myers was born in Texas but grew up in Calgary. While attending Athol Murray
College of Notre Dame for grade ten he played Midget AAA as Hound. In 2005-6 he
began his Junior career as a defenseman with the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL. Then,
in the 2008 NHL entry draft, he was selected 19th overall by the Buffalo Sabres. In 2009
the Rockets won the Ed Chynoweth Cup Championship and Myers was selected as the
WHL Playoff MVP. Right after that he was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with
the Buffalo Sabres and began playing with them in the 2009-2010 NHL season. After a
strong first nine games the club decided to keep him in Buffalo, initiating the first year
of his contract. Myers quickly established himself as the top defenseman on the Sabres
roster. Holding dual citizenship, Myers made an early decision to play internationally with
Team Canada. Representing Canada twice as a Junior and once on the men’s team, he
has won gold medals at the 2008 IIHF World U-18 Championships and 2009 World Junior
Championships. In 2012 Myers went to the IIHF World Championships with Team Canada,
but they finished without a medal.
Tyler Myers
Myers
Tyler
NHL
Defenseman,
Buffalo
Sabres
NHL
Defenseman,
Buffalo
Sabres
NHL
Defenseman,
Buffalo
Sabres
NHL
Defenseman,
Buffalo
Sabres
NHL Defenseman, Buffalo Sabres
73
two hockey teams in my age group. When I got
to Calgary I found thirteen teams in just one
community!
I really wanted to play hockey but I didn’t know
what to expect from the try-outs or how good
the other kids would be. At my first try-out the
guys running it knew I was from Houston so they
started me in Division Eight. But I played as hard
as I could and just kept working my way up until
finally, on the second day, I made it to Division
One and stayed there.
I loved playing street hockey, and whenever we
did we’d always pretend we were certain players.
So yes, I had an NHL Dream. But at that point
it was just a dream, not so much a goal - more
like a fantasy. But I worked hard and kept getting
better as I went through the levels.
I had it in my mind I’d like to play Junior Hockey,
so when I was coming out of my second year of
Bantam I started to talk with my parents about
going to Notre Dame as a step in that direction.
After we made the decision that I would go to
Notre Dame I learned that three other friends I’d
played with were going as well, so it was fun to
look forward to.
When I first arrived I was really excited to be
out on my own. I was fifteen and starting grade
ten, pretty young really to leave home, but I was
looking forward to it. As we were driving in I was
quite excited, knowing I was going to get settled
in my dorm and meet my roommates.
Going to school on my own was a totally different experience and a really a fun time for me. I
started meeting new people right away and soon
I was a part of the school. It’s a very small-townfeeling and I really liked it. Jaden Schwartz and
Brandon Gormley were there at the same time
although we weren’t on the same team.
When I first entered Notre Dame’s Olympic
sized arena it was pretty cool seeing all the different “Hall of Famers” on the wall. There is also
a big hockey book where Vinnie Lecavalier is
74
featured as a top player in the NHL. He’s a Hound so
the whole school really looked up to him, and all of us
young guys thought he was just so cool.
It was amazing to see all the history behind the school
and it was kind of cool to know I was now a part of
it. I had two terrific coaches that year, Scott Owens
and Bob Baumuller. It was my first year of Midget, and
that league was just the best thing for me. It’s a hardnosed league and to be able to play against guys who
were two years older really helped my development as
a player. I was already six-foot-four and very thin and
lanky. That league is known to be one of the most physical Midget leagues in Western Canada, and it was perfect because it helped me adjust to that type of hockey.
I was one of the youngest guys, so knowing I could play
at a higher level with guys older and stronger than me
really helped develop my mental strength.
My dad was always concerned about me doing well
in school, so he was a bit nervous about how I would
do on my own without his supervision. But because
of Notre Dame’s strong academic environment I did
very well on my own with both school and hockey, and
maintained an eighties average. The teachers were
really, really good, and it was fun going to classes on a
campus where you leave a building to walk to a different classroom.
The culture of the school was permeated with inspirational quotes and
wisdom. The school motto of Struggle and Emerge was really big, along
with Never Lose Heart. They, along with several others, are just part of the
history of the school. Going into games they were always repeated, and
they were such great motivation. When we came back on the bus from an
away game there was always the singing of the school song - at any time of
the night. Those little traditions really stay with you, and are definite symbols
of Notre Dame.
That first year away from my family helped me learn how to live life on my
own. You learn to be responsible and independent and to take care of yourself. The whole experience really helped prepare me for when I made my
jump to Junior Hockey and had to live away from home with a billet family.
Going to Notre Dame was just a huge step in my development as a hockey
player, and as a person.
When I turned sixteen I became eligible for Junior and the Kelowna Rockets
called me up so I ended up leaving Notre Dame early. This was actually
75
quite tough because I was really having a lot of fun. It’s
such a family-and-friends atmosphere and I was very
comfortable there and learning so much. When I had to
leave I was excited to take that next step, but sad at the
same time. It was definitely hard to leave.
When I arrived in Kelowna I lived with a billet family
and went to a regular high school on my own. I went
from playing with guys two years older than me at Notre
Dame, to playing with guys five years older, and my time at Notre Dame
definitely helped me adjust to all these new circumstances. When it came to
hockey, playing in that tough league at Notre Dame helped me tremendously
in making that move to Junior. I was the youngest guy there, still kind of shy
and very nervous, so I was pretty quiet. It was a real culture shock being
with guys four or five years older than me, and a bit nerve-wracking.
One day during that first year the coach of the Nashville Predators, Barry
Trotz, came out onto the ice before practice and spoke to us for about ten
minutes. Barry is also a Notre Dame Hound and we all thought it was pretty
cool and kind of exciting to have an NHL coach come and give us a motivational talk. .
My second year with Kelowna was my NHL draft year. There’s a lot of hype
across Canada about draft-eligible players and you constantly hear things
about where you’re projected to go in the draft. Toward the end of that
season it seemed likely that I would be a first-round pick, and it was exciting
to realize my NHL dream was starting to become a reality.
At the end of that second year Kelowna lost out first round so I was eligible
to go to the U-18 tournament in Kazan, Russia, with Team Canada. Playing
for Canada was just a great experience, we beat the Russian 8-0, and I
came home with my first gold medal.
That month leading up to the NHL draft was so busy! I ended up getting
picked by Buffalo and I was very excited to become part of that organization
and start my NHL career.
I’m so grateful for that one year at Notre Dame because I think it really
impacted my life and success in hockey by seriously preparing me to play
Junior. Without it I think I might simply have not been ready, and when my
NHL draft year came I might not have been drafted as high. And while the
Kelowna scout had identified me when I was still in Calgary, he always came
to watch me when I played for Notre Dame. He kept close tabs on me, and
was obviously pleased with how he saw me developing there.
Today, James Patrick is our assistant coach in Buffalo and he is also a
Notre Dame Hound. I also know Jordan Eberle quite well because he’s a
friend from Calgary. We played together at the World Championships after
my first year with Buffalo and it’s neat to see what he’s doing right now, as
76
well as Jaden Schwartz and Brandon Gormley,
who are also having success in their careers.
Today, it’s all about the love of the game. I’ve
been in the NHL for three years now and for three
years I’ve watched the playoffs, and then watched
three different teams hold up the Stanley Cup. But
it’s coming to the point where I’ve had enough of
watching. I really want to be one of those guys
that raises the Cup, and I’d love to do it here in
Buffalo. I’m very inspired by the feeling of winning,
and it motivates me to keep working hard.
I also love to play for Canada. I was lucky
enough to play in a World Championship with
Team Canada after my first year with Buffalo, just
a great experience. I also have an Olympic Dream.
I’d absolutely love to play for Canada in the 2014
Olympics in Russia, and have that feeling of putting on the Canadian jersey and playing for a
gold medal. And while I was born an American, I
received my dual citizenship in 2008 right before
the U-18 Tournament and had to choose which
team I wanted to play for. It was a hard choice, but
I knew that if I hadn’t moved to Canada I wouldn’t
be where I am today as a player. I felt I owed
Canada that, and the passion Canada shows for
hockey across the country is pretty special. Those
two factors were what ultimately made my decision to play for Team Canada.
If you are thinking about going to Notre Dame,
I highly recommend it. I think it was one of the
best decisions I made to help my hockey career
because it ultimately fast-tracked my development
as a player. I’m very proud to be a Notre Dame
Hound and alumni, and had I not gone there I
don’t think I would have been as well prepared to
make the jump to Junior. So take some time and
go for a Campus Day Visit, and see it for yourself.
And if you decide to go, I think it will be one of
the best decisions you will ever make, and change
your life.
77
When our son Tyler headed to Notre Dame
for grade ten he knew he’d be there only
one year before moving to Kelowna to play
in the WHL and finish high school. And
while Notre Dame is certainly well known
for its hockey legacy, Tyler’s academic
education was very important to us, and
we were also concerned about the sudden
independence he would find in the WHL.
Having visited Notre Dame we believed a
year there would help him start building the
skills and behaviors he’d need to be successful in school and hockey when his parents weren’t around. We wanted to ensure
he was a well rounded student and could
continue his education and career in any
direction he wanted if hockey didn’t work
out. At Notre Dame Tyler would experience a greater level of independence, but
in a structured, disciplined environment
where he would be held accountable. The
culture of the school fosters academic
and athletic growth that develops young
people into thriving independent adults.
The small class sizes, the dorm living, the
friendships, the athletics and the responsibilities students are given throughout their
community are all are part of that development. We watched our son blossom there,
and it’s fair to say he came away with more
than any of us expected. He loved being a
Hound, and had he not moved to Kelowna
to play for the WHL we’re sure he would
have been a proud graduate of Notre
Dame. We both miss our weekend road
trips to Wilcox to watch the Hounds. It’s a
great environment for learning and growing, and we would highly recommend it to
anyone considering having a child attend
Notre Dame.
Paul and Susan Myers
De Winton Alberta
Proud Parents of Hound Tyler Myers
78
It is difficult to convey the Notre Dame Experience with
just words. We can use words to tell you about it, but
words can only provide you with clues, or possibilities
of what the actual experience is really like. With this
Volume III of the Notre Dame Experience, we decided
to focus in on our grand hockey tradition. We thought
long and hard about how we could bring the truth of
it more fully alive for someone like you – someone
who may have a hockey dream and is looking at Notre
Dame as a way of perhaps furthering that dream. You
won’t be the first. Our files are bursting with incredible stories from young men and women whose lives
were transformed by their time here at Notre Dame many of whom have been able to parlay their passion
for hockey into a successful career. We asked a few of
them if they would be willing to share their stories with
you. And in the spirit of true Hounds, they jumped at
the chance to be part of this effort.
In this special publication you will find eleven inspiring stories from Notre Dame Hounds who have built
their professional careers around hockey. They are very
personal. It is our hope that when you read them you
will, in some small way, be able to share their experience and so come to understand a bit more fully the
unique riches and benefits of our school. We believe a
Notre Dame education is so valuable we simply must
let others know about it.
The Notre Dame motto adopted by founder Father
Athol Murray is “Struggle and Emerge.” Throughout
these stories you will see those inspirational words
referred to by Hounds time and time again. We hope
that after reading these stories you may see, feel and
experience their heartfelt struggles, followed by their
transformation and emerging, which has allowed them
to go out into the world, prove their leadership, and
make strong contributions to their families and communities, and in this case, the world of hockey.
Father Murray believed that all his Hounds had
the capacity to live out the beautiful saying from St.
Augustine of Hippo:
“To Him who does what in Him lies, God will not
deny His Grace.”
Is it the grace of God that inspires our Hounds to
stuggle, emerge and then to go forward and achieve
with character? I truly believe so. Please enjoy these
true stories from our Notre Dame Hounds, and be
open to what they may offer. And if you are ready to
reach for something greater, and bring the Notre Dame
Experience into your own life or the life of your child,
call us at 306-732-1203 and make arrangements for
your personal Campus Day Visit. It’s your future!
God Bless,
Rob Palmarin
President
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
79
“Never Lose Heart”
One day when I was in grade nine my mom and dad sat us down and said,
“We have to do something, this can’t continue. We want you all to keep playing hockey, but this is just not working.” I had two younger brothers, and all
three of us were playing hockey. I was on a midget girl’s hockey team and
traveling an hour and a half in each direction to hockey practices. My brothers were both going in two other directions, and we were all just so busy.
My parents were worn out with the driving, the schedules didn’t always
work, and something had to give.
I wanted to go to Notre Dame because of their distinguished female
hockey program. When I was younger I’d played on Team Saskatchewan,
and we won a bronze medal at the Canada Winter Games in 2003. A lot of
the girls on that team were from Notre Dame. I really looked up to them, and
was inspired to come and play with such talented girls.
So as a family we made the decision to move from Emerald Park outside
Regina, to Wilcox so my brothers and I could all play hockey and go to
school. Living in Wilcox was really convenient because all of our sports were
in one place, and we traveled with our teams. We knew that going to Notre
Dame would be great because we would be playing with teams of talented
athletes from all over Canada and the world, and our teams would be really
competitive.
When we arrived I was in grade ten and Rylan in grade eight, so we were
there for three and five years respectively. My youngest brother began at the
Wilcox Public School, and then attended Notre Dame for the full five years.
We all just loved it.
Mandi Schwartz was born in Yorkton, SK, and then when she was fifteen she moved
with her family to Wilcox, SK. She attended Notre Dame from 2003 to 2006 for grades
ten to twelve. After graduation she earned a hockey scholarship to attend Yale University,
where she played ice hockey with the Yale University Bulldogs. Her two brothers, Rylan
and Jaden also attended Notre Dame, and both earned hockey scholarships with the
Colorado College Tigers. Jaden was subsequently a first round draft pick for the St Louis
Blues. During her recovery from treatment for leukemia Mandi attended the University of
Saskatchewan for one semester to be close to her family and doctors, and her fiancé,
Kaylem Prefontaine. Despite valiant efforts, Mandi succumbed to her leukemia on April
3, 2011, at the age of twenty-three. Today, The Mandi Schwartz Foundation seeks to
honour Mandi’s life and legacy by helping others in her name. For more information, go to
www.mandi17.org
80
Mandi Schwartz
Schwartz
Mandi
81
I immediately became involved with track, volley ball and of course hockey.
Unlike most of the other students, I lived at home. But I always visited my
friends and hung out in the dorms, and sometimes they would come back to
my house for meals and sleepovers.
Academically I knew Notre Dame offered a superior education, so I knew
when I graduated I’d be really well prepared for university. I was personally
inspired by my older classmates and role models who went on to play college hockey and played on National and NHL teams. But in addition to all
this, Notre Dame provided me with all the tools and more to help me reach
my goals. They have such great facilities, great coaching with plenty of ice
time, and good athletic trainers. I became friends with my teachers, who
always encouraged me to set my goals high.
My personal goals were to earn a hockey scholarship, and to tryout for
Team Canada U-22 after I graduated - a long time dream. With these two
goals in mind, I worked really hard in high school.
Our hockey teams had ice time reserved every day, but I also made use
of extra ice time available at six am in the mornings and on the dug out in
winter. I really enjoyed having fun scrimmages there with my friends and my
brothers. Spending so much time with your teammates allows you to get to
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know them really well.
We played, studied,
trained and lived together. It was the same with
our teachers because
we saw them all the
time; at meals, during
class and at games, and
they also worked out in
the gym with us.
I was always on the
honour role, and in 2006
I graduated with a 92
average and achieved
both my goals. I earned
my hockey scholarship
for Yale University, and
also a tryout for Team
Canada U-22. I didn’t
make the team, but it
was just a great experience to tryout.
I arrived at Yale in
fall of 2006 to begin
studying for a degree
in economics. I played
hockey, worked hard
at school and enjoyed
my time. During the fall
of 2008, my third year,
I played hockey the
whole semester, but it
seemed I was always
sick with a runny nose
and sore throat, and
fevers and infections.
Still I kept playing and
didn’t miss a game the
whole season. Then
around Christmas it got
worse. I was very sore
and really weak, and
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not feeling good at all so I had
my blood checked to see if I was
anemic.
On Dec 8th a Yale doctor diagnosed me with Acute Myeloid
Leukemia. Initially I was shocked,
sad and scared, and didn’t really
believe it. I didn’t know what to
do. Then after about an hour
of being dazed and confused I
decided I would do everything I
could to get well and get my life
back. From that first hour I had
my heart set on complete recovery.
Just to be sure they immediately did a bone marrow biopsy,
where they stick a needle
through a bone in your hip. It
was pretty painful. The obstruction of the cancer cells caused
my blood and marrow to have
very low oxygen, which was why
if I walked up stairs or anything
I was exhausted. My dad and
coaches couldn’t believe I’d been
able to play hockey, especially
the last few weeks when I’d been
feeling really bad. I don’t know how I played either; I guess I just love hockey
that much.
From that moment on someone was always with me, and they took great
care of me. My teammates came to see me that evening
and helped me pack up my room, and the next morning they came to see me off. We ate breakfast together in
my room, and then after we said our goodbyes my coach
accompanied me on my flight home.
On Dec 10th I went into hospital and immediately began
treatment. It was already so bad I had 80% blasts in my
bone marrow. I spent Christmas in the hospital, and then
very soon lost all my hair because the chemo worked so
quickly. I was confined to my room because with that intensive chemotherapy your immune system is so low you
84
can’t risk getting any infection. But then I got some
good news. A second bone
marrow biopsy indicated I
was in complete remission!
In total I spent five and a
half months in the hospital. During that time I had
five treatments with three
to seven days at home
between each one. For the
rest of that time I remained
in hospital, and in my room.
During my breaks at home,
when I could I went skating at the Notre Dame
rink. This would always
bring back great memories
and help me stay positive
about my recovery. When I
was sick, the support and
prayers I received from
fellow Hounds, friends and
family helped me so much.
The 2008/09 Senior Girls
Hockey Team sent me letters of encouragement,
and goodies to keep me
occupied in the hospital.
They also held a fundraiser
night at Notre Dame for me.
My fellow Hounds like Kirk
Kenney and the Argos, as
well as Tyler Chorneyko and
Tyler Davis held fundraising
events in support of a possible marrow transplant, that
would have taken place in
Seattle had a donor match
for me been found.
My favorite Notre Dame
motto is “Never Lose
85
Heart”. These words had always motivated my inner spirit and heart to stay
positive and to keep battling through adversity no matter what. So I really
tapped into that while I was in the hospital. I had a yoga mat, and my doctor
would often be astonished to find me on the floor doing exercises, with my
IV cords and everything in my arm. It kept me moving, and I think helped
me recover faster after treatments. If you just keep lying in bed you are very
prone to pneumonia after chemo. But I only got pneumonia once after my
third round because the treatment was just so harsh. Otherwise when I was
feeling okay, I was always trying to move around in my room. Even though
my blood counts were zero it was a week or two before I got sick and my
doctor was always so surprised it took that long. I was always able to stay
healthy longer than most.
86
On May 17th of 2009, I was discharged from hospital in full remission with
a clean bill of health. They told me to eat lots of food. I eat a healthy diet
anyway, and it’s just great to feel normal and healthy again. I believe it was
my attitude, my work ethic, and my desire to stay healthy and do everything
I could to stay healthy and never quit that allowed this to happen. And I
learned all of that at Notre Dame.
When I became a Notre Dame Hound I learned about the work ethic and
determination it takes to succeed in life. The school motto, Struggle and
Emerge is wisdom that is reinforced every day, and it went in really deep for
me. In grade eleven I tore my ACL which could easily have hurt my chances
of being recruited for university. But I struggled to recover and get back to
my original level of performance. Whenever things didn’t go my way, everywhere I looked from the paintings on the walls, the school motto and the
lessons from teachers and coaches, that wisdom to “Struggle and Emerge”
was front and centre. I noticed that Notre Dame Teams never let obstacles
or adversity throw them off track. Knowing better than to complain, they
simply fought through bad calls, late buses, injuries or homework or whatever.
As Notre Dame Hounds and students, we were taught to “Never Lose
Heart,” and this attitude really helped us overcome obstacles and reach our
goals. We trained hard every day, we learned to be independent and live
on our own. We learned how to be responsible for ourselves and balance
homework, school and friends. This all really prepares you for life and for
adversity when it comes.
I’m so grateful for my years at Notre Dame. I believe my time there is the
reason for my successful return to health, because of the transformation in
me that took place there. At Notre Dame I learned life altering lessons; spiritually, academically, and athletically, and I know for sure it prepared me with
a mentality ready to face adversity.
If you are considering Notre Dame, I think it’s a great idea, because if you
take advantage of everything the school offers, it will help you be successful
in life. Notre Dame can change your life if you let it.
87
The Rest of MANDI’S Story
Mandi’s story was originally written in December of 2009 when she
was in remission from leukemia,
and feeling much better. But that
was not the end of her story…so
much has happened since then.
In January 2010 Mandi felt well
enough to return to Yale, and began
working out again with her team.
But in April we learned the leukemia was no longer in remission, so
we brought her home immediately
and the search began for a bone
marrow donor match. Through it all,
the Notre Dame motto of “Struggle
and Emerge” remained her focus,
and the anthem “Never Lose Heart”
remained her unwavering approach.
Then, while she was recovering
from a very difficult bout of pneumonia resulting from the chemotherapy, her boyfriend Kaylem
Prefontaine surprised her with a
marriage proposal and an engagement ring, which really renewed her
strength and hope. A few weeks
later, we learned to our relief that
she was once again in remission.
If a bone marrow donor was found
the transplant would be done in
Seattle, so as soon as she was
strong enough we set out with
both Mandi and Kaylem for Seattle
in a donated motor home. The
route took us through the Rocky
Mountains, which Mandi loved,
and keeping her positive attitude
she began to get her strength back
by doing a little hiking. After visiting with some family in Kelowna
we headed south across the
border to Seattle. Meanwhile a
world wide search was underway
to find a donor match for Mandi.
After we arrived in Seattle, it was
quickly determined the leukemia
had returned once again, so Mandi
underwent another round of chemo
and intensive radiation to put it back
into remission. It proved successful, so in October Mandi underwent
the cord blood transplant. However,
before we left Seattle in December
we learned to our great sadness the
transplant had not been successful,
and the leukemia was back. Once
88
she was well enough we followed
Mandi’s wishes and brought her
home to Wilcox, and her beloved
Notre Dame.
All the way through this we
received such generous support
with calls, gifts, love, kindness and
donations from Hounds, from her
Yale teammates, and so much from
the close Notre Dame community.
The Captain from the Yale Bulldogs,
Aleca Hughes began a foundation
in Mandi’s name to help with the
expenses of travel and treatment,
and to raise awareness of the need
for bone marrow and cord blood
donations.
Our beautiful daughter was so
amazing. A true Hound, she was
so strong, and her mindset was so
wonderful - she just wanted it to
be easy for everybody else. One
night we managed to get her out
skating at the Notre Dame rink which brought her joy, and was so
good for her. She was put on palliative chemo while home in Wilcox
to make her more comfortable,
and extend her life as long as possible. She went back into hospital
on April 2 and slipped into a coma
that night. In the early afternoon of
April 3, 2011, our beloved daughter
Mandi passed away.
The community of Notre Dame rallied around our family in a way that
is hard to describe. The President,
Rob Palmarin along with a crew of
staff and teachers, and the Sisters,
arrived and simply took care of
everything, including us. On our
own we could never had done what
they did, and that is really where the
whole extended family and community of Notre Dame showed up
and proved itself - and it was truly
amazing.
Mandi’s funeral was an incredible
event. The entire staff and community of Notre Dame and Wilcox
came. Mandi’s coach and the girls
from her Yale Bull Dog Hockey
team came. Her brother Jaden
had recently been drafted by the
St. Louis Blues - and the St Louis
President, John Davidson came to
show his support. Everyone was
taken care of by the amazing Notre
Dame community.
Mandi loved Notre Dame so
much. She loved living in that community with friends who had the
same common goals and interests, and the extended family of
coaches, teachers and friends. She
passionately loved the entire experience. Because of that we have
also asked people to donate to a
bursary at Notre Dame to honour
her name. We are touched that
people have found numerous ways
to keep Mandi’s memory alive and
honour her, and we hope we can
help people in the same way that
she was helped in her time of need
- because it was truly something
special.
As the parents of three kids who
all played hockey, we were originally drawn to Notre Dame because
of its renowned hockey programs
for both male and female athletes.
We thought our kids could benefit
from these programs, and indeed
they did. But the real, true benefits
our family reaped from our years
at Notre Dame went far beyond
those of the hockey programs, the
classrooms, the ice surface and
the church. The greatest gifts came
instead from their day to day lives,
from their friends and teammates,
from the staff and coaches, and
from the growing number of incredible graduate Hounds that “Never
Lose Heart.” Our kids’ greatest
gift came from the simple motto
“Struggle and Emerge” which
helped prepare us for the biggest
battle of our lives. When Mandi
was first diagnosed with leukemia,
the strength that came from those
words was there for all us when
we needed it and so were the vast
numbers of Notre Dame Hounds
who showed up for her and for us
with all the love and compassion of
a family. Although she is no longer
here, we know she watches over
us with pride as we continue to
raise awareness in her name for this
ongoing battle. We know she knows
how blessed she was to have been
loved and supported by all her warriors - the Hounds of Notre Dame.
THANK YOU!
Post Script: Those people that
were heavily involved in helping
Mandi when she was sick have
decided to continue to support
the Mandi Schwartz Foundation,
and we will be part of it. You can
learn more about it at http://www.
mandi17.org/.
And, if you would like to support the Mandi Schwartz Bursary,
please contact the Notre Dame
Development Office at 306-7322080.
Carol and Rick Schwartz
Wilcox Saskatchewan
Proud Parents of Hounds Mandi,
Rylan, and Jaden Schwartz
89
“RESPECT OTHERS NO MATTER
WHERE THEY COME FROM,
AND TREAT THEM THE WAY
YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.”
I was fourteen the first time I entered the rink at Notre Dame. It’s one of the
only Olympic sized rinks in Saskatchewan so I was pretty excited, and more
than a bit nervous. Then I saw the Wall of Fame, and I was really stunned.
An immense block wall is covered with hundreds of pictures of Notre Dame
Hounds who have reached their goals in sport, whatever they might be. The
names go back to the beginning of the school in the 1930s and come right
up to the present. One of the first players I noticed was Dale Derkatch. I
knew Dale because he’d played for the Regina Pats and was the all time winning scorer. Like me he was a bit of a smaller guy, and I knew a lot about
him. I also noticed loads of other big names in hockey, like Wendel Clark,
Russ Courtnall, Gary Leeman, Brad Richards, Rod Brind’Amour, Vince
Lecavalier, Curtis Joseph and James Patrick to name a few. It was really
something to realize that these guys had been in the exact same situation I
was now in, and had taken the opportunity and built their dreams on it. I was
kind of in awe as I realized I could now do the same.
Like every other boy in Canada who plays hockey I’d dreamed of playing in
the NHL since I was little, and seeing that Wall of Fame every day made me
more driven than ever. It inspired me and really made me want to be part of it.
I grew up in Regina with two older sisters and a younger brother in a great
family. When I was only two my mom noticed I liked to go zooming
around in my socks on the hardwood floors, pretending I was
Jordan Eberle is a Right Winger for the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL. He was born May
15, 1990 in Regina Saskatchewan. While attending Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
for grade 9 he played Bantam AAA at the age of fourteen. He then played Midget with
the Calgary Buffaloes, and then joined the Regina Pats in 2006-7 to play Junior in the
WHL. Eberle later represented Team WHL against Russia in the 2007 ADT Canada Russia
Challenge. In the 2008 NHL Entry Draft he was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers and
signed with them in March 2009. He finished his career with the Pats by being named
Player of the Year, Most Sportsmanlike Player and the Most Popular Player after the 200910 season. Eberle was chosen to play with Team Canada’s U20 team for the 2009 World
Junior Championships in Ottawa. Canada was trailing Russia by a goal and had pulled
their goalie when Eberle scored with only a few seconds to play. Canada won that game
and then the next to claim the gold medal. Eberle was named player of the game and his
goal is considered to be one of the most important goals scored by a Canadian, second
only to Paul Henderson’s famous 1972 goal. On October 7 2010, Eberle made his NHL
debut with the Edmonton Oilers against the Calgary Flames and scored his first NHL goal
that night. In 2010 he was named to Team Canada and debuted with Canada’s men’s
team in May against Norway.
90
“Jordan Eberle's
goal with only
seconds to play
against the
Russians at the
2009 World Junior
Championships
was a truly great
Canadian goal,
and it comes as
no surprise that
Eberle got his start
at Athol Murray
College of Notre
Dame.”
—Paul Henderson
Jordan
Eberle
Jordan
Eberle
Jordan Eberle
NHL
Right
Wing,
Edmonton
Oilers
NHL
Right
Wing,
Edmonton
Oilers
NHL
Right
Wing,
Edmonton
Oilers
NHL
Right
Wing,
Edmonton
Oilers
NHL Right
Right Wing,
Wing, Edmonton
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers
NHL
LivingHis
HisDream!
Dream!
Living
His
Dream!
Living
His
Dream!
Living
His
Dream!
Living
Living His
His Dream!
Dream!
Living
91
skating. So they quickly threw me in skates and
by the time I was three I was skating pretty well.
Before I was five I was playing on a Mini Mites
team, and my dad started coaching me. I loved
playing ice hockey, ball hockey, and watching hockey. For me, it was just always all about
hockey.
I always got along pretty well with people and
had lots of friends. I loved all sports and was
pretty good at them. I also enjoyed school, paid
attention, worked hard and usually did well.
Math and science just came naturally and I was
maybe a bit of a nerd. My grandfather was an
engineer; my dad and my sister are both engineers, so I guess that gene just runs in my family.
Then when I was just finishing grade eight my dad
was transferred to Calgary and my family had
to move. I didn’t want to leave, and that’s when
people first started suggesting I go to Notre
Dame. Everybody in Saskatchewan knows about
it, especially if you’re from Regina, it has such a big
reputation. I just grew up knowing that if you want
to be a hockey player it’s a great place to go. I was
pretty excited by the idea so we made the decision
that I would go to Notre Dame for grade nine.
In September 2004 when I arrived I was fourteen, and actually quite nervous because I’d never
been away from my parents before. But right away
I met my room mates so immediately I had new
friends. And there’s a real rhythm to the daily routine at Notre Dame of going to morning assembly,
then to classes, then going to Varsity to eat, and
then going to practice. Once you start to get that
routine it really helps you settle in. Very quickly the
place becomes home and it gets a lot easier, and
then it becomes so much fun. And like everybody
else I quickly started making friends and soon it
felt like a family.
I was pretty excited when I made the Bantam
AAA team. Bill Humphries was a hard coach for
sure, but he was really good, and really smart. If
we lost a game he’d have us do a lot of hard bag
92
skating, which is basically a lot of repetitive, strenuous skating drills. Out of
the sixty or so games we played that year I think we only lost three!
I was really excited when I learned that Dale Derkatch was our assistant
coach. I’d followed his career with the Regina Pats when I was growing up,
and now here he was coaching me! I really respected him, and he soon
became my mentor, both in hockey and in life.
That Bantam team was really good, I believe, because we practiced every
day. I don’t think other teams at that level practiced and played nearly as
much. And even though we were only fourteen, Bill and Dale had us working
out in the gym with a strength trainer. I’d never really worked out before and I
think it made a huge difference. It’s probably why we usually won; the teams
we played against simply weren’t as good. At tournaments we were playing at
the highest level of competition against some of the best players in the world
- and doing well. This experience really gives you an edge over everyone else
out there, and went a long way to building my confidence as a player.
Playing as a Notre Dame Hound on that excellent Bantam team definitely
made me a better player. Working out, practicing every day, being coached
by two amazing coaches and playing against the highest level of players, it
all just really upped my game and brought me to a whole different level of
skill. Former Olympic hockey player Terry O’Malley was President then, and
he also coached one of division three teams in Midget. But because I was
only there for one year, sadly, I never got to play with him.
Although I was definitely there for the hockey, Notre Dame is about so
much more. There’s this three sided approach to education that covers the
athletic, the academic and the spiritual. I’d always been pretty good at academics, but those teachers made sure we focused on them because if your
marks slipped below a certain level, you weren’t playing any more hockey.
I excelled in math and science and, with all those engineers in my family,
engineering was something I definitely would have considered. But from the
time I was small my first aspiration was always to be a professional hockey
player. As far as the spiritual part, I came from a Catholic background so the
philosophy of the school and going to church every Sunday just fit in with
how I was raised.
There is so much history at this school. The legacy left by Père Murray is
all around you every day and it starts with the school motto of Struggle and
Emerge. That wisdom really went in deep for me, and I’ve really used it in
my life, even coming out of that great year of Bantam. I was a small guy and
they usually pick bigger guys. I wasn’t touted very highly for draft pick, and
then I was drafted late. Everyone always ruled me out because I was too
small. I’ve always felt like kind of an underdog and wanted to prove people
wrong. The wisdom of Struggle and Emerge really helped me do that, and
93
get to where I am today. I definitely live by it, and it’s wisdom that continues
to be there when I need it.
The teachers at Notre Dame were just awesome. A lot of them have a
sports background so they are also your coaches, and you’re on a first name
basis with them. They knew most of us were there to play sports, but the
environment is so inspired most of the kids just work really hard at everything. You have to get along with lots of different kinds of people, and most
of them are just really good people. So whether I was playing hockey, or
baseball, or ball-hockey or roller-blade hockey on the street, or just hanging
out in the computer lab, I always just really enjoyed people and got along.
There is such a great attitude at Notre Dame about teaching kids to be
responsible and take care of themselves, and developing a real work ethic.
I think the work ethic I came away with after just one year has really served
me well. You have chores just like at home, and it all really gives you a sense
of growing up. I definitely left a different person. And no matter what I was
doing, the self-discipline that comes from working that hard is just so good.
I finished grade nine with grades in the mid 90’s which meant I made the
Honour Role with distinction. Playing hockey as a Notre Dame Hound really
94
upped my game, and while I was there I was thrilled to be drafted by the
Regina Pats. But you have to be sixteen to try out for Junior, so I had to wait.
After a year away from my family I seriously missed them. The Calgary
Buffalos were a really good Midget team, so after grade nine when I tried
out for and made that team, I moved to Calgary and back in with my family.
When I left Notre Dame I was playing at a new high level with a lot of new
confidence in myself. I was sad to leave all the great friends I’d made there,
but I enjoyed playing for the Calgary Buffalos, and did my grade ten at a
local Catholic School.
When I turned sixteen I made the Regina Pats, so I finished high school in
Regina while living with my grandparents. And it was really amazing because
Dale Derkatch ended up coaching me again with the Pats!
It was during grade twelve when I was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers
that the first part of my dream came true. Then, just after I turned twenty, I
finally made the NHL. In October 2010 I skated out onto the rink wearing the
Oilers jersey and played my first NHL game against the Calgary Flames. On
that night I started living the dream I’d had since I was three years old! I was
so excited and so nervous because I was playing with guys I’d grown up
95
watching, and it was all just
pretty amazing. During that
first game I scored my first
goal as an NHL player and
it was absolutely awesome
because we won!
Notre Dame made such a
huge contribution to my life,
and definitely to my success as a hockey player. I
think that one year at Notre
Dame playing Bantam is
directly responsible for my
being in the NHL today. It
honed those traits of working hard, and having the
discipline to do things right.
The advantage of working out in the gym, skating
every day with great coaches and playing against the
best players really pushes
you as a player and makes
you better. Living away
from home you really have
to grow up. You meet a lot of different people, and I think that really gave
me the experience to be able to cope with the life I’m living now, which is
travelling around and playing professional hockey in a very adult life at a
very young age. Part of being a Hound is learning to respect other people
no matter where they come from, and treating them the way you want to be
treated. Again, that’s how I was raised, and I certainly try to live that way
to the best of my ability. And of course today my picture is up on the Notre
Dame Wall of Fame, my early inspiration. Now I’m a role model in the community and it’s important to me to live up to everything that implies.
It’s so exciting to know I’ve achieved my first goal - to make the NHL. I
have my whole life ahead, so the next goal is to win the Stanley Cup. I’ve
also played for Team Canada at the World Championships three times now,
including the 2009 World Juniors where Canada won the gold medal. I love
representing Canada and welcome any chance to wear that Maple Leaf. I’m
a proud Canadian, and hockey is our game. It’s very special, and it’s great
to play with other Hounds. In 2011 I played alongside Hound Tyler Myers,
and in 2012 Hound Teddy Purcell from the Tampa Bay Lightning was also a
96
team mate. My next goal
is to play on the Canadian
Olympic Team, and for
sure I want to keep playing for the NHL as long as
I’m healthy, and as long as
they want me.
The future is very exciting, and I guess I want
to do everything. Right
now I’m pretty young and
more focused on Hockey
than anything, but I love
kids and having a family at
some point is definitely on
my radar.
If you play hockey, I don’t
think there’s another school
in North America that rivals
Notre Dame. They are
simply the best. There’s
an amazing list of guys
who have come from there
and made it to the NHL. If
you’re really serious about hockey, Notre Dame can really give you a jump
start. And at the end of the day, I had such a great time there, and so did
everyone else. Whether or not you are into hockey, you meet so many tremendous people; you get to live on your own, learn to be independent and
take responsibility for yourself and really start to grow up as a person. Notre
Dame teaches you to be a good person, and it is just a tremendous experience. I think everyone should go!
While our son Jordan only spent one year at Notre Dame, it was a very significant one. Once he made the
Bantam team he began to settle into the life of being a Notre Dame Hound: hard work, focus, respect, and
getting along with room mates, team mates, schoolmates and teachers. By November we already noticed
changes in our son. He seemed very comfortable in his new community and was already proud of being part
of the Notre Dame experience. He took responsibility for working his designated school chore bursary hours,
was training and working out daily, and took part in extra early morning fun ice times. He excelled academically because of the additional focus and smaller class sizes, and the many teachers surrounding him providing
additional support and encouragement full time. The phone calls home soon went from daily to weekly indicating he had really integrated into the Notre Dame life. We believe Jordan’s year at Notre Dame prepared him
to eventually make the big step into the WHL. Juggling school and his busy hockey life taught him to manage
his time, and he learned to live on his own and get along with many different types of people. He experienced
pressure to work hard and succeed in a very competitive hockey environment which ultimately helped him to
learn to focus and improve his hockey skills and work ethic. We know Jordan takes great pride in being a Notre
Dame Alumni and will cherish his memories, experiences and friendships for the rest of his life.
Lisa and Darren Eberle
Proud Parents of Hound Jordan Eberle
97
185
+ DRAFTED NHL PLAYERS
120
80
+ NCAA & CIS MEN’S HOCKEY PLAYERS
+ NCAA & CIS FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYERS
100
40
30
+ IIHF HOCKEY PLAYERS
+ LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS
+ PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
9
3
WESTERN CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
MAC’S TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
4
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
+ MANY MORE TO COME
DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE WHAT
IT TAKES TO BE A HOUND?
CALL SHAUNA SHERVEN FOR YOUR PERSONAL CAMPUS DAY VISIT 306-732-1203