Lacquette returns to local hockey camp as a CWHL champion

Press Release

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

WHITEHORSE, YT – It has been a busy year for defenceman Brigette Lacquette, who returns to Whitehorse on Monday as a coach at the 14th Annual Northwestel Summit Hockey School.

A second-year veteran of the Learning to Lead Hockey Camp, Lacquette spent her season in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, manning the blueline for the Clarkson Cup winning Calgary Inferno. Add a second IIHF Women’s World Championship silver medal, and she’s returning to camp with plenty of experience to share with local youth.

The Learning to Lead Hockey Camp works with skaters aged 5-17 to develop their skills both on and off the ice, in an environment that focuses on fun. Presented by Northwestel in partnership with the Yukon Indian Hockey Association (YIHA), the Summit Hockey School provides skaters with ice time, strength and cross-sport training and access to world-class instruction.

On the ice, sessions will be lead by Lacquette, a national Tom Longboat Award winner who was featured by Rogers Sportsnet’s Hometown Hockey during their stop in Whitehorse, and CHL Memorial Cup winner Wacey Rabbit, a draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2005.

Campers will also participate in off-ice workouts led by lacrosse champion Nathan Wilson and local strength and conditioning coach Ben McPherson.

The coaching is elite, but the main goals of the camp are having fun and learning important leadership skills.

“Participants will improve as players, but the most important thing is that they enjoy the game,” says Joe Martin, coach and owner of the Northwestel Summit Hockey School. “We want to give players access to the knowledge and experience of a world-class coaching staff, but in a low-pressure environment.”

The camp provides an opportunity to work on the fundamentals and improve in the off-season without the financial and time demands of traveling to a camp outside the territory.  To ease the burden on local families, Northwestel contributed $10,000 in funding, extending its longtime partnership with a program that helps players develop close to home.

“It’s important for kids to be active and stay engaged in the game over the summer months, but the costs of traveling with young players out of town can be prohibitive. When we can provide a fun, affordable option here in the North, everyone benefits,” says Paul Flaherty, President and CEO of Northwestel. “This is a chance for our local talent to learn from the best, and to embrace the sport we love in the community we call home.”

The camp runs daily from July 25-29, 2016 at the Canada Winter Games Centre.

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