Indigenous-led group teaching hockey skills in Warman

Parents’ eyes lit up as they watched their children learning new techniques on the ice below from Indigenous hockey players with NHL experience.

The Daniels Hockey School is operating out of Warman this week. The organization led by a father (Scott Daniels) and daughter (Sydney Daniels) runs camps around the Saskatchewan area in the summers.

“It’s probably one of the best hockey camps we’ve been to,” said Jessica Lalonde, whose two sons are enrolled in the camp. “It’s for all skill levels. The positivity and how it’s geared to First Nations youth I think is really important.”

Lalonde’s two boys are seven and 13. The Daniels Hockey School caters to a variety of ages and hockey skills. The camps run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

All ages are in the building at the same time, but alternate their time on the ice. During the rest of the day, each age group has an educational classroom activity and a dryland stretching program as well.

The educational element teaches children about nutrition, mental performance and anti-bullying. Parents noted that the majority of the children enrolled are Indigenous, along with many instructors. Lalonde said this lets kids feel a strong sense of community while learning to play hockey.

“It’s really important. It makes me feel good that we can have positive Indigenous leaders for our youth,” said Lalonde. “It’s good to have those kinds of role models for them.”

The Daniels travel around North America talking to Indigenous youth about hard work, goal-setting and overcoming adversity.

Scott is a former NHL player for numerous teams, including the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers. Sydney was a team captain on Harvard University’s women’s team and currently is a scout for the Winnipeg Jets.

In the summer, the duo travels around the Saskatchewan and Manitoba areas teaching youth hockey camps. In the winter, they also offer select on-ice sessionals.

Their years of experience is what makes the teaching so special, but the positive teachings and Indigenous community atmosphere seems to be parents’ favourite part.

“It’s very big. My son was very excited about it,” said Sebastian Andrews. “It definitely helps him feel more proud and he enjoys it.”

This is Andrews’ first time enrolling his son in one of the Daniels Hockey School’s camps. He said he’s heard about the positive  impact of the teachings and lessons from his colleagues at work.

He hopes that even though the camp is only a few days long, his son will learn skills to help him grow in the sport of hockey.

“Learning some more skills, having some fun (and) interacting with new people always helps him quite a bit,” said Andrews.

The Warman camp runs until Friday, and a few spots are still available. Registration as well as future camp dates are available on the school’s website.