Growing up with his hair braids coming out of his helmet and speaking his Nsyilxcen language, Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) member Jeremy Holy Rider Tompson couldn't fathom attending a hockey school.
Anywhere.
Oh, how times have changed.
Tompson, from Vernon, parlayed his talent into three seasons in the Western Hockey League, and five years in the minor pro leagues. Younger brother Rocky Tompson also went the WHL route, was drafted by the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames, played 25 games in the NHL for the Flames and Florida Panthers, and is now the head coach of the New York Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.
"Forty years ago, going to hockey school, having long braids and speaking our own language is something that never would have happened," said Jeremy, 50, one of the many volunteers at the first Okanagan Indian Band Syilx Hockey School, which christened the month of August at Kal Tire Place.
"For our youth today to be able to experience our culture in a hockey setting, and have support from the surrounding community....it's just going to grow from here."
Hockey is a huge part of the OKIB.
"The band currently has 70 players. Three years ago, that number was 21," said Brendon Caron, 38, a former junior hockey player, who is the OKIB senior child and youth recreation and healthy activities coordinator.
"There has been major growth in kids playing hockey, and there's more demand for development like this."
Three years ago, Tompson and his family were in Kamloops watching his cousin, Deagan McMillan, play against the Blazers for the Tri-City Americans, wearing Jeremy's No. 24. It was the number Tompson wore when he played for the Americans in his WHL days.
McMillan, who has played four years in the WHL, has one year of eligibility left, and is currently a free agent. He gave back to his OKIB community by serving as a volunteer on-ice coach at the camp.
It was while watching his cousin, and thinking of his two brothers, both of whom joined him in playing in the Western league, that the idea for an OKIB hockey school came to Tompson.
Two years later, he was introduced to Caron. And, in a little under two months, the pair had put together the OKIB Syilx Hockey School for all minor hockey aged kids (U7-U18) from the Okanagan Nation, including OKIB, Penticton and Osoyoos Indian Bands, Westbank First Nation, Lower and Upper Similkameen Bands, and the Upper Nicola Band.
A total of 51 kids took part in the first camp, which saw the attendees go Monday to Friday for a full day of on- and off-ice activities 香蕉视频直播� including a simulated golf game as part of dryland training. There also happened to be a visit on the final day from Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (also a Tri-City Americans alum), who lives in Kelowna but grew up at Anahim Lake west of Williams Lake. Price's mom, Lynda, is the chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation.
Equally, or even more, important off-ice at the camp was the culture training, including lessons in the Nsyilxcen language.
"We put the language into everything we're doing on-and-off the ice," said Tompson. "It gives the kids the opportunity to use the language in a natural, easy-going setting."
Reaction to the camp, said the organizers, has been fantastic, from the kids, the OKIB and the surrounding community.
"We envisioned it to be a positive experience, but couldn't have imagined this," said Caron, minutes before a dryland training session featuring a dozen eager players dressed in T-shirts, shorts, and runners. "The buy-in from these kids has been great. They know this isn't school, it isn't day care. They're here to learn and to take it seriously.
"By Day 4, we were so proud of the growth, the leadership aspects, the lessons in goal-setting. We were impressed by what the youth were prioritizing for themselves, their teams, and the people they had in mind in their family and their community. We couldn't be prouder of these kids."
The camp was originally slated to be held at the Priest Valley Arena and Gym in Vernon, but a pipe burst at PV, leaving the facility iceless. The City of Vernon stepped in and put the ice in early at Kal Tire Place South so the camp could proceed.
"BC Hydro, Chandos Construction, both donated significant amounts of money to make sure the camp went ahead," said Tompson. "We had donations of lunches. The WHL donated a bunch of jerseys to give away. We had stuff from the (Vancouver) Canucks and (Calgary) Flames. The Flames stepping up is something they wouldn't normally do because this is Canucks territory, but they wanted to give back in the spirit of truth and reconciliation."
OKIB HOCKEY HISTORY
Sitting in the stands at KTP South, watching one of his two grandkids in the camp go through on-ice training, was newly minted OKIB Chief Dan Wilson, 64. When Wilson was growing up on Westside Road, there were five men's and junior hockey teams, including the Head of the Lake Stampeders, the team Wilson's late father, Pat, played for. And there was one women's team.
All of the squads played Pond Hockey on Okanagan Lake when it froze in winter. Which led to an interesting time when the Stampeders joined the old North Okanagan Senior Men's Hockey League.
"Louie Marchand organized the Stampeders and he entered them to play in the NOHL," chuckled Wilson, getting ready for the punch line. "He got some guys from town (Vernon) to play on the team, guys like Jack Howard, Garney Howard, Jim Moro, Don Jakes. The first game the team played in town, our guys had never played with boards. They got waxed because the other team just kept banking the puck off the boards. But they caught on pretty fast."
When there was no more room to play on the Stampeders, John Marchand, Richard Louis, and Hector Lewis organized the Westside Totems, which featured the likes of players Bernie, Lane, and Randy Marchand, and Robin Lacroix. When there was no more room to play on the Totems, Alfred Bonneau, Robert Marchand, Wally Parker, and Walter Williams started a team called the Westside Falcons which is where Wilson, Keith Louis, Homer Alexis, and Barry Brewer got their hockey starts.
Richard Louis organized a junior team called the Thunderbirds. William Brewer and Graydon Alexis started a team called the Scouts. And Lane Marchand formed a women's team in the 1980s, the Totemettes.
Wilson began playing hockey in Vernon as a 12-year-old Peewee Division player with his coach being none other than legendary Vernon boxing coach and former Good Citizen of the Year, Don MacDonald. He would later try out for the BCHL's Vernon Vikings, and nearly landed a spot on the Merritt Centennials' BCHL squad, which Wilson's grandmother nixed.
Wilson did play some junior in the old Kootenay International Junior Hockey League with the Kimberley Knights before returning to the Okanagan to attend then-Cariboo College, now known as Thompson Rivers University. He also played in the NOHL for the Grindrod Elks
As a child playing hockey in Vernon, Wilson would stay at his aunt Elsie Lacroix's home on 48th Avenue, and he and cousin Dean Lacroix would get up and start walking south along the railway tracks to the old Vernon Civic Arena at 4 a.m. for a 5 a.m. practice.
He would have jumped at the chance, said Wilson, to attend a camp like the one put on by OKIB. The camp received chief and council's blessing.
"The camp is a community driven project, and we are looking forward to have more kids participate next year in the greatest game on earth," said Wilson. "There are a lot of social problems on reserves, so if we can get the kids off on the right foot early, and keep them off the streets, we can support their athletic and educational goals."
TRADITION IN MERCHANDISE
Of course, no hockey school would be complete without merchandise for the campers to keep, and the adults to purchase.
Enter graphic designer Brian Caron and partner Michael Conlin. The pair operate , an apparel and clothing company in Vernon. The duo worked with OKIB to come up with a kid-friendly logo to make it exciting for the campers on their jerseys and merchandise.
The camp logo include's the OKIB logo, and traditional Syilx figures like the porcupine.
"The reaction has been amazing," said Conlin.
Added Caron: "People love it. Nobody had any shirts at the start of the camp. By Day 3, everyone was running around with camp shirts on."
The camp sold out of ball hats halfway through the week.
Nation Party Collective donated half the proceeds from merchandise sales back to the hockey school.
