The ice hockey season in most parts of the world has ended with the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia and the Stanley Cup win of the St. Louis Blues. But the ending is just the beginning of a new season as players, coaches and staff from around the world get set to return to the ice.
For some, this time will come earlier than usual, as the IIHF will host two development camps in the upcoming weeks.
For the second time in two years, an IIHF Goaltending Development Camp for female goalies will be organized by the IIHF Women’s Committee, and for that event the IIHF will make a return to Slovakia not far from where the Worlds took place last month. The camp will be hosted in Hamuliakovo, located about 20 kilometres south-east of the capital of Bratislava this week from 24 to 30 June. It has already started for coaches and staff while the goaltenders arrive in Slovakia today.
The committee continues its work to make women’s hockey more popular and close the gap between North America and the other countries. After last year’s High-Performance Camp, the focus will be on the top goaltenders and goalie coaches from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America to learn from their mentors and get on- and off-ice education and training.
Goalies will work in four groups split between under-18 and senior players and the upcoming generation of goalies and goaltending coaches will have the chance to learn from experienced coaches and mentors as well as from former Olympians such as Valentina Lizana-Wallner, Kim Martin-Hasson, Meeri Raisanen, Florence Schelling or Zuzana Tomcikova.
For some, this time will come earlier than usual, as the IIHF will host two development camps in the upcoming weeks.
For the second time in two years, an IIHF Goaltending Development Camp for female goalies will be organized by the IIHF Women’s Committee, and for that event the IIHF will make a return to Slovakia not far from where the Worlds took place last month. The camp will be hosted in Hamuliakovo, located about 20 kilometres south-east of the capital of Bratislava this week from 24 to 30 June. It has already started for coaches and staff while the goaltenders arrive in Slovakia today.
The committee continues its work to make women’s hockey more popular and close the gap between North America and the other countries. After last year’s High-Performance Camp, the focus will be on the top goaltenders and goalie coaches from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America to learn from their mentors and get on- and off-ice education and training.
Goalies will work in four groups split between under-18 and senior players and the upcoming generation of goalies and goaltending coaches will have the chance to learn from experienced coaches and mentors as well as from former Olympians such as Valentina Lizana-Wallner, Kim Martin-Hasson, Meeri Raisanen, Florence Schelling or Zuzana Tomcikova.
Boys meet in Vierumaki
The IIHF’s Youth & Junior Development Committee and Coaching Committee will organize the 2019 IIHF Hockey Development Camp less than two weeks later. It will take place from 6 to 13 July 2019 at its traditional venue, the Sport Institute of Finland in Vierumaki.This camp focuses on the development of the IIHF’s member national associations, in particular to allow smaller ice hockey programs to be able to reach the minimum participation standards for the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship program. The focus is therefore on various leadership and administrational aspects of the game such as recruitment, learn to play, coaching, goalie coaching, team managers, equipment managers and leadership development.
All these programs will work around a big pool of players – this year male players born in 2004 – from countries from all corners of the world, from world-class hockey nations to countries new in the sport of ice hockey so that players, coaches and staff can develop together and learn on and off the ice.
The last Hockey Development Camp brought together 347 participants from 54 countries and this year’s camp will be the 16th edition.
Both camps will be covered on IIHF.com. Make sure to follow us here and on our social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or VK to stay up to date.
Over 300 participants from all around the world will come together to learn at the 2019 IIHF Hockey Development Camp in July in Finland. Photo: Timo Saarinen