Program Profile: RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg

Located in Winnipeg, MB, RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg joined the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) in 2016/17, and will compete in the female and all five male divisions in 2024/25.

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY AND MISSION STATEMENT

RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg’s team of professionals are committed to setting the standard of excellence and innovation in hockey in an environment where exceptional performance has no limit. RINK Hockey Academy’s vision is to be the complete hockey resource for personal and professional development.

LIST OF TEAMS

  • U15 AAA
  • U15 Prep
  • U17 AAA
  • U17 Prep
  • U18 Prep
  • Female U18 Prep

LOCATION AND YEAR THE PROGRAM ENTERED THE CSSHL

Located in Oak Bluff, MB, the RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg joined the CSSHL in 2016 and has now expanded to six academy teams for the 2024-25 season.

EDUCATION

  • Partner Schools
    • Shaftesbury High School (Grades 9-12)
    • St. Ignatius (Grades 8)
  • What are some of the things your program does to provide educational support?
    • RHA-Winnipeg provides scheduled tutoring at minimum twice a month, with that becoming weekly near exam times. Study Hall sessions are held daily at the RINK Training Centre as well as when teams are on the road.
  • How are grades monitored and how often?
    • Every month academic progress reports are completed by Shaftesbury staff and returned to our coaches, as well as, at each report card date which occurs four times during the school year.  Parents and billets sign off on each report so that teachers, coaches, and parents are all aware of the students-athletes progress.
  • How are courses and the graduation path for student athletes chosen?
    • Courses are chosen by the students at the end of each school year for the upcoming academic year. We have a dedicated academic advisor for RHA-Winnipeg, who assists and guides all our student-athletes in choosing the necessary courses for their future academic and career paths.
  • Do you have an academic probation policy?
    • Student-athletes are to maintain a 70% average in school, which is reviewed monthly.  Should any student-athlete struggle to maintain that average, additional academic time and assistance shall be provided to retain the programs academic standards. That being said, the average RHA Winnipeg student-athlete had a 86% in the 2022-23 school year.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

  • Do you offer a billeting program or a dormitory for non-local student athletes?
    • RHA Winnipeg’s billet coordinator works closely together with player families, coaching staff, and our host families. It is encouraged that families from the appropriate team billet the student-athlete but if no options are available, we look externally to outside families. This process includes a questionnaire, an inhouse visit and reference checks. There is monthly check ins and a year end exit interview. We make sure it is imperative that the student athlete and family have a connection and it is the right fit for both parties.

STUDENT ATHLETE HEALTH

  • How are injuries and sick student athletes monitored?
    • All injuries and illnesses are handled and monitored by the athletic therapy team and coaching staffs. The athletic therapy team consists of athletic therapists, the team physician and therapy service team. Each team’s head coach is contacted daily on the recovery of student athletes. Parents/guardians are in contact with our staff in regard to the severity of the injury, recovery time and return to play protocol. The benefit of RHA Winnipeg is that all of this is provided in-centre and included with being part of the team.

SCHEDULE

  • What does the daily schedule look like for a student athlete in your program?
    • RHA Winnipeg student-athletes schedule varies depending on which team you are on. The day runs from 7:30am to 5:00pm and student-athletes will either attend school in a morning or afternoon block. Transportation is provided to and from the school. During their time at the RINK Training Centre, teams will have an on-ice team practice or small group skills session, an off-ice workout as well as study hall time in one of our boardrooms. Boardroom sessions will also consist of video instruction and teaching, personal development with goal setting, team building activities, and presentations from special guests.  All activities are completed, and student-athletes are picked up by 5:00 pm.
  • How many games can your teams expect to play?
    • All RHA-Winnipeg teams play a minimum of 40 games with some teams playing up to 55 games in a season. They include the CSSHL regular season and Championships, exhibition games and tournaments against elite teams across both Canada and the United States.
  • What does the on and off ice training look like?
    • We offer a minimum of 40 games, 320 practice hours, 200 study hall hours and 160 off-ice training hours. A major focus of RHA-Winnipeg is our skill development program where we incorporate RINK Player Development and Goalie Development instruction with on-ice training. These sessions are in smaller groups focusing on player skills by position, technical instruction, and individual skill work.  RINK Testify Performance coordinates all off-ice training in close communication with each teams’ coaches, which is based off the student athlete’s workload during the week or upcoming weekend and using the facilities state-of-the-art equipment while monitoring and tracking each exercise.
  • How long does your program run?
    • The RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg program is 10 months long, beginning in the first week of September spanning the full length of the school year, not just the hockey season.

KEY STAFF AND CONTACT INFO

  • For full staff breakdown, visit our website HERE.
    • Ryan Cyr & Brad Rice, Governor
    • Jon Carlson, U15 AAA Head
    • Brad Purdie, U15 Prep Head Coach
    • Jeff Borse, U17 Prep Head Coach
    • Ian Duval, U17 AAA Head Coach
    • Rob Smith, U18 Prep Head Coach
    • Ed Mauro, Female U18 Prep Head Coach
    • Nick Fuher, Director of Player Personnel
    • Jon Cara, Director of On-Ice Programming & Development
    • Matt Asmundson, Sports Science & Performance
    • Blair Goodwin, Head Athletic Therapist

CONTACT

  • What is the best way to contact the program?
    • Website: www.rinkhockeyacademy.ca
    • Email: info@therink.ca
    • Social media @rha_winnipeg on all platforms
    • Phone: (204) 489 – 7465

Download our inquiry package for the upcoming year by CLICKING HERE.