The championships have been won and a boatload of players have been drafted, yet Scott May's work is far from done.
Another impressive campaign for the Delta Hockey Academy was capped by the recent Western Hockey League Bantam Draft which saw 12 players selected. That's three more than a year ago as the program's growing reputation continues to attract players from abroad.
DHA's 2016 WHL prospects class includes talent from the Yukon Territory, California and three more from Vancouver Island - all attending South Delta Secondary School to chase their dream.
"It shows us that people are interested and we have put our name on the map," said May, DHA's director of hockey operations and head coach of the Wild U18 Prep team. "It's a testament to the team (DHA director) Ian Gallagher has put together. It's something we have been able do with vision and the way we want to handle things. It's a pretty good template for success."
May was also quick to suggest not to put too much stock in a draft which is essentially evaluating 15-year-olds to determine if they are capable of playing major junior hockey in two or three years. It can be a crapshoot and many can slip through the cracks.
"As exciting as it is on that given day, in the grand scheme of things you can look back and see a lot of un-drafted WHL players who have gone to have very successful NHL careers," he said. Yet, as much as we don't want to glorify it, it is extremely encouraging and exciting for those players on that day. It's a step in a long journey."
Despite helping those WHL prospects flourish, there is no guarantee any of them will continue at the academy next season in their first-year of midget eligibility. They could go play closer to their hometowns at the major midget level or even attend another academy.
Whitehorse native Dylan Cozens was selected 19th overall by the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
He came to Delta after talking to DHA Bantam Prep coach Yogi Svjekovsky when he was playing for an Alberta spring team.
"It was in Winnipeg and Yogi was coaching the B.C. Bears," recalled Cozens. "There isn't even Bantam 'AAA' (in Whitehorse). Knowing I had to prove myself, I had to move out of there. I had options with Edge (academy) and other B.C. schools as well., but I knew Delta was a really good school for hockey and I saw some of the players who have come out of there. That made me want to come."
Cozens now must decide to remain at DHA for his Grade 10 year or be on the move again. That's where May comes into the picture.
Players want to know the opportunity they will have next season and DHA being endorsed by their WHL teams is critical as well. May guided DHA's prep team to the league and playoff championships with six first-year midgets on the roster. That is a big number given the academy's Elite 15 team is the typical route for those players. For the 2016-17 season, May has pegged Cozens and Medicine Hat draft pick Jalen Price as the only two players who would be "aged up."
"You never really can tell where the age break is going to happen," May explained. "We are hoping to have Dylan and Jalen next season. Some kids might overlook the importance of the U15 division but it needs to be about playing and getting ice time.
"I have a good rapport with a lot of managers and coaches too. Some of these people I played against when I was coming through as a player. The hockey world is actually extremely small. You just have to try and make connections and establish good relationships. The more information you have, the better."
Among the dozen DHA draft picks is North Delta native Tyus Gent.
He had a leading role on the Wild's second entry in the Bantam Varsity level after skipping initial tryouts, then getting hurt during a showcase tournament in Winnipeg last spring. Despite not playing in the top Bantam tier, the Victoria Royals selected him 88th overall.
"I made a bad decision and didn't come to tryouts but then later decided I wanted to come here and play," chuckled Gent. "There was a chance I was going to get used as a call-up but we ended up making the finals and having a great year. I played with a lot of (first-year Bantams) and it was nice being that older guy that was being looked up to."
Other DHA players drafted included: Lukas Svjekovsky (36th overall, Vancouver Giants), Roman Basran (6th overall, Kelowna Rockets), Boston Bilous (88th overall, Edmonton Oil Kings), Keegan Craik (98th overall Prince George Cougars), Aidan Barfoot (113th overall, Vancouver Giants), Corson Hopwo (138th overall Medicine Hat), Nicholas Kent (147th overall, Saskatoon Blades), Ben Wozney (181st overall Edmonton Oil Kings) and Butch LaRoue (208th overall, Prince George Cougars).
