Written
submission by Head Coach - Matt Bennett
It is with
great pride and privilege that I nominate Owen ‘Crash’ Carnegie for the 2009
Frank Sabatino Tournament Chair Sportsmanship Award. Owen epitomizes what it
means to be a team player and is an ambassador for the game of hockey in
Kanata and beyond.
Owen possesses
a work ethic that is second to none, is a constant smiling face both in the
dressing room and on the ice and has the utmost respect for his coaches,
teammates, officials and opponents.
Being one of
the youngest players on a mixed 1999/1998, in addition to being one of the
smallest statures on the team, does not prevent Owen from playing with the
heart and desire, rivaled by only perhaps one of his heroes in the NHL. Owen
treats each drill in practice just like his first and last shift in every
game, giving it is all no matter what.
Owen may not
have the hardest shot on the ice or may not be the quickest, but his will to
succeed and get the puck puts him in the centre of the action all the time.
Many nominees
for this award will possess many if not all of the qualities and attributes
I have mentioned above. What sets Mr. Carnegie apart from other young kids I
have coached is a compassion and maturity beyond his years off the ice. I
would like to detail events over the holidays in the Bell capital Cup
tournament, which I believe are a microcosm for what Owen means to his
teammates and to minor hockey in the area.
On December 31st,
in the middle of the world largest hockey tournament, a major fire broke out
in a hotel downtown where the Beijing Imperial Guard were staying. Staying
on the 10th floor, while the fire was on the 2nd
floor, many of these players and their families had to flee the hotel with
the clothes on their back, some even had to smash windows and take the fore
ladder 100 ft down to safety. Needless to say, grabbing their hockey gear on
the way out was not a top priority for this team. Having to play their semi
final game at 11:30am, the Beijing team was only able to get half of their
bags from the hotel. Tournament organizers out the word out to local
families that gear was needed for the Beijing team to play their game. Owen
Carnegie was the first young player to drop his gear off at the rink, not
worried about who was going to use it, or what he may or not get back, but
rather excited that he could help out a team in need. Four of Owen’s
teammates, followed his lead and lent their gear to the Imperial guard, who
went out and won their semi final game, and 5 hours later won the final game
of the tournament!
It was a very
special moment for me and the rest of those there that day to witness this
act of generosity, beyond his years. Owen is a special young man with a
heart of gold and a work ethic to match. In a day and age when minor hockey
has been painted with a negative brush at times, Owen, is a bright breath of
fresh air that is infectious on our team, in our dressing room and on the
ice.
It has already
been rewarding for me to be around a player with such special gifts, and I
only hope that Owen can be recognized with an award such as this, although I
know that if he was not to be honored with this award, it will not damper
his spirit nor bring an end to his willingness to share his gifts with those
around him, because to Owen its not about awards and recognition, its about
having fun and playing the sport he loves.
Respectfully
and Proudly,
Matt Bennett
Head Coach
A1 - Kanata
Vikings
Kanata Minor
Hockey Association
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Peewee
Frank Sabatino Tournament Chair Sportsmanship Award Winner - Peewee
Division
2009 FSMT Tournament Chair - Shona Bradley (pictured)
Peewee
Award Recipient - Sean McKellar #19, St. Hilda's Eagles (Oakville
Written submission by Head Coach - Nelson Pavao
We would like to nominate Sean McKellar for the FSMT sportsmanship
award. Like all the nominees Sean's love for the game is unquestionable,
his desire to be the best player on his team and in or league is like
most young men that play this game. What separates Sean for many of the
others is that Sean did it on his own. Most of us became passionate
about hockey from being exposed to it at a young age, we started skating
at 4 or 5 years old, so by the time we started playing organized hockey
we new what the game was, we just weren't very good yet. Many of us also
sat around on Saturday night watching Hockey night in Canada sitting on
our fathers laps as they told us stories of all the great players that
have played this game and our fathers would share their experiences of
when they where youngsters playing the game. When Sean was 4 years old,
Sean lost his father in a tragic car accident. Sean’s mother Loretta was
left to raise 3 young children on her own, and if you have ever met the
McKellar’s you would know that wonderful job she has done. Sean starting
playing hockey at the age of 7 mostly because many of the boys at school
played and talked about it. Sean went to his mother and asked if he
could play. Sean started his first year of hockey as at 7 years old but
before he could even get on the ice that season his broke his leg in
August. He was so determined to play that by the 1st week of October he
was on the ice. His mother told me that he was a horrible skater at
first but was determined to get better, by Christmas of his first year
he was one of the better skaters on his team. Sean has continued to
develop his skills, Sean is now one of the best players in our division
he leads our team in scoring and is a leader on and off the ice. Sean is
also our captain he leads by example he is the first to show up for
practice and games. He motivates his teammates to be better, to keep
working hard and to never quit.
I have had the great privilege over the years to coach many wonderful
young men; Sean truly is one of the best kids I have ever been around. I
invite your committee to watch Sean this weekend and take some time to
visit with him; he has a million dollar smile and a heart that is pure
gold.
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