IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY - Three times a week, Lionel Willie steps onto the ice at the rink in Arctic Bay to coach the age 12 and under hockey team.

Lionel Willie, in centre in the front row, poses with the U12 Arctic Bay hockey team he has been coaching since February. In the back row are Nanuga Uttak, Paul Iqqaqsaq, Gamaliel Akeeagok, Aiyuot Tattatuapik, Don Taqtu, R.J. Oyukuluk, Murphy Levi and Andy Kaluuk. In the middle row are Owen Willie, Peter Muckpah, Scott Kalluk, Daniel Taqtu and Curtis Willie. In the front row are Tony Eechark, coach Lionel Willie and Vincent Enoogoo. - photo courtesy of Thomas Levi

Willie runs drills with the approximately 17 players on the team. The team has only had a coach since Febryary, when 16-year-old Willie stepped up to the plate and volunteered his services.

"There was nobody willing to coach so I volunteered," said Willie, a Grade 11 student at Inuujaq School.

Willie himself has been playing hockey for the last three or four years.

In addition to playing hockey and coaching the team, he also works part-time at the arena. This is where he met Rick Tessier, an RCMP officer who was working in the community in 2009. Willie said he and Tessier chatted about hockey and they started talking about Tessier's son Kelsey, an NHL prospect who played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Willie said he enjoyed talking to Tessier about hockey. Tessier also gave Willie a special gift before he left the community.

"He had some skates that his son used to use. He gave them to me and they are a perfect fit," said Willie.

It was after this that Willie found out the age 12 and under hockey team did not have a coach. They gather on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for their practice and just had scrimmages.

Once Willie took over as coach this all changed.

"I teach the kids drills I was taught when I was younger," he said.

This includes the Pacman drill where the players pretend they are the character from the 1980s video game. Willie explained that players start off at one corner in the rink and skate to the closest face-off dot. They then go to the other side of the rink and do the same thing until they have gone to all the dots. To make this more interesting he said he sometimes gets the players to do this with the puck.

Another one of the team's favourite drills is the Mickey Mouse drill where Willie has the players skating forwards and backwards around the ice, to the centre and to the blue lines.

"I love watching the kids playing their favourite game," Willie said.

The love for the game is reciprocated as the kids he coaches come to his games as well. Willie said that he thinks that the kids are happy, not only because they have a coach, but also that he is close to their age.

When he is not on the ice, Willie watches his beloved Ottawa Senators and his favourite player Jason Spezza.

The hamlet's recreation co-ordinator Thomas Levi said he is proud of Willie and what he is doing.

"He is a good role model," he said.