INUVIK - Kevin Bathurst from Hockey Canada popped into the Midnight Sun Complex last weekend, Jan. 14 to 16, to teach coaches and kids some tricks to help develop their ice skills.

Hockey Canada's Kevin Bathurst taught hockey development skills at the Midnight Sun Complex last weekend, Jan. 14 to 16. - Kira Curtis/NNSL photo

The program is part of Hockey Canada's Skills Development Camp that provides free skills clinics to coaches and players who are not regularly exposed to training camps.

Bathurst focused on skating, puck control, shooting as well as building offence and defence. The program is designed teach coaches drills to build their own team's strength and broaden the variety of how they train.

Eight coaches from Inuvik and Aklavik participated in the weekend coaches' clinic, which was sponsored by Hockey Canada and Hockey North as well as Bathurst.

Conrad Baetz, president of Inuvik Minor Hockey, has spent more than a quarter century playing and coaching hockey in Inuvik. He helped organize teams and ice times here in town and was glad to see interest in hockey skill development, but hopes for more in the future.

"Inuvik, being a smaller community, you have probably fewer folks that can coach, fewer folks that are wanting to coach," Baetz said. "So from a coach's perspective to have some professional sort of instruction from a guy like Kevin is really good."

An estimated 80 kids showed up to take to the ice with Bathurst, surprising the Hockey Canada teacher who had brought 60 jerseys to hand out.

But Baetz said everyone had fun and took part in the drills.

"That's what it's all about. We're trying to instill in kids some of the life skills that they need but do it in a way that they're learning and they're having fun," he said.

To Baetz, hockey can build a variety of life skills, such as how to operate in a team environment and have structure as well as learning to hone your skills to benefit the team.

"It gives you new ideas. It gives you new ways to deal with certain situations on the ice. It gives you new drills to try out with the kids," he said.

Bathurst grabbed a coffee at Cafe Gallery before heading home to Calgary. He said he enjoyed his stay in Inuvik and was taken out snowmobiling for the first time.

"The people here are awesome," he said.

Next up, Bathurst is scheduled to visit Rankin Inlet in his tour of the Northern communities.

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