Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Monday, July 9, 2007

SNOWDRIFT - Edmonton Oilers' developmental coach Kelly Buchberger stepped off the plane in Lutsel K'e last Thursday morning and headed straight for the important people...the kids.

Edmonton Oilers' ex-captain, Kelly Buchberger, right, presents sticks, gloves and jerseys to Damien Kailek and Darryl Marlowe in the Lutsel K'e arena on Thursday. - Amanda Vaughan/NNSL photo

The retired NHL player-turned-coach was in the community with a small entourage and representatives from Diavik and Canadian North to deliver several boxes of hockey equipment to the youth and offer support for the sports programs they've started up in their recently constructed arena.

Within minutes of landing, Buchberger was conducting introductions with kids and families and asking them as many questions as they asked him.

"Who drives the Zamboni? Is it one of you" he asked after bringing up the topic of the new arena, before moving on to questions about the fishing and hunting in the area and jokingly grilling the littlest members of the group about their favorite hockey player.

Later on at the arena, kids showed off with a game of soccer and Buchberger signed autographs for a short while before taking off to join up with the impromptu game. Then it was time to present the equipment.

With words from Buchberger and Glenn Zilinski, Diavik's manager of community projects, the equipment was donated along with special gifts for the two young men who have a huge hand in Lutsel K'e's youth recreation programs.

Damien Kailek and Darryl Marlowe, both 20 years old, have been running the community's rec programs since their last recreation co-ordinator left, and the position was never filled. Buchberger presented the two with official sticks, jerseys and gloves that had been used during Oilers' training sessions.

Later in the day, Marlowe told the crowd about a prophetic joke he had made shortly after the arena opened.

"I had said, now that we have the new arena, we'll probably attract some NHL players," he told everyone.

Zelinski has been coming into Lutsel K'e on business with Diavik for nearly eight years, and he has seen a marked improvement in the signs of bored youth since the construction of the arena, and with Diavik's involvement in getting kids the equipment to play sports.

"I don't see any graffiti in this town anymore," he said.

Zelinski said that the donated hockey equipment came from a few different sources including the Oilers, a few Yellowknife organizations and businesses, Sport North and that another donation earlier in the year had also been made by the girls teams from Canada Winter Games Team NWT.

He said the goal was to teach kids in small communities like Lutsel K'e to take ownership of their recreation facilities and sports programs. He added that his inspiration came in part from the Kugluktuk Grizzlies, a youth organization which has generated a lot of interest in sports in the Nunavut community's youth.

Zelinski's involvement with the Oilers also includes the upcoming rookie camp in Yellowknife, and in this case, Zelinski said he wanted to use Diavik's relationship with the team to also do something outside of the capital, to get the big guys thinking about the smaller communities.

Buchberger was definitely impressed by the hospitality of Lutsel K'e and the feeling of being one big family in a community of that size.

"The people are outstanding," he said.