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Novice hockey player going to Crosby Hockey School
Young player off to meet and train with NHL Superstar in Halifax
Jeremy Hannaford
Free Press
Novice 4 hockey player Griffin Carmont is going to be one of the lucky youth who get to train with Pittsburg Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
Griffin will be training at the Sidney Crosby Hockey School in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia on July 11-17.
Griffin is eight years old and plays centre and defence for the Novice 4 Central GM minor hockey team. At 4-foot-10, he is a tall boy for his age, and weighs 100 pounds.
Griffin's father and lifelong coach, 100 Mile & District Minor Hockey Association vice-president Hal Carmont, says he is very excited for his son taking this step in his hockey career.
“The sport is a big part of our lives. The experiences he will be able to take from it all and put toward his future is something I'm really looking forward to.”
For Griffin, not only is it a chance to learn and train, but also an opportunity to meet his hero.
“[Crosby] has been my favourite player for forever. I'm looking forward to seeing the Stanley Cup too if it's there.”
To get into Crosby's hockey school was no easy task. Each year, more than 3,600 young hockey players apply and only 160 are accepted. After applying, Hal had to fill out an extensive questionnaire about his son's playing styles and skills. Even then, the first e-mail the family received stated Griffin had not been accepted but was put on a wait list.
However, a week later, the call came down stating Griffin had been accepted into the program.
“It was awesome,” says Griffin. “I was really excited to get in. I've been trying my best to get to that level.”
Says Hal: “As a dad, it's an honour to have my son in this program.”
The program runs eight hours a day for the seven days, with four hours of on-ice training, two hours of off-ice development and two hours of classroom education with guest presenters, one of them being Colorado Avalanche number 1 draft pick Nathan MacKinnon.
The on-ice training will focus on skating, puck handing, and other game-related skills through innovative drills. The off-ice development will focus on player motor skills, physical tasks and teamwork building. The education classes cover a variety of topics that provide vital on and off-ice information.
But at the centre of it all is that the youth have fun while learning these new skills.
“I'm pretty excited cause then I can tell my dad how to do it,” Griffin jokes.
He isn't new to intensive hockey programs. He was a part of the Atom initiation hockey development program in his precursor years.
Amongst all of the excitement, Griffin is simply looking forward to getting to play on the ice with his hero.
“I'll be a bit nervous, but I'll show my stuff to prove myself to him. I hope to be a Wrangler one day and then play for Pittsburgh.”